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The 2010 Santa Tracker Review, From NORAD To Google Earth
It’s Christmas Eve, and you know what that means. Santa Claus is busy delivering toys to boys and girls around the world. Where is Santa Claus right now? Below, our annual round up of ways to find Father Christmas, from tracking Santa on Google Earth to monitoring him from your iPhone.
NORAD’s Santa Tracking Monopoly
I’ve been writing about Santa tracking for five years now. Back in 2005, there were a variety of Santa tracking services out there. Since then, most of them have given up and simply point to NORAD Tracks Santa. That’s fine — NORAD does a great job.
NORAD is the joint US-Canadian missile tracking organization. But for more than 50 years, NORAD has also been tracking Kris Kringle due to a misprinted phone number. Since 2007, NORAD partnered formally with Google to produce an entire suite of Jolly St. Nick monitoring tools.
Below, a close-up of specific options from NORAD, with links to the English-language instructions. Need another language? Select from the NORAD site’s home page. After NORAD, I’ll also cover what alternatives remain. By the way, there’s also an unofficial wiki dedicated to covering NORAD’s Santa tracking efforts.
NORAD’s Santa Map & Videos
Using high speed photography, along with fighter jets, satellites in orbit and radar installations to locate him, NORAD films Santa Claus as he passes over landmarks in countries around the world. A map shows where he’s been:
Above, you can see I snapped this image when Father Christmas was in Jakarta, Indonesia — as shown at the bottom of the screenshot.
If you click on Santa himself, you’ll see his current location:
‘
Click on any of the gift icons to read more about places he’s already been to:
Finally, select any of the video camera icons you’ll see over select cities, and you’ll be treated to Santa doing a fly-by of local landmarks:
There’s also a Videos page that lists videos of all places that Santa has visited so far:
Call Or Email For Santa’s Location
I’m old school. I like the fact that NORAD still allows you to call by phone and talk to a real person about where Santa is. Be sure to wish the volunteer tracker a Merry Christmas! The phone numbers are:
More information about calling or emailing for the location of Santa Claus, including hours of operation, are here.
Real-Time Santa Tracking Via Google Earth
In previous years, Google released a special file for Google Earth users, to track Santa. This year, it seems to be providing only a special plug-in that allows Google Earth viewing via your web browser. But, that’s pretty cool.
Visit this page with your web browser, and you’ll be prompted to install a plug-in. After that’s done, you’ll see Santa in real-time, as he flies above the earth:
I like how when he comes to a major city, suddenly he zips around delivering presents so fast that all you see is a series of red streaks.
By the way, Google Maps itself has gotten dressed up for the holidays, or at least the Street View “Pegman” has:
Santa By Google Maps For Mobile
On the move? Google makes it possible to track Santa using your smartphone. If you have Google Maps For Mobile (which is offered for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry), just do a search for “santa,” and his current location will be shown:
OK, it’s not the greatest presentation in the world, but it’s easy, and it works.
Santa By iPhone
After some exploration, I think the Santa Tracker 2010 from Talus Media is your best bet for the iPhone. It’s only $1, and it pinpoints your location (that yellow spot on the left), Santa’s location (the red dot on the right) and presents a countdown clock:
I especially like “The List” feature, which has a “naughty” and “nice” list. Using the main settings menu in the iPhone, you can add your kids to either list. I like to tease them and switch them around throughout the day.
Santa By Android & BlackBerry
I can’t link directly to Android applications because the online version of the Android Market makes it nearly impossible to find things there (no way to search, on a market backed by Google?). However, here’s a rundown on what you might try when searching through the market from your Android phone.
Santa Tracker Live from Active9.com brings the NORAD Santa Map I highlighted above into your Android phone. However, I found that the Flash videos didn’t work — and this using a Nexus S phone with the latest Android 2.3 software. The app is also very sluggish, but at least you can see Santa on it.
Santa Tracker from Value Apps simple draws a short line from wherever you are to a point indicating that Santa isn’t that far away. Handy if you’re trying to get the kids into bed earlier, especially since NORAD’s system is useless for building excitement that Santa is about to approach, for kids that are put to bed in the early event. With NORAD, it’s assumed Santa only approaches at midnight. Every year, I wish it offered a time-shifting ability. Anyway, the app is slow, buggy but free.
Santa Tracker Christmas is a $2 app from Onteca. It offers a pretty boring current location view. The past sightings are kind of need, with various images of Santa caught in flight in black and white. I wouldn’t recommend buying it, however.
Santa Spotter from Ogilvy Group is kind of neat, in that you swing your phone around toward the sky to spot Santa. Problem is, you never really seem to find him. You do have constellations that light up, which is pretty cool. And, it’s free. It kept crashing on my Nexus S. On my Samsung Fascinate running Android 2.1, it worked fine.
Other Santa Trackers
As I said when starting this article, most alternative Santa trackers out there just seem to point back to the NORAD site. This year, I found only one providing a worthwhile alternative experience, Santa T:
Nothing fancy — but I like how the single page view can give little kids the idea they are sitting at a radar control station. The time countdown is automatic. Santa T probably looks at your computer’s IP address to determine its time zone.
Santa Claus & Twitter
Santa Claus & Facebook
Yes, Santa is one of the 500 million people using Facebook! OK, actually, it’s NORAD again, providing updates through the NORAD Santa fan page:
Merry Christmas!
To everyone celebrating Christmas, here’s wishing you a great one.
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Durable disease control has been observed in a minority of patients due to immunotherapy, says Weiss. With the newer therapies of PD-1/PD-L1 both alone and in combination with CTLA-4 inhibitors and other agents, higher rates of disease control is being seen than previously.
Only a small number of patients achieve what appears to be a cure, but immunotherapy is a bigger step in the evolution of cancer care. Many people are thriving longer with lower toxicities but a cure still needs to be researched, explains Weiss.
Durable disease control has been observed in a minority of patients due to immunotherapy, says Weiss. With the newer therapies of PD-1/PD-L1 both alone and in combination with CTLA-4 inhibitors and other agents, higher rates of disease control is being seen than previously.
Only a small number of patients achieve what appears to be a cure, but immunotherapy is a bigger step in the evolution of cancer care. Many people are thriving longer with lower toxicities but a cure still needs to be researched, explains Weiss. |
The third season of Designated Survivor just landed on Netflix. And after binge-watching all the episodes, the audience started asking about the next installment of the excellent show. Will there be Designated Survivor Season 4? Will Netflix renew the show for another run? What could supposedly happen in the next season? These are some of the questions of which the fans want the answers. Let us explore what are the possibilities for Designated Survivor Season 4, below.
When the first two seasons of Designated Survivor landed on Netflix, there was a significant increase in the global viewership of the show. Moreover, the international audience was the prominent reason behind the revival of the show for its third run. The show also witnessed some downfall because of the frequent change of its showrunners in two seasons.
Neal Baer finally ended up as the showrunner for the third season. In an interview with TVLine, Baer stated that his goal was to come up with storylines that will entice Netflix head honchos. He also added that he was thinking about what new characters they would need to tell the kinds of stories that Netflix would encourage them to do.
Will Netflix Renew Designated Survivor Season 4?
Kiefer Sutherland starrer series, Designated Survivor, has just been released after being picked up from ABC. And already, another season of the show is speculating among the fans. Though the streaming giant has not renewed the show yet, there are quite some chances that it will renew the series for its fourth run, after checking the viewership and popularity of the third season.
However, Netflix can take up to a few months to announce the renewals of its original content. Season four’s status would likely depend on how well the third season does in the upcoming weeks after its release.
What Fans Think About Designated Survivor Season 4?
The third season of the show just dropped on the streaming giant. And since then, the fans have been asking for the fourth installment. Some of them even tweeted, asking for Designated Survivor Season 4 to get renewed by Netflix. Even the fans loved the third season as well.
AweSome!!!
I just watched all the episodes of season 3.
It was really great.
It was much more fun and exciting than I expected.
So, Do you have any plans for making season 4?
I really want to see next season. @DesignatedNFLX @NealBaer @RealKiefer #DesignatedSurvivor — Kiefer_EJ (@Kiefer_EJ) June 7, 2019
The Third Season Has Already Set The Plot For Sequel
The finale of the third season featured President Tom Kirkman struggling with some modern dilemma. Though he got re-elected, he did not seem thrilled about the journey. Mr. President has been discussing ethics with a psychiatrist
Designated Survivor Season 4 Release Date
as he awaits the election results. Meanwhile, the experiences that he’s transforming into a manipulative politician.This somehow will set up for the next season of the series. The fourth season would likely focus on Tom Kirkman’s moral scenario, with higher stakes and some much significant consequences.
Netflix first needs to renew the show for its fourth run. However, Netflix generally keeps a year gap between seasons of its original series’. Therefore, the fourth season might release in June 2020, if it gets renewed. |
Promising midfielder Timi Max Elsnik has put pen-to-paper on a new three-year contract at Derby County – following a successful first year with the club.
The 18-year-old’s new deal has seen him commit his future to the club until the summer of 2019.
Elsnik, a Slovenian Under 19 international who is now part of Derby’s Under 23 squad, made an immediate impression during the 2015/16 season with a number of dynamic and impressive displays in the middle of the park.
Originally with the Rams’ Under 18s set-up, Elsnik quickly earned, and cemented, a place in the Under 21s squad that was promoted to the top flight of the rebranded Premier League 2 pyramid as champions last season.
As a result of his fine performances, he was revealed as the club’s Scholar of the Year at the Rams’ annual End of Season Awards event back in May.
Elsnik was also called to train with the first-team squad on a number of occasions towards the end of the 2015/16 campaign and also spent time with Nigel Pearson’s squad ahead of the current campaign.
He played for the first team for the first time in their friendly clash with Portuguese giants Benfica in the Algarve Football Cup back in July - and was allocated a squad number ahead of Derby’s EFL Cup round one meeting with Grimsby Town earlier this month.
Manager Nigel Pearson said: “It’s important, regardless of what age group they are in, that we continue to develop our players.
“We’re pleased that Timi Max has signed a new contract for the next three years.”
After committing his future to the club, Elsnik said: “It has been quite a year for me.
“You always have to try and impress new people in the club and I came back for the new season ready to go.
“I had some time with the first-team during pre-season and I’m very happy to sign a new contract here at Derby County.
“Every time I have trained or played with the first team squad I have learnt from the experience.
“It’s like a different world being here and we have everything we need to develop; the training facilities that we have are excellent."
He added: “I’m really looking forward to this season with the Under 23s; we have a lot of games and it’s going to be exciting.
“We have different levels of games; every game is a massive game and there are so many challenges for us to get the opportunity that we all want.
“I would love to continue my progress and my target is to make my first-team debut.”
Tweets by @ dcfcofficial |
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Sexuality After Prostate Cancer
Impotence, or not being able to maintain an erection to have sex, may be a problem after prostate cancer treatment. This may be temporary or permanent. If you are able to get an erection, you may be able to achieve orgasm. However, no semen will be ejaculated during orgasm. Some people call this dry orgasm. |
The Washington Academy (WA) Raiders boys completed their 2017-18 regular season on Feb. 1 with a 69-53 victory over the John Bapst Crusaders of Bangor. The win gave Barry Terrell’s club a season’s sweep over the Crusaders, and a 13-5 regular season mark which currently has them seeded seventh in the standings. |
The incidence of diarrhea in Thoroughbred yearlings is very high, sometimes resulting in severe maldevelopment and even death. As physical maldevelopment and mental stress may negatively affect Thoroughbred performance, the avoidance of diarrhea in Thoroughbred yearlings is important for breeders and veterinarians.
Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are important constituents of the healthy gastrointestinal tract of mammals and humans, and some strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are frequently administered as probiotics because of their beneficial roles in mammal and human health and diarrhea prevention \[[@r1], [@r5], [@r6], [@r19]\]. The existence of lactobacilli in the intestinal flora of Thoroughbreds has long been suggested \[[@r9]\]. Morotomi *et al*. \[[@r15]\], Endo *et al*. \[[@r4]\], and Morita *et al*. \[[@r13], [@r14]\] isolated lactobacilli from horse fecal samples, including Thoroughbreds. We also isolated *Bifidobacterium boum* from the intestinal flora of Thoroughbreds \[[@r3]\]. Based on the above studies, a horse probiotics consisting of *Lactobacillus ruminis* KK14, *L. equi* KK15, *L. reuteri* KK18, *L. johnsonii* KK21 \[[@r13]\], and *B. boum* HU \[[@r4]\] was prepared and termed LacFi^TM^. LacFi^TM^ has been recognized as "Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)" following use for \>11 years.
It has recently been reported that some probiotic strains reduce the incidence of antibiotics and *Clostridium difficile*-associated diarrhea \[[@r7], [@r26]\]. These bacteria have been shown to increase beneficial intestinal bacteria and to modulate immune function. Several intestinal toxins induce epithelial barrier dysfunction through changes in tight junction (TJ) proteins that contribute to diarrhea \[[@r17]\]. We reported that *Enterococcus hirae*, an intestinal bacterium in the adjacent mucosa (mucosal bacterium), ameliorates tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced barrier impairment in the human epithelial TJ \[[@r10]\]. Therefore, immunomodulation, such as suppression of inflammation, and regulation of TJ function are beneficial for preventing diarrhea.
In this study, we investigated the regulative effects of the five LacFi^TM^ constituent bacterial strains (four lactobacilli and one bifidobacterium) on splenocytes and intestinal epithelial cells to evaluate the effect of the probiotics on diarrhea prevention. The LacFi^TM^ constituent strains were detected in neonatal Thoroughbred feces by polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and culture methods. We also evaluated the incidence of diarrhea in neonatal Thoroughbreds after the administration of LacFi^TM^, with a focus on the anti-inflammatory and the intestinal barrier--protective activities.
Materials and Methods {#s1}
=====================
Reagents
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RPMI 1640 and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, nonessential amino acids, penicillin, streptomycin, and gentamycin were all obtained from Life Technologies (Forster City, CA, USA). Fetal bovine serum (FBS) was obtained from MP Biomedicals, (Osaka, Japan). Both recombinant human transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and mouse interleukin (IL)-6 were obtained from R&D Systems (Minneapolis, MN, USA). TNF-α was obtained from Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. (Osaka, Japan). MRS broth and MRS agar were obtained from Becton, Dickinson and Company (Sparks, MD, USA). All other chemicals were of reagent grade.
Bacterial culture preparation for studies on anti-inflammatory and intestinal barrier-protective activities
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacteria were cultured in MRS broth and incubated under anaerobic conditions by using AnaeroPack^TM^ (Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc., Tokyo, Japan) at 37°C for 24 hr. The cell suspensions were washed with distilled water, incubated at 100°C for 50 min \[[@r10]\], and then lyophilized. Subsequently, the heat-killed bacteria were added to murine splenocyte or Caco-2 cell culture.
Splenocyte culture
------------------
The suppressive effects of bacteria on IL-17 production were evaluated according to previously described methods \[[@r18], [@r23]\]. Briefly, 6-week-old female Balb/c mice were obtained from Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (Kanagawa, Japan) and killed by cervical dislocation. Spleens were removed from three mice for each experiment and the pooled splenocytes (10^7^ cells) were incubated with TGF-β (2 ng/m*l*) and IL-6 (20 ng/m*l*) at 37°C for 72 hr in 1 m*l* of RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% FBS, 10 *μ*M 2-mercaptoethanol, 10 mM HEPES, penicillin, and streptomycin. Heat-killed bacteria (10^7^ cells) were added to the culture. A culture without the addition of TGF-β, IL-6, or heat-killed bacteria was included as a control. Culture supernatants were harvested to measure IL-17 concentrations by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (R&D Systems Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Caco-2 cell culture
-------------------
Caco-2 cells were purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (Rockville, MD, USA). In this study, Caco-2 cells were used between passages 35 and 45. The growth medium consisted of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with 10% FBS, 1% nonessential amino acids, and antibiotics (100 units/m*l* penicillin, 100 *μ*g/m*l* streptomycin, and 50 *μ*g/m*l* gentamycin). Cells were cultured at 37°C under a humidified 5% CO~2~ atmosphere in 75-cm^2^ tissue culture flasks to approximately 80% confluence and seeded into a 12-well Transwell cell culture chamber (0.4-*μ*m pore size, 12-mm diameter) (Corning Inc., Tewksbury, MA, USA) at a density of 5 × 10^4^ cells/cm^2^. After 14 days of culture, transepithelial resistance (TER) was measured using a Millicell-ERS instrument with Ag/AgCl electrodes (EMD Millipore Corporation, Billerica, MA, USA). Caco-2 cell monolayers were used when their TER values were \>300 ohm•cm^2^. Each well was placed in a cluster plate with an external medium (basolateral side, 1.5 m*l*) and an internal medium (apical side, 0.5 m*l*). The cell monolayers were fed fresh medium every 24 hr.
Evaluation of epithelial barrier function
-----------------------------------------
The protective effects of bacteria on epithelial impairment were evaluated according to previously described methods \[[@r10], [@r11]\]. Briefly, bacteria (10^5^ cells/well) were added to the apical side of the Caco-2 cell monolayers. One hour later, the cells were treated with TNF-α (100 ng/m*l*) on the basolateral side of the cell monolayers and cultured for 48 hr. After the 48-hr incubation, the TER value was measured to assess epithelial barrier function.
Bacterial culture preparation for administration to neonatal Thoroughbreds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*L. ruminis* KK14, *L. equi* KK15, *L. reuteri* KK18, *L. johnsonii* KK21 \[[@r13]\], and *B. boum* HU \[[@r4]\] strains produced by Crossfield-Bio, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) were combined to prepare the probiotic LacFi^TM^ in this study. Using 10 Sprague-Dawley rats and 10 Balb/c mice (Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.), these bacterial strains (10^10^ colony forming units (CFU)/head) had been previously evaluated to elicit no sign of illness and toxicity (such as full blood count, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume \[MCV\], erythrocyte sedimentation rate \[ESR\], aspartate transaminase \[AST\], alkaline phosphatase \[ALP\], lactate dehydrogenase \[LDH\], glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[GOT\], and glutamic pyruvate transaminase \[GPT\]) over 6 months by veterinarians. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Each strain was cultured separately in MRS broth (Kanto Chemical Co., Inc., Tokyo, Japan) and incubated at 37°C for 24 hr. Bacterial cells were washed twice with saline by centrifugation. The cell pellets were resuspended with sterilized 10% skim milk to the final concentration of CFU/m*l* shown in [Table 1](#tbl_001){ref-type="table"}Table 1.LacFi^TM^-constituent strains and cell counts before/after freezing at --80°CSpeciesStrainCell counts before freezing\
(CFU/m*l*)Cell counts after freezing\
(CFU/m*l*)*Lactobacillus reuteri*KK182.0 × 10^9^1.6 × 10^9^*Lactobacillus ruminis*KK141.2 × 10^9^0.9 × 10^9^*Lactobacillus equi*KK155.8 × 10^9^4.8 × 10^9^*Lactobacillus johnsonii*KK216.4 × 10^9^5.9 × 10^9^*Bifidobacterium boum*HU7.9 × 10^9^6.1 × 10^9^Mixture of the above five strains\*9.8 × 10^9^8.6 × 10^9^\* The mixture was administered to neonatal Thoroughbreds as LacFi^TM^ in this study. and stored at −80°C until administration. Each thawed suspension contained more than 10^9^ CFU/m*l* of living bacteria.
Neonatal Thoroughbreds: Observation of animals and clinical evaluation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
One hundred and thirty healthy neonatal Thoroughbreds at ages ranging from immediately after birth to 20 weeks of age were included in the study from January to May 2008. This evaluation was carried out with sufficient attention given to animal protection. The neonatal Thoroughbreds belonged to the research herd at Northern Farm in Hokkaido, Japan. Prior to study commencement, the neonatal Thoroughbreds had been determined to have no signs of illness by veterinarians. The LacFi^TM^-administered group (n=101) was administered 50 m*l* of probiotics in skim milk, and the control group (n=29) was untreated. Following study commencement, the neonatal Thoroughbreds were evaluated for signs of illness and diarrhea every 2 weeks by veterinarians for up to 20 weeks after birth. In this study, although we did not evaluate subjects with the blind study, we evaluated them with the random control group study.
Polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE)--based detection of lactobacilli
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meconium and feces were collected on the 7th, 14th, and 21st days after birth from five neonatal Thoroughbreds of both the control and LacFi^TM^-administered groups. DNA was extracted from the fecal samples and PCR-DGGE analysis was performed using a previously described method \[[@r12], [@r16]\]. Approximately 340 bp of the 16S rRNA gene of *Escherichia coli* No. 341--534 were amplified by PCR using the Lac1 and Lac2GC primer sets \[[@r25]\]. The primer set used for PCR-DGGE comprised the forward primer Lac1 (5′-AGCAGTAGGGAATCTTCCA-3′) and the reverse primer Lac2GC (5′-CGCCCGGGGCGCGCCCCGGGCGGCCCGGGGGCACCGGGGGATTYCACCGCTACACATG-3′). The PCR fragments were separated by DGGE using the DCode system (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, USA) with the following modifications: For the DGGE analysis of bacteria, 8% (wt/vol) polyacrylamide gels were prepared using a denaturing gradient ranging from 35 to 50%, and electrophoresis was performed in Tris-acetate-EDTA (TAE) buffer for 14 hr at a constant voltage of 60 V. A 100% denaturant corresponded to 7 M urea and 40% formamide. After electrophoresis, the gels were stained for 15 min using an ethidium bromide solution (250 m*l* TAE buffer + 25 *µl* of 10 mg/m*l* ethidium bromide solution). The PCR products derived from the DGGE bands were purified with the Wizard SV Gel and PCR Clean-up system (Promega Co., Madison, USA). The primers used for sequencing were the same as those used for the re-amplification of DNAs from DGGE bands. Sequence similarities between the DNAs were determined using Standard Nucleotide BLAST (BLASTN) (http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi).
Statistical analyses
--------------------
Differences between measured values were analyzed using Tukey-Kramer's test, Student's *t*-test and Fisher's exact test, and *P*-values \<0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results and Discussion {#s2}
======================
The pathogenesis of diarrhea, including the effects of physiological and mental stress, in Thoroughbred yearlings is complex, and the resulting intestinal inflammation is responsible for the occurrence of diarrhea. The anti-inflammatory activity of the five LacFi^TM^ constituent strains, *L. ruminis* KK14, *L. equi* KK 15, *L. reuteri* KK18, *L. johnsonii* KK21, and *B. boum* HU, was examined *in vitro*. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and chemokines, a subset of chemoattractant cytokines, are observed in the inflamed intestine and are critically involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation \[[@r8], [@r22]\]. In this study, IL-17 production by mouse splenocytes was evaluated. The addition of TGF-β and IL-6 drastically enhanced IL-17 production by splenocytes ([Fig. 1](#fig_001){ref-type="fig"}Fig. 1.Suppressive effects of LacFi^TM^ constituent bacteria on pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-17 production in murine splenocytes. Splenocytes were stimulated with TGF-β and IL-6. Bacteria were added to the media and cultured for 72 hr. Culture supernatants were harvested and assayed for IL-17 concentrations. The culture alone (Cont) and culture without the addition of bacteria (--) were included as controls. Results are expressed as mean ± SD values (n=3). \*\**P\<*0.01 compared to control (--) (Tukey-Kramer).); however, all five strains in LacFi^TM^ significantly (*P\<*0.01) suppressed the production of IL-17. Among the five strains, *L. reuteri* KK18 suppressed IL-17 production most potently. We have reported the similar suppressive effects of *Streptococcus thermophilus* ST28 and its genomic DNA fraction on Th17 response in murine splenocytes stimulated with TGF-β plus IL-6 \[[@r24]\]. Several studies showed that Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9-signalling had an important role for modulating experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and colitis. For example, it was reported that TLR9 ligands mediated the anti-inflammatory effects of probiotic bacteria in murine experimental colitis \[[@r20]\]. Therefore, it was likely that genomic DNA of the LacFi^TM^ constituent strains suppressed IL-17 production, at least in part, via TLR9.
Next, the protective effects of the LacFi^TM^ constituent strains on epithelial barrier impairment were evaluated, since intestinal barrier impairment is also involved in diarrhea. TNF-α is an essential mediator of inflammation in the gut. Several pro-inflammatory actions have been proposed for TNF-α, such as the production and stimulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of the acute-phase response. TNF-α induces an increase in intestinal TJ permeability \[[@r2]\]. In this study, TJ barrier impairment was induced by TNF-α in the human epithelial Caco-2 cells, and the protective effects of LacFi^TM^ constituent bacteria on the impairment were evaluated by measuring the TER value, reflecting TJ permeability. As shown in [Fig. 2](#fig_002){ref-type="fig"}Fig. 2.Protective effects of LacFi^TM^ constituent bacteria with respect to intestinal barrier impairment. Caco-2 cells were treated with the bacterium or medium alone (--) for 1 hr and exposed to tumor necrosis factor-α for 48 hr. After incubation, the transepithelial resistance value was measured to assess intestinal barrier function. The culture alone (Cont) and culture without the addition of bacteria (--) were included as controls. Results are expressed as the relative values and mean ± SD values (n=3). \**P\<*0.05 compared to control (--) (Tukey-Kramer)., TNF-α decreased the TER value by approximately 25%; however, pretreatment with *L. reuteri* KK18 significantly (*P\<*0.05) suppressed the TNF-α-induced decrease in TER. *L. johnsonii* KK21 also suppressed the decrease in TER to some extent. We have reported that *Enterococcus hirae* ATCC 9790^T^ and its cell wall fractions protected against intestinal impairment by regulation of epithelial tight junction via TLR2 signaling. In addition, Cario *et al.* \[[@r3]\] reported that Pam~3~Cys-Ser-(Lys)~4~, a TLR2 ligand, ameliorated colonic inflammation in mice with colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate. It was probable that cell wall fractions of the LacFi^TM^ constituent strains suppressed the intestinal barrier impairment in the present study, although further investigations are necessary to clarify this.
A defective intestinal epithelial TJ barrier characterized by an increase in intestinal permeability is an important pathogenic factor contributing to the development of intestinal inflammation resulting in diarrhea. Animal studies have shown that enhancement of the intestinal TJ barrier prevents cytokine-mediated development of intestinal inflammation and diarrhea \[[@r2]\]. Clinical studies have also shown that anti--TNF-α therapy recovers the intestinal barrier and that normalization of intestinal permeability is associated with long-term clinical remission \[[@r21]\]. In this regard, it was hypothesized that LacFi^TM^ constituent probiotics would prevent diarrhea through modulation of the immune response and improvement in TJ function.
Considering the interesting results obtained *in vitro*, we evaluated the *in vivo* effect of LacFi^TM^ constituent probiotics on the incidence of diarrhea in neonatal Thoroughbreds after the administration of LacFi^TM^. The frozen bacterial mixture LacFi^TM^ was administered to neonatal Thoroughbreds orally at a dose of 8.6 × 10^9^ CFU/50 m*l* ([Table 1](#tbl_001){ref-type="table"}) on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th days after birth; LacFi^TM^ administration was then continued with one administration/week up to 4 weeks. After the 20-week experimental period, oral administration of LacFi^TM^ to 101 neonatal Thoroughbreds did not result in reduced body weight. Also, no signs of toxicity were observed in any animal and no animals died during the test period.
PCR-DGGE analysis confirmed that *L. ruminis*, *L. equi*, *L. reuteri*, *L. johnsonii*, possibly derived from LacFi^TM^, colonized the neonatal Thoroughbred intestine immediately after birth under germ-free conditions ([Fig. 3-A](#fig_003){ref-type="fig"}Fig. 3.DGGE analysis of the PCR products of lactic acid bacteria present in the neonatal Thoroughbred feces by lactic acid bacteria-specific primers \[[@r25]\]. Approximately 200 bp 16S rDNA of *E. coli* No. 341--534 were amplified by PCR. Lane 1: meconium, lane 2: feces obtained on the 7th day after birth, lane 3: feces obtained on the 14th day after birth, lane 4: feces obtained on the 21st day after birth. Band a: *L. johnsonii* (100% similarity), band b: *L. equi* (100% similarity), band c: *L. ruminis* (99.9% similarity), and band d: *L. reuteri* (99.8% similarity).). The broad band ([Fig. 3-B](#fig_003){ref-type="fig"}) corresponding to the LacFi^TM^ species was not detected in the analysis of the control group (LacFi^TM^ not administered) fecal DNA.
*B. boum* was isolated from the feces of LacFi^TM^-administered neonatal Thoroughbreds by culture methods using MRS agar under anaerobic conditions at 37°C for 48 hr but not in the feces of the control group. As bifidobacteria comprise a minority of the fecal microbiota of the Thoroughbred \[[@r3]\], it is likely that the *Bifidobacterium* isolated from the intestinal tract originated from the probiotics.
The symptom of diarrhea was also compared between the LacFi^TM^-administered and control groups. The Thoroughbreds were evaluated for diarrhea every 2 weeks, and the ratio (%) of horses which were suffered from diarrhea at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 weeks were shown in [Fig. 4](#fig_004){ref-type="fig"}Fig. 4.Comparison of the number of neonatal Thoroughbreds showed the symptom of diarrhea in the LacFi^TM^-administered and control groups. The ratio (%) of horses which were suffered from diarrhea at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 weeks were shown.. Administration of LacFi^TM^ to the neonatal Thoroughbreds decreased the incidence of diarrhea from 75.9% in the control group (n=29 neonatal Thoroughbreds) to 30.7% in the LacFi^TM^-administered group (n=101 neonatal Thoroughbreds). The control group, which was not administered LacFi^TM^, exhibited diarrhea after birth up to 2 weeks, and the LacFi^TM^-treated group had markedly lesser diarrhea at all these timepoints, especially at and around 4 weeks and from 10 to 16 weeks ([Fig. 4](#fig_004){ref-type="fig"}). The duration of diarrhea was also shorter in the probiotics-administered group (7.4 ± 0.8 days) than in the control group (14.0 ± 3.2 days) ([Table 2](#tbl_002){ref-type="table"}Table 2.Comparison of clinical manifestations of diarrhea in the LacFi^TM^-administered and control groupsLacFi^TM-^administeredNot administered\
(control)Total number of neonatal Thoroughbreds10129Number of neonatal Thoroughbreds exhibiting diarrhea \*3122Ratio of diarrhea in neonatal Thoroughbreds (%)30.775.9Duration of diarrhea (days) (mean ± standard error of the mean) \*\*7.4 ± 0.814.0 ± 3.2\* Number of neonatal Thoroughbreds exhibiting diarrhea in LacFi^TM^-administered group was significantly (*P\<*0.01) lower than that in control group, judged by Fisher's exact test. \*\* Duration of diarrhea of LacFi^TM^-administered group was significantly (*P\<*0.001) shorter than that of control group, judged by Student's *t*-test.).
These results indicate that the horse probiotic LacFi^TM^ regulates intestinal function and contributes to diarrhea prevention. LacFi^TM^ treatment may be useful even if diarrhea develops, considering the impact of medical treatments administered at this important time of Thoroughbred growth on future race performance.
The intestine not only digests and absorbs food but also functions as a part of the immune system critical for host-defense. In addition, the intestinal barrier acts as the first defense against a vast amount of food, exogenous antigens, and commensal bacteria; therefore, it is important to regulate the cytokine balance and maintain the intestinal barrier. Diarrhea prevention by LacFi^TM^ might be, at least in part, attributed to the improvement in cytokine balance and to the enforcement of the TJ barrier and subsequent maintenance of intestinal integrity \[[@r11], [@r18], [@r22],[@r23],[@r24]\].
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MikeatWired writes: It wasn’t ever seriously in doubt, but the FBI yesterday acknowledged that it secretly took control of Freedom Hosting last July, days before the servers of the largest provider of ultra-anonymous hosting were found to be serving custom malware designed to identify visitors. Freedom Hosting’s operator, Eric Eoin Marques, had rented the servers from an unnamed commercial hosting provider in France, and paid for them from a bank account in Las Vegas. It’s not clear how the FBI took over the servers in late July, but the bureau was temporarily thwarted when Marques somehow regained access and changed the passwords, briefly locking out the FBI until it gained back control. The new details emerged in local press reports from a Thursday bail hearing in Dublin, Ireland, where Marques, 28, is fighting extradition to America on charges that Freedom Hosting facilitated child pornography on a massive scale. He was denied bail today for the second time since his arrest in July. On August 4, all the sites hosted by Freedom Hosting — some with no connection to child porn — began serving an error message with hidden code embedded in the page. Security researchers dissected the code and found it exploited a security hole in Firefox to identify users of the Tor Browser Bundle, reporting back to a mysterious server in Northern Virginia. The FBI was the obvious suspect, but declined to comment on the incident. The FBI also didn’t respond to inquiries from WIRED today. But FBI Supervisory Special Agent Brooke Donahue was more forthcoming when he appeared in the Irish court yesterday to bolster the case for keeping Marque behind bars.
This discussion was created for logged-in users only, but now has been archived.
No new comments can be posted. |
This invention relates to cigarettes or the like which have been treated with alkali silicates to make them fire resistant. The prior art comprises a number of patents which disclose cigarettes treated with silicates, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,905,416; 2,049,320; 2,985,175; 3,006,347; 3,030,963; and 3,220,418.
It is known that the pH of cigarette smoke greatly influences its taste. Fire resistant cigarettes of the indicated type when smoked produce a smoke which has an undesirable taste generally involving a harsh bite or a soapy taste.
Simply adding an acid or other additive to the alkali silicate solution of fire resistant cigarettes of the indicated type does not provide a satisfactory solution to the problem. The addition of the acid tends to cause the silicate to precipitate and form a gel by reaction with the SiO.sub.2 of the silicate solution. The resulting gel cannot be satisfactorily applied to the cigarette wrapper.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a free resistant cigarette of the indicated type which produces a smoke that does not have the undesirable taste resulting from the alkalinity of the silicate. It is the general object of this invention to provide such a fire resistant cigarette and a method of making the same.
Briefly stated, the general object of the invention is achieved by the provision of a cigarette or the like which has a flammable wrapper surrounding a body of tobacco, which wrapper has a coating which includes a quantity of an alkali silicate applied as one treatment of the wrapper. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a quantity of a pH lowering material is applied as another coating treatment of the wrapper. The dual treatment coating contains quantities of the alkali metal silicate and the acid producing material to make the cigarette fire resistant and to treat the combustion products of the cigarette so as to produce a pleasant smoke. The dual treatment coating in accordance with the invention does not impair the fire resistance imparted to the cigarette by the silicate coating; in fact, the coating of acid producing material, in some instances, may improve the fire resistance of the cigarette. |
Description
“Prague is beautiful (…) the city is large, cosmopolitan, and distinctly European. I thought (…) that it would be small and manageable, but everywhere I turn there’s a restaurant I want to try or a festival happening or another museum, beergarden, park, or church to explore. I also thought the food would be heavy and fried, so I’ve been surprised at the number of brooklyn style coffee shops, vegan restaurants, and Indian, and Vietnamese food places. The restaurant downstairs serves juices, acai bowl, and aloo gobi sandwiches, and the brewery down the street serves zucchini noodles and carrot chowder. Our workspace is a former embassy and feels regal. We have a library, a sprawling garden in the back, a yoga room, and a neighboring park. (…) Everywhere you turn – local area, tourist area, historical area, run down area – is beautiful and has a past.” |
An evaluation of validity, reliability, and readability of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory.
The benefits of caring for the family as well as the patient are well supported in the literature. The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) has been used by several researchers to identify the needs of family members when a relative is admitted to a critical care setting. However, no research to date has comprehensively evaluated the instrument's content validity, test--retest reliability, or readability. The CCFNI, after review by a panel of 16 experts, was given on two separate occasions to a random sample of 51 family members of adult patients in both medical and surgical intensive care units. Overall content validity was established, but the panel found numerous redundancies among the need statements, suggesting that several items might need to be eliminated or combined. Among family members, a percentage of exact agreement of 70% or greater was calculated for 86.7% of the need statements demonstrating acceptable test--retest reliability. The Gunning Fog Index, used to evaluate readability, was calculated at 9.0, indicating that the CCFNI could be read and understood by those with a ninth grade reading level. Suggestions are made for additional studies to establish the reliability and validity of this widely used instrument. |
But might have different characters to those that appear in the scene, or based of a preliminary story/image which can change.
However, Legolas and Tauriel have have character discriptions saying they follow their hearts and have to chose between what they think is right and Thranduil's wishes. Perhaps it could be in relation to rescuing the dwarves. |
741 F.Supp. 1426 (1990)
MICRO MOTION, INCORPORATED, Plaintiff,
v.
EXAC CORPORATION, Defendant.
No. C-89-1825 WHO.
United States District Court, N.D. California.
June 28, 1990.
*1427 John W. Keker, Paul V. Carroll, Keker & Brockett, San Francisco, Cal., John O. Tramontine, Jesse J. Jenner, David J. Lee, Fish & Neave, New York City, for plaintiff.
Sheldon W. Witcoff, Daniel A. Boehnen, Allegretti & Witcoff, Ltd., Chicago, Ill., Charles B. Cohler, Richard Haas, Lasky, Haas, Cohler & Munter, San Francisco, Cal., for defendant.
OPINION AND ORDER
ORRICK, District Judge.
I. BACKGROUND OF THE LITIGATION
This is an action for patent infringement involving devices known as nonintrusive Coriolis mass flowmeters, which measure the mass flow rate of fluids. Plaintiff, Micro Motion, Incorporated ("Micro Motion"), is a Colorado corporation with its principal place of business in Boulder, Colorado. Since 1977, Micro Motion has manufactured and sold Coriolis mass flowmeters and accessories. Micro Motion is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emerson Electric Company. Defendant, Exac Corporation ("Exac"), is a California corporation, incorporated in 1983, with its principal place of business in San Jose, California. In 1983, Exac began the design of a Coriolis mass flowmeter, and, since 1984, Exac's entire business has been the manufacture and sale of Coriolis mass flowmeters and accessories. Exac is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fisher Controls International, Inc., which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monsanto Company.
Micro Motion filed suit against Exac alleging that Exac's 1100 and 2100 flowmeters[1] infringe Claims 8 and 57 of Micro *1428 Motion's U.S. Reissue Patent No. 31,450 ("'450 patent") and claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 4,491,025 ("'025 patent") under the doctrine of equivalents.
Exac denies that its devices infringe Micro Motion's patents.[2] Exac's pleadings initially asserted that the patents in suit were invalid and unenforceable, but these issues have been resolved against Exac, and Exac no longer contests the enforceability or validity of Micro Motion's patents.[3]
This matter was initially tried to a jury between June 30 and July 27, 1987, with Judge Spencer M. Williams presiding. At that trial, Micro Motion alleged both literal infringement and infringement under the doctrine of equivalents. On July 29, 1987, the jury returned a verdict that none of the asserted patent claims had been infringed literally or under the doctrine of equivalents by the Exac meters.
Micro Motion moved for a new trial. On December 21, 1987, Judge Williams granted the motion and vacated the first jury verdict in its entirety. He also limited the issues on retrial to infringement under the doctrine of equivalents because Micro Motion had decided to waive the literal infringement issue. Judge Williams subsequently recused himself from the case, and it was reassigned to this Court. The parties filed a stipulated waiver of trial by jury, and the retrial before the Court commenced on March 12, 1990.
After carefully considering the sufficiency, weight, and credibility of the testimony of the witnesses, their demeanor on the stand, the documentary evidence admitted at trial, and the post-trial submissions of the parties, the Court finds that Micro Motion's patents in suit have been infringed under the doctrine of equivalents. This Opinion and Order comprises the findings of fact and conclusions of law required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52(a).
II. CORIOLIS FLOWMETERS
Micro Motion is the owner of the '450 reissue patent, entitled "Method and Structure for Flow Measurement." PX 1.[4] The Coriolis mass flowmeter of the '450 patent was invented by James Smith, founder and President of Micro Motion. The '450 reissue patent issued on November 29, 1983, on an application for reissue of original U.S. patent 4,187,721 (issued on February 12, 1980). PX 2.
Micro Motion is also the owner of the '025 patent, entitled "Parallel Path Coriolis Mass Flow Rate Meter." PX 3. The Coriolis mass flowmeters disclosed and claimed in the '025 patent were invented by Mr. Smith and Donald Cage, a Micro Motion engineer. The '025 patent issued on January 1, 1985.
*1429 These patents describe Coriolis mass flowmeters. Coriolis mass flowmeters are meters that, when placed in a pipeline carrying a fluid, directly and nonintrusively measure the rate of mass flow of that fluid through the pipe. RT-WHO 244-45.
Before direct mass flowmeters became commercially available, mass flow was measured indirectly with volumetric flowmeters. These meters were able to measure mass flow by utilizing two devices, one to measure fluid volume and one to measure fluid density. Mass flow could then be calculated mathematically from these two measurements. Volumetric flowmeters, however, tended to be costly and/or inaccurate, and the two devices required significantly more maintenance than a single meter. RT-WHO 41, 84-86, 126-27, 170, 180-81, 1131, 1138.
In order to accurately measure mass flow with a single device, Coriolis mass flowmeters were developed. These meters take advantage of a phenomenon known as the Coriolis force. Coriolis forces result when a mass moves radially from one point on a rotating surface to a second point. As the surface rotates, the velocity of the mass changes and the mass is accelerated in a direction perpendicular to its radial path. The acceleration of the mass generates a Coriolis force, which acts on the mass in the surface created by the rotation and perpendicular to the instantaneous radial movement. RT-WHO 249-57; PX 12.
Coriolis mass flowmeters, when inserted in a pipeline, direct fluid through a curved conduit that conducts the fluid away from the pipeline and then back to the pipeline. As the fluid is conducted through the conduit, the conduit is oscillated. RT-WHO 253-54. When the conduit oscillates in one direction, the Coriolis force acts in that direction on the fluid flowing away from the pipeline, and acts in the reverse direction on the fluid flowing back toward the pipeline. This causes the conduit to twist in response to these oppositely-directed forces. RT-WHO 255-57, 259, 271.
The amount of Coriolis-induced twist for a given angular velocity is proportional to the mass flowing through the oscillating conduit. Therefore, the greater the mass flow rate, the greater the Coriolis-induced twist. By measuring the amount of twist, it is possible to calculate the mass flow rate of the fluid. RT-WHO 258.[5]
The amount of twist caused by the Coriolis force can be measured by positioning sensors on opposite sides of the oscillating conduit, so that the two sensors differentially detect and measure the opposing movements of the conduit as the fluid is flowing. These sensors measure the difference between the time when one side of the conduit passes by a reference point and the time when the trailing side of the conduit passes that same reference point. The movement of each side of the conduit is essentially sinusoidal, and the output from each sensor can therefore be traced in the form of superimposed sine waves representing each side of the conduit. RT-WHO 260. The time difference between the superimposed waves can then be measured. This measurement is generally referred to as "delta t." RT-WHO 261-62. Delta t is proportional to the mass flow rate. RT-WHO 277-78.
The relationship between Coriolis-induced distortion and mass flow rate was known before any of the devices in suit were invented. For example, Sipin U.S. Patent 3,485,098 ("Sipin '098") predated Micro Motion's patents and includes the general principle of an oscillating mass flowmeter with curved conduits. PX 6; RT-WHO 272, 274-75. Pearson U.S. Patent 2,624,198 ("Pearson '198") and Roth U.S. Patent 2,865,201 ("Roth '201") also predated Micro Motion's patents and claimed to describe nonintrusive mass flowmeters. PX 4, 5; RT-WHO 273-74. The need for the conduit to direct fluid flow out from the pipeline and then back toward it was also known before Micro Motion's patents issued. RT-WHO 278.
*1430 While the necessary technology was accessible, however, no commercially successful nonintrusive mass flowmeter was manufactured before Micro Motion developed its meter. RT-WHO 43-44, 66, 135. Exac's own documents and witnesses have conceded this point. RT-WHO 1155-56; PX 54 at 16; PX 143 at 70. Early nonintrusive meters by Li and Bendix that measured mass flow directly were commercially unacceptable. RT-WHO 135-37. No evidence was presented at trial to demonstrate that flowmeters based on the Pearson '198 or Sipin '098 patents were ever made. The Decker Corporation built and tested prototypes of a flowmeter based on the Roth '201 patent, but there is no evidence that this meter was ever commercially produced. PX 5; Roth Dep. at 42-44. In fact, Micro Motion's first meters were initially greeted with skepticism by the industry. RT-WHO 137, 1155.
Micro Motion began producing Coriolis mass flowmeters in 1977. RT-WHO 46-48, 58. These early meters (Micro Motion Model B and Model C) were covered by the '450 patent, and contained a single, U-shaped flow tube. The commercial embodiment of the '450 patent used in the Model B meter utilized optical sensors to measure the Coriolis-induced twist. The commercial embodiment of the '450 patent found in the Model C meter retained the U-shaped flow tube but substituted magnetic velocity sensors for the optical sensors. RT-WHO 59-65, 302-03. Both of these commercial embodiments measured delta t at the point where the electrical signal passed through the zero-voltage point at the maximum rate, which occurred in these devices at the midplane of oscillation. RT-WHO 493, 587, 1900-01.
In 1983, Micro Motion introduced its Model D meter, covered by the '025 patent. This commercial embodiment of the '025 patent contained two parallel U-shaped flow tubes through which the fluid flowing through the pipe was directed. The Model D meters also used two magnet-and-coil velocity sensors, with the magnetic part of the sensor mounted on one conduit and the coil part mounted on the other conduit. PX 3. Like the Model B and C meters, this commercial embodiment measured delta t at the midplane of oscillation.
The Exac mass flowmeters in suit were designed by Exac's founders, Drs. Erik Dahlin and Alan Young. During the autumn of 1982, Drs. Young and Dahlin discussed the development of a mass flowmeter, and they decided to form a business in order to market such a meter. In March 1983, Dr. Dahlin met with venture capitalists to seek funding for the business. In April 1983, Dr. Dahlin submitted a business plan to these potential investors. At this time, Exac had not yet built a meter. RT-WHO 844-45; PX 20; Case Dep., Vol. I at 5-6, 9-10, 13-14, 59-60; Dahlin Dep., Vol. I at 49-51, 77, 356.
Prior to 1982, Drs. Young and Dahlin had experience with the Micro Motion C meter while employed by Zikonix. RT-SW 2447-53; PX 20 at 3. In 1982, Dr. Dahlin obtained and studied Micro Motion's '721 patent, later reissued as the '450 patent. In early 1983, Dr. Dahlin obtained and studied another patent, Cox U.S. Patent No. 4,127,028 ("Cox '028"), which depicts a flat loop and a crossover loop and whose text discloses the use of electromagnetic sensors in place of photo-electric sensors in a Coriolis mass flowmeter. RT-SW 2453-54; PX 7.
In June 1983, Dr. Dahlin asked Mr. Joseph Bottom of Microbio Resources to obtain for him information on the Micro Motion D meter. Mr. Bottom subsequently met with a Micro Motion salesman, who described and demonstrated the Model D meter and sent him information, literature, and drawings of the meter. Mr. Bottom in turn passed this information on to Dr. Dahlin in June 1983. RT-WHO 193-96, 199-200; PX 26. The first sketch by Dr. Dahlin of a Coriolis meter having two tubes with a split parallel flow path was made in mid-July 1983. RT-SW 2500.
Exac opened for business in July 1983. In mid-July 1983, Dr. Young asked Mr. William Tanner of Sensoray Company to order a Micro Motion C meter, without revealing that Exac was the intended recipient of the meter. RT-WHO 205-09; PX *1431 36, 38. Mr. Tanner placed this order and, in so doing, made several false statements to Micro Motion. RT-WHO 208-13; PX 38, 49. Mr. Tanner received the C meter on August 22, 1983, and delivered it to Exac. RT-WHO 210-11; PX 40, 41.
In September 1983, Dr. Young asked Mr. Tanner to order a D meter from Micro Motion, again without revealing Exac as the intended recipient of the meter. Young Dep., Vol. I at 392-94; RT-WHO 213-15; PX 43, 45. Mr. Tanner received a Model D meter on December 9, 1983, and delivered it to Exac. RT-WHO 215-16; PX 51, 52. Drs. Dahlin and Young testified that upon receiving the Micro Motion meters, they took the meters apart and studied them. Dahlin Dep., Vol. I at 84-85; Young Dep., Vol. I at 120-21.
Exac completed its first working model for a helical crossover loop mass flowmeter in late November or early December 1983. RT-WHO 852. Exac began commercially selling these meters approximately one year later. RT-WHO 852.
Exac contends that its devices differ from the Micro Motion patents in several respects, and that these differences make its meters noninfringing. These asserted differences are listed below, and are discussed in more detail in Section III, infra.
First, the Exac devices employ two parallel helical crossover loops[6] through which fluid is directed, rather than the "U"-shaped conduits used in the Micro Motion meters. RT-WHO 846, 849-50, 866; PX 95. The Exac devices also measure the Coriolis force in terms of "phase angle," which is a combination of frequency and delta t, rather than measuring delta t alone. RT-WHO 884-85, 897, 979-81, 1047; DX RT at 34. The phase angle is measured at the extreme of conduit oscillation, rather than at the midplane. DX RT at 9, 18, 35, 38-41. The Exac devices allegedly enlarge and magnify the Coriolis effect through mechanical amplification. RT-WHO 873-74. Finally, the Exac meters use a microprocessor to correct for the nonlinearity of operation of the meters, whereas Micro Motion's meters accurately measure mass flow without the need for correction by a microprocessor. RT-WHO 891; DX RT at 19, 29.[7]
III. INFRINGEMENT UNDER THE DOCTRINE OF EQUIVALENTS
A. General Legal Principles
1. The Legal Standard: Function, Way, Result
Micro Motion waived any claim that Exac's meters literally infringe the '450 or '025 patents. Rather, Micro Motion argues that the Exac meters infringe its patents under the doctrine of equivalents.
Infringement under the doctrine of equivalents is reached only when there is no literal infringement. Seattle Box Co. v. Industrial Crating & Packing, Inc., 731 F.2d 818, 828 (Fed.Cir.1984). Thus, the literal language of the patent does not define the "metes and bounds" of the claims when determining equivalence. Thomas & Betts *1432 Corp. v. Litton Systems, 720 F.2d 1572, 1579 (Fed.Cir.1983).
The doctrine of equivalents is a judicially-created equitable doctrine designed to prevent an infringer who does not literally infringe an invention from nonetheless "stealing the benefit of an invention." Graver Tank & Mfg. Co. v. Linde Air Products Co., 339 U.S. 605, 608, 70 S.Ct. 854, 856, 94 L.Ed. 1097 (1950) (quoting Royal Typewriter Co. v. Remington Rand, 168 F.2d 691, 692 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 335 U.S. 825, 69 S.Ct. 50, 93 L.Ed. 379 (1948)). It represents an exception to the general rule that a patent's claims define the metes and bounds of patent protection. Texas Instruments, Inc. v. United States Int'l Trade Comm'n, 805 F.2d 1558, 1572 (Fed.Cir.1986). Because it is a relatively narrow exception, it should not be used to defeat the legitimate process of "inventing around" an adversely held patent. Id.
Under the doctrine of equivalents, infringement may be found if the Exac devices perform substantially the same function as the Micro Motion inventions, in substantially the same way, to obtain substantially the same result. Graver Tank, 339 U.S. at 608, 70 S.Ct. at 856 (citing Sanitary Refrigerator Co. v. Winters, 280 U.S. 30, 42, 50 S.Ct. 9, 13, 74 L.Ed. 147 (1929)). If any one of these three elements of equivalence are not present in the accused device, then there is no infringement of that claim. Lear Siegler, Inc. v. Sealy Mattress Co., 873 F.2d 1422, 1425-27 (Fed.Cir.1989). Micro Motion has the burden to prove infringement under this doctrine by a preponderance of the evidence. SRI Int'l v. Matsushita Elec. Corp., 775 F.2d 1107, 1123 (Fed.Cir.1985).[8]
Determination of infringement under this doctrine is a two-step process. First, the literal language of the claims must be construed to determine their meaning and scope. Any definitional questions are to be resolved by reference to the patent specifications, its prosecution history, the prior art, and expert testimony. PX 277, ¶ 4; RT-WHO 1573-75. Second, the construed claims must be compared with the accused device, to determine whether the accused device includes each element of the claims or its substantial equivalent. Snellman v. Ricoh Co., 862 F.2d 283, 286 (Fed.Cir.1988). There can be no infringement unless each and every claimed element of each asserted claim or its substantial equivalent is present in the accused device. Lemelson v. United States, 752 F.2d 1538, 1550-51 (Fed.Cir.1985). Where the construed claims are different from the accused device, only insubstantial changes between the construed claims and the accused device constitute infringement under this doctrine. Pennwalt Corp. v. Durand-Wayland, Inc., 833 F.2d 931, 934-35 (Fed. Cir.1987) (en banc), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 961, 108 S.Ct. 1226, 99 L.Ed.2d 426 (1988).
An equivalent of a claimed invention need not be described in the patent to constitute an infringement. D.M.I., Inc. v. Deere & Co., 755 F.2d 1570, 1574 (Fed.Cir. 1985). The trial court may, however, rely on a reference in the patent itself that discloses the accused element as an equivalent to the patented element in determining equivalence. See, e.g., Linde Air Products Co. v. Graver Tank & Mfg. Co., 86 F.Supp. 191, 199 (N.D.Ind.1947), aff'd in pertinent part, 167 F.2d 531 (7th Cir.1948), aff'd in pertinent part, 336 U.S. 271, 69 S.Ct. 535, 93 L.Ed. 672 (1949).
The law does not require proof of bad faith to establish infringement. Wilden Pump & Eng'g Co. v. Pressed & Welded Products Co., 655 F.2d 984, 989 (9th Cir.1981). Accordingly, even though the accused device may improve on a patented device through good faith design work, the *1433 accused device may nonetheless infringe the patented device. The fact that an accused device is an improvement over the claimed invention as a consequence of subsequent developments does not preclude a finding of infringement under the doctrine of equivalents. Ryco, Inc. v. Ag-Bag Corp., 857 F.2d 1418, 1426-27 (Fed.Cir. 1988).
2. Principles of Claim Construction
Claims are construed in light of the patent's specifications, the prosecution history, the prior art, and the testimony of expert witnesses. Smithkline Diagnostics, Inc. v. Helena Laboratories Corp., 859 F.2d 878, 882 (Fed.Cir.1988). Under the principle of claim differentiation, a broadly written claim cannot be limited by another, more narrowly written claim. Marsh-McBirney, Inc. v. Montedoro-Whitney Corp., 882 F.2d 498, 504 (Fed.Cir. 1989). Moreover, a limitation appearing in the specifications, the preferred embodiments, or the commercial embodiments, cannot be read into the patent's claims. Intervet America, Inc. v. Kee-Vet Laboratories, Inc., 887 F.2d 1050, 1053 (Fed.Cir. 1989); Laitram Corp. v. Cambridge Wire Cloth Co., 863 F.2d 855, 865 (Fed.Cir.1988), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 109 S.Ct. 2069, 104 L.Ed.2d 634 (1989). The specifications can, however, be used to construe the literal meaning of words in the claims. McGill Inc. v. John Zink Co., 736 F.2d 666, 674 (Fed.Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1037, 105 S.Ct. 514, 83 L.Ed.2d 404 (1984).
3. The Time at Which Equivalence is Determined
Prior to the commencement of trial, in response to in limine motions filed by the parties, the Court determined that, for purposes of trial, equivalence would be determined as of the date of alleged infringement by Exac. In electing to use the date of alleged infringement as the relevant time period, the Court rejected Exac's argument that equivalence should be determined at the time the patents in suit issued.
To support its position, Exac relied on two Supreme Court cases, old but never overruled, that state that there can be no infringement if the fact of equivalence of the two devices was not known at the date of the patent. Gould v. Rees, 82 U.S. (15 Wall.) 187, 194, 21 L.Ed. 39 (1872); Gill v. Wells, 89 U.S. (22 Wall.) 1, 28-29, 22 L.Ed. 699 (1874). Micro Motion, however, cited several recent Federal Circuit cases that hold that equivalence is determined at the time the alleged infringement occurs. See Atlas Powder Co. v. E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co., 750 F.2d 1569, 1581 (Fed.Cir. 1984); Texas Instruments, 805 F.2d at 1563; Hughes Aircraft Co. v. United States, 717 F.2d 1351, 1365 (Fed.Cir.1983).[9]
Both Exac and Micro Motion acknowledged the split in authority relevant to this issue in their pretrial briefs on the subject. Interestingly, the recent Federal Circuit cases, which clearly diverge from Gould and Gill, do not make reference to either case or explain why they adopt a different approach to the time at which equivalence is determined.
*1434 In resolving the conflict, the Court was persuaded by the special expertise of the Federal Circuit in patent cases, the relative recency of the Federal Circuit opinions on this issue, and the sound rationale asserted by the Federal Circuit for using the date of alleged infringement to determine equivalence. The Federal Circuit has noted that devices that change the patented invention due to technological advances that occur subsequent to the original patent may nonetheless infringe that patent under the doctrine of equivalents. Texas Instruments, 805 F.2d at 1563; Hughes Aircraft, 717 F.2d at 1365.
In this case, Exac's alleged infringement began in December 1983, when Exac first designed a working flowmeter, and continued throughout 1984, the year in which Exac began commercial sales of its meters. Accordingly, equivalence will be determined as of 1984 for the '450 patent. The '025 patent, however, did not issue until January 1, 1985, and infringement cannot occur absent an issued patent. The relevant date at which equivalence will be determined with respect to the '025 patent will, therefore, be January 1, 1985.[10]
4. The Range of Equivalents to Which Micro Motion's Patents are Entitled
Under the doctrine of equivalents, patents that represent a significant advance in the art are entitled to a broad range of equivalents. A patent need not be a "pioneer patent" to be entitled to a broad range of equivalents. Eibel Process Co. v. Minnesota & Ontario Paper Co., 261 U.S. 45, 63, 43 S.Ct. 322, 328, 67 L.Ed. 523 (1923).
Satisfaction of a long-felt but unfilled need for a device is evidence that that device is a significant advance in the art. Perkin-Elmer Corp. v. Computervision Corp., 732 F.2d 888, 895-96 (Fed.Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 857, 105 S.Ct. 187, 83 L.Ed.2d 120 (1984). Other factors that demonstrate the significance of an invention include unsuccessful attempts by others to accomplish the results of the patented invention, Studiengesellschaft Kohle mbH v. Dart Industries, Inc., 549 F.Supp. 716, 736 (D.Del.1982), aff'd, 726 F.2d 724 (Fed.Cir.1984), commercial success of the patented invention, Simmons Fastener Corp. v. Illinois Tool Works, 739 F.2d 1573, 1575-76 (Fed.Cir.1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1065, 105 S.Ct. 2138, 85 L.Ed.2d 496 (1985), and praise or awards for the patented device. In re Piasecki, 745 F.2d 1468, 1474 (Fed.Cir.1984).
The Court finds that Micro Motion's patents in suit were a significant advance in the art, and are, therefore, entitled to a broad range of equivalents. Prior to the invention of the Micro Motion meters, there was a long-felt need in the industry for a flowmeter that would measure mass flow directly, nonintrusively, and accurately. RT-WHO 130-32, 160, 1129-31, 1138-39; PX 137 at 2; Maloney Dep., Vol. II at 5-6. Efforts to develop a nonintrusive mass flowmeter had begun decades before Micro Motion introduced its meters, but no commercially successful products emerged from these efforts. RT-WHO 47-48, 135-37, 275. The commercial success of Micro Motion's meters is demonstrated by the fact that sales of these meters doubled approximately every twelve months (RT-WHO 66-67), with cumulative sales of $40 million by 1984. RT-WHO 108-09; PX 68. Finally, Micro Motion's flowmeters received several industry awards. RT-WHO 51-52, 96-102; PX 12, 75-84.
5. Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art
An important factor in determining infringement under the doctrine of equivalents is whether a person reasonably skilled in the art would have known that the changes in the accused device were substantially equivalent to the patented claims. Graver Tank, 339 U.S. at 609, 70 S.Ct. at 856. This hypothetical person must have recognized the equivalence of the substituted element or elements at the time of the alleged infringement. Atlas Powder, 750 F.2d at 1581.
Factors to consider in determining the level of ordinary skill in the art include: *1435 (1) educational level of the inventor; (2) the type of problems encountered in the art; (3) prior art solutions to those problems; (4) the rapidity with which innovations are made in the art; (5) the sophistication of the technology; and (6) the educational level of workers active in the field. Environmental Designs, Ltd. v. Union Oil Co., 713 F.2d 693, 696 (Fed.Cir.1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1043, 104 S.Ct. 709, 79 L.Ed.2d 173 (1984).
The hypothetical person of ordinary skill in the art is one "who is attempting to solve the problems the inventor addressed," General Battery Corp. v. Gould, Inc., 545 F.Supp. 731, 750 (D.Del.1982), although he is not required to match the level of expertise of the inventor himself. Kimberly-Clark Corp. v. Johnson & Johnson, 745 F.2d 1437, 1454 (Fed.Cir. 1984). Accordingly, the Court concludes, for purposes of this suit, that this hypothetical person should possess experience in the design and development of flowmeters, and not merely experience in the use of these meters.
Applying these considerations to the facts of this case, the Court finds that the person of ordinary skill in the art in 1984 was one who was a design engineer with a college degree in mechanical engineering or the equivalent, and who had several years of experience in the design and development of flow measurement and control instruments.
B. Application of the Doctrine of Equivalents to the Patents in Suit
1. Claim 8 of the '450 Patent
a. Construction of Claim 8
Claim 8 of the '450 patent is a dependent claim that incorporates by reference all of independent Claim 1. RT-WHO 316-22; PX 98. Claim 8 contains three elements, and describes the sensors ("means to measure") to be used on "[a] flow meter as set forth in claim 1." Therefore, construction of this claim also necessarily involves construction of Claim 1 of the '450 patent.
(1) Elements of Claim 1
Claim 1 of the '450 patent describes Micro Motion's flowmeter in broad terms, and contains four elements: a support, a "U"-shaped, continuous conduit, a means for oscillating the conduit, and a means to measure the Coriolis forces. PX 1. In addition to these four elements, the parties agreed, for purposes of this litigation, that Claim 8 requires that the conduit described in Claim 1 be planar.
The first element of Claim 1 is "a support." The accused Exac devices literally contain this element. RT-WHO 356.
The second element is "a `U'-shaped, continuous conduit" that is (1) free of pressure sensitive joints, (2) solidly mounted, (3) cantilevered, and (4) has an oscillation axis and a perpendicular deflection axis, each of which has a different resonant frequency. By stipulation of the parties, this second element also requires that the conduit be planar. As described more fully below, with the exception of planarity, the Exac devices literally satisfy this second element of Claim 1.
Exac's conduits are not "U" shaped in the literal sense. Although the term "U shaped" could be interpreted to refer to a literal "U," however, the references to this term in the patent's specifications make clear that this is not what the patent requires. The specifications state that, "[t]hough described as `U shaped,' [the conduit] may have legs which converge, diverge, or are skewed substantially. A continuous curve is contemplated.... [T]he physical configuration of `U' shaped conduit 14 is not critical." RT-WHO 358; PX 1. Moreover, one of the preferred embodiments of the '450 patent depicts a conduit that is not a literal "U" shape. PX 1, fig. 9. Interpreting this claim in light of the patent specifications, the Court finds that Claim 1 requires a functional, rather than a literal, "U"-shaped conduit. RT-WHO 453.
A functional "U"-shaped conduit is one that directs fluid away from the support, then parallel to the support, then back toward the support. At trial, this was referred to as an "out-across-back flow pattern". *1436 The conduits in the Exac devices, although in the shape of helical crossover loops, do direct the fluid away from the support, parallel to the support, and then back to the support, thus meeting the requirements of a functional "U" shape. RT-WHO 357-58, 454.
In addition to being functionally "U" shaped, the conduit described in the second element of Claim 1 must also be continuous, free of pressure sensitive joints, solidly mounted, cantilevered, planar, and must have an oscillation and a deflection axis with different resonant frequencies. Exac's helical conduit literally satisfies the requirements of a continuous curve that is free of pressure sensitive joints and is solidly mounted to the support. RT-WHO 354. Exac's conduits are also cantilevered within the literal scope of Claim 8. RT-WHO 354, 375-77. The term "cantilevered" refers to a structure that has its center of mass at a distance from its support. RT-WHO 1624. Exac's founders, Drs. Young and Dahlin, have previously referred to their crossover loop as a cantilevered structure. RT-WHO 1084-85; PX 8 at 16; RT-SW 920-21. Finally, Exac's conduits have an oscillation axis and a deflection axis with different resonant frequencies. RT-WHO 354-55, 1649-50.
Micro Motion concedes, however, that the helical crossover conduits used in the Exac devices are not planar. Given the construction of Claim 8 that was accepted for purposes of this trial, the Exac conduits are, therefore, not within the literal scope of the conduits called for by Claim 8, despite the fact that all the requirements of Claim 1, element 2, are literally met in the Exac devices. The Court must, therefore, determine whether the nonplanar Exac conduits are the substantial equivalent of the Micro Motion planar conduits.
The third element of Claim 1 is a means for oscillating the conduit relative to the support. This element is literally present in the Exac devices. RT-WHO 364.
The fourth element of Claim 1 is a means to measure the Coriolis forces tending to distort the conduit. This element is defined in more detail in Claim 8, which is dependent on Claim 1.
The "means to measure the mass flow rate" described in Claim 8 has three elements. First, there must be two symmetrically mounted sensors. Second, each sensor must "output a signal" when the adjacent sideleg of the conduit "passes through the midplane of oscillation." Third, the sensor must measure "the time lag between signal outputs by the sensor," or delta t. RT-WHO 261-63, 321; PX 98; Smith Dep. at 194-96. Each of these three elements is discussed separately below.
(2) The Symmetry Element
Claim 8 calls for two sensors, mounted "at symmetrical positions relative to the deflection axis" of the conduit. Exac's meters, like Micro Motion's, have two sensors. Therefore, the Court must determine what is meant by the term "symmetrical" as used in the patent claims.
At trial there was much dispute regarding the meaning of "symmetrical" in this context. Micro Motion introduced evidence that "symmetrical" referred to symmetry about an axis. RT-WHO 368-73; PX 98. Exac presented testimony that the term "symmetry" referred to planar (mirror image) symmetry. RT-WHO 1204-16, 1381-82, 1395, 1399-1400. This factor is significant from the standpoint of equivalence because the Exac sensors do not possess planar symmetry, though they do have symmetry about an axis.
The Court finds that the term "symmetrical" in Claim 8 refers to symmetry about an axis or line. Exac's attempt to define this term by reference to Micro Motion's Model L Instruction Manual (RT-WHO 555-60) is improper, because claims are only to be construed with reference to specifications, the prosecution history, prior art, and expert testimony. See McGill, 736 F.2d at 671-75. The expert testimony conflicted regarding how common it is in the flowmeter industry to use the term "symmetry" to refer to axial symmetry. RT-WHO 368-73, 1401, 1407-08. The Court resolves this conflict in favor of Micro Motion, and finds that "symmetry" in Claim 8 *1437 refers to symmetry about a line, not planar symmetry. Accordingly, the Exac devices are symmetrical within the literal scope of Claim 8, because they have symmetry about a line. RT-WHO 1381.
(3) Measurement at the Midplane
The second element of Claim 8 requires that each of the two sensors must be "adapted to output a signal as the adjacent portion of the `U' shaped conduit passes through the mid-plane of oscillation." Exac construes this language to mean that the sensors must make a measurement when the conduit passes through the midplane of oscillation. Micro Motion responds that the claim requires only that the sensors output a signal when the conduit passes through the midplane, and does not require that the sensors actually make a measurement at the midplane.
While Micro Motion's interpretation of the claim language is a reasonable one, ambiguous language in the claim is to be construed in light of the patent specifications. After reviewing the specifications, the Court finds that Claim 8 literally requires that the sensors make a measurement at the midplane of oscillation.
In fact, measurement at the midplane was considered by inventor James Smith to be quite important. The specifications of the '450 patent state that measurement as the conduit legs pass through the midplane of oscillation is "a most significant aspect of the present invention," because this "avoids the necessity of maintaining constant frequency and amplitude." PX 1, col. 6, 11. 27-42. Moreover, the reissue oath and the prior art statement filed by Mr. Smith in connection with the '450 patent distinguished the prior art because it failed to "recognize the procedure for, or advantages of, making time difference measurements of the distorted sections of the sensing tube passing through the mid-plane of oscillation." DX G at 23 (emphasis added).
Accordingly, the Court construes Claim 8 to literally require that the sensors on the meter make a measurement at the midplane of oscillation. The Exac sensors make a measurement at the extreme of oscillation, and are, therefore, not within the literal scope of Claim 8. Because the Court finds that this second element of Claim 8 is not literally satisfied by the accused Exac devices, it must determine whether Exac's method of measurement at the extreme is substantially equivalent to the midplane measurement described in the '450 patent.
(4) Measurement of Delta T
The third element of Claim 8 defines the "means to measure the mass flow rate" of Claim 1, by calling for the measurement of the "time lag between signal outputs by the sensors." This measurement was referred to at trial as delta t. The Court finds that the reference in Claim 8 to "means to measure the mass flow rate" is the same as the reference in Claim 1 to the "means to measure the magnitude of Coriolis forces," and that both phrases refer to a means to measure delta t.
Although Claims 1 and 8, construed together, require that the device measure mass flow rate by measuring delta t, Claim 1 does not call for any specific means of measuring delta t.[11] Therefore, the Court finds that various types of sensors could be used for this purpose. Different types of motion sensors, such as position sensors, velocity sensors, and acceleration sensors, were known in 1984 to be interchangeable. RT-WHO 290, 719-20, 744; RT-SW 2479-80; Smith Dep. at 69-70.
Despite the interchangeable nature of these sensors, however, Exac's meters literally measure phase angle, and not delta t. RT-WHO 1420-21. Thus, the third element of Claim 8 is not literally satisfied by the Exac devices, and the Court must scrutinize this element under the doctrine of equivalents.
b. Function, Way, Result of Claim 8
Based on the foregoing, the Court concludes that most, but not all, of the elements *1438 of Claim 8 are literally present in the accused Exac devices. As described above, three elements of Claim 8 are not literally satisfied by the Exac devices. These are: the planarity requirement of Claim 1, the requirement that the meters measure delta t, and the requirement that this measurement be made at the midplane of oscillation.
Under the doctrine of equivalents, however, infringement may nonetheless be found if the Exac devices perform substantially the same function as the Micro Motion inventions, in substantially the same way, to obtain substantially the same result. Graver Tank, 339 U.S. at 608, 70 S.Ct. at 856. The relevant inquiry is whether, at the time of the alleged infringement (here 1984), a person of ordinary skill in the art would have understood that what was substituted in the accused device for the literal elements in the patent was equivalent. The function/way/result analysis must be applied to each element of the asserted claims and to the device as a whole. Hughes Aircraft, 717 F.2d at 1364. Having applied this analysis to the three elements of Claim 8 that are not literally present in the Exac meters, the Court finds that each of these elements is present by equivalence in the Exac devices.
(1) The Planarity Element
The absence of planarity in the Exac meters establishes that this element of Claim 8 is not literally present in the accused devices. Accordingly, the function/way/result test must be applied to compare the patented conduits with the Exac conduits under the doctrine of equivalents.
The "function" of the patented conduits is to oscillate while fluid is traveling through them, thereby producing a Coriolis force that will twist the conduits by an amount that can be measured in order to determine the mass flow rate of the fluid. RT-WHO 377, 411, 419. The patented conduit performs this function in the way described in the patent: it is solidly mounted and cantilevered, free of pressure sensitive joints, and it has different resonant frequencies about its oscillation and deflection axes. RT-WHO 377-78, 411, 419. The result achieved is deformation or twisting of the conduit that can be accurately measured to provide the mass flow rate. RT-WHO 378, 411, 419.
The accused Exac conduits clearly perform the same function and achieve the same result. RT-WHO 411, 419. Exac contends, however, that its conduits measure mass flow rate in a different way because they are nonplanar.
Exac contended at trial that its nonplanar conduit was subject to hydrostatic, inertial, and centrifugal forces that tend to twist its helical conduits independently of the Coriolis force caused by the flowing fluid. RT-WHO 495-504, 1364. By contrast, these forces are minimized by Micro Motion's planar conduit design. RT-WHO 505-07. Because the Exac nonplanar conduit is sensitive to these extraneous forces, Exac argues that its conduit cannot be equivalent to the Micro Motion planar conduit in the way it measures mass flow rate.
Micro Motion, however, presented convincing testimony that such extraneous forces are significant only if they occur at the drive frequency and in phase with the Coriolis force (RT-WHO 379-85, 590-93), and that such an occurrence would be unlikely. RT-WHO 385. Moreover, while Exac contends that its nonplanar conduits are sensitive to these extraneous forces, its meters do not monitor changes in the hydrostatic pressure or centrifugal forces, nor do the meters do anything to compensate for changes in these forces during measurement of mass flow rate. RT-WHO 389, 699, 981-83, 988-89, 1014-15, 1018. Many of the effects of these forces can be removed from the mass flow measurement by the process of initially "zeroing" the meter so that they are not a factor in the mass flow calculation. RT-WHO 986-90, 1015, 1052-55. Other effects of these extraneous forces are compensated for by minimal "fine tuning" adjustments to scale factors stored in Exac's microprocessor. RT-WHO 1016-19, 1056-62.
Despite Exac's contention that the sensitivity of its conduits to these extraneous *1439 forces means it is not equivalent to Micro Motion's conduit, it is apparent that ultimately Exac's meters do not compensate for or correct the effect of these forces (beyond the initial zeroing of the meter), and any resulting forces that are not zeroed out simply result in an error in mass flow measurement. RT-WHO 1011-13, 1048-50, 1055. Accordingly, this difference between the Exac and Micro Motion conduits is not found to be substantial. Based on the foregoing, the Court finds that the Exac nonplanar conduit and the Micro Motion planar conduit are equivalent.
Micro Motion also presented evidence that the equivalence of nonplanar and planar conduits would have been known to a person of ordinary skill in the art in 1984. The Cox '028 patent, issued in 1978, disclosed a planar, substantially "U"-shaped conduit with a narrowed neck, as well as a circular crossover conduit. PX 7, figs. 1 & 5. The Cox '028 specifications disclose that these conduit shapes are interchangeable and equivalent embodiments. PX 7 at col. 1, 1. 55 col. 2, 1. 8; col. 6, 11. 16-20. These disclosures in the Cox '028 patent demonstrate that a person of ordinary skill in the art in 1984 would have been aware that a crossover conduit in the form of a continuous curve was equivalent to a planar, "U"-shaped conduit. RT-WHO 365-67.
(2) Measurement of Delta T
The second element of the Micro Motion patents not literally present in the Exac devices is the requirement that the sensors on the meter measure delta t. This difference, therefore, must also be analyzed for infringement by equivalence, using the function/way/result test.
The "function" of the "means to measure" element of Claim 8, of which delta t measurement is a part, is to measure the amount of twist in the oscillating conduit or conduits in order to accurately measure mass flow rate. RT-WHO 398. The "way" this result is achieved is to utilize motion sensors to determine the time lag between the passage of the sidelegs of the oscillating conduit past a reference point. RT-WHO 398-99. The "result" achieved is a measurement of delta t, which can be electronically converted to an accurate measurement of mass flow rate.[12] RT-WHO 399.
Exac presented evidence to show that, because its meters measure phase angle rather than delta t, the "way" its meters measure mass flow is not substantially similar to Micro Motion's measurement of delta t. This contention, however, is without merit. The Exac devices measure phase angle by first measuring delta t and then multiplying by the frequency of oscillation. Exac's microprocessor then determines the mass flow rate by using a mathematical equation that is based on phase difference and frequency. RT-WHO 979, 997-98; Schindler Dep. at 102-03; Swanson Dep. at 220-22; RT-SW 1797-1801; PX 63.
The evidence at trial, however, demonstrated that measurement of the phase angle of a sinusoidal signal is equivalent to measurement of delta t, because phase angle divided by frequency is equal to delta t. RT-WHO 399-400, 1432-33. Using mathematical principles familiar to a college engineering student, Micro Motion demonstrated at trial that the equation used by Exac's microprocessor to determine mass flow rate is easily translated into a form in which the mass flow rate is equal to delta t, multiplied by a "nonlinearity correction factor" based on phase difference, and a temperature compensation factor. RT-WHO 983-1048.
The testimony at trial established that the "nonlinearity correction factor" is a small number which in essence "fine tunes" the delta t measurement. RT-WHO 612, 1802. The need for temperature compensation, though not addressed by the Micro Motion patent, is one that was well understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art in 1984. RT-WHO 584, 1790, 1804; PX 276 at ¶¶ 30-31. Based on the foregoing, the Court finds that Exac's measurement of phase angle is substantially *1440 the same as Micro Motion's direct measurement of delta t, and that these two measurements were known to be equivalent in 1984. PX 275 at ¶ 16; PX 276 at ¶ 41.
(3) Measurement at the Midplane of Oscillation
The third element of Claim 8 that is not literally present in the Exac devices is the requirement that delta t be measured at the midplane of conduit oscillation.[13] This element is not literally satisfied by the accused devices because they measure delta t at the extreme of conduit oscillation. Accordingly, the Court must determine whether measurement at the extreme of oscillation is substantially the same as measurement at the midplane. This element of Claim 8 has the same function, way, and result as the second element of Claim 8 described above.
Micro Motion presented testimony at trial that delta t is the same at every point throughout the oscillatory path of the conduits. RT-WHO 262, 403-06. Some of this testimony came in the form of admissions by Exac personnel. Dahlin Dep. at 188-89, 201; RT-SW 2490-91; PX 111. Because delta t is the same throughout the sinusoidal cycle, Micro Motion contends that measuring delta t at any location in the cycle, including the extremes of oscillation, will provide the same value of delta t as measuring at the midplane. From this Micro Motion concludes that measuring delta t at the extreme of oscillation is the equivalent of measuring delta t at the midplane. PX 275; PX 276 at ¶¶ 39-41.
Exac presented some evidence at trial to refute the conclusion that delta t is the same throughout the oscillatory cycle. RT-WHO 631-37. Dr. Graeme Fowler, a witness called by Micro Motion, testified at the first trial that delta t is the same everywhere, but he recanted that testimony at this trial because he claimed it had been based on the erroneous assumption that the magnitude of oscillation of each side leg is the same, when in fact, the magnitudes are different. RT-WHO 626-37, 644-46. Further, Exac's counsel suggested that the video demonstrations by Dr. Durgin, Micro Motion's technical expert, in fact revealed a "taper" between delta t signals that would not have been present if delta t were, in fact, the same throughout the oscillatory cycle. RT-WHO 790-92.
The evidence most credible to the Court, however, demonstrated that delta t is the same at all points in the oscillatory cycle. RT-WHO 262, 313-14, 403-06; Dahlin Dep. at 188-89, 201; PX 111. Exac's own founder, Dr. Dahlin, testified at the first trial that "if you have two sine waves here, the time differential or phase angle is the same no matter. You look on those everywhere in these when we have two identical sine waves, it's the same time difference and phase angle everywhere." RT-SW 2490-91.
Moreover, Micro Motion persuasively demonstrated that the reason the Exac devices measure at the extreme of oscillation is a function of the type of sensors used, rather than any substantive difference in delta t at various points in the oscillatory cycle. In 1984, it was well-known that the best place to process time-varying electrical voltage signals is the point at which the signals cross through zero voltage. RT-WHO 286-91, 404-05, 746; PX 275 at ¶ 7; PX 276 at ¶ 38. For position and acceleration sensors, that point occurs when the conduit is at the midplane of oscillation. RT-WHO 730, 740-41. For velocity sensors, that point is when the conduit is at the top or bottom (the extremes) of oscillation. RT-WHO 397-98, 737.
The Exac sensors generate velocity voltage signals, which measure zero voltage crossings when the conduit is at the extremes of oscillation. The Micro Motion commercial model meters also use velocity sensors, but the velocity voltage signal is integrated before measuring delta t. This integration converts the voltage signals to position signals. Consequently, the Micro Motion meters measure zero voltage crossing when the conduit is at the midplane. RT-WHO 745-46. From the standpoint of equivalence, however, both types of sensors *1441 are measuring at the point of their respective zero voltage crossings. The Court, therefore, finds the measurements to be substantially the same, despite the different positions of the respective conduits at the moment of measurement.
The next issue the Court must resolve in determining equivalence is whether a person of ordinary skill in the art in 1984 would have understood that delta t is the same at every point throughout the oscillatory cycle. Exac suggested at trial that, even assuming that delta t is, in fact, the same throughout the oscillatory cycle, persons of ordinary skill in the art in 1984 would not have known this principle. DX RT at 34-42. Exac argues that such persons would have relied on the repeated statements made by Micro Motion in its patents and in its commercial literature that it was not possible to measure delta t away from the midplane because delta t went to zero at the extremes of oscillation. RT-WHO 1530-34. Therefore, Exac argues that the fact that its devices make measurements at the extremes of oscillation cannot possibly be an equivalent to measuring at the midplane because the fact that delta t is the same throughout the cycle of oscillation was only learned subsequent to 1984.
Exac's contention that Micro Motion's patents teach that delta t goes to zero at the extremes of oscillation was refuted by Micro Motion's experts at trial. RT-WHO 403-04; PX 275 at ¶¶ 3, 4, 8, 9; PX 276 at ¶ 37. These experts also testified that a college freshman or sophomore in an introductory physics course would have understood that delta t remains the same throughout the oscillatory cycle (RT-WHO 481-83), as would a person of ordinary skill in the art in 1984. RT-WHO 589. The fact that the patents themselves do not say that delta t is the same everywhere is not significant, as a patent need not describe in the specifications that which is well known in the art. In re Wands, 858 F.2d 731, 735 (Fed.Cir.1988).
Moreover, the fact that Micro Motion may have made statements about the necessity of measuring delta t at the midplane of oscillation that subsequently proved to be erroneous does not prevent a finding of infringement under the doctrine of equivalents. All these statements indicate is that the inventor and marketers of the Micro Motion meters were unaware at first of the complete theory of the inventions. An inventor is not required to understand the theory of how his invention works, so long as the patent adequately discloses to a person of ordinary skill in the art how to make and use the invention. Diamond Rubber Co. v. Consolidated Rubber Tire Co., 220 U.S. 428, 435-36, 31 S.Ct. 444, 447-48, 55 L.Ed. 527 (1911). "[A] patentee is not responsible for the correctness of [his] theories and explanations when their correctness is not related to validity of the claims under consideration." Raytheon Co. v. Roper Corp., 724 F.2d 951, 959 (Fed.Cir.1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 835, 105 S.Ct. 127, 83 L.Ed.2d 69 (1984). In other words, an inventor is entitled to the merits of his invention, even if they surpass his expectations or go beyond what was known or commercially available at the time of the invention. Johnson & Johnson v. W. L. Gore & Assoc., 377 F.Supp. 1353, 1355 (D.Del.1974).
The evidence at trial demonstrated that Micro Motion at one time believed, and promulgated the belief, that it was important to measure delta t at the midplane of oscillation. This belief is not relevant to infringement under the doctrine of equivalents, however, because a patentee's invention is not necessarily limited by his own misconception of its theory of operation, and because persons of ordinary skill in the art in 1984 understood that delta t was the same everywhere despite the erroneous statements of Micro Motion. Accordingly, the Court finds that Exac's measurement at the extremes of oscillation is equivalent to the measurement of the patented devices at the midplane of oscillation.
Based on the foregoing, the Court finds that Claim 8 of the '450 patent is infringed by the Exac devices under the doctrine of equivalents.
*1442 2. Claim 57 of the '450 Patent
a. Construction of Claim 57
Claim 57 of the '450 patent is a dependent claim that incorporates by reference all of independent Claim 38.[14] PX 97. Claim 38 describes "a flowmeter" that contains the same elements previously discussed in Section III B 1, supra. The asserted elements of the conduit described in Claim 38 and the resulting infringement analysis under the doctrine of equivalents need not be repeated here because they are identical to that presented in the preceding discussion of Claim 8. RT-WHO 411-12. Accordingly, for the reasons stated above, the Court finds that independent Claim 38 of the '450 patent has been infringed by the Exac devices under the doctrine of equivalents.
Infringement of an independent claim, however, such as Claim 38, does not necessarily mean that claims dependent on that claim are also infringed. Wahpeton Canvas Co. v. Frontier, Inc. 870 F.2d 1546, 1552 n. 9 (Fed.Cir.1989). The Court must, therefore, rule separately on the issue sue of infringement of Claim 57.
Claim 57 of the '450 patent contains one additional element not present in Claim 8. It requires that the resonant frequency of the patented conduit about its oscillation axis must be lower than the resonant frequency of the conduit about its axis of symmetry.
There was little testimony on this point at trial, and the issue appears to have been essentially conceded by Exac. The evidence that was offered at trial demonstrated that Exac's conduits have an oscillation axis with a lower resonant frequency than that of the deflection axis. RT-WHO 354-55, 1649-50. Thus, the Court finds that this additional element is literally present in the Exac devices.
Given that the one additional element presented by dependent Claim 57 is literally present in the Exac devices, and the remaining elements of Claim 57 (which are expressed in Claim 38 and incorporated by reference) have already been found to be infringed under the doctrine of equivalents, the Court finds that Claim 57 as a whole has been infringed by Exac's devices under the doctrine of equivalents.
3. Claim 1 of the '025 Patent
The '025 patent, issued on January 1, 1985, marked a significant change from the concept of the '450 patent. The '025 patent introduced the design of two parallel flow tubes in place of a single oscillating conduit. Parallel flow tubes were introduced by Micro Motion to correct certain problems that had arisen with the commercial embodiments of the '450 patent. The meters disclosed in the '450 patent, when installed, had been susceptible to external vibrations that affected the accuracy of their mass flow measurement. RT-WHO 343-44.
In the devices covered by the '025 patent, fluid flowing toward the Micro Motion meter is directed through two parallel conduits. PX 89. These conduits are oscillated in opposite directions, so that any effect from external vibration is equal and opposite in the two tubes, thus cancelling out the effects of vibration. Cage Dep. at 79, 81-83, 113-114; RT-WHO 342-43. As a result, the '025 commercial meters could be mounted directly in the fluid line, instead of having to be mounted to a support. RT-WHO 344. Although the '025 patent did not issue until January 1, 1985, Micro Motion began marketing the preferred embodiment of the '025 patent as its Model D meter in December 1982. RT-WHO 90-91. Micro Motion alleges that the Exac parallel tube flowmeters infringe Claim 1 of the '025 patent under the doctrine of equivalents.
a. Construction of Claim 1
Claim 1 of the '025 patent is an independent claim. PX 99. The parties agreed for purposes of this trial that the claim language *1443 requires a planar conduit[15] (RT-WHO 336-37, 418; PX 99), an element that is clearly not literally satisfied by the non-planar Exac helical crossover conduits.
Claim 1 of the '025 patent is in many respects almost identical to Claims 8 and 57 of the '450 patent, and the claim constructions adopted in sections 1 and 2, above, will be applied where they are relevant to this claim.
Claim 1 contains six elements. First, the claim requires an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold. The Court finds that this element is literally present in the accused Exac devices. RT-WHO 416.
The second element of this claim describes "two U-shaped flow tubes" with certain specified characteristics. With the exception of the requirement that the conduits be planar, the Court finds that all of the characteristics of this second element are literally present in the Exac devices.
In reaching this finding, the Court is aware that the second element of Claim 1 refers to "U-shaped flow tubes" without enclosing the "U" in quotation marks, as was done in the '450 patent. The lack of quotation marks in the '025 patent, however, does not indicate that the '025 patent requires conduits in the shape of a literal "U." This is because the '025 patent itself specifically incorporates the teachings of the '450 patent, which the Court has construed previously to require only a functional "U" shaped conduit. PX 3 at col. 1, 1. 29 col. 2, 1. 42. Therefore, because the '025 patent incorporates the '450 patent by reference, Claim 1 of the '025 patent is similarly construed to require that the conduits be in the shape of a functional, not a literal, "U." RT-WHO 619-21. The Exac helical crossover conduits literally meet the requirement of a functional U because they direct the flow of fluid away from the support, then parallel to the support, and then back toward the support. RT-WHO 357-58, 454, 1773-74.
Exac's conduits also literally contain the remaining features described by the second element of Claim 1. Exac's conduits are free of pressure sensitive joints (RT-WHO 417), mounted in parallel fashion and fixedly attached (RT-WHO 417), and cantilevered. RT-WHO 417. The Exac conduits have essentially equal moments of inertia and essentially equal spring constants (RT-WHO 418), and the resonant frequency of the torsion axes is different from the resonant frequency of the bending axes and from the odd harmonic values of the resonant frequency of the bending axes. RT-WHO 418-19. Therefore, the only characteristic of the second element of Claim 1 that is not literally present in the Exac devices is the requirement that the conduits be planar.
The third element of Claim 1 is a "means for inputting to each flow tube[] ... essentially equal amounts of fluid from an inlet plenum." The fourth element of Claim 1 requires a similar exit plenum to drain fluid from the flow tubes.
The precise definition of "plenum" was disputed at trial. Exac's experts contended its devices contained a flow-splitter, but did not contain a plenum. RT-WHO 1252.
Exac introduced testimony at trial that the plenums called for by the third and fourth elements of Claim 1 must have symmetrical boundaries and must be large enough to produce essentially equal, uniform fluid pressure. Exac also presented evidence that its flowsplitter has none of these qualities. RT-WHO 1252-55.
The Court, however, rejects Exac's interpretation of Claim 1, because Claims 6 and 7 of the '025 patent, which are dependent from Claim 1, recite these very same limitations. The rule of claim differentiation prohibits the Court from reading limitations from dependent (narrow) claims into an independent (broader) claim because to do so would render the dependent claims redundant. Marsh-McBirney, 882 F.2d at *1444 504. The specifications of the '025 patent, which can properly be considered in claim construction, also contain these same limitations. PX 3, col. 6, 11. 29-58. This limiting language, however, refers only to a preferred embodiment of the patent and, moreover, limitations from a patent's specifications cannot be read into its claims. Intervet America, 887 F.2d at 1053; Laitram Corp., 863 F.2d at 865.
The Court may also consider expert testimony when construing claims. Smithkline Diagnostics, 859 F.2d at 882. Micro Motion introduced expert testimony that, according to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, a plenum is a space that is full of matter. PX 275 at ¶¶ 22-23. Under this definition, however, the Exac flowsplitter is not a literal plenum. The flowsplitter is full of matter, in this case fluid, but it is not clearly a "space," because it resembles a continuation of the pipeline more than a discreet chamber. Because the Court concludes that the Exac flowsplitter is not a literal plenum, the third and fourth elements of Claim 1 must accordingly be analyzed under the doctrine of equivalents.
The fifth element of Claim 1 calls for a means of sinusoidally driving the conduits at their resonant frequency, in a manner similar to the tines of a tuning fork. Exac's meters contain a coil and magnet device that excites the conduits in precisely this fashion. RT-WHO 421. This element, then, is literally present in the Exac devices.
The sixth element of Claim 1 is the "means to measure" element. Micro Motion argued that the claim language does not specify any particular point at which delta t is to be measured. The Court, however, disagrees. The language of Claim 1 requires that delta t be measured at the midplane of oscillation. The claim expressly states that the patented device has a "means to measure the time interval between the passages of the first side legs ... through the respective midplanes of oscillation, and the passage of the second side legs, caused by Coriolis forced deflection about said torsion axes, to pass through the respective midplanes of oscillation at a later time." PX 3, 99.
Nonetheless, having previously found in its discussion of the '450 patent that the Exac devices measure the equivalent of delta t, and that measurement of delta t at the extreme of oscillation is the equivalent of measuring it at the midplane of oscillation, the Court finds that this sixth element of Claim 1 is present by equivalence in the accused Exac devices.
b. Function, Way, Result of Claim 1
All of the elements of Claim 1 of the '025 patent are literally present in the accused Exac meters, with the exception of the requirements that the conduits be planar, that the devices contain an inlet and an outlet plenum, and that the devices measure delta t at the midplane of oscillation. With respect to the planarity and "means to measure" elements of this claim, however, the Court's previous discussion of the '450 patent established the equivalence of planar and nonplanar conduits, delta t and phase angle, and midplane measurement versus measurement at the extremes of oscillation. Accordingly, the only remaining issue for the Court to resolve as to Claim 1 is whether the Micro Motion plenum is equivalent to the Exac flowsplitter under the doctrine of equivalents.
The Court finds that the Micro Motion plenum and the Exac flowsplitter are equivalents. While the Exac flowsplitter is not a literal plenum, it performs substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve substantially the same result. RT-WHO 420-21.
The "function" of the plenum in the patented devices is to divide the fluid flowing into the conduits into two essentially equal amounts and to direct that fluid into the parallel flow tubes. The "way" the plenum accomplishes its function is to provide a manifold with one inlet opening and two exit openings. The "result" is an essentially equal flow of fluid through the two conduits, which permits an accurate measurement of mass flow. RT-WHO 420.
The Exac flowsplitter performs the same function in substantially the same way. *1445 The evidence at trial indicated that the Exac flowsplitter divides the flow of fluid in the pipeline so that fifty-six percent of the fluid goes through one flowtube and forty-four percent of the fluid goes through the parallel tube. RT-WHO 1251-52; DX RT at 46. The Court finds that this division of flow is "essentially equal," as required by Claim 1 of the '025 patent. PX 275 at ¶ 24. Exac's founders have admitted that its flowmeters split the fluid flow "in half" (RT-WHO 1030; PX 13 at 7) or "approximately in half." RT-SW 2483. Finally, the evidence at trial established that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been aware, in January 1985 (the date the '025 patent issued), that the Exac flowsplitter was equivalent to the plenum in the patent. PX 276 at ¶ 44.
CONCLUSION
Based upon the above findings of fact and conclusions of law, the Court finds that Micro Motion has established by a preponderance of the evidence that the accused Exac devices infringe Claims 8 and 57 of the '450 patent and Claim 1 of the '025 patent under the doctrine of equivalents. Accordingly,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
1. The trial in this matter is to reconvene at a date set by the Court in order to determine the amount of damages to be awarded to Micro Motion.
2. A Status Conference will be held on Wednesday, July 11, at 2:00 p.m., at which time the parties will present to the Court a stipulation concerning the trial date, a damages study, and the issues that remain to be tried.
NOTES
[1] These flowmeters combine an EX model sensor (i.e., EX 12, EX 120, EX 1200, EX 6000, or EX 9000) with a Series 7100 or Series 8100 transmitter. The parties stipulated for purposes of this trial that the designs of the Exac 1100 and 2100 model flowmeters are the same insofar as the issues of infringement are concerned. See Joint Pretrial Statement at 8 (filed Jan. 16, 1990).
[2] Exac has also asserted affirmative defenses and antitrust counterclaims against Micro Motion alleging wrongful acquisition, procurement, maintenance, and enforcement by Micro Motion of patents that are invalid and not infringed, and other wrongful conduct in the marketplace. The proceedings with respect to the antitrust claims were severed and stayed by orders filed October 15, 1985, and April 8, 1986, pending final determination of the patent issues.
[3] Exac ultimately withdrew its defense that Claims 8 and 57 of the '450 patent are invalid. With respect to the validity of Claim 1 of the '025 patent, the parties agreed to be bound by the final decision of the then-pending reexamination by the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO") of the patentability of the '025 patent. The PTO subsequently confirmed the patentability of this claim. Exac's patent unenforceability defense was tried before Judge Spencer M. Williams in June of 1987. At the conclusion of this trial, Judge Williams held that Exac had failed to prove that the '450 and '025 patents were unenforceable. Micro Motion, Inc. v. Exac Corp., 686 F.Supp. 789, 797 (N.D.Cal.1987).
[4] "PX" refers to plaintiff's trial exhibits; "DX" refers to defendant's trial exhibits; and "RT-WHO" refers to the trial transcript. Excerpts from designated deposition and former trial testimony are indicated by the witness' name followed by "Dep." (for deposition testimony) or "RT-SW" (for former trial testimony before Judge Williams). Where more than one deposition was designated, the volume number of the cited deposition is indicated.
[5] The amount of twist is too small to be detected by the unaided human eye. At trial, the parties provided video animations, high-speed photography and other demonstrations to portray this phenomenon.
[6] In a helical crossover loop, fluid enters the conduit from one side, makes a 360-degree loop and crosses over itself, exiting from the opposite side.
[7] Exac also contends that the patent claims in suit must be construed to require a conduit that oscillates without torsion when there is no fluid flowing through the conduit. Exac believes that the presence of torsion in the no-flow condition in the Exac meters makes its meters noninfringing. However, none of the asserted patent claims require that the conduit oscillate without torsion when there is no flow. RT-WHO 457-60, 578-79; PX 1.
Similarly, Exac contends that the asserted patent claims must be construed to require flowmeters that are insensitive to variations in pressure. Yet, none of the asserted claims require such pressure independence. PX 97, 98, 99. Finally, Exac argues that the patents should be construed to require flowmeters that are insensitive to conduit temperature variations. Exac's conduits require a compensation for temperature. Again, however, the asserted claims do not require temperature insensitivity. RT-WHO 414-16. Moreover, there was evidence at trial that a person of ordinary skill in the art in 1984 would have known that the spring constant of resilient metal is dependent on temperature, so that it would have been unnecessary to disclose the fact of temperature sensitivity or means to compensate for it in the patents in suit. RT-WHO 582-85.
[8] The doctrine of prosecution history estoppel may limit the reach of the doctrine of equivalents under certain circumstances. However, prosecution history estoppel applies only where a patent claim was rejected by the PTO based on prior art, and the patentee amends or limits the claim in order to overcome the examiner's prior art rejection. Bayer Aktiengesellschaft v. Duphar Int'l Research, B. V., 738 F.2d 1237, 1242-43 (Fed.Cir.1984). In this case, claims 8 and 57 of the '450 patent and claim 1 of the '025 patent were never rejected by the examiner. PX 126 at ¶¶ 18-20; RT-WHO 668-74, 680-81. Accordingly, there can be no prosecution history estoppel that would limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims in suit.
[9] Micro Motion also suggests that the Supreme Court adopted the Federal Circuit's approach in two cases. Sanitary Refrigerator, 280 U.S. 30, 50 S.Ct. 9; Temco Co. v. Apco Co., 275 U.S. 319, 48 S.Ct. 170, 72 L.Ed. 298 (1928). In these cases, the Court found infringement even though the infringing devices were made after the patents in suit issued. Micro Motion suggests that the Temco and Sanitary Refrigerator Courts, to have found infringement, must, therefore, have determined equivalence at the time of infringement because in each case the accused device did not exist at the time the original patent issued.
Unfortunately, neither the Temco or Sanitary Refrigerator opinions state the test applied in determining equivalence. It is possible that these decisions looked at the state of the art at the time of the original patent in determining equivalence, even though the infringing devices themselves were not manufactured until years later.
Moreover, Exac notes that a Supreme Court case more recent than Temco and Sanitary Refrigerator used the date of the patent as the relevant date for determining equivalence. Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Co. v. Walker, 329 U.S. 1, 13, 67 S.Ct. 6, 12, 91 L.Ed. 3 (1946). Micro Motion, however, correctly points out that this statement in Halliburton is dicta. Therefore, the Court finds that these three cases are of no assistance in resolving this conflict.
[10] Functionally, this is the same as the 1984 date to be applied to the '450 patent because the date of issue of the '025 patent is the first day of 1985.
[11] Claim 1 simply describes a "means to measure the magnitude of Coriolis forces tending to elastically distort the `U' shaped conduit about the deflection axis...." PX 1.
[12] The way delta t is used to compute mass flow rate is a matter of simple mathematics, since mass flow is a function of pipe geometry constants and delta t. PX 1 at col. 11, 11. 41-42.
[13] This requirement is also a part of the "means to measure" element of Claim 8.
[14] Again, as with Claim 8, the parties have agreed that this claim literally requires a planar conduit.
[15] Subpart iv of the second element of Claim 1 requires that each of the parallel conduits must have "a bending axis ... located in the same plane as and perpendicular to the side legs of said U-shaped flow tube, and a torsion axis located in the same plane as the side legs of said U-shaped flow tube...."
|
Q:
Generate multidimensional array based on a single-level XML file
I am (via a web service) receiving a flat XML file that contains a listing of categories, subcategories, subsubcategories, etc, all at the same level. (i.e. Subcategories are not nested under their parent categories.) This, unfortunately, cannot be changed. I have to work with the data provided.
I'm taking this XML and converting it into an object, then into an array using simplexml_load_string and array_map. This is all working as expected. What I'm left with is a master category array that looks something like this.
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => HARDWARE
[Description] => Hardware Issue
)
[1] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => MAC_OSX
[Description] => Mac OSX
[ParentCategoryID] => OS
)
[2] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => OFFICE
[Description] => Microsoft Office
[ParentCategoryID] => SOFTWARE
)
[3] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => OS
[Description] => Operating Systems
[ParentCategoryID] => SOFTWARE
)
[4] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => WIN_7
[Description] => Windows 7
[ParentCategoryID] => OS
)
[5] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => SOFTWARE
[Description] => Software Issue
)
)
As you can see, there are subcategories mixed in there, all keyed off of the ParentCategoryID. Parent Categories have that field omitted.
The CategoryID will always be unique, no matter what level it is on. And the array is sorted alphabetically by the Description. The real array is over 250 categories long, above is an abbreviated version for example sake.
I need to take that master array, loop through it and come up with a new array that looks something like this.
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => SOFTWARE
[Description] => Software Issue
[SubCategories] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => OS
[Description] => Operating Systems
[SubCategories] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => WIN_7
[Description] => Windows 7
)
[1] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => MAC_OSX
[Description] => Mac OSX
)
)
)
[1] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => OFFICE
[Description] => Microsoft Office
)
)
)
[1] => Array
(
[CategoryID] => HARDWARE
[Description] => Hardware Issue
)
)
Things I have to keep in mind is there may be infinitely many subcategories (so there isn't a set number of sublevels I can hard-code in). I've been trying to mess around with array_search and array_filter, but I'm just not having any luck getting something working. I obviously don't want to loop hundreds of times for this process to happen.
Does anyone with a little more experience with multidimensional arrays under their belt have some ideas, direction, or an example that may help me achieve my desired result?
A:
I finally got it! It seems so simple now, I'm almost embarrassed to say it took so long to figure out. This was my final code to accomplish my goal.
if($cats['HasError'] == "false") {
$cats = $cats['Support_SubjectsList']['Support_Subjects'];
//Generate a hierarchy array of categories
$count = count($cats);
$i=0;
while($count > 0) {
foreach($cats as $k => $v) {
if($i==0) {
//Parents
if(is_array($v['ParentCategoryID'])) {
$categories[$i][$v['CategoryID']] = array("Description" => $v['Description']);
unset($cats[$k]);
}
} else {
//Children
if(array_key_exists($v['ParentCategoryID'], $categories[($i-1)])) {
$categories[$i][$v['CategoryID']] = array("Description" => $v['Description'], "ParentCategoryID" => $v['ParentCategoryID']);
unset($cats[$k]);
}
}
}
$count = count($cats);
$i++;
}
//Traverse the hierarchy array backwards to make a nested category array
$count = count($categories)-1;
for($i=$count;$i>0;$i--) {
foreach($categories[$i] as $k => $v) {
$categories[($i-1)][$v['ParentCategoryID']]['SubCategories'][$k] = array("Description" => $v['Description']);
if(is_array($v['SubCategories'])) {
$categories[($i-1)][$v['ParentCategoryID']]['SubCategories'][$k]['SubCategories'] = $v['SubCategories'];
}
}
unset($categories[$i]);
}
$categories = $categories[0];
}
|
<assembly xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/ASSEMBLY/2.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/ASSEMBLY/2.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/assembly-2.0.0.xsd">
<id>core-static</id>
<formats>
<format>zip</format>
</formats>
<includeBaseDirectory>false</includeBaseDirectory>
<fileSets>
<fileSet>
<directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources-filtered</directory>
<outputDirectory>.</outputDirectory>
<filtered>true</filtered>
<includes>
<include>**/*.sh</include>
</includes>
<fileMode>0755</fileMode>
</fileSet>
<fileSet>
<directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources-filtered</directory>
<outputDirectory>.</outputDirectory>
<filtered>true</filtered>
<excludes>
<exclude>**/*.sh</exclude>
</excludes>
</fileSet>
<!-- .sh files that need execution permissions -->
<fileSet>
<directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources</directory>
<outputDirectory>.</outputDirectory>
<includes>
<include>**/*.sh</include>
</includes>
<fileMode>0755</fileMode>
</fileSet>
<!-- the remaining static resources -->
<fileSet>
<directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources</directory>
<outputDirectory>.</outputDirectory>
</fileSet>
</fileSets>
</assembly> |
Q:
Xamarin Android App will not deserialize Size and Point when Linking is None
I have an android app where I save the report layout in XML format. Each field has a System.Drawing.Size Size and a System.Drawing.Point Location.
The XML for a Point is
<Location>
<X>32</X>
<Y>40</Y>
</Location>
The XML for a Size is
<Size>
<Width>600</Width>
<Height>56</Height>
</Size>
The object contains properties for the same as
private Size _Size = new Size(50, 20);
public Size Size
{
get
{
return _Size;
}
set
{
bool DoEvent = true;
if (value.Height == _Size.Height && value.Width == _Size.Width)
DoEvent = false;
_Size = value;
if (DoEvent)
OnPropertyChanged("Size");
}
}
and
private System.Drawing.Point _Location;
public System.Drawing.Point Location
{
get
{
return _Location;
}
set
{
_Location = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Location");
}
}
I create the Serialzer as follows
public static void NewSerializer()
{
Type[] extraTypes = new Type[7];
extraTypes[0] = typeof(MPSReportPage);
extraTypes[1] = typeof(MPSReportField);
extraTypes[2] = typeof(MPSTextField);
extraTypes[3] = typeof(MPSImageField);
extraTypes[4] = typeof(Margins);
extraTypes[5] = typeof(Size);
extraTypes[6] = typeof(System.Drawing.Point);
try
{
ReportSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(MPSReportDocument), extraTypes);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
}
//ReportSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(MPSReportDocument));
}
The Point and Size were not there as extraTypes originally but I added them to try to resolve the issue.
This all deserializes fine if I set Linking to None. If I set Linking to SDK Only, both field types deserialize to 0, 0. All other field types deserialize fine. Thanks in advance for any help with this.
https://github.com/JimWilcox3/XMLSerializerTest
Is a link to a Visual Studio solution that shows the problem.
A:
This issue has been sent to Microsoft and they are working on it. After looking through my code, though, I realized that I never pass a Size or Point to any native functions. I just use the Width/Height or X/Y to figure out where to draw the object. So what I did was just create my own Point and Size objects as so:
[Serializable]
public class Point
{
public Point()
{
}
public Point(int X, int Y)
{
this.X = X;
this.Y = Y;
}
public int X { get; set; }
public int Y { get; set; }
}
[Serializable]
public class Size
{
public Size()
{
}
public Size(int Width, int Height)
{
this.Width = Width;
this.Height = Height;
}
public int Width { get; set; }
public int Height { get; set; }
}
And then in my deserializer, I made the extra types as:
public static void NewSerializer()
{
Type[] extraTypes = new Type[7];
extraTypes[0] = typeof(MPSReportPage);
extraTypes[1] = typeof(MPSReportField);
extraTypes[2] = typeof(MPSTextField);
extraTypes[3] = typeof(MPSImageField);
extraTypes[4] = typeof(Margins);
extraTypes[5] = typeof(Size);
extraTypes[6] = typeof(Point);
try
{
ReportSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(MPSReportDocument), extraTypes);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
}
//ReportSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(MPSReportDocument));
}
I had to fully qualify them when I used them elsewhere in the app, but it was a small price to pay for a 20-30 MB smaller app size.
|
Local
Lt. Governor Kinder Pays Missouri Over $50,000
Related Tags:
Election Returns
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has paid the state $52,320 to cover any potentially questionable expense reimbursements during his term in office.
Kinder wrote the check from his personal funds — a change of plans from when he announced earlier this month that his campaign would pay the state $35,050 to cover St. Louis area hotel stays cited in a story by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Kinder campaign attorney Jared Craighead says the new, higher amount is roughly equal to the Republican official’s total instate lodging reimbursements during the past six years. But Craighead also said the payment is intended to cover any potentially questionable expense reimbursement, whether it is for lodging, travel or meals.
The Missouri Democratic Party says an independent audit should be conducted to determine how much Kinder owes. |
264 Cal.App.2d 972 (1968)
THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Appellant,
v.
PETER JACKSON MacLAIRD, Defendant and Respondent.
Crim. No. 7259.
California Court of Appeals. First Dist., Div. Two.
Aug. 16, 1968.
Kiernan Hyland, District Attorney, and Harold G. Spaulding, Deputy District Attorney, for Plaintiff and Appellant.
Robert Y. Bell, James A. Kealey, and Vartkes Yeghiayan for Defendant and Respondent.
SHOEMAKER, P. J.
The People of the State of California appeal from a judgment of the Municipal Court for the Central Judicial District, County of Sonoma, State of California, dismissing a complaint issued on a traffic citation for violation of section 22350 of the California Vehicle Code.
This judgment was reversed by the Appellate Department of the Superior Court for Sonoma County. We accepted certification under rules 62 and 63 of the California Rules of Court.
[1] The agreed statement on this appeal shows that the defendant was cited for violation of section 22350 of the California Vehicle Code. The complaint issued thereon charged that defendant exceeded the prima facie speed limit as established *973 by posted speed limit signs and that said violation was determined by and through the use of a radar device.
At the trial, the prosecuting attorney advised the court that this was a "radar" case and that he intended to prove the installation, operation and accuracy of the radar machine through the testimony of the arresting officer. The court then inquired whether the People proposed to present an expert witness to establish the validity and accuracy of radar devices. The prosecuting attorney replied that they would not produce such a witness, whereupon the court, upon its own motion, dismissed the action, stating that the court would refuse to take judicial notice of the use, validity and accuracy of radar devices.
The sole issue presented is whether the trial court erred in refusing to take judicial notice of the use, validity and accuracy of radar devices.
In weighing whether the trial court committed error in refusing to take judicial notice of the "use, validity and accuracy of radar devices," we interpret this to mean taking judicial notice of the principle of radar as an electronic device which scientifically and accurately measures speed of a moving object. This is altogether different from judicially noticing the accuracy and operating efficiency of the particular radar device used to measure the speed of the defendant's vehicle in the case before the court.
It is common and general knowledge that radar was developed in England in the late 1930's. In its most elementary conception, it consists of a microwave transmitter sending out a directional signal which is reflected back to the transmission site by an object in its path. The reflected signal is received back by an antenna into a receiving unit in the radar, and basically the time between transmission and reception is measured electronically. Based upon the known speed of the signal, the time and speed factors provide the basis for an exact calculation of the distance between the radar and the reflecting object.
Radar has developed many uses since its introduction in the 1930's, not the least of which is the highly simple, precise and accurate radar device for measuring the speed of a moving vehicle.
Although the legal issue presented to this court stands as a case of first impression in California, the precise question has been litigated in a number of other jurisdictions. While there is some conflict of authority on whether the principle of radar *974 should be judicially noticed, the better- reasoned cases hold that it should.
In June 1955, the Supreme Court of New Jersey, in State v. Dantonio, 18 N.J. 570, at page 578 [115 A.2d 35, 39-40, 49 A.L.R.2d 460], stated: "Since World War II members of the public have become generally aware of the widespread use of radar methods in detecting the presence of objects and their distance and speed; and while they may not fully understand their intricacies they do not question their general accuracy and effectiveness. Dr. Kopper has pointed out that, in contrast to other radar methods, the method actually used in the speedmeter is rather simple and has been adopted by many law enforcement bodies; a recent tabulation indicates that speedmeters are being used in 43 states by almost 500 police departments. See Radar Traffic Controls, 23 Tenn.L.Rev. 784 (1955). The writings on the subject assert that when properly operated they accurately record speed (within reasonable tolerances of perhaps two or three miles per hour) and nothing to the contrary has been brought to our attention; under the circumstances it would seem that evidence of radar speedmeter readings should be received in evidence upon a showing that the speedmeter was properly set up and tested by the police officers without any need for independent expert testimony by electrical engineers as to its general nature and trustworthiness."
In People v. Magri (1958) 170 N.Y.S.2d 335, at pages 337-338, the New York Court of Appeals stated: "We think the time has come when we may recognize the general reliability of the radar speedmeter as a device for measuring the speed of a moving vehicle, and that it will no longer be necessary to require expert testimony in each case as to the nature, function or scientific principles underlying it. ..."
Other jurisdictions have followed New York's practical recognition that the scientific principle of radar can and should be judicially noticed. (See City of East Cleveland v. Ferell (1958) 168 Ohio St. 298 [154 N.E.2d 630]; State v. Graham (Mo.App. 1959) 322 S.W.2d 188; United States v. Dreos (D.Md. 1957) 156 F.Supp. 200.) The New York and New Jersey holdings are likewise supported by leading legal writers, including California's B. E. Witkin, who says: "The scientific accuracy of the device, properly handled, is scarcely open to question." (Witkin, Cal. Evidence (2d ed. 1966), 663, p. 622.)
California Evidence Code, section 451 (mandatory judicial *975 notice) provides in part: "Judicial notice shall be taken of: ... (f) Facts and propositions of generalized knowledge that are so universally known that they cannot reasonably be the subject of dispute."
We have concluded that the validity and accuracy of radar devices is a proposition of such common and universal knowledge that it must be judicially noticed and there is no necessity to call an expert witness to establish this commonly known and accepted proposition. As stated in Varcoe v. Lee (1919) 180 Cal. 338, at page 344 [181 P. 223]: "Judicial notice is a judicial short-cut, a doing away with the formal necessity for evidence because there is no real necessity for it."
Under Evidence Code, section 451, judicial notice of the matters specified therein is mandatory, whether or not the court is requested to notice them. (California Evidence Code Manual (Cont.Ed.Bar 1966), Comment, p. 63.)
As indicated, this court's holding is limited to the proposition that a trial court is required to take judicial notice of the use, validity and accuracy of radar devices as a scientific method of measuring speed.
The judgment dismissing the complaint is reversed, and the cause is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings in accordance with the views herein expressed.
Agee, J., and Taylor, J., concurred.
|
Q:
jQuery .closest failed to find parent's input value
I have this HTML structure :
<input type="text" name="quantity" class="form-control quantity" value="1" min="1" max="10" maxlength="2" size="2">
<span class="input-group-btn">
<button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-number btn-plus p-l-10 p-r-10">
<span class="glyphicon glyphicon-plus"></span>
</button>
</span>
and also I have this jquery script :
<script>
$(document).ready(function(){
$(document).on("click", ".btn-plus", function() {
event.preventDefault();
var quantity = $( this ).closest( ".quantity" ).val();
alert (quantity);
});
});
</script>
theoretically, I can get value of input text once the btn-plus is clicked, but I still get undefined value as result.
how to get the input value of .quantity using .closest? thank you
A:
.closest() is used to find a matching ancestor element, in your case the input element is the previous sibling of the buttons parent
$(document).ready(function() {
$(document).on("click", ".btn-plus", function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
var quantity = $(this).parent().prev(".quantity").val();
alert(quantity);
});
});
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="text" name="quantity" class="form-control quantity" value="1" min="1" max="10" maxlength="2" size="2">
<span class="input-group-btn">
<button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-number btn-plus p-l-10 p-r-10">
<span class="glyphicon glyphicon-plus"></span>
</button>
</span>
|
<?php
/**
* Zend Framework (http://framework.zend.com/)
*
* @link http://github.com/zendframework/zf2 for the canonical source repository
* @copyright Copyright (c) 2005-2015 Zend Technologies USA Inc. (http://www.zend.com)
* @license http://framework.zend.com/license/new-bsd New BSD License
*/
namespace Zend\Form\Annotation;
/**
* ComposedObject annotation
*
* Use this annotation to specify another object with annotations to parse
* which you can then add to the form as a fieldset. The value should be a
* string indicating the fully qualified class name of the composed object
* to use.
*
* @Annotation
*/
class ComposedObject extends AbstractArrayOrStringAnnotation
{
/**
* Retrieve the composed object classname
*
* @return null|string
*/
public function getComposedObject()
{
if (is_array($this->value)) {
return $this->value['target_object'];
}
return $this->value;
}
/**
* Is this composed object a collection or not
*
* @return bool
*/
public function isCollection()
{
return is_array($this->value) && isset($this->value['is_collection']) && $this->value['is_collection'];
}
/**
* Retrieve the options for the composed object
*
* @return array
*/
public function getOptions()
{
return is_array($this->value) && isset($this->value['options']) ? $this->value['options'] : array();
}
}
|
Q:
After a form is filled once, I blank out the form before filling it the next time (new conversation), but the borders remain red
I have used webshims for html5 form validation in a single page app with multiple pagelets(divs). The forms are not submitted but local javascript is invoked after each conversation and collected data is posted .
Next I iterate over all the fields and reset the values.
Then I take the new user back to the first pagelet having first form for the new conversation. This time even after filling the correct values the border does not turn green.
Note:
However when we select the field and click outside the field without filling it. and then after filling the correct data border turns green.
However when we tried to achieve it programmatically iterating over each field resetting it and using javascript focus method, that did not do the trick.
I am sure I must be missing some thing. would be able to point out what.
Regards
Barman
A:
I'm not sure, what you want to achieve. I would need to see some code. If you change the value programmatically you can update the validation ui with the event refreshvalidityui on the form field. If you want to reset the ui, you can either trigger a reset event on the form or resetvalidityui on the form field
$('input').val('foo').trigger('refreshvalidityui');
or
$('input').val('foo').trigger('resetvalidityui');
or
$('form').trigger('reset');
Please let me know, if this helps.
|
# encoding: UTF-8
# Permissions for a User on a Project
class ProjectPermission < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :company
belongs_to :project
belongs_to :user
def self.permissions
['comment', 'work', 'close', 'see_unwatched', 'create', 'edit', 'reassign', 'milestone', 'report', 'grant', 'all']
end
def self.message_for(permission)
message = {'read' => I18n.t('project_permissions.read'),
'comment' => I18n.t('project_permissions.comment'),
'work' => I18n.t('project_permissions.work'),
'close' => I18n.t('project_permissions.close'),
'see_unwatched' => I18n.t('project_permissions.see_unwatched'),
'create' => I18n.t('project_permissions.create'),
'edit' => I18n.t('project_permissions.edit'),
'reassign' => I18n.t('project_permissions.reassign'),
'milestone' => I18n.t('project_permissions.milestone'),
'report' => I18n.t('project_permissions.report'),
'grant' => I18n.t('project_permissions.grant')
}[permission]
raise I18n.t('project_permissions.no_message', permission: permission) if message.nil?
return message
end
def can? (perm)
case perm
when 'comment' then
self.can_comment?
when 'work' then
self.can_work?
when 'close' then
self.can_close?
when 'report' then
self.can_report?
when 'create' then
self.can_create?
when 'edit' then
self.can_edit?
when 'reassign' then
self.can_reassign?
when 'milestone' then
self.can_milestone?
when 'grant' then
self.can_grant?
when 'see_unwatched' then
self.can_see_unwatched?
when 'all' then
(self.can_comment? && self.can_work? && self.can_close? && self.can_report? && self.can_create? && self.can_edit? &&
self.can_reassign? && self.can_milestone? && self.can_grant? && self.can_see_unwatched?)
end
end
def set(perm)
case perm
when 'comment' then
self.can_comment = 1
when 'work' then
self.can_work = 1
when 'close' then
self.can_close = 1
when 'report' then
self.can_report = 1
when 'create' then
self.can_create = 1
when 'edit' then
self.can_edit = 1
when 'reassign' then
self.can_reassign = 1
when 'milestone' then
self.can_milestone = 1
when 'grant' then
self.can_grant = 1
when 'see_unwatched' then
self.can_see_unwatched=true
when 'all' then
self.can_comment = 1
self.can_work = 1
self.can_close = 1
self.can_report = 1
self.can_create = 1
self.can_edit = 1
self.can_reassign = 1
self.can_milestone = 1
self.can_grant = 1
self.can_see_unwatched=true
end
end
def remove(perm)
case perm
when 'comment' then
self.can_comment = false
when 'work' then
self.can_work = false
when 'close' then
self.can_close = false
when 'report' then
self.can_report = false
when 'create' then
self.can_create = false
when 'edit' then
self.can_edit = false
when 'reassign' then
self.can_reassign = false
when 'milestone' then
self.can_milestone = false
when 'grant' then
self.can_grant = false
when 'see_unwatched' then
self.can_see_unwatched = false
when 'all' then
self.can_comment = false
self.can_work = false
self.can_close = false
self.can_report = false
self.can_create = false
self.can_edit = false
self.can_reassign = false
self.can_milestone = false
self.can_grant = false
self.can_see_unwatched = false
end
end
end
# == Schema Information
#
# Table name: project_permissions
#
# id :integer(4) not null, primary key
# company_id :integer(4)
# project_id :integer(4)
# user_id :integer(4)
# created_at :datetime
# can_comment :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_work :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_report :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_create :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_edit :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_reassign :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_close :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_grant :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_milestone :boolean(1) default(FALSE)
# can_see_unwatched :boolean(1) default(TRUE)
#
# Indexes
#
# fk_project_permissions_company_id (company_id)
# project_permissions_project_id_index (project_id)
# project_permissions_user_id_index (user_id)
#
|
; Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
; or more contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file
; distributed with this work for additional information
; regarding copyright ownership. The ASF licenses this file
; to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
; "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
; with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
;
; http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
;
; Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
; software distributed under the License is distributed on an
; "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
; KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the
; specific language governing permissions and limitations
; under the License.
[couchdb]
; time to relax!
uuid = 74696d6520746f2072656c617821
default_security = everyone
[httpd]
enable = true
port = 0
[chttpd]
port = 0
[log]
; log to a file to save our terminals from log spam
writer = file
file = couch.log
level = info
[replicator]
; disable jitter to reduce test run times
startup_jitter = 0 |
[Atomizers for disinfection].
The disinfection services experience acute demand for atomizers. In view of the fact that operation of all atomizing units is based on the same physical principles and that their use is associated with the solution of the same physical problems, for disinfection needs, use can be made of the equipment manufactured by medical industry as well as of the analogous units applied in related spheres: in veterinary, field-crop cultivation, forestry, horticulture, in carrying out finishing works during construction, and in homes. Atomizers manufactured by different bodies are reviewed. The main characteristics of the units are provided. |
Friday, May 22, 2009
For the moment, not much work is being done with Avatar Core. There are two main reasons 1) Busy with my day job (really busy) and 2) I'm not entirely sure where I want to go with the API.
The API is particularly important as JavaScript comes into play. There's two sides of Avatar Core with JavaScript. One side is the ability to provide a JavaScript API for talking with Avatar Core in SWF form (as seen in My Avatar Editor). The other side is being able to port the entire Avatar Core framework to JavaScript allowing for it to be used without the Flash dependency. And really, in general, it is good to have a solid, simple API for working with frameworks like this. The question is, how good is it now, and can it be "down-ported" to a less-capable environment gracefully. At the moment, I'm not sure, which is why I'm going to think about API direction for a bit before movin forward much more with improvements and other fixes, particularly what it means in terms of having a JavaScript implementation.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A new release of Avatar Core is now available. This release is 0.0.5 beta. I figured it's far enough along now to take it out of alpha and bring it into beta, though I'll have to admit that kind of identification is fairly arbitrary (just look at how long Google tools remain in beta...).
For anyone wanting to keep track of project updates, I'd suggest not following this blog but instead keeping an eye on the Avatar Core project feeds of which there are a number to keep an eye on. I'll probably only update this blog moving forward with major releases or otherwise notably important news.
Next on my things to do is work on documentation. The API has already been updated, but I want to include better descriptions and getting started information on the wiki. Currently, a lot of the content there is no longer accurate. |
Jill Kelley and her twin sister Natalie Khawam 'were intent on landing a rich man and had their eyes on the Steinbrenners'
Jill Kelley, the Tampa socialite who became embroiled in the David Petraeus cheating scandal last year, and her twin sister were always intent on landing themselves rich men, a relative has revealed.
The sisters, who were born to Lebanese immigrants and gained reputations as shrewd socialites, even had their eyes on New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and his brother Hank, he added.
Kelley and Natalie Khawam were thrust into the spotlight last November when CIA boss David Petraeus, 60, was found to have had an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, 40.
It emerged that their affair was exposed when Broadwell, who threw parties for military staff in Tampa, sent Kelley threatening emails, warning her to 'back off' Petraeus. Kelley alerted the FBI.
Socialites: Jill Kelley, left, and her twin sister Natalie Khawam, right, hit headlines in November after David Petraeus' mistress sent threatening emails to Kelley, exposing the affair and leading to his resignation
Throughout the scandal, the sisters were portrayed as determined social climbers who elbowed their way into official events and counted the military's top brass and city officials among their friends.
And now their cousin, Tony Khawam, has revealed the extent of their determination, saying they always aimed to snag rich men.
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'They made up their minds they were going
to use men to get money, and they discussed this quite openly in front
of the family,' Khawam told Town & Country magazine.
He added that the sisters, who witnessed their parents struggling financially as they grew up in Pennsylvania, even expressed interest in the Steinbrenners.
'Desired': The sisters reportedly took trips on a plane owned by Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, left, and his brother Hank, right, and said they would split up Hal and his wife so the plane could be theirs
'They’d take trips on the Steinbrenners'
plane and brag about how they would split Hal up from his then-wife,
Christina [Lavery], and then the plane would be theirs,' he said.
Kelley had met the Steinbrenners as their children attended the same pre-school. At this time, Kelley was married, while Khawam was divorced from the father of her son.
It became so extreme in his opinion, that he warned the Steinbrenners' security team.
Other Tampa residents have also detailed the women's desire to rise to the top by throwing lavish parties at their mansion - unaware Kelley and her surgeon husband, Scott, were swamped in debts.
Party guests named the sisters 'the Chanel twins' thanks to a large portrait in the home showing the women wearing matching designer suits, Town & Country reported.
Ambitious: Khawam, left, and Kelley, right, are pictured in their year book pictures in Pennsylvania
Close friends: Kelley (second right) and Khawam (left) are pictured with David Petraeus, his wife Holly and Kelley's surgeon husband Scott at one of their lavish house parties before the scandal
'They targeted the rich and powerful here
very clinically,' one said, explaining that she 'dropped them, like we all did, because they behaved so badly. If they
thought someone was no one they just ignored them.'
Sandy Freedman, the former mayor, added:
'This town has become too porous. That a bimbo like Jill Kelley should
be given any kind of recognition or access to the military - it's
outrageous. Tampa needs to be more careful about vetting people. It
cannot go on like before.'
A former boyfriend of Natalie, Lew Blum, agreed that the family was 'just mean' and took about $100,000 of his money for trips, down payments and hotel rooms.
The twin sisters and their relationships with military staff were scrutinised in the wake of the scandal.
Boast: Kelley had a plate on her car reading 'Honorary Consul' for South Korea for her work with the military
Grand: Kelley and her husband's home in Tampa, Florida. Khawam lives in a smaller apartment in the back
Affair: David Petraeus resigned after his affair with biographer Paula Broadwell was discovered. She had sent threatening emails to Kelley warning her to 'back off' the then CIA chief
It was claimed that Kelley exchanged around 30,000 emails with head of troops in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, who was investigated for the 'racy' messages.
Last month, he was cleared of the military misconduct allegations.
Kelley had acted as a volunteer civilian liaison for officers at nearby MacDill Air Force Base.
Allen and Petraeus met Kelley when they were stationed at the base while serving as the commanders of U.S. Central Command between 2008 and 2011. |
[A modified endovascular treatment for longitudinal intracranial aneurysm].
To study the surgical approach and curative effect of the "interlocking basket" technique in interventional therapy for longitudinal intracranial aneurysm. Thirty-eight Hunt and Hess Grade I-III patients with longitudinal intracranial aneurysm underwent interventional therapy using the "interlocking basket" technique. During the operation, the aneurysm was divided into two segments based on its length and occluded with two coils. The first coil with a transverse diameter matching that of the aneurysm was deployed to form a "basket", which was densely occluded, and a portion of this coil out of the "basket" was interlocked with the second coil to form another "basket" crossing the aneurysmal neck to prevent the coils from escaping till the neck of the aneurysm was densely occluded. Thirty-five aneurysms (92.1%) were completely embolized, and 3 (7.9%) were 95% embolized. No coil escaping from the aneurysm neck or other complications occurred. Twenty-five patients were discharged with a GOS score of 5 (65.8%), 7 (18.4%) with a score of 4, and 6 (15.8%) had a score of 3. In the follow-up for 3-25 months after the embolization, angiography was performed in 28 cases, and recurrence was found in 2 cases (7.14%). The "interlocking basket" technique can increase the coil stability in longitudinal intracranial aneurysm and allows reliable block of the aneurysm neck and dense embolization of the aneurysm to improve the clinical outcomes of the patients. |
Katya Scheinberg
Katya Scheinberg is a Russian-American applied mathematician known for her research in continuous optimization and particularly in derivative-free optimization. She works at Cornell University and is a professor in the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering.
Education and career
Scheinberg was born in Moscow.
She completed a bachelor's and master's degree in computational mathematics and cybernetics at Moscow State University in 1992, and earned a Ph.D. in operations research at Columbia University in 1997. Her dissertation, Issues Related to Interior Point Methods for Linear and Semidefinite Programming, was supervised by Donald Goldfarb.
She worked for IBM Research at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center from 1997 until 2009. After working as a research scientist at Columbia University and as an adjunct faculty member at New York University, she joined the Lehigh faculty in 2010. In July of 2019, she moved to Cornell to join the faculty in the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering. She has been editor-in-chief of the SIAM-MOS Book Series on Optimization since 2014, and was the editor of Optima, the newsletter of the Mathematical Programming Society, from 2011 to 2013.
Book
With Andrew R. Conn and Luís Nunes Vicente, Scheinberg is the author of the book Introduction to Derivative Free Optimization (SIAM Press, 2008).
Recognition
Scheinberg became Wagner Professor at Lehigh in 2014.
In 2015, with Conn and Vicente, she won the Lagrange Prize in Continuous Optimization of the Mathematical Optimization Society and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics for their book. The Prize citation wrote that "A small sampling of the direct impact of their work is seen in aerospace engineering, urban transport systems, adaptive meshing for partial differential equations, and groundwater remediation." In 2019, Professor Scheinberg was awarded the Farkas Prize by the Optimization Society in the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science. This is award is given to the "mid-career researcher for outstanding contributions to the field of optimization".
References
External links
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century American mathematicians
Category:Russian mathematicians
Category:Women mathematicians
Category:Operations researchers
Category:Moscow State University alumni
Category:Columbia University alumni
Category:IBM employees
Category:Lehigh University faculty |
Prestonia, Missouri
Prestonia is an unincorporated community in Ozark County, Missouri, United States. The Prestonia site lies on a ridge above East Pidgeon Creek and is southwest of Howards Ridge. The Missouri-Arkansas border is approximately one mile to the south and Norfork Lake is about four miles to the east. Access is from Missouri Route J via county road J529.
History
A post office called Prestonia was established in 1891, and remained in operation until 1913. The community was named after one Mr. Preston, the proprietor of a local mill.
References
Category:Unincorporated communities in Ozark County, Missouri
Category:Unincorporated communities in Missouri |
MacLaren
FROM THE WINERY
MacLaren was founded in 2007 by Steve Law, a native of Scotland, who wanted to make a Californian Syrah with a northern Rhône accent. Our fruit is sourced from premier vineyards in the beautiful appellations of Russian River and Bennett Valley. The vineyards are influenced by coastal fog, providing cooler climates and allowing our fruit to ripen slowly to accentuate the elegant nuanced side of Syrah. Our boutique-sized winery allows our style to be hands-on and focused on gently stewarding the grapes into the bottle. In addition to Syrah, we are fans of other varietals that produce elegant wines from cooler climates and therefore make small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Viognier, and Rosé. |
// g2o - General Graph Optimization
// Copyright (C) 2011 R. Kuemmerle, G.Grisetti, W. Burgard
// 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
// HOLDER 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 <iostream>
#include <map>
#include <csignal>
#include <fstream>
#include "sclam_helpers.h"
#include "gm2dl_io.h"
#include "g2o/stuff/macros.h"
#include "g2o/stuff/color_macros.h"
#include "g2o/stuff/command_args.h"
#include "g2o/stuff/filesys_tools.h"
#include "g2o/stuff/string_tools.h"
#include "g2o/stuff/timeutil.h"
#include "g2o/core/sparse_optimizer.h"
#include "g2o/core/hyper_dijkstra.h"
#include "g2o/types/sclam2d/vertex_odom_differential_params.h"
#include "g2o/types/sclam2d/odometry_measurement.h"
#include "g2o/types/slam2d/vertex_se2.h"
#include "g2o/types/data/robot_laser.h"
#include "g2o/types/data/data_queue.h"
using namespace std;
using namespace g2o;
using namespace Eigen;
static bool hasToStop = false;
void sigquit_handler(int sig)
{
if (sig == SIGINT) {
hasToStop = true;
static int cnt = 0;
if (cnt++ == 2) {
cerr << " forcing exit" << endl;
exit(1);
}
}
}
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
bool fixLaser;
int maxIterations;
bool verbose;
string inputFilename;
string outputfilename;
string rawFilename;
string odomTestFilename;
string dumpGraphFilename;
// command line parsing
CommandArgs commandLineArguments;
commandLineArguments.param("i", maxIterations, 10, "perform n iterations");
commandLineArguments.param("v", verbose, false, "verbose output of the optimization process");
commandLineArguments.param("o", outputfilename, "", "output final version of the graph");
commandLineArguments.param("test", odomTestFilename, "", "apply odometry calibration to some test data");
commandLineArguments.param("dump", dumpGraphFilename, "", "write the graph to the disk");
commandLineArguments.param("fixLaser", fixLaser, false, "keep the laser offset fixed during optimization");
commandLineArguments.paramLeftOver("gm2dl-input", inputFilename, "", "gm2dl file which will be processed");
commandLineArguments.paramLeftOver("raw-log", rawFilename, "", "raw log file containing the odometry");
commandLineArguments.parseArgs(argc, argv);
SparseOptimizer optimizer;
optimizer.setVerbose(verbose);
optimizer.setForceStopFlag(&hasToStop);
allocateSolverForSclam(optimizer);
// loading
if (! Gm2dlIO::readGm2dl(inputFilename, optimizer, false)) {
cerr << "Error while loading gm2dl file" << endl;
}
DataQueue robotLaserQueue;
int numLaserOdom = Gm2dlIO::readRobotLaser(rawFilename, robotLaserQueue);
if (numLaserOdom == 0) {
cerr << "No raw information read" << endl;
return 0;
}
cerr << "Read " << numLaserOdom << " laser readings from file" << endl;
bool gaugeFreedom = optimizer.gaugeFreedom();
OptimizableGraph::Vertex* gauge = optimizer.findGauge();
if (gaugeFreedom) {
if (! gauge) {
cerr << "# cannot find a vertex to fix in this thing" << endl;
return 2;
} else {
cerr << "# graph is fixed by node " << gauge->id() << endl;
gauge->setFixed(true);
}
} else {
cerr << "# graph is fixed by priors" << endl;
}
addOdometryCalibLinksDifferential(optimizer, robotLaserQueue);
// sanity check
HyperDijkstra d(&optimizer);
UniformCostFunction f;
d.shortestPaths(gauge, &f);
//cerr << PVAR(d.visited().size()) << endl;
if (d.visited().size()!=optimizer.vertices().size()) {
cerr << CL_RED("Warning: d.visited().size() != optimizer.vertices().size()") << endl;
cerr << "visited: " << d.visited().size() << endl;
cerr << "vertices: " << optimizer.vertices().size() << endl;
if (1)
for (SparseOptimizer::VertexIDMap::const_iterator it = optimizer.vertices().begin(); it != optimizer.vertices().end(); ++it) {
OptimizableGraph::Vertex* v = static_cast<OptimizableGraph::Vertex*>(it->second);
if (d.visited().count(v) == 0) {
cerr << "\t unvisited vertex " << it->first << " " << (void*)v << endl;
v->setFixed(true);
}
}
}
for (SparseOptimizer::VertexIDMap::const_iterator it = optimizer.vertices().begin(); it != optimizer.vertices().end(); ++it) {
OptimizableGraph::Vertex* v = static_cast<OptimizableGraph::Vertex*>(it->second);
if (v->fixed()) {
cerr << "\t fixed vertex " << it->first << endl;
}
}
VertexSE2* laserOffset = dynamic_cast<VertexSE2*>(optimizer.vertex(Gm2dlIO::ID_LASERPOSE));
VertexOdomDifferentialParams* odomParamsVertex = dynamic_cast<VertexOdomDifferentialParams*>(optimizer.vertex(Gm2dlIO::ID_ODOMCALIB));
if (fixLaser) {
cerr << "Fix position of the laser offset" << endl;
laserOffset->setFixed(true);
}
signal(SIGINT, sigquit_handler);
cerr << "Doing full estimation" << endl;
optimizer.initializeOptimization();
optimizer.computeActiveErrors();
cerr << "Initial chi2 = " << FIXED(optimizer.chi2()) << endl;
int i=optimizer.optimize(maxIterations);
if (maxIterations > 0 && !i){
cerr << "optimize failed, result might be invalid" << endl;
}
if (laserOffset) {
cerr << "Calibrated laser offset (x, y, theta):" << laserOffset->estimate().toVector().transpose() << endl;
}
if (odomParamsVertex) {
cerr << "Odometry parameters (scaling factors (v_l, v_r, b)): " << odomParamsVertex->estimate().transpose() << endl;
}
cerr << "vertices: " << optimizer.vertices().size() << endl;
cerr << "edges: " << optimizer.edges().size() << endl;
if (dumpGraphFilename.size() > 0) {
cerr << "Writing " << dumpGraphFilename << " ... ";
optimizer.save(dumpGraphFilename.c_str());
cerr << "done." << endl;
}
// optional input of a seperate file for applying the odometry calibration
if (odomTestFilename.size() > 0) {
DataQueue testRobotLaserQueue;
int numTestOdom = Gm2dlIO::readRobotLaser(odomTestFilename, testRobotLaserQueue);
if (numTestOdom == 0) {
cerr << "Unable to read test data" << endl;
} else {
ofstream rawStream("odometry_raw.txt");
ofstream calibratedStream("odometry_calibrated.txt");
const Vector3d& odomCalib = odomParamsVertex ? odomParamsVertex->estimate() : Vector3d::Ones();
RobotLaser* prev = dynamic_cast<RobotLaser*>(testRobotLaserQueue.buffer().begin()->second);
SE2 prevCalibratedPose = prev->odomPose();
for (DataQueue::Buffer::const_iterator it = testRobotLaserQueue.buffer().begin(); it != testRobotLaserQueue.buffer().end(); ++it) {
RobotLaser* cur = dynamic_cast<RobotLaser*>(it->second);
assert(cur);
double dt = cur->timestamp() - prev->timestamp();
SE2 motion = prev->odomPose().inverse() * cur->odomPose();
// convert to velocity measurment
MotionMeasurement motionMeasurement(motion.translation().x(), motion.translation().y(), motion.rotation().angle(), dt);
VelocityMeasurement velocityMeasurement = OdomConvert::convertToVelocity(motionMeasurement);
// apply calibration
VelocityMeasurement calibratedVelocityMeasurment = velocityMeasurement;
calibratedVelocityMeasurment.setVl(odomCalib(0) * calibratedVelocityMeasurment.vl());
calibratedVelocityMeasurment.setVr(odomCalib(1) * calibratedVelocityMeasurment.vr());
MotionMeasurement mm = OdomConvert::convertToMotion(calibratedVelocityMeasurment, odomCalib(2));
// combine calibrated odometry with the previous pose
SE2 remappedOdom;
remappedOdom.fromVector(mm.measurement());
SE2 calOdomPose = prevCalibratedPose * remappedOdom;
// write output
rawStream << prev->odomPose().translation().x() << " " << prev->odomPose().translation().y() << " " << prev->odomPose().rotation().angle() << endl;
calibratedStream << calOdomPose.translation().x() << " " << calOdomPose.translation().y() << " " << calOdomPose.rotation().angle() << endl;
prevCalibratedPose = calOdomPose;
prev = cur;
}
}
}
if (outputfilename.size() > 0) {
Gm2dlIO::updateLaserData(optimizer);
cerr << "Writing " << outputfilename << " ... ";
bool writeStatus = Gm2dlIO::writeGm2dl(outputfilename, optimizer);
cerr << (writeStatus ? "done." : "failed") << endl;
}
return 0;
}
|
"Sweetie?" "What have you got here Daddy?" "Why is there a man asleep in your truck?" "He's not asleep." "I rescued him Baby." "He was lying in his car looking like he's got nothing better to do you know" "I thought I'd bring him back here" "Where he can spend Christmas with us." "He's spending Christmas with us? I bet he's changing color!" "Well let's get him inside and warm him up." "Are you sure he's not already dead?" "Of course." "He'll wake up soon." "Clean him up and he'll be fine." "Go and run the bath Pumpkin." "Keep an eye on him." "Daddy..." "What if he doesn't like me?" "Well then the pigs can have him." "I won't be long..." "Hello?" "Van's broken and now what if that ?" "skipped it?" "How long ago?" "About 20 minutes." "Good evening Morris." "Where am I?" "Who are you?" "Lauren." "Do I know you?" "Where am I?" "The Moors." "Are you OK?" "The Moors?" "You were cold." "Daddy had to throw you out." "You had a crash..." "But why did he bring me here?" "Thank God for you!" "There's zero signal around here." "it's a real dead spot." "Do you reckon you could hook me up?" "I wish I could but I've gotta get into town..." "I'll give you a lift though." "Yeah huh... that's fine." "all the better" "How long was I out?" "Must have been a few hours." "you have to drink... it's OK." "I can manage." "Daddy said I had to look after you." "I'm sure Daddy will understand." "Can I have my shirt?" "I was about to wash it." "It's fine as it is." "I need to get on the road as soon as possible." "That's if my car still works..." "I don't know..." "You'll have to ask Daddy when he gets back." "Of course." "Daddy has all the answers..." "Who's Nicola?" "You spoke to Nicola?" "You said a name..." "When I was giving you a bath..." "Oh..." "You gave me a bath?" "I thought maybe she was your wife..." "I'm not married." "That must have been something pretty sharp out there..." "My tires just blew." "Then the next thing I know is" "I was headed for the trees and off the road." "You didn't think about putting on a spare?" "but both the front tires were blown." "Lauren have you seen my phone?" "I really need to make some calls." "You aren't getting any signal out here." "Yeah I've seen this..." "Can I use yours?" "I don't have one." "I meant your land line." "We don't have a land line." "You don't have any kind of phone?" "No." "What about Internet?" "We don't have it." "How does a teenager cope without Facebook or..." "MySpace or whatever the hell it is you do these days?" "I'm not a teenager." "So what do you do Jake?" "I'm a lawyer." "I guess you get to see lots of places..." "Yeah..." "Spent most of my life on the road..." "All starts to look the same after a while." "Hm..." "I hardly got further than town." "I've seen cities once and lots of different places on TV though." "You went to London?" "York." "You've never been further than York?" "How come?" "We never had the opportunity." "Never?" "Daddy says I'm not missing much." "What about school?" "Daddy taught me." "Really?" "is it?" "What about friends?" "I've got Daddy." "Right..." "What?" "it's just..." "Jesus!" "Quite a view..." "Hey Champ'." "it's not what you think..." "Oh?" "And what am I thinking?" "Daddy!" "Thank you Jake." "Jake." "Hi!" "Listen huh... about before..." "Before?" "Yeah when you saw me in there... forget about it!" "right Jake?" "Well I can't thank you enough for saving my life mister...?" "Morris." "Mister Morris." "Sorry!" "Mister Morris." "I'm just pulling your leg." "Morris is fine." "He's been a real gentleman." "Has he?" "Now why would she say that Jake?" "Well I think I've outstayed my welcome I'll be getting out of your hair now." "Are you thinking about walking?" "Well that's 10 miles to sun Jake." "The storm's hitting hard and there's no hotels." "Why don't you sit inside here with us tonight?" "Well I guess I'll just drive slower this time." "You won't be driving anywhere." "Excuse me?" "Well your car's not safe for the road." "Sweetie!" "Get the blankets for the couch." "I couldn't possibly..." "Nonsense." "It's not that I don't want to." "It's just that I got work commitments and I've got to be in the city by tonight." "Son." "Who are you trying to impress?" "I'm really not trying to impress anyone." "relax." "Keep warm!" "Besides..." "I couldn't just let you leave." "I'm sorry?" "I really need to get going." "Storm or not." "Calm down son." "Don't be so sensitive." "It's just my sense of humor." "You'll get used to it." "Is Daddy telling bad jokes again?" "Get Jake a glass Sweetie." "OK." "Well the thing is..." "As a father..." "You know..." "I mean I " " I don't know if you've got kids." "But I've got to look out for her." "I need to know that you're keeping your hands to yourself." "Morris..." "Have we got any pork left over?" "I think so." "I remember when I was 20..." "I would have set the world on fire." "Thank you." "Where's Morris?" "Sleeping." "Where's your mother Lauren?" "She died." "I'm sorry." "I was young." "So..." "It's just been the two of you here" "All alone ever since?" "Yeah." "Just me and Daddy." "I don't mean to be rude but..." "I don't think that's healthy." "Merry Christmas!" "what's with that?" "We always celebrate Christmas a bit early." "A bit?" "It's September!" "Well Daddy doesn't want to be like anyone else." "Yeah I noticed." "Sleep well?" "Yeah." "Where's my car?" "It's probably out in the shed." "Marvelous." "What are you doing?" "I've got a job to do." "You're still recovering though..." "I'm fine." "the bad weather has passed." "You need to rest..." "I need to work." "Here's £140." "That should cover the costs of it all." "Here's my number in case it's more." "Although as you haven't got a phone that's probably not much use." "Fine." "I'll leave it here." "Make sure your dad gets it OK?" "Thanks for everything." "Can't you stay a little bit longer?" "As fun as this has been..." "And as sad as I am that it has to end..." "No." "Where are the keys?" "Maybe they're in the house..." "For fuck's sake!" "This isn't happening." "I've got a once in a life time meeting" "And a bunch of papers that need to be signed" "Today is not a good day to be caught in the middle of" "God knows where!" "Do you want me to make some soup or something?" "why don't you make me some soup?" "I was only trying to help..." "Where the hell has he put my keys?" "Why are you so angry?" "You could have died out there!" "Die out there or spend the rest of my life in here." "What's the difference?" "Hey!" "This is my home..." "And I'm very sorry for you." "And it's Christmas today." "It's not Christmas today." "Not even close." "It is for us." "I'm sorry." "Merry Christmas." "Thanks." "Now." "When's your dad back?" "I really need to find these keys." "I don't know..." "A couple of hours maybe?" "Can't you wait until then?" "Looks like I'll have to." "Morris." "Morris!" "What is it Jerry?" "Little birdie" tells me" "You've been selling moonshine liquor." "Little birdie"... would there Morris?" "I may have shared a drink or two" "But I certainly haven't been selling anything." "I've been hearing otherwise..." "And who are you gonna believe Jerry?" "Me or "little birdie"?" "Do I look like I'm joking Morris?" "Perhaps I'm missing something here." "If you're wanting a bottle all you have to do is ask." "We had 3 teenagers up in the hospital last week." "After drinking a bunch of what I think was your liquor." "hey?" "..." "One of them was nearly blinded." "I don't sell booze to kids Jerry." "Or anyone else." "isn't it?" "Is there something I can help you with Jerry?" "Have you really nothing better to do than to bust my chops?" "Cut the bullshit Morris." "I know you're up to something." "Just remember this:" "I got my eye on you." "Well I'll bear that in mind." "I mean it." "Merry Christmas Jerry!" "It's September Morris!" "that's your dad." "I'll be off now." "Thanks for everything." "Merry Christmas!" "hi!" "Hi Jake!" "Great!" "You're still here!" "I couldn't find my car keys." "Well they're in the car." "I looked there." "Uh." "they'll turn up." "And I can't find my phone either." "that I can help you with." "Thanks." "I really need to get going..." "Can you give me a lift into town?" "501.31)}I can come and pick up the car at some other point 526.675)} if that's alright?" "of course!" "I mean" " Can we go now?" "Well the thing is: it's Christmas." "And I can't leave Lauren on her own." "Christmas is a very important time for a young girl." "I understand but" "I'll take you in a couple of hours." "hey?" "Relax Jake!" "He taught himself." "Yeah?" "I hear he's quite the teacher." "Why don't you get up and dance Jake?" "Yeah that's not gonna happen." "Come on!" "I don't wanna sound like a stuck record" "Come on!" "but I really need to get going." "maybe you could teach your daughter the meaning of the word "no"." "Are you criticizing my parenting skills Jake?" "Excuse me." "I need to use the bathroom." "Will you marry me?" "It's beautiful..." "What are you doing?" "I want you to give this to me on my birthday." "don't you?" "I'll call you after." "I'll be there." "Promise..." "Cross my heart." "So where are you now?" "Still in Yorkshire." "I was gonna take a shortcut across the Moors." "Where's Lauren?" "She's getting changed." "Changed?" "It's a tradition we have ever since her mother died." "One a year on Christmas we like to pretend this is the 3 of us again." "are you Morris?" "Christmas is a time for family." "Sure." "So Lauren's gonna supper on her mother's dress." "what? Lauren pretends to be her mother." "And we..." "What we feel like is the 3 of us back together." "Lauren pretends to be her mother?" "It's only a dress Jake." "There's no need to get panties in the twist." "Merry Christmas Morris." "Merry Christmas Baby." "Excuse me." "What the hell was that?" "What?" "You kissing your father." "That's not normal behavior." "behalf of my mother." "it was just a small kiss on" "You know what?" "This is insane!" "You two do whatever rocks your boat." "I'm out of here tonight." "Are you jealous?" "You're a sweet kid Lauren." "But you've got some serious problems." "Who's got serious problems Jake?" "No one." "You're gonna be safe on the road there Morris?" "Under my roof you'll show some manners!" "You're at my fucking table now!" "Morris!" "I'm just messing with you!" "Have you got ants in your pants Jake?" "You can't stop fidgeting." "Just keen to get back into town." "Do you really that keen on hitting the road?" "How was your food?" "thank you." "I just wanna go." "20 minutes." "Another glass... no - nothing!" "you first..." "Truth or dare?" "Honey." "Okay." "I dare you to down that glass of wine in one." "we both know that's not much of a dare." "so we're playing games now?" "Morris you can't drink and drive!" "Ah!" "Now that sounds like a dare..." " Jake in what point" " You've nearly had the whole bottle." "did you think it was OK to come into my home and start lecturing me?" "Forget it." "Jake's go." "truth or dare?" "I'm not doing this." " Fine Morris!" " You sound like a little child Jake!" "If it gets me into the truck any quicker: truth!" "Have you ever kissed another man?" "Daddy!" "No." "Do you want me to?" "Why are you so sensitive Jake?" "Relax!" "I won't judge you." "Imagine my relief." "Now can we go?" "are you fucking deaf?" "My turn Daddy!" "Sweetie." "Dare!" "I dare you to take your bra off and give it to Jake." "you win." " Oh relax!" "We're just having a laugh!" " I'm just going to wait in the truck." "Don't do that." "Hey..." "Hey!" "How dare you?" "How dare you touch my daughter like that?" "How fucking dare you put your hands on my little girl like that?" "!" "You bastard." "You fucking bastard!" "I'll fucking kill you!" "You touch her again you're a dead man!" "You hear me?" "!" "You touch her" "Jake's gone!" "Gone where?" "He's gone!" "You wait here." "Did you find him?" "I caught him." "Oh God..." "He'll be fine." "He's lucky this thing is old." "Otherwise it would've taken his leg clean off." "Hello?" "Hi Daddy." "Can I come in?" "sure." "What are you gonna do about Jake?" "he's not my responsibility." "I could take care of him." "he's a grown man Sweetie." "I'm sure he can take care of himself." "I get lonely Daddy..." "I've no idea where and..." "I'm left at home." "Is it so wrong to want someone in my life?" "And you really think Jake's the one?" "You don't think I'm good enough for him... Pumpkin. you're too young you Little Monkey." "But not too young to be left on my own all day everyday..." "Where do you go Daddy?" "Can't all be work... you're allowed to be happy." "I might be happy too." "Well I don't have a girlfriend if that's what you're thinking." "And Jake..." "Well... yeah?" "right..." "Right." "Good news Jake!" "I'll be taking you to the hospital tomorrow." "What?" "No I need to go now!" "I think it's infected." "Well I've got things to do." "I'll take you first thing." "Where are you going?" "wait!" "Wait Morris!" "wait!" "See you later Jake!" "Wait!" "Take me with you!" "Morris! maybe you could tow it somewhere?" "Can I have your card?" "I don't have a card." "Doesn't matter." "I'll just take your number." "It's a nice watch you've got there." "especially commercial ones." "They start fitting trackers to them." "I always check." "Do you even know what a tracker looks like?" "I've got an X-Trail." "How old?" "Couple of years." "You get 2 grand for it." "2 grand?" "It's an X-trail." "If it's in good nick." "'You interested into paint?" "Do I look like I'm owning a decorating business?" "Joe." "that's all I need." "Nice watch you've got there." "I'll sell it if you're interested." "Morris." "You sure?" "60 pounds and it's yours." "Stop hustling." "How's Lauren?" "She's fine." "If she's fine then ?" "ain't she?" "No." "Keep me informed about the X-Trail." "I'll bring her over in a couple of days." "Come on you have to rest now!" "No I have to go to hospital now before I loose my leg!" "I can look after you!" "you're a doctor!" "Problem solved." "No... is that what this is Lauren?" "No..." "Are you a member of any medical profession?" "Maybe you did a stint with St John's ambulance?" "Of course not... are you?" "!" "Why are you swearing at me?" "Because I'm stuck in this god forsaken shit hole with a mangled leg!" "Well you wouldn't have if you hadn't gone off by yourself!" "What did you expect me to do?" "Move in?" "No!" "You could have least have said goodbye..." "Are you crazy?" "After what happened last night?" "Are you out of your mind?" "!" "Last night?" "Last night was fun though... your father tried to kill me!" "It was a misunderstanding!" "I guess you're all perfect when you've had too much to drink." "Get a grip on reality!" "I don't turn into a homicidal maniac!" "Neither does he!" "Bullshit!" "Do you ever wonder why your father was looking for me this morning with a shotgun?" "Just in case I guess..." "In case of what?" "A fucking bear attack?" "That at least would explain why you've got traps in the woods." "Do you get many bears around here by the way?" "I don't know." "Have you ever seen one?" "No." "And do you think that might be because bears haven't been here since the tenth fucking century?" "Why are you mad at me?" "Because I don't want to be here!" "I hate you!" "Here are your damn keys!" "I'm sorry..." "Hey..." "I said I'm sorry!" "I'm gonna take you with me." "This is detective Jerry ?" "Sullivan of Yorkshire police." "Unfortunately none of our local hospitals have reported any car crash victims that match Mr. Howls' description." "I'm sorry there isn't better news." "Please do give me a call if you want to discuss further." "Jake!" "Lauren." "With or without you I'm leaving." "You need to decide right now!" "Take me with you." "It's gonna be OK." "let's get out of here." "We can go when he's asleep." "don't leave me here." "I've got to go." "I'll come back for you." "Come on!" "We can take his truck tonight." "Hello Champ." "Hi Daddy." "We were just getting some air." "You found your keys Jake?" "You're gonna be leaving us then?" "In the morning." "Oh that's a shame." "We're gonna miss you." "let's get you inside." "We've had 3 patrols in this area." "We should still keep focusing on this road." "It's where he crashed." "We don't know if he did." "I do." "when there's a car." "And on this instance we haven't found one." "How can you be so sure it's this road specifically?" "You ready?" "Where's Morris?" "He's sleeping." "What about the keys of the truck?" "Wait." "There's something I need to get." "Daddy stop it!" "Leave him alone!" "Go inside." "I said go inside!" "Now!" "I won't ask you again Sweetie." "After everything I did for you this how you repay me." "You tried to steal my truck and kidnap my daughter." "What the hell is wrong with you son?" "What are you doing?" "You've only got yourself to blame Jake." "Your parents must be so disappointed in you." "don't..." "No... no no no." "Don't Morris." "Morris!" "No!" "Did you kill him?" "How could you say something like that to me?" "Did you?" "Of course not." "What did I ever do to make you want to run away?" "..." "He's poisoned you against me." "Don't you see?" "I promise you Pumpkin..." "Everything's gonna be OK." "What did you do to Jake?" "He's fine." "Then get him back here." "Tim." "'morning." "I was hoping for some news." "we've had a van reported missing." "might be nothing." "my shift's here in over an hour so..." "So I guess I could do some more house to house inquiries." "I'll join you." "'Morning Jake." "Take these fucking chains off me!" "Where's Lauren?" "I don't see how that's your concern." "Did you kill her?" " Where is she?" "!" " Is that what you would do?" "you know that?" "So I guess I'm gonna be your guest a little while longer." "Anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable." "How's the leg by the way?" "Let me know if you need any more pain killers." "I found these in your pocket." "You've won and truly crossed the line this time Morris." "You can't cover this one up." "Are you listening to me?" "You can't put this down as an accident or self-defense." "You've tortured a person." "That's act to a bodily harm." "Premeditated I might add." "And you've kept me here against my will." "That's forcible confinement." "And I can see you've taken my watch and that's theft." "Some sort of lawyer aren't you Jake?" "And God knows what you've got down there but" "I'm willing to bet it ain't legal." "Oops... What is your point?" "It means you're gonna go to jail for a long time." "so what's gonna happen to Lauren?" "I'll tell you." "a month you'll be peddling her ass to grease your fucks to get their kicks from young girls!" "Of sort of guys like you hey?" "right?" "does it?" "'cause you're in your own little fucked-up Morris World!" "amongst the trees." "guess what: sooner or later they are gonna find you." "And when they do they're gonna lock you up and throw away the key." "Maybe." "But let me ask you something." "Did you tell anyone you were coming here?" "Hm?" "Did you tell a single person you'd be driving down that road?" "The one that I found you on when I saved your miserable worthless life?" "Jake." "don't you?" "It means no one's looking for you here." "So maybe you're right. this will all catch up with me." "But not today." "And not in time to save you." "she won't let you kill me." "She likes me." "And as much as that pisses you off she has feelings for me." "And she's not just gonna stand by and let this happen." "I'm terrified." "What do you think my daughter's gonna say to me Jake?" "She's gonna tell me off?" "Sulk?" "Hold her breath until she gets her way?" "She'll do as I'll tell her." "And that's a fact." "OK." "I'm sorry." "Alright?" "I'm sorry." "I made a mistake." "I realized I've been ungrateful and rude when all you've been is the greatest host." "having shown you no respect in your own home" "And I kinda see that Lauren is young and impressionable and I've been a negative influence on her." "And for all of that I am sorry!" "'mkay." "alright?" "maybe even worse." "You're just a concerned father looking out for his daughter am I right?" "And I've come into your home and without any consideration I've disturbed the peace you have here." "Maybe" " Maybe I took things too far." "Right..." "Right!" "I've realized I made a mistake." "I appreciate that." "Jake." " Alright." " I'm truly sorry for my actions." " Of course!" " So do you forgive me?" "And I hope that you can forgive if at times I took it too far." "It's all water under the bridge." "So will you let me go?" "No." "What?" "Jake." " Out." " Where are you going?" "You're not leaving me here like this you fuck!" " I'm not fucking finished with you!" " I'm finished." "This isn't over!" "I'm gonna destroy you!" "I'm gonna do whatever it takes!" "I will move heaven and earth to get out of this shit hole you call a home!" "I'm gonna take everything that has about any importance to you and rip it from your life." "I'm gonna burn this fucking hovel down and piss on the ashes! I'm gonna make sure that Lauren despises you." "You're nothing." "You're worthless!" "You're pathetic!" "You have to hide out here in the middle of nowhere because all you are is a SICK FUCK!" "I am going to destroy you!" "Do you fucking hear me?" "!" "Jerry." "Morris." "You're head's bleeding." "I slipped." "sure." "Jerry?" "few days ago." "But we can't find it." "Nor the driver." "Any ideas?" "Aliens." "Morris?" "right." "Well my guess is: somebody towed it away." "You won't happen to know anything about that?" "we're kind of cut off up here." "is it?" "Right." "I'll leave you to it then." "did you?" "Who's your friend?" "None of your business ." "Is something wrong Jerry?" "Care to explain Morris?" "Jerry." "Didn't they teach you that in detective school?" "You still have the receipts of course?" "Of course." "Mind if I see them?" "Jerry." "Are you sure you came here to say hi or just..." "Or just to bust my balls some more?" " No problem." " Cut the shit Morris." "I'll be right back." "Jake." "Jake!" "That's Jake's car!" "What?" "It's his car!" " Yes." " Are you sure?" "Get in the car." "Get in the car!" "Is there something I can help you with officer?" "Hm?" "Jerry?" "Bitch!" " No..." " I thought you were dead." "let's get you out of here." "Jesus..." "Who is he?" "I don't know..." "We can take his car." "There's no keys." "Check his pockets." "They're not in here." "old friend." "He's gonna kill me." "I won't let him." "He's not gonna take a vote on it." "Jake." "He's just killed a man." "It must have been self-defense." "Look at me." "Does this look like self-defense?" "He won't do it again." "And who else has he got in that basement?" "What basement?" "The basement in the shed." "he doesn't like me going in there." "You need to find out what or who he's got in there." "It's too risky!" "If he finds out... he'll destroy all the evidence." "Well let him!" "At least we'll be free and he can stay here where he belongs." "He belongs in prison." "I can't do it." "You've got to." "Daddy..." "How's the arm?" "Barely a scratch." "I'll be fine." "hey?" "What happened this morning?" "Sweetie." "are we?" "Trouble?" "Why would we be in trouble?" "I don't know..." "It's just things have never been like this before." "have you?" "No." "Sweetie?" "OK." "what's gonna happen to Jake?" "I'll take him to the hospital in the morning." " Of course." " For real this time?" "Really?" "what else would I do?" "of course." "I know things have been tough lately." "I realize now why you've been protecting me." "People can't be trusted." "things will be back to normal." "It'll all be OK." "Sometimes I forget how grown up you are." "You're just like your mother." "Sweetie." "Jake." "Well the polite thing to do would be to say "thank you"." "How's your leg?" "Is this pork again Daddy?" "what's wrong?" "You don't like pork now?" "it's fine." "Well I can make you with something else if you prefer." "How did Lauren's mother die?" "please Jake." "didn't you?" "I'm guessing..." "I'm guessing she tried to take Lauren away from you and this shit hole you call a home." "Jake." "You weren't too happy about it." "She tried to escape didn't she?" "And that's why you killed her." "Yeah." "I know you killed her you fucking psychopath." "Jake?" "Maybe I can pay them a visit." "It was cancer." "Sweetie." "it was cancer." "Morris?" "Did the authorities come and take her away?" "Hm?" "Where's the death certificate?" "She was cremated." "I'm sure it was a beautiful ceremony." "Lauren?" "I'm gonna get some air." "Jake." "right?" "I hear you're taking me to the hospital tomorrow." "Lauren told you that?" "No rush." "I've seen we've past the point saving my leg." "Maybe I'll stay here for another day or two..." "See the new year with you guys..." "Hm." "I know your humor now." "I forgot." "can we?" "You're too smart." "I've been wanting to have a chat with you." "Man to man. the most important thing to me is my daughter's welfare and happiness." "So when a man comes along and exploit her innocence... - when are you gonna get that in your thick fucking" "but that's not my point." "That's not what upsets me the most. is for you to come into my house and blatantly lie. it's the disrespect that I'm having a tough time with." "whatever." "You led my daughter to believe that you were available." "That you were single." "Jake." "That you didn't have a fiancée." "What did you say?" "did you?" "Didn't get a chance to find out who he is." "You didn't get a chance to spill the beans before I spilled his guts. our local constabulary." "He - he came here." "Looking for you." "So I guess that's me eating my words." "someone did know that you were here." "But he didn't come on his own." "Who did he come with?" "I hope I didn't get you into trouble but I told her about you and Lauren." "Who was he with?" "I tried to explain it to her." "But it almost broke my heart." "What have you done to her?" "!" "You son of a bitch!" "no." "I'd say... is a better description." " What have you done to her?" "!" " Maybe even "succulent"." " NOOOO!" " how did she taste to you? I don't think it'll fit her anymore." "Oh God..." "What did you do?" "You're too young to understand." "This is my mother." "Isn't it?" "How could you do that?" "It was the only way to protect you." "She was gonna take you away." "You know now what kind of world it is out there." "Jake was right about you..." "Sweetie." " About everything..." "I don't know you!" " You need to calm down..." " I don't know the person that could do this." " That's not true..." " You're a monster!" "She can't move!" " Sweetie..." " She can't speak!" " Turned her life into a nightmare!" " I'm begging you to calm down." "Don't make me do this!" "What?" "here!" " What 'you gonna do?" "Are you gonna cut off my arms and legs so I can't run away?" "!" " Then cut off my tongue so I can't tell you "I HATE YOU"!" " I'm warning you!" "What did she see?" "I told you." "I'd make sure that she hates you." "She knows what you are now." "I'm ready." "WHYYY?" "!" "FUCK!" "DAMN YOU FUCK!" "Are you OK?" "What did you see?" "are we?" "..." "We should have walked when we'd had the chance..." "It's not over yet." "I did my best to raise her." "To keep her happy and protected." "But sooner or later this was all that's gonna happen." "I'm sorry I let you down..." "I'm not giving him the satisfaction of thinking he's finished me." "It's not over yet." "What are you doing?" "I'm getting out of here." "Fuck!" "What are you doing?" "I'm so sorry Baby..." "I let you both down." "what are you doing?" "No..." "No!" "I'm so sorry Baby." "I'm sorry Baby." "I'm sorry I let you down!" "It was all my fault!" "It was my fault!" "Give me the gun!" "Come on!" "Slow down." "Slow down!" "stop!" " Oh come on Jake!" " I can't go on and" "Just go!" "Find the road and bring back help!" "I'm not gonna leave you here on your own!" "Oh fuck!" "Why would he do this?" "Jesus..." "Go!" " Yes you can!" " I can't go on anymore!" "Get out of here Lauren!" "don't give up on me now!" "Come on!" "NOOOO!" "Oh God..." "It's OK..." "It's OK!" "It's OK" "I need to get to a hospital..." "You'll be fine." "I'm gonna look after you." "you need to get your strength back." "Hospital..." "Eat to live." |
<template>
<div>
<slot />
</div>
</template>
<script>
import { MDCRipple } from '@material/ripple'
import { baseComponentMixin, themeClassMixin } from '../base'
export default {
mixins: [baseComponentMixin, themeClassMixin],
props: {
unbounded: {
type: Boolean,
default: false
},
accent: {
type: Boolean,
default: false
}
},
data () {
return {
mdcRipple: undefined,
slotObserver: undefined
}
},
mounted () {
this.updateSlot()
this.slotObserver = new MutationObserver(() => this.updateSlot())
this.slotObserver.observe(this.$el, {
childList: true,
subtree: true
})
},
beforeDestroy () {
this.slotObserver.disconnect()
if (this.mdcRipple) { this.mdcRipple.destroy() }
},
methods: {
updateSlot () {
if (this.$slots.default) {
this.$slots.default.map((n, i) => {
if (i === 0) {
n.elm.classList.add('mdc-ripple-surface')
this.accent ? n.elm.classList.add('mdc-ripple-surface--accent') : n.elm.classList.add('mdc-ripple-surface--primary')
this.mdcRipple = MDCRipple.attachTo(n.elm)
this.mdcRipple.unbounded = this.unbounded
}
})
}
}
}
}
</script>
|
Our luxuriously smooth and highly durable 180 thread count percale sheets are the perfect choice if you are looking for softness, comfort and long-lasting quality from your bedding.
These sheets have been crafted from cotton-rich percale, which provides the natural comfort and breathability of cotton along with the easy-care and durable properties of polyester. They are also quick drying, require minimal ironing and will retain their shape and softness wash after wash.
Matching flat sheets, valance sheets and pillowcases are available as part of our cotton-rich percale range and in a wide array of easy to coordinate colours. |
import testCafeCore from '../../deps/testcafe-core';
const domUtils = testCafeCore.domUtils;
const contentEditable = testCafeCore.contentEditable;
function getSelectTextAreaContentArguments (element, argumentsObject) {
const value = domUtils.getTextAreaValue(element);
const linesArray = value && value.length ? value.split('\n') : [];
const lastLineIndex = linesArray.length - 1;
const startLineIndex = !argumentsObject.startLine ? 0 : Math.min(argumentsObject.startLine, lastLineIndex);
const startLineLength = linesArray[startLineIndex] ? linesArray[startLineIndex].length : 0;
const startPos = !argumentsObject.startPos ? 0 : Math.min(argumentsObject.startPos, startLineLength);
const endLineIndex = argumentsObject.endLine === void 0 || argumentsObject.endLine === null ?
lastLineIndex : Math.min(argumentsObject.endLine, lastLineIndex);
const endLineLength = linesArray[endLineIndex] ? linesArray[endLineIndex].length : 0;
const endPos = argumentsObject.endPos === void 0 ||
argumentsObject.endPos ===
null ? endLineLength : Math.min(argumentsObject.endPos, endLineLength);
const startLinePosition = domUtils.getTextareaPositionByLineAndOffset(element, startLineIndex, 0);
const endLinePosition = domUtils.getTextareaPositionByLineAndOffset(element, endLineIndex, 0);
return {
startPos: startLinePosition + startPos,
endPos: endLinePosition + endPos
};
}
export default function (element, argumentsObject = {}) {
const isTextEditable = domUtils.isTextEditableElement(element);
const firstPos = isTextEditable ? 0 : contentEditable.getFirstVisiblePosition(element);
const lastPos = isTextEditable ? domUtils.getElementValue(element).length : contentEditable.getLastVisiblePosition(element);
let startPos = !argumentsObject.startPos ? firstPos : Math.min(argumentsObject.startPos, lastPos);
let endPos = argumentsObject.endPos === void 0 ||
argumentsObject.endPos === null ? lastPos : Math.min(argumentsObject.endPos, lastPos);
if (argumentsObject.offset !== void 0) {
if (argumentsObject.offset >= 0)
endPos = Math.min(argumentsObject.offset, endPos);
else {
startPos = endPos;
endPos = Math.max(0, endPos + argumentsObject.offset);
}
return { startPos, endPos };
}
if (argumentsObject.startLine !== void 0)
return getSelectTextAreaContentArguments(element, argumentsObject);
return { startPos, endPos };
}
|
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
It is not easy to realize the possible loss of blood in the urine by the dog . When in doubt, it is important to make some evaluations. Look for example to see if the blood comes out at the beginning or at the end of the pee will already be indicative of what it is: in the first case assumes a disease of the urethra, penis, prostate or uterus or vagina, while in second case, the problem may be from the bladder or prostate. A uniform bleeding may instead be synonymous with damage to the urethra or kidneys.
The best friend of the man has a heart big, we know, but you can get sick, just like ours. Like the human heart, that of Fido is characterized by the circuits of blood that is pumped in and out. in the dog's heart beats about 150,000 times a day : a big commitment that requires a body definitely fit!
The heart disease , however, can alter this rate, and related functions, namely the proper circulation of blood : this can be pumped with less intensity and then not being able to bring the proper amount of oxygen to the muscles and other organs. With serious consequences obviously. There are several forms of heart disease that in dogs: some directly affecting the heart, other valves. The most common, respectively, of both types are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and chronic valve disease (CVD) .
Nails for dogs contain a blood vessel called "fast". This practice is often accidentally cut because of an injury to the nail, or, more commonly, during the cutting process of the toenails. Although bleeding from the nail stops by itself after a few minutes, you can take some steps to speed up the process. During the application of astringents, your dog will resist burning sensation, so be prepared to hold it securely. Things You'll Need :
Nails for dogs contain a blood vessel called "fast". This practice is often accidentally cut because of an injury to the nail, or, more commonly, during the cutting process of the toenails. Although bleeding from the nail stops by itself after a few minutes, you can take some steps to speed up the process. During the application of astringents, your dog will resist burning sensation, so be prepared to hold it securely. Things You'll Need :
Thursday, 25 September 2014
The borreliosis is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to our four-legged friends from the sting by ticks of the genus Ixodes Ricinus .
These ticks have their natural habitat in the forests and in rural areas, with great ability to attack different animal hosts, domestic and wild animals, including humans.
Borreliosis is also known as Lyme Disease : The name is derived from an outbreak that occurred in Connetticut in the mid-seventies, as manifested by an increase of arthritis in children and skin rashes.
This disease is a zoonosis , a disease that is transmissible from dog to man, but always and only by means of a vector as the brand.
Spread like wildfire in America, in UK the areas most subject to risk borreliosis are the England and Wales ; Therefore, if you live in these areas, or you go on vacation in those areas, greater attention is required to the health of your dog, even if other areas are subject.
Borreliosis is a skin disorder that also affects the degenerative nervous system, heart and joints of dogs.
Since it is very difficult to make a timely diagnosis of borreliosis, as the symptoms occur gradually and not very clear, it is important to perform a control test every year at the vet in order to verify if the animal has been infected. Just a single blood test: the test with the SNAP ® results will be ready in just eight minutesWhat is it and how to cure BorreliosisCause The hard tick (Ixodes ricinus) carrying bacteria and stings dogs, spreading the infection.
Infection silent
• Signs skin in the area of the sting • High fever • Muscle aches • Lameness • Arthritis In humans, the most frequent sign and quaint, but not always present, is a redness of the skin, skin affected by localized at the site of the tick bite, which tends to grow slowly. It is the so-called 'erythema migrans' clinical sign of early onset and localized, which appears after 5-30 days around the tick bite. It may be associated with fever and fatigue.
Progression of the disease if left untreated Muscular problems and inflammation of the joints with up to the lameness and polyarthritis. In cases of acute borreliosis are also involved in the liver, kidneys, as well as presenting neurological disorders and cardiac.Co-infection A debilitated animal is more subject to infection by other parasites that live in the same environment. That is why it is always important to verify that a person is not also positive anaplasmosis bearer of leishmaniasis or tick-borne diseases.Diagnosis Simple blood test: SNAP ® test 4Dx , result in only 8 minutes. For more diagnostic possibilities, ask your veterinarian.Treatment Specific antibiotic therapy and collateral. Ask your veterinarian.Prognosis If identified and treated early, the outcome is generally very good and there is a complete disappearance of symptoms.Vaccination In stock.Other forms of prevention Use of topical repellents and other prescribed by your veterinarian, inspection and removal of ticks daily.
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
The term refers to the loss of epistaxis nosebleed. Typically, the epistaxis is due to a damage to the blood vessels in the nasal mucosa, but can also occur due to a greater capillary fragility or a bleeding tendency. Any breed of dog can develop epistaxis and there is no provision for what concerns the gender of the animal. Dogs with long noses (called "dolichocephalics", such as the Collie) may be more at risk for some causes of epistaxis (for example, nasal tumors).
The loss of blood may be acute (sudden) or chronic. The extent of the disease is often determined by the underlying cause of nasal bleeding. It 'important to determine if the blood loss is unilateral (one nostril) or bilateral (both nostrils) as some of the causes of epistaxis are associated with unilateral bleeding while other bilateral bleeding.
Epistaxis is usually caused by an acute (sudden) or chronic problems more insidious:
Acute epistaxis - Often occurs as a result of nasal fractures or lacerations caused by traumatic episodes. In the absence of trauma, acute epistaxis is often caused by the sudden erosion of a blood vessel problems leading to nasal due to the load of the nasal cavity or sometimes in metabolic conditions. Many times, the underlying condition is chronic or pre-existing for a long time. Tumors, foreign bodies and abscesses at the root of the tooth are often present in cases of acute epistaxis.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Blood in dog feces? There is no need to panic too much, not always it is a dangerous symptom , but it is a good idea to make a precise diagnosis through the advice of a veterinarian . The causes are indeed numerous and range from fearsome stomach cancer dog to ' ingestion of blood (through licking a wound). Before we analyse the case, however, to make some distinction. 's blood in the stool in dogs in fact (as well as in the human being) is also known as hematochezia or melena and differs depending on the type. |
12) - -97)?
-89
What is the value of (12 - (4 + -5) - ((-61 - -18) + 167)) + -4?
-115
What is the value of 41 + -2 + (-31 + 48 - (4 - -13))?
39
What is the value of 991 - 979 - (-1 - 39)?
52
Evaluate (-20 - -2) + (-104 - -88) + -13 + -10.
-57
Evaluate (-10 - 6) + (391 - 402).
-27
(-622 - -623) + (-3 - -3) + -1
0
(-12 + 6 - (-12 + 21 - 18)) + -14
-11
-2 - (-69 + 43 + 1)
23
What is the value of 41 - (-6 - 7 - (-3 + 5) - -5) - 6?
45
Calculate (237 - 116) + (-31 - 28).
62
Calculate 7 + (-11 - 4) + 8 + 1 + 6.
7
43 - (78 - (58 - 45))
-22
Evaluate 83 + (339 - 315) + (-12 - 6) + 5.
94
-127 - -67 - -167 - 50
57
Evaluate 7 + (-3 - (4 - 4)) - (17 - (-62 - -23)).
-52
Evaluate (-17 - 16) + 38 - (59 + 2).
-56
What is the value of 47 - (-27 - 1) - 51?
24
What is -34 - (-80 + (25 - (67 + 1)))?
89
-19 - (-51 - (6 + (-7 - 0)))
31
What is the value of (2 - (1 + 12)) + (-11 - 2 - -115) - 10?
81
(16 + 0 - (53 + -29)) + (20 - 2)
10
What is the value of -7 + -19 + (-46 - (-5 - 156))?
89
Calculate (4 - (34 + -39 + 45)) + 122.
86
What is the value of 4 - (-73 + (4 + 4 + 11 + -1 - 13))?
72
Calculate 37 - (0 + 29) - (-21 + 7 + -2).
24
(-983 - -1048) + (-1 - 90)
-26
Calculate 9 + (1 - 12) + 14 + -75 + 145.
82
Calculate -1 - 7 - (-27 + 24 - 0 - -6).
-11
Calculate (49 - (72 + -103)) + -39.
41
Evaluate 48 + -14 + -18 + 27.
43
Calculate (15 - -10) + -19 + (1 - 2) - 11 - -52.
46
What is 24 - (1 + (11 + -9 - -7)) - 0?
14
What is the value of 0 + 13 + (18 - 45 - -46)?
32
Evaluate (82 - 54) + -24 - (-7 - 0).
11
Calculate -185 + 183 + (77 - 0) - (0 - 1) - 11.
65
-27 + (0 - -28 - -4) - (79 - -1)
-75
Calculate 15 + (-25 - 78) + 44 + -52.
-96
What is 86 - (129 + -69 - 1)?
27
Calculate 1 + -103 + -192 + 103 + 85.
-106
Evaluate -65 - 8 - 30 - -121.
18
4 + (-45 - -29 - -10) + (-7 - -1)
-8
Evaluate -23 - -39 - (-84 - -134).
-34
Evaluate (-8 + 84 - 30) + -73.
-27
What is the value of -7 - (-24 + -17 - 40)?
74
What is 4 + -18 + -7 + (16 - -1) + -15?
-19
What is the value of -30 + 1 - (80 - 87)?
-22
Evaluate 12 + 54 + -100 - 37.
-71
What is the value of (6 - 3) + -24 - (-35 - 11)?
25
What is 4 - (-19 + (-1 - (18 + 1)))?
43
Calculate 8 + (-10 - -11 - -13) + (-2 - 2) + 2.
20
What is 97 - (22 + 65) - (0 - 74)?
84
Calculate (-9 - (-3 - (11 + 8))) + (9 - 5).
17
107 - ((255 - 73) + 34)
-109
Calculate -11 + (-8 + -37 - -42).
-14
Calculate (-35 - (-13 - 14)) + -1 + 6 - (-4 + 10).
-9
Evaluate (2723 - 2689) + 0 + -38.
-4
-116 - -26 - (6 - 55)
-41
What is -1 + (-4 + -15 - -14) + (-15 - 6 - 0)?
-27
Calculate (-5 - (-72 + 9)) + -48.
10
What is the value of (10 - -7) + -4 + (7 - -14)?
34
1 + (-5 - -26 - 2) + -35 + 48
33
-5 + 14 - (15 + (2 - 19) - (-79 + 0))
-68
Calculate -28 + 4 + 33 + -11 + -37.
-39
What is the value of -12 - (0 + -12 + 4 - (48 + 3))?
47
Calculate -3 + (-5 - (2 - 21)) + -4 - (465 + -462).
4
Calculate -13 + (-13 + -15 - (-169 - -98)).
30
What is 51 + 3 - -1 - (33 - 20 - -2)?
40
What is -15 + ((-39 - -1) + 0 - (-3566 + 3581))?
-68
-28 + ((11 - 2 - 12) + -4 - 4)
-39
What is the value of 3 - -102 - (384 + -273)?
-6
What is the value of -55 + (1 - -1) + (44 + -48 - 36 - -40)?
-53
(-30 - (8 + -16)) + 57
35
What is the value of (-39 - 2) + 10 + 5 + (-30 - -16)?
-40
What is -21 + -7 + 5 + (1 - (4 + 1))?
-27
What is (-18 - -6 - (-183 - -199)) + -26?
-54
Calculate (-2 - (11 - (16 + -34 - -12 - -35))) + 3.
19
Calculate (-32 - ((-42 - -49) + -131)) + -33.
59
What is -214 + 197 + 3 + 91?
77
Evaluate -4 + (-5 - -71) + (-28 - -27 - 3).
58
What is -63 - (-59 - 42 - -52)?
-14
Calculate 17765 + -17774 - (2 + 2 + -15).
2
What is the value of 4 + 42 + -9 - 50?
-13
What is the value of -10786 + 10748 + (2 - ((-1 - 1) + -5))?
-29
What is (-80 - -112) + -13 + -1 - -39?
57
What is 5 - -40 - (18 + -28 + (-6 - -17))?
44
What is -14 - -4 - (2 + (-11 - -4) + 7 + -4)?
-8
Evaluate -1 + -1 + -5 + 6 + 0 + -4 + 46.
41
Evaluate -66 - -91 - (-16 + -20).
61
-12 + (-4 - ((16 - 24) + 5)) + -28
-41
What is 7 - ((6 - (-58 - -16)) + 7 + (1 - 7))?
-42
(-11 - (7 + (1 - 19))) + -6 - -1
-5
What is the value of 14 + (-48 - -12) - 42?
-64
What is the value of 30 + (-176 - -94 - (15 - 20))?
-47
What is -12 - 15 - ((-40 - -29) + 4)?
-20
(-107 - ((2 - 6) + 3 - 0)) + -1712 + 1718
-100
Evaluate -29 + 39 + -19 + (1 - (0 + -51)).
43
Evaluate (-18 - -22 - 18 - -71) + (-10 - -3).
50
(17 - 0) + -54 + (-2 - (-11 - -1))
-29
What is (9 + -8 - (1 + -9)) + (-265 - (-191 - 19))?
-46
What is the value of 59 + 5 + 0 - (-3 + (7 - (-13 + 7)))?
54
What is 5 + -5 + 22 - 37 - 25?
-40
What is the value of 3286 + -3268 + -1 + -3 + 11?
25
-6 - -5 - (-49 - -16)
32
Calculate (-64 - -46) + 23 - (2 - -32) - (-3 - -11).
-37
-30 - (13 + -29 + (2 - -13) + -4)
-25
Calculate -39 + 20 + -118 + 238.
101
76 + -50 + 210 - 91
145
What is the value of 260 - 253 - ((2 - 1) + -8 + 1)?
13
-162 + 79 + 27 - (-8 - -5)
-53
What is 7 - (74 + -71 + (-2 - 0) + 25)?
-19
Calculate 28 - ((-34 - (35 - 67)) + (-8 - 3)).
41
Evaluate -1 + -49 + 18 + 40 - (10 + 2 + -1).
-3
What is the value of (-36 - (-37 - (5 + -2))) + 21?
25
What is -8 - (34 + -18 + -1 + 10)?
-33
-29 + -37 + 47 - (-8 - -3)
-14
What is the value of -35 + -23 + 25 + (-23 - -10) + 0 + -3?
-49
-14 + (-2 - -1) - (-107 + 203 + -56)
-55
-30 + (158 - 140) + 137
125
-37 + 12 + 8 + 23 + -26 + 1
-19
What is -2 + 1 + 15 - (33 + (-45 - (12 - -63)))?
101
Calculate (13 - (105 - 97)) + (1 - 3 - 2).
1
What is the value of 32 + 2 + (-38 - -36)?
32
What is (0 - -74 - (1873 - 1853)) + (1 - (-1 - -10))?
46
What is the value of (1 - 8 - -6) + (7 - -4) - (2 - -82)?
-74
Calculate (41 + 9 - (28 - 3)) + 57.
82
Evaluate (-29 - (-1 + -2)) + (22 - 19 - (5 + -6)).
-22
Calculate -4 + -50 + 3 + (-16 - (-11 + -7)).
-49
What is the value of -1 + 5 + (-31 - (-66 - (0 - -25 - 21)))?
43
What is the value of (0 - -112) + (-5 - 1) + 26 + -7 + -18?
107
Evaluate -238 - (-149 - 78) - (1 + 3 + 15 + -1).
-29
What is -68 + -79 + 202 + 28?
83
What is 2 + (-2 - -9) + 67 + -25 + 58?
109
Calculate (-1 - -14) + (42 - 5) + -40 + -29.
-19
Calculate 12 + (-3 - -7) + 8 + -53.
-29
Calculate -47 + 0 - 4 - (-2 - (-7 - (-2 + 1))).
-55
Calculate 66 + 55 + -87 + -31.
3
Calculate 24 - (438 + -461 + (-82 - -2)).
127
What is the value of 15 + -13 - -13 - (36 - 51)?
30
0 + 42 - (3 - (1 + 2) - (-84 + 76))
34
What is the value of 86 + -9 + 0 + 277 + -302?
52
Evaluate 37 - ((131 - 6) + -30).
-58
Calculate -4 + (-9 - (-5 - -2)) + 41 + -27 + 32.
36
What is the value of -1 + (13 - ((-1 - -3) + -54 + 176)) + 9?
-103
Evaluate 27 + 31 + -38 + -5.
15
-3 - (-7 - -6) - 58 - ((11 - -8) + -8)
-71
0 + -1 + -36 + (18 - (12 + 2 + -28))
-5
Calculate 0 + ((-1 - -2) + (6 + -25 - -5) - -9).
-4
-37 - (58 + -41) - -38
-16
What is 15 - 0 - ((-16 - 98) + 50 + 6)?
73
What is 4 + 10 + -7 + -2 - (-45 - -41)?
9
What is 8 - (-26 - (14 + -44)) - 12?
-8
Calculate (0 - 1) + (-86 - (22 - 115)).
6
(2894 - 2943) + -7 + 0 + 9
-47
What is the value of (-7 + (4 - -4) - 6) + (-1 - (50 - 10))?
-46
What is the value of (-20 - -17) + (9 - (-15 + -9 - 3))?
33
Calculate 2595 + -2613 - (1 + -30).
11
What is -1 + (24 - 37) + 180 + -45?
121
What is (-25 - (-5 + -4)) + (6 - 11 - 39)?
-60
What is -263 + 853 + -623 - (1 + (-1 - 0) + -11)?
-22
Evaluate -3 - (50 - (33 - 6) - -36).
-62
Evaluate 1 + 10 + (43 + -61 - (1 + (-24 - -9))).
7
Evaluate 74 - (5 + -30 - -47).
52
What is 83 + -440 + 444 + -3 + 1 + 4?
89
-120 + (-34 - (-41 + -56))
-57
Calculate -93 - (30 - 155 - -51).
-19
What is the value of 45 - 10 - (15 - (-45 - 10))?
-35
What is the value of -59 + -3 + 11 + -2 + -3 + (-5 - -9)?
-52
What is (73 + -146 + 79 - (-1 + 0 + 6)) + 119?
120
Evaluate 125 - (157 - (54 + -11)).
11
What is (-35 - 11) + (4 - -9 - 4) + -1?
-38
Calculate 10 + 21 - 21 - 3.
7
Evaluate -15 - (-45 - (-18 + -1)).
11
What is -18 - 28 - 6 - -21?
-31
What is the value of ((1 - (3 - -59)) + 0 - (-5 + -1)) + 1?
-54
Calculate 4 + (-41 - (43 + -64)).
-16
-241 + -1 + 74 + 79
-89
What is the value of 2 + -18 - (-108 - (-120 + 8))?
-20
What is 213 - 198 - (20 + 25)?
-30
Calculate 13 + 30 + (-61 - 20).
-38
Calculate 51 + 1 + -212 + 169.
9
Calculate -6944 - -6982 - (-20 - 1).
59
What is the value of (7 + -4 - (-26 + 17 - -5)) + 38?
45
What is -2 - (-1 + -4 + -6) - 3 - -10 - 0?
16
3 + -1 + 57 + (-609 + 582 - (-17 + 1))
48
1 + -6 - (5167 + -5049 - (1 - -22 - 0))
-100
What i |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern softball has released a video celebrating the incredible work the Wildcats already have put in to prepare for the 2013 season.
Created by Andrew Linnehan, husband of two-time NU softball All-American and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Eileen Canney, the video serves as a reminder to the 'Cats of the investment they made in the fall, and challenges them to continue to "Choose It" over winter break.
"This video highlights the great work our team has done this fall in preparation for our first pitch on February 8," head coach Kate Drohan said. "We still have a lot of important work ahead of us, yet right now I want to applaud our team's focus in choosing NU softball each and every day."
In addition to the early morning workouts and competitions, the Wildcats also found time to perform nearly 200 hours of community service during the fall. Among NU's many outreach activities last quarter, the 'Cats made multiple visits to area elementary schools, helped distribute 80,000 pounds of chicken to local food pantries and participated in the NU swimming and diving "Breaststroke4BreastCancer," helping to raise thousands and thousands of dollars for local cancer research.
Enjoy the video below; during this Holiday Season the Wildcats invite you to join them and "Choose It" every day! |
After the co-opting of everyman meme Pepe the Frog into a symbol of the white supremacist alt-right, it seems like any part of internet culture can suddenly become a racist emblem. Or, at least, be portrayed as one by trolls who thrive on panic and outrage. The latest victim of the trend: the humble fidget spinner.
Fidget spinners, the latest middle school craze, are small spinning toys that are supposed to help kids with ADD and autism. Instead, they’ve turned into a mainstream fad on the order of pogs or Pokémon.
Dank meme communities love making fun of fidget spinners, especially because spinners are associated with autistic kids, a favorite target for mockery in “edgy” online spaces like 4chan and Reddit. There, spinners are considered emblematic of everything that’s wrong with society, and they’re used as a metaphor for anything unlikeable.
These spaces are partially driven by adolescent rebellion, a distaste for anything popular, mainstream, and “normie.” They’re also tinged with racist humor that may have been “ironic” at some point but is now sincere and pernicious.
Hence, this: a joke about a razor blade Swastika fidget spinner.
It’s just a one-off gag, but it tied in with another trend in meme communities. Memeheads, especially of the right-wing reactionary variety, thought it was hilarious when Hillary Clinton issued a statement against Pepe the Frog and the alt-right. They loved the mainstream attention and have been seeking to increase and duplicate it ever since. And the takeaway from the Pepe incident seems to have been: if we can trick the media into reporting that innocent memes are actually vile and racist, they’ll look stupid and we’ll be heroes.
READ MORE:
So this has been repeated with memes like the purple trash dove (not a racist symbol), the “okay” sign (not a racist symbol), and now fidget spinners.
The jumping-off point for the campaign to dupe people into outrage over racist spinners seems to be an anti-spinner piece in the New Yorker on May 12. In it, Rebecca Mead argued that the spinner is “the perfect toy for the age of Trump … It induces solipsism, selfishness, and outright rudeness.” She never said the spinners were racially charged in any way, but mentioning Trump and spinners in the same breath helped inspire a new alt-right “prank.”
On the gaming forum IGN, a seemingly conservative poster linked to the New Yorker piece on May 16. “Fidget Spinners are Racist Now,” he wrote.
When someone mentioned that the article never said that, the troll responded,
“- Fidget Spinners are the perfect toy for the Age of Trump, per the article
– Trump is racist
– therefore –> Fidget Spinners are racist Better get #woke, son.”
Soon, a more organized campaign coalesced on 4chan to drive the racist spinner narrative. William Hicks, at the conservative site Heat Street, posted a thorough breakdown of the effort.
There were threads on 4chan’s /pol/, the “politically incorrect” pro-Trump board.
There were memes:
And there were attempts to associate the spinners with white nationalist Richard Spencer, the guy who coined the term “alt-right.”
Not everyone on /pol/ went along with the campaign. In fact, many decried the anti-spinner campaign as “autistic”—ironic, given the subject matter.
In April, BuzzFeed’s Joe Bernstein published an article that perfectly predicted what’s going on here: “The Trump Internet Keeps Making Fake Hate Symbols, And People Keep Falling For It.” Bernstein described the strange turn of events that led Trump critics to describe the very common “okay” hand gesture, displayed at the White House by alt-right icon Mike Cernovich, as a “white power symbol.”
Essentially, the pro-Trump camp, including /pol/ and Reddit’s r/the_donald turned it into one. Stunts like this, Bernstein writes, are “attempts by online communities to troll the media into reporting that unobjectionable or obscure symbols have deep-seated white supremacist connotations.” And they work because “[t]he reporting itself is then taken as proof by pro-Trump troll communities that the media will believe anything when it comes to Trump supporters and racism.”
It’s an annoying, childish game of making offensive statements and then mocking opponents who take them seriously for “missing the joke.” Pepe the Frog and the okay sign are not, historically, symbols of white power. But when they’re used that way, who can tell the difference?
With fidget spinners, though, 4chan’s /pol/ may have bitten off more than it can chew. Fidget spinners are already so mainstream and so associated with children’s mental health that rebranding them as Nazi propaganda is a tall order. |
package server
import (
"strconv"
"strings"
"sync"
)
import (
getty "github.com/apache/dubbo-getty"
"github.com/pkg/errors"
)
import (
"github.com/transaction-wg/seata-golang/base/meta"
"github.com/transaction-wg/seata-golang/base/model"
"github.com/transaction-wg/seata-golang/base/protocal"
"github.com/transaction-wg/seata-golang/pkg/util/log"
)
var (
// session -> transactionRole
// TM will register before RM, if a session is not the TM registered,
// it will be the RM registered
session_transactionroles = sync.Map{}
// session -> applicationId
identified_sessions = sync.Map{}
// applicationId -> ip -> port -> session
client_sessions = sync.Map{}
// applicationId -> resourceIds
client_resources = sync.Map{}
)
const (
ClientIdSplitChar = ":"
DbkeysSplitChar = ","
)
type GettySessionManager struct {
TransactionServiceGroup string
Version string
}
var SessionManager GettySessionManager
func init() {
SessionManager = GettySessionManager{}
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) IsRegistered(session getty.Session) bool {
_, ok := identified_sessions.Load(session)
return ok
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) GetRoleFromGettySession(session getty.Session) meta.TransactionRole {
role, ok := session_transactionroles.Load(session)
if ok {
r := role.(meta.TransactionRole)
return r
}
return 0
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) GetContextFromIdentified(session getty.Session) *RpcContext {
var applicationId, resourceIds string
applicationIdIfc, applicationIdLoaded := identified_sessions.Load(session)
if applicationIdLoaded {
applicationId = applicationIdIfc.(string)
} else {
return nil
}
resourceIdsIfc, resourceIdsLoaded := client_resources.Load(applicationId)
if resourceIdsLoaded {
resourceIds = resourceIdsIfc.(string)
}
role := manager.GetRoleFromGettySession(session)
return NewRpcContext(
WithRpcContextClientRole(role),
WithRpcContextApplicationId(applicationId),
WithRpcContextClientId(buildClientId(applicationId, session)),
WithRpcContextResourceSet(dbKeyToSet(resourceIds)),
WithRpcContextSession(session),
)
}
func dbKeyToSet(dbKey string) *model.Set {
if dbKey == "" {
return nil
}
keys := strings.Split(dbKey, DbkeysSplitChar)
set := model.NewSet()
for _, key := range keys {
set.Add(key)
}
return set
}
func buildClientId(applicationId string, session getty.Session) string {
return applicationId + ClientIdSplitChar + session.RemoteAddr()
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) RegisterTmGettySession(request protocal.RegisterTMRequest, session getty.Session) {
//todo check version, if not match, refuse to register
//todo check transaction service group, if not match, refuse to register
ip := getClientIpFromGettySession(session)
port := getClientPortFromGettySession(session)
ipMap, _ := client_sessions.LoadOrStore(request.ApplicationId, &sync.Map{})
iMap := ipMap.(*sync.Map)
portMap, _ := iMap.LoadOrStore(ip, &sync.Map{})
pMap := portMap.(*sync.Map)
pMap.Store(port, session)
session_transactionroles.Store(session, meta.RMROLE)
identified_sessions.Store(session, request.ApplicationId)
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) RegisterRmGettySession(request protocal.RegisterRMRequest, session getty.Session) {
//todo check version, if not match, refuse to register
//todo check transaction service group, if not match, refuse to register
ip := getClientIpFromGettySession(session)
port := getClientPortFromGettySession(session)
ipMap, _ := client_sessions.LoadOrStore(request.ApplicationId, &sync.Map{})
iMap := ipMap.(*sync.Map)
portMap, _ := iMap.LoadOrStore(ip, &sync.Map{})
pMap := portMap.(*sync.Map)
pMap.Store(port, session)
session_transactionroles.Store(session, meta.TMROLE)
identified_sessions.Store(session, request.ApplicationId)
client_resources.Store(request.ApplicationId, request.ResourceIds)
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) GetSameClientGettySession(session getty.Session) getty.Session {
if !session.IsClosed() {
return session
}
ip := getClientIpFromGettySession(session)
port := getClientPortFromGettySession(session)
applicationId, loaded := identified_sessions.Load(session)
if loaded {
targetApplicationId := applicationId.(string)
ipMap, ipMapLoaded := client_sessions.Load(targetApplicationId)
if ipMapLoaded {
iMap := ipMap.(*sync.Map)
portMap, portMapLoaded := iMap.Load(ip)
if portMapLoaded {
pMap := portMap.(*sync.Map)
return getGettySessionFromSamePortMap(pMap, port)
}
}
} else {
log.Errorf("session {%v} never registered!", session)
}
return nil
}
func getGettySessionFromSamePortMap(portMap *sync.Map, exclusivePort int) getty.Session {
var session getty.Session
if portMap != nil {
portMap.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
port := key.(int)
if port == exclusivePort {
portMap.Delete(key)
return true
}
session = value.(getty.Session)
if !session.IsClosed() {
return false
}
portMap.Delete(key)
return true
})
}
return session
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) GetGettySession(resourceId string, clientId string) (getty.Session, error) {
var resultSession getty.Session
clientIdInfo := strings.Split(clientId, ClientIdSplitChar)
if clientIdInfo == nil || len(clientIdInfo) != 3 {
return nil, errors.Errorf("Invalid RpcRemoteClient ID:%d", clientId)
}
targetApplicationId := clientIdInfo[0]
targetIP := clientIdInfo[1]
targetPort, _ := strconv.Atoi(clientIdInfo[2])
ipMap, ipMapLoaded := client_sessions.Load(targetApplicationId)
if ipMapLoaded {
iMap := ipMap.(*sync.Map)
portMap, portMapLoaded := iMap.Load(targetIP)
if portMapLoaded {
pMap := portMap.(*sync.Map)
session, sessionLoaded := pMap.Load(targetPort)
// Firstly, try to find the original session through which the branch was registered.
if sessionLoaded {
ss := session.(getty.Session)
if ss.IsClosed() {
pMap.Delete(targetPort)
log.Infof("Removed inactive %d", ss)
} else {
resultSession = ss
log.Debugf("Just got exactly the one %v for %s", ss, clientId)
}
}
// The original channel was broken, try another one.
if resultSession == nil {
pMap.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
ss := value.(getty.Session)
if ss.IsClosed() {
pMap.Delete(key)
log.Infof("Removed inactive %d", ss)
} else {
resultSession = ss
log.Infof("Choose %v on the same IP[%s] as alternative of %s", ss, targetIP, clientId)
//跳出 range 循环
return false
}
return true
})
}
}
// No channel on the this app node, try another one.
if resultSession == nil {
iMap.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
ip := key.(string)
if ip == targetIP {
return true
}
portMapOnOtherIP, _ := value.(*sync.Map)
if portMapOnOtherIP == nil {
return true
}
portMapOnOtherIP.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
ss := value.(getty.Session)
if ss.IsClosed() {
portMapOnOtherIP.Delete(key)
log.Infof("Removed inactive %d", ss)
} else {
resultSession = ss
log.Infof("Choose %v on the same application[%s] as alternative of %s", ss, targetApplicationId, clientId)
//跳出 range 循环
return false
}
return true
})
if resultSession != nil {
return false
}
return true
})
}
}
if resultSession == nil {
return nil, errors.New("there is no suitable client session")
}
return resultSession, nil
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) GetRmSessions() map[string]getty.Session {
sessions := make(map[string]getty.Session)
session_transactionroles.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
session := key.(getty.Session)
if session.IsClosed() {
session_transactionroles.Delete(key)
}
return true
})
client_sessions.Range(func(key, value interface{}) bool {
applicationId := key.(string)
ipMap := value.(*sync.Map)
session := getRMGettySessionFromIpMap(ipMap)
resourceIds, loaded := client_resources.Load(applicationId)
if loaded {
rscIds := resourceIds.(string)
dbKeySet := dbKeyToSet(rscIds)
resources := dbKeySet.List()
for _, resourceId := range resources {
sessions[resourceId] = session
}
}
return true
})
return sessions
}
func getRMGettySessionFromIpMap(ipMap *sync.Map) getty.Session {
var chosenSession getty.Session
ipMap.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
portMap := value.(*sync.Map)
portMap.Range(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
session := key.(getty.Session)
if session.IsClosed() {
portMap.Delete(key)
log.Infof("Removed inactive %d", session)
} else {
role, loaded := session_transactionroles.Load(session)
if loaded {
r := role.(meta.TransactionRole)
if r != meta.TMROLE {
chosenSession = session
return false
}
}
}
return true
})
if chosenSession != nil {
return false
}
return true
})
return chosenSession
}
func getClientIpFromGettySession(session getty.Session) string {
clientIp := session.RemoteAddr()
if strings.Contains(clientIp, IpPortSplitChar) {
idx := strings.Index(clientIp, IpPortSplitChar)
clientIp = clientIp[:idx]
}
return clientIp
}
func getClientPortFromGettySession(session getty.Session) int {
address := session.RemoteAddr()
port := 0
if strings.Contains(address, IpPortSplitChar) {
idx := strings.LastIndex(address, IpPortSplitChar)
port, _ = strconv.Atoi(address[idx+1:])
}
return port
}
func (manager *GettySessionManager) ReleaseGettySession(session getty.Session) {
session_transactionroles.Delete(session)
identified_sessions.Delete(session)
}
|
Chakra Lessons
$279.00
Learn about the quantum nature of each of the seven chakras and receive powerful tools and experiential guidance for balancing each of your energy centers. Receive seven lessons either live at Cristine’s office in Logan, UT on the following dates or virtually within a week of the live dates.
Multi-sensory balancing techniques such as gemstones, essential oils and affirmations
Kundalini yoga exercises that realign the vital body ~ Full-color manual included
Goes well with the CD series for visualization and guided imagery
Product Description
This series is led by Cristine Price, M.S., Integrative Mental Health Therapist. She has utilized a wide range of healing modalities, such as yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. Cristine is also enrolled in a doctorate program in natural medicine through Quantum University where she has developed a deeper understanding of the principles to create quantum shifts and soul-level healing. This course is available at QuantaLiving.com
.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review. |
Q:
Why does angular-socket-io complain with 'Error during WebSocket handshake: Unexpected response code: 400?'
I have a node application (angular-fullstack) that I moved from http to https. Everything is working, but the socket connection isn't. What am I missing?
In the socketFactory I have:
var ioSocket = io('https://localhost', {
path: '/socket.io-client'
});
which I believe already causes the transport to use 'wss://'. The https connection is all good. For a time, I believed that somehow nginx was not handling the proxy correctly. However that was incorrect.
Next, I changed form 'https://locahost' to 'https://xxx_actual_server_url_xxxx' and now everything works properly after the initial page reload. HOWEVER I do see ONE:
WebSocket connection to 'wss://xxx_actual_server_url_xxxx/
socket.io-client/?EIO=3&transport=websocket&sid=Y4_cKvyTERz_F1ZCAAAK'
failed: Error during WebSocket handshake: Unexpected response code: 400
What could be causing this? and How to get around it? I am not doing any load balancing or anything and just running the development server with 'grunt serve'. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
A:
After much searching and hunting, I discovered that when using sockets with nginx I needed to add the following to my proxy stuff:
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
Having done that, all is now good. Hopefully this will help someone else.
The full set of parameters for forwarding the proxy with nginx is:
location / {
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_pass https://127.0.0.1:9000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}
Thanks to those that looked at this!
|
---
abstract: 'The radiation reaction for a point-like charge coupled to a massive scalar field is considered. The retarded Green’s function associated with the Klein-Gordon wave equation has support not only on the future light cone of the emission point (direct part), but extends inside the light cone as well (tail part). Dirac’s scheme of decomposition of the retarded electromagnetic field into the “mean of the advanced and retarded field” and the “radiation” field is adapted to theories where Green’s function consists of the direct and the tail parts. The Harish-Chandra equation of motion of radiating scalar charge under the influence of an external force is obtained. This equation includes effect of particle’s own field. The self force produces a time-changing inertial mass.'
author:
- '**Yurij Yaremko**'
date: |
*Institute for Condensed Matter Physics,\
1 Svientsitskii St., 79011 Lviv, Ukraine*
title: |
Self-force via energy-momentum\
and angular momentum balance equations
---
=-10mm =-5mm =-20mm
Introduction {#intro}
============
There is an extensive literature devoted to the regularization problem in curved spacetime. De Witt and Brehme [@WB] derived the self-force acting upon a point electric charge in fixed background gravitational field. (Their expression for radiation reaction was later corrected by Hobbs [@Hb].) The principle of equivalence in general relativity implies that a particle of infinitesimal mass and size moves along a geodesic. The particle of a small but finite mass perturbs the spacetime geometry. Mino, Sasaki and Tanaka [@MST] included the interaction of the particle with this perturbation which changes the worldline. In [@Q] Quinn has obtained an expression for the self-force on a point-like particle coupled to a massless scalar field. There is a long series of papers devoted to the motion of a point electric charge, a point scalar charge, and a point mass in black hole spacetimes, where the effects of radiation reaction are taken into account (see references in review [@Pois]).
The computation of effect of particle’s own field is not a trivial matter, since the Green’s function associated with the wave operator has support within the light cone. This is because in curved spacetime massless waves propagate not just at a speed of light, but also at all speeds smaller than or equal to the speed of light. The particle may “fill” its own field, which acts on it just like an external one. The equation of motion require one to identify that portion of the retarded field at each point of the world line which arises from source contributions interior to the light cone. This part of field is often called the “tail term”. The self force on a particle then consists of two parts: this comes from the direct part of the Green’s function and depends on the current state of particle’s motion and that comes from the tail part and depends not only the current state of the particle, but also on its past history. It leads to the non-local (integro-differential) equations of motion.
Detweiler and Whiting proposed [@DW] a consistent decomposition of the retarded Green’s function into singular and radiative parts. It obeys the spirit of Dirac’s scheme of splitting of electromagnetic potential of a point-like charged particle arbitrarily moving in flat spacetime. Dirac [@Dir] decomposed the retarded Liénard-Wiechert potential $A^{\rm
ret}$ into two parts: (i) one-half of the retarded plus one-half of the advanced potentials which is inhomogeneous solution of the wave equation $\square A_\alpha=-4\pi j_\alpha$ whose source term is infinite on the world line. $A^S=1/2(A^{\rm ret}+A^{\rm adv})$ is just singular as the retarded potential in the immediate vicinity of the particle’s world line. The superscript “S” stands for “singular” as well as “symmetric”. (ii) combination $A^R=1/2(A^{\rm ret}-A^{\rm adv})$ of one-half of the retarded minus one-half of the advanced potentials which satisfies the homogeneous wave equation. This well behaved potential can be thought as a free radiation field. The superscript “R” stands for “radiative” as well as “regular”.
The radiative Green’s function implicitly used by Dirac in flat spacetime is $$\label{Grad}
G^{\rm rad}(x,y)=G^{\rm ret}(x,y)-G^{\rm sym}(x,y)$$ where $$\label{Gsym}
G^{\rm sym}(x,y)=\frac12\left[G^{\rm ret}(x,y)+G^{\rm adv}(x,y)\right].$$
The causal structure of the Green’s function is richer in curved spacetime. Due to contributions of the interior of the light cones, the retarded potential depends on the particle’s history [*prior*]{} to the retarded instant $\tau^{\rm ret}(x)$ while the advanced one is generated by portion of particle’s world line $\zeta$ [*after*]{} the advanced instant $\tau^{\rm adv}(x)$. (The retarded and the advanced moments label the points on $\zeta$ related with arbitrary field point $x\in{\mathbb
M}_{\,4}$ by null rays.) The combination of half-retarded potential minus half-advanced one could satisfy the homogeneous wave equation. Moreover, it would be smooth on the world line. But a self-force constructed from this radiative potential will be highly non-causal. It will be depend on particle’s entire history, both past (through the retarded Green’s function) and future (through the advanced Green’s function). The Dirac’s scheme (\[Grad\]) for decomposition cannot be adopted without modification in curved spacetime. The modification is performed in Ref.[@DW].
Detweiler and Whiting start with a Hadamard construction of a symmetric scalar field Green’s function $$\label{GsymH}
G^{\rm sym}(x,y)=\frac{1}{8\pi}\left[u(x,y)\delta(\sigma)-
v(x,y)\theta(-\sigma)\right],$$ where $u(x,y)$ and $v(x,y)$ are smooth functions of the base point $y$ and the field point $x$ and $\sigma$ is half of the square of the distance measured along the geodesic from $x$ to $y$. The step function $\theta(-\sigma)$ means that this part of $G^{\rm sym}(x,y)$ has support within both the past null cone and the future null cone of $x$. Having coupled it with $\delta-$shaped distribution of scalar charge moving along a geodesic we obtain the tail part of the field $\psi$ as follows: $$\psi_{\rm tail}^{\rm sym}(x)=-\frac{q}{2}\left[
\int_{-\infty}^{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)}{\rm d}\tau v(x,z(\tau))
+\int^{+\infty}_{\tau^{\rm adv}(x)}{\rm d}\tau v(x,z(\tau))
\right].$$ To remove the noncausality, authors add to singular Green’s function (\[GsymH\]) biscalar $v(x,y)$ being solution of homogeneous wave equation. A new symmetric (singular) Green’s function $$\label{GSH}
G^{\rm S}(x,y)=\frac{1}{8\pi}\left[u(x,y)\delta(\sigma)-
v(x,y)\theta(\sigma)\right],$$ has no support within the null cone. Corresponding tail part of the scalar field depends on particle’s history during the interval $[\tau^{\rm
ret}(x),\tau^{\rm adv}(x)]$: $$\label{DWadd}
\psi_{\rm tail}^{\rm S}(x)=\frac{q}{2}\left[
\int_{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)}^{\tau^{\rm adv}(x)}{\rm d}\tau v(x,z(\tau))
\right].$$ It is inhomogeneous solution of wave equation. Since it is singular just as the retarded tail field $\psi_{\rm tail}^{\rm ret}$(x), the authors define the radiative Green’s function as follows $$\label{GHR}
G^{\rm R}(x,y)=G^{\rm ret}(x,y)-G^{\rm S}(x,y)$$ (cf. eq.(\[Grad\])). Corresponding radiation field $$\label{FHR}
\psi^{\rm R}(x)=-\left[\frac{qu(x,z(\tau))}{2\dot\sigma}\right]_{\tau^{\rm
ret}(x)}^{\tau^{\rm adv}(x)}-
q\left[
\int_{-\infty}^{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)}{\rm d}\tau v(x,z(\tau))+\frac12
\int_{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)}^{\tau^{\rm adv}(x)}{\rm d}\tau v(x,z(\tau))
\right]$$ is well behaved solution of homogeneous wave equation. In the coincidence limit, where field point $x$ approaches to the world line at point $z(\tau)$, the interval $[\tau^{\rm ret}(x),\tau^{\rm adv}(x)]$ shrinks to zero. Due to taking of this limit the potential (\[FHR\]) is generated by the portion of the world line that corresponds to the causal interval $]-\infty,\tau]$. The last integral in eq. (\[FHR\]) gives no contribution to a self-force because it cancels the ill defined part of gradient $\triangle_\alpha\psi_{\rm tail}^{\rm ret}$ coming from implicit dependence of $\tau^{\rm ret}$ upon $x$.
Following this scheme, Detweiler and Whiting recovered the results [@WB; @MST; @Q] for electromagnetic, scalar, and gravitational fields.
It is obvious that the physically relevant solution of the wave equation is the retarded potential. Teitelboim [@Teit] derived the electromagnetic self-force in flat spacetime within the framework of retarded causality. The author substituted the retarded Liénard-Wiechert field in the Maxwell energy-momentum tensor density and calculated the flow of energy-momentum which flows across a space-like surface. Minkowski space was parameterized by four curvilinear coordinates. The first, proper time, labels points of emission placed on $\zeta$, the second one determines the surface (e.g., a tilted hyperplane which is orthogonal to particle’s 4-velocity at fixed instant of observation). Having integrated the stress-energy tensor over two angular variables that distinguish points on the surface, Teitelboim found the flow of energy-momentum mentioned above. The resulted expression depends on the particle’s individual characteristics (on its mass, its charge, its velocity and acceleration). In fact, the surface integration is equivalent to taking of coincidence limit in Dirac’s scheme. Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac expression for electromagnetic self-force is obtained in [@Teit] via consideration of energy-momentum conservation.
Teitelboim [@Teit] demonstrates that each of two terms which constitute Abraham radiation-reaction four-vector originates from the specific part of Maxwell energy-momentum tensor density. The author decomposes the stress-energy tensor into two divergent-free components: $\hat T={\hat
T}_{\rm bnd}+{\hat T}_{\rm rad}$. Surface integration of the bound part ${\hat T}_{\rm bnd}$ results the flow which never gets far from the point-like source. It is permanently “attached” to the charge and is carried along with it. A charged particle cannot be separated from its bound electromagnetic “cloud” which has its own 4-momentum and angular momentum. “Bare” charge and electromagnetic “cloud” constitute new entity: dressed charged particle. ${\hat T}_{\rm bnd}$ contributes into particle’s inertia: 4-momentum of dressed charge $e$ contains, apart from usual velocity term, the extra term whose time derivative is exactly the negative of the Schott term: $$\label{p_a}
p^\mu = mu^\mu -\frac{2e^2}{3}a^\mu.$$ Calculation of flux of the radiative component ${\hat T}_{\rm rad}$ yields the Larmor relativistic rate of radiated energy-momentum. This part of energy-momentum detaches itself from the charge and leads an independent existence.
In this paper we tend Teitelboim’s approach to allow contributions from interior of the light cone. For the clearest demonstration of the impact of our analysis, we refer to a point-like particle of mass $m$ and charge $e$ coupled to electromagnetic field in flat spacetime of three dimensions [@Yar3D; @Y3D]. In $2+1$ electrodynamics the retarded Green’s function associated with D’Alembert operator $\square=\eta^{\alpha\beta}\partial_\alpha\partial_\beta$ is supported within the light cone [@Gl; @KLS]: $$\label{G3ret}
G^{\rm ret}_{2+1}(x,y)=\frac{\theta(x^0-y^0-|{\mathbf x}-{\mathbf
y}|)}{\sqrt{-2\sigma(x,y)}}.$$ $\theta(x^0-y^0-|{\mathbf x}-{\mathbf y}|)$ is the light cone step function defined to be one if $x^0-y^0\ge|{\mathbf x}-{\mathbf y}|$ and defined to be zero otherwise. Synge’s world function in flat space-time is numerically equal to half the squared distance between $x$ and $y$: [@Pois] $$\label{Sng}
\sigma(x,y)=\frac12\eta_{\alpha\beta}(x^\alpha -y^\alpha)(x^\beta
-y^\beta).$$ The analysis of the simplest model with tails will give more deep understanding of Detweiler and Whiting scheme of decomposition.
The paper is organized as follows. In Section \[PF\] and \[field-sc\], we define the scalar potentials and scalar field strengths. In Section \[Sc-rad\] we split the energy-momentum and angular momentum carried by massive scalar field into bound and radiative parts. Extracting of radiated portions of Noether quantities is not a trivial matter, since the massive field holds energy and momentum near the source. In Section \[meq\], we derive equation of motion of radiating scalar pole via analysis of energy-momentum and angular momentum balance equations. It is of great importance that conservation laws yield the Harish-Chandra equation of motion [@HC]. In Section \[concl\], we discuss the result and its implications.
Green’s function and potentials {#PF}
===============================
The dynamics of a point-like charge coupled to massive scalar field is governed by the action [@Kos; @Pois] $$\label{Itot}
I_{\rm total}=I_{\rm part}+I_{\rm int}+I_{\rm field}.$$ Here $$I_{\rm field}=-\frac{1}{8\pi}\int{\rm d}^4x\left(
\eta^{\alpha\beta}\varphi_\alpha\varphi_\beta+k_0^2\varphi^2\right)$$ is an action functional for a massive scalar field $\varphi$ in flat spacetime with metric tensor $\eta^{\alpha\beta}={\rm diag}(-1,1,1,1)$. The mass parameter $k_0$ is a constant with the dimension of reciprocal length. Its physical sense will be discussed below. The integration is performed over all the spacetime. The particle action is $$\label{SS}
I_{\rm part}=-m_0\int{\rm d}\tau\sqrt{-{\dot z}^2}$$ where $m_0$ is the bare mass of the particle which moves on a world line $\zeta\in{\mathbb M}_{\,4}$ described by relations $z^\alpha(\tau)$ which give the particle’s coordinates as functions of proper time; ${\dot
z}^\alpha(\tau)={\rm d} z^\alpha(\tau)/{\rm d}\tau$. Finally, the interaction term is given by $$I_{\rm int}=g\int{\rm d}\tau\sqrt{-{\dot z}^2}\varphi(z)$$ where $g$ is scalar charge carried by a point-like particle.
Variation on field variable $\varphi$ of action (\[Itot\]) yields the Klein-Gordon wave equation $$\label{KG}
\left(\square -k_0^2\right)\varphi(x)=-4\pi\rho (x),$$ where $\square=\eta^{\alpha\beta}\partial_\alpha\partial_\beta$ is the D’Alembert operator. We consider a scalar field $\varphi(x)$ with a point particle source $$\label{msrd}
\rho(x)=g\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}{\rm d}\tau \delta^4(x-z(\tau)),$$ where $g$ is coupling constant and $\delta^4(x-z(\tau))$ is a four-dimensional Dirac’s distribution localized on the world line: charge’s density is zero everywhere, except at the particle’s position where it is infinite.
The relevant wave equation for the Green’s function $G(x,y)$ is $$\label{Gwe}
\left(\square -k_0^2\right)G(x-y)=-\delta^4(x-y).$$ Its solution is the symmetric Green’s function [@Pois; @Kos] $$\label{GmS}
G^{\rm sym}(x-y)=\frac{1}{4\pi}\left[
\delta(\sigma)-\frac{k_0}{\sqrt{-2\sigma}}J_1(k_0\sqrt{-2\sigma})
\theta(-\sigma)\right],$$ where $J_1$ is the first order Bessel’s function whose argument contains Synge’s world function (\[Sng\]).
Convoluting the retarded Green’s function $$\begin{aligned}
\label{GmscR}
G^{\rm ret}(x-y)&=&\theta(x^0-y^0)G^{\rm sym}(x-y)\\
&=&\frac{1}{4\pi}\left[
\frac{\delta(T-R)}{R}-
\theta(T-R)\frac{k_0J_1(k_0\sqrt{T^2-R^2})}{\sqrt{T^2-R^2}}
\right],\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ where $T=x^0-y^0$ and $R=|{\mathbf x}-{\mathbf y}|$ with charge density (\[msrd\]), we construct the massive scalar field. The delta-function in eq.(\[GmscR\]) results direct term which is generated by a single event in space-time: the intersection of the world line and $x$’s past light cone. The Heaviside stepfunction extends the support to the segment of $\zeta$ that corresponds to the interval $\tau\in]-\infty,\tau^{\rm ret}(x)]$. Summing up the direct term and the tail term, we construct the retarded potential produced by an arbitrarily moving point-like source coupled to massive scalar field [@Kos; @HC; @H1]: $$\label{sg-sm}
\varphi^{\rm ret}(x)=\frac{g}{r}-g\int\limits_{-\infty}^{\tau^{\rm
ret}(x)} {\rm d}\tau \frac{k_0J_1[k_0\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}]}{\sqrt{-(K\cdot
K)}}.$$ The first term is referred to the retarded point $z^{\rm ret}$ associated with $x$; $r$ is the retarded distance between $z^{\rm ret}$ and $x$. $K=x-z(\tau)$ is four-vector pointing from $z(\tau)\in\zeta$ to a point $x$ where the potential $\varphi$ is observed (see Figure \[ret1\]).
Convolution of the advanced Green’s function $$\begin{aligned}
\label{GmscA}
G^{\rm adv}(x-y)&=&\theta(-x^0+y^0)G^{\rm sym}(x-y)\\
&=&\frac{1}{4\pi}\left[
\frac{\delta(T+R)}{R}-
\theta(-T-R)\frac{k_0J_1(k_0\sqrt{T^2-R^2})}{\sqrt{T^2-R^2}}
\right]\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ coupled with the $\delta$-like density (\[msrd\]) is analogous to the manipulations with its retarded counterpart. The advanced potential $$\label{sg-adv}
\varphi^{\rm adv}(x)=\frac{g}{r_
{\rm adv}}-g\int\limits^{+\infty}_{\tau^{\rm
adv}(x)} {\rm d}\tau
\frac{k_0J_1[k_0\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}]}{\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}}$$ is generated by the point charge during its entire future history following the advanced time associated with $x$ (see Figure \[adv1\]). Particle’s characteristics in the direct term are referred to the instant $\tau^{\rm
adv}(x)$.
The simplest scalar field is generated by an unmoved source placed at the coordinate origin [@Bha; @CM]: $$\label{YuP}
\varphi_{\rm Yu}(x)=g\frac{\exp(-k_0r)}{r}.$$ Here $r=\sqrt{(x^1)^2+(x^2)^2+(x^3)^2}$ is the distance to the charge. It is the well-known Yukawa potential which plays an important role in the theory of nucleon-nucleon interactions.
Scalar field strengths {#field-sc}
======================
Let two particles interact through a massive scalar field. Static charge $g_1$ placed at the coordinate origin generates the Yukawa field with components $$\begin{aligned}
\Phi_i(x)&=&\frac{\partial\varphi_{\rm Yu}}{\partial x^i}\\
&=&-g_1\frac{e^{-k_0r}}{r^2}\left(1+k_0r\right)n_i,\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ where $n_i=x_i/r$ is unit direction vector and $r$ is the distance to the charge. This charge exerts another one, say $g_2$, with the force $$\label{YukFrc}
{\mathbf
F}_{12}=-g_1g_2\frac{e^{-k_0r_{12}}}{r_{12}^2}\left(1+k_0r\right)
{\mathbf n}_{12},$$ where ${\mathbf n}_{12}$ is unit vector codirectional with the radius vector ${\mathbf r}_{12}$ drawing from particle $1$ to particle $2$. The force is attractive if $g_1$ and $g_2$ are of like sign. The charges can be interpreted as nucleons which attract each other and are bound in a nucleus. The force (\[YukFrc\]) elucidates also why a neutron repels an antineutron.
In general, the action (\[Itot\]) can be considered as a classical version of the Yukawa model for strongly interacting nucleons. It is assumed that the neutrons and protons are joint together by a massive pseudoscalar pion field. Parameter $k_0$ associates with the rest mass of a massive scalar field particle mediating the interaction. The parameter acts as a cutoff: the heavier is the field particle, the shorter is range of Yukawa force. Yukawa force is essential at a distance about $1/k_0$.
Let us derive the field produced by an arbitrarily moving scalar charge. Scalar field strengths are given by the gradient of the potential (\[sg-sm\]). Differentiation of the direct term yields $$\label{Psrt}
\frac{\partial\varphi^{\rm ret}_{\rm dir}(x)}{\partial
x^\mu}=-g\left[
\frac{[1+(K\cdot a)]K_\mu}{r^3}-\frac{u_\mu}{r^2}
\right]_{\tau=\tau^{\rm ret}(x)}.$$ Further we differentiate the tail term in the potential (\[sg-sm\]) which arises from source contributions interior to the light cone. Apart from the integral $$\label{fth}
\Phi_\mu^{(\theta)}(x)=g\int\limits_{-\infty}^{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)} {\rm
d}\tau k_0^2
\frac{{\rm d}}{{\rm d}W}\left(\frac{J_1(W)}{W}\right)k_0
\frac{K_\mu}{\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}}$$ the gradient $\Phi_{{\rm tail},\mu}=\Phi_\mu^{(\theta)}+\Phi_\mu^{(\delta)}$ contains also local term $$\label{fdl}
\Phi_\mu^{(\delta)}(x)=gk_0^2\left.\frac{J_1(W)}{W}
\frac{K_\mu}{r}\right|_{\tau=\tau^{\rm ret}}$$ which is due to time-dependent upper limit of integral in eq.(\[sg-sm\]). Argument of Bessel’s function $W:=k_0\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}$.
To simplify the tail contribution us much us possible we use the identity $$\frac{k_0}{\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}}=\frac{1}{(K\cdot u)}
\frac{{\rm d}W}{{\rm d}\tau}$$ in the integral (\[fth\]) and perform integration by parts. On rearrangement, we add it to the expression (\[fdl\]). The term which depends on the end points only annuls $f_\mu^{(\delta)}$. Finally, the gradient of tail term of the potential (\[sg-sm\]) becomes $$\label{grad-tl}
\frac{\partial\varphi^{\rm ret}_{\rm tail}(x)}{\partial
x^\mu}=
g\int\limits_{-\infty}^{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)} {\rm d}\tau
k_0^2\frac{J_1(W)}{W}\left[\frac{1+(K\cdot a)}{r^2}K_\mu-
\frac{u_\mu}{r}\right].$$ The particle’s position, velocity, and acceleration under the integral sign are evaluated at instant $\tau\le \tau^{\rm ret}(x)$. The invariant quantity $$\label{rint-sc}
r=-(K\cdot u)$$ is an affine parameter on the time-like geodesic that links $x$ to $z(\tau)$; it can be loosely interpreted as the time delay between $x$ and $z(\tau)$ as measured by an observer moving with the particle. (For such hypothetic observer the particle is momentarily at rest: its four-velocity $u^\alpha=(1,0,0,0)$.)
Because of asymptotic behavior of the first order Bessel’s function with argument $W:=k_0\sqrt{-(K\cdot K)}$ the retarded field $$\begin{aligned}
\label{Fmret}
\Phi_\mu^{\rm ret}(x)&=&
\frac{\partial\varphi^{\rm ret}(x)}{\partial x^\mu}\\
&=&-g\frac{1+(K\cdot a)}{r^3}K_\mu+g\frac{u_\mu}{r^2} +
g\int\limits_{-\infty}^{\tau^{\rm ret}(x)} {\rm d}\tau
k_0^2\frac{J_1(W)}{W}\left[\frac{1+(K\cdot a)}{r^2}K_\mu-
\frac{u_\mu}{r}\right]\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ is finite on the light cone where $W=0$. It diverges on the particle’s trajectory only. Indeed, if the point of emission $z(\tau)$ approaches the field point $x$, all the components of four-vector $K=x-z(\tau)$ becomes infinitesimal ones and the distance (\[rint-sc\]) tends to zero.
The advanced field $$\begin{aligned}
\label{Fmadv}
\Phi_\mu^{\rm adv}(x)&=&
\frac{\partial\varphi^{\rm adv}(x)}{\partial x^\mu}\\
&=&-g\frac{1+(K\cdot
a)}{(r_{\rm adv})^3}K_\mu-g\frac{u_\mu}{(r_{\rm adv})^2} +
g\int\limits^{+\infty}_{\tau^{\rm adv}(x)} {\rm d}\tau
k_0^2\frac{J_1(W)}{W}\left[\frac{1+(K\cdot a)}{r^2}K_\mu-
\frac{u_\mu}{r}\right]\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ depends on particle’s future history (see Figure \[adv1\]). Particle’s characteristics in the direct part are referred to the advanced instant $\tau^{\rm adv}(x)$.
Scalar radiation {#Sc-rad}
================
The action (\[Itot\]) is invariant under infinitesimal transformations (translations and rotations) which constitute the Poincaré group. According to Noether’s theorem, these symmetry properties yield conservation laws, i.e. those quantities that do not change with time. Outgoing radiation removes energy, momentum, and angular momentum from the source. The quantities are defined in standard way [@Rohr], as flows of the stress-energy tensor density $\hat T$ $$\label{sc-p}
p_{\rm sc}^\nu(\tau)=\int_{\Sigma}{\rm d}\sigma_\mu T_{\rm sc}^{\mu\nu},$$ and its torque $$\label{sc-M}
M_{\rm sc}^{\mu\nu}(\tau)=\int_{\Sigma}{\rm d}\sigma_\alpha\left(x^\mu
T_{\rm sc}^{\nu\alpha}-x^\nu T_{\rm sc}^{\mu\alpha}\right),$$ that flow across a space-like surface $\Sigma$ which intersects a world line at point $z(\tau)$; ${\rm d}\sigma_\mu$ is the vectorial surface element on $\Sigma$. While the stress-energy tensor is quite different than that in classical electrodynamics: $$\label{T}
4\pi T_{\mu\nu}=\frac{\partial\varphi}{\partial x^\mu}
\frac{\partial\varphi}{\partial x^\nu}-\frac{\eta_{\mu\nu}}{2}
\left(
\eta^{\alpha\beta}\frac{\partial\varphi}{\partial x^\alpha}
\frac{\partial\varphi}{\partial x^\beta}+k_0^2\varphi^2
\right),$$ (see Refs.[@CM; @Cw69; @Cw70]). To prepare the way for our discussion of a self-force acted on a point-like source coupled with massive scalar field, we consider first the relatively simple case of a massless scalar field.
Massless scalar radiation {#massless}
-------------------------
Let parameter $k_0=0$. The rate of change of the energy-momentum of the retarded field is computed by means of the stress-energy tensor (\[T\]) where field tensor components are replaced by the direct field strengths (\[Psrt\]). We call the part of massless scalar field which scales as $r^{-1}$ the radiative part of field: $$\label{frad}
\Phi_\mu^{\rm rad}(x)=-\frac{e}{r}(a\cdot k)k_\mu.$$ (Null vector $k^\mu=K^\mu/r$ is normalized in such a way that scalar product $(k\cdot u)=-1$.) The part which scales as $r^{-2}$ does not involve the acceleration: $$\label{fbnd}
\Phi_\mu^{\rm bnd}(x)=-\frac{e}{r^2}\left(k_\mu-u_\mu\right).$$ This is the bound part of field. Following Teitelboim [@Teit], we decompose the stress-energy tensor into bound and radiative parts which are separately conserved off the world line. To calculate the radiative part it is straightforward to substitute eq.(\[frad\]) into eq.(\[T\]): $$\label{sc-Trad}
4\pi T_{\rm rad}^{\mu\nu}=\frac{g^2}{r^2}(a\cdot k)^2k^\mu k^\nu.$$ The bound part $$\label{sc-Tbnd}
4\pi T_{\rm bnd}^{\mu\nu}=T_{(-4)}^{\mu\nu}+T_{(-3)}^{\mu\nu}$$ is the combinations of terms which depend on the retarded distance as $r^{-4}$ and $r^{-3}$, respectively: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{sf-T4}
4\pi T_{(-4)}^{\mu\nu}&=&\frac{g^2}{r^4}\left(
k^\mu k^\nu-k^\mu u^\nu-u^\mu k^\nu+u^\mu u^\nu-\frac12\eta^{\mu\nu}
\right),\\
4\pi T_{(-3)}^{\mu\nu}&=&\frac{g^2}{r^3}(a\cdot
k)\left(\phantom{\frac11}\!\!\!\!
2k^\mu k^\nu-k^\mu u^\nu-u^\mu k^\nu-\eta^{\mu\nu}\right).\label{sf-T3}\end{aligned}$$ To decompose the angular momentum tensor density $$\label{M}
M^{\mu\nu\alpha}=x^\mu T^{\nu\alpha}-x^\nu T^{\mu\alpha}.$$ into the bound component and the radiative component, we use the formulae presented firstly in pioneer work [@LV]: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{Mbnd}
M_{\rm bnd}^{\mu\nu\alpha}&=&z^\mu T_{\rm bnd}^{\nu\alpha} -
z^\nu T_{\rm bnd}^{\mu\alpha} +
K^\mu T_{\rm (-4)}^{\nu\alpha} - K^\nu T_{\rm (-4)}^{\mu\alpha},
\\
M_{\rm rad}^{\mu\nu\alpha}&=&x^\mu T_{\rm rad}^{\nu\alpha} -
x^\nu T_{\rm rad}^{\mu\alpha} +
K^\mu T_{\rm (-3)}^{\nu\alpha} - K^\nu T_{\rm (-3)}^{\mu\alpha}.
\label{Mrad}\end{aligned}$$
We enclose particle’s world line by a very thin tube [@Bha] of constant radius $r$ and calculate fluxes of the stress-energy tensor (\[sc-p\]) and its torque (\[sc-M\]) through this surface. An appropriate coordinates are the retarded coordinates [@Pois Chapt.II] locally given by $$\label{coord}
x^\alpha=z^\alpha(s)+rk^\alpha.$$ Here $z(s)\in\zeta$ is the retarded point associated with a field point $x$, $r$ is the retarded distance between these points, and $k^\alpha(x)$ is a null vector field tangent to the congruence of null rays that emanate from $z(s)$.
Globally, the flat space-time ${\Bbb M}_{\,4}$ can be thought as a disjoint union of world tubes of all possible radii $r>0$. A world tube is a disjoint union of spheres of constant radii $r$ centered on a world line of the particle. The sphere $S(z(s),r)$ is the intersection of the future light cone generated by null rays emanating from point $z(s)\in\zeta$ in all possible directions $$\label{C0}
C^+(z(s))=\{x\in {\Bbb M}_{\,4}:
\eta_{\alpha\beta}\left(x^\alpha-z^\alpha(s)\right)
\left(x^\beta-z^\beta(s)\right)=0, x^0-z^0(s)>0\}$$ and the tilted hyperplane $$\label{Ksi}
\Sigma(z(s),r)=\{x\in {\Bbb M}_{\,4}:
u_\alpha(s)\left(x^\alpha
-z^\alpha(s)-u^\alpha(s)r\right)=0\}.$$ Points on the sphere $S(z(s),r)=C^+(z(s))\cap\Sigma(z(s),r)$ are distinguished by pair of angles: polar angle $\vartheta$ and azimuthal one $\varphi$, which specify direction of null vector $k$ (see. [@Pois Chapt.II, Fig.7]).
A point in Minkowski space can be specified therefore by means of curvilinear coordinates $(s,r,\vartheta,\varphi)$. To define a retarded coordinate system, we choose an origin point $z(s)$ on particle’s world line, future light cone (\[C0\]) with vertex at this point, and tilted hyperplane (\[Ksi\]) orthogonal to particle’s four-velocity $u(s)$. The relation between Minkowski coordinates and retarded coordinates is given by eq.(\[coord\]).
We restrict ourselves to calculation of radiative parts of energy, momentum, and angular momentum. The technique developed in Ref.[@PoisPr] can be easily adapted to this task. The outward directed surface element ${\rm d}\sigma_\mu$ of the cylinder $r=const$ is $$\label{dsgm}
{\rm d}\sigma_\mu=r^2\left[-u_\mu+(1+ra_k)k_\mu\right]{\rm d}s\wedge{\rm
d}\Omega,$$ where $a_k:=(a\cdot k)$ is the component of particle’s acceleration in the direction $k$ and ${\rm d}\Omega=\sin\vartheta{\rm d}\vartheta\wedge{\rm
d}\varphi$ is the element of a solid angle. The radiative part of energy-momentum carried by the massless scalar field is $$\begin{aligned}
\label{p_sc}
p_{\rm dir,R}^\nu(\tau)&=&\int_{\Sigma_r}{\rm d}\sigma_\mu T_{\rm
rad}^{\mu\nu}\\
&=&\frac{1}{4\pi}\int\limits_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}s
\int{\rm d}\Omega r^2\left[-u_\mu+(1+ra_k)k_\mu\right]
\frac{g^2}{r^2}(a\cdot k)^2k^\mu k^\nu\nonumber\\
&=&\frac{g^2}{3}\int\limits_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}sa^2(s)u^\nu(s).\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ Integration over angular variables is handled via the relations [@PoisPr]: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{k-Om}
&&\frac{1}{4\pi}\int{\rm d}\Omega=1,\\
&&\frac{1}{4\pi}\int{\rm d}\Omega k^\alpha=u^\alpha,\nonumber\\
&&\frac{1}{4\pi}\int{\rm d}\Omega
k^\alpha k^\beta=\frac{4}{3}u^\alpha u^\beta+
\frac13\eta^{\alpha\beta},\nonumber\\
&&\frac{1}{4\pi}\int{\rm d}\Omega k^\alpha k^\beta k^\gamma=
2u^\alpha u^\beta u^\gamma +\frac13 u^\alpha\eta^{\beta\gamma}
+\frac13 u^\beta\eta^{\alpha\gamma}+\frac13 u^\gamma\eta^{\alpha\beta}
.\nonumber\end{aligned}$$
The computation of radiated angular momentum is virtually identical to that presented above and we do not bother with details. Resulting expression is as follows: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{M_sc}
M_{\rm dir,R}^{\mu\nu}(\tau)&=&\frac{g^2}{3}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}
s\left\{
\phantom{\frac11}\!\!\!\!
a^2(s)\left[\phantom{\frac11}\!\!\!\!
z^\mu(s)u^\nu(s)-z^\nu(s)u^\mu(s)\right]\right.\\
&+&\left.u^\mu(s)a^\nu(s)-u^\nu(s)a^\mu(s)\phantom{\frac11}\!\!\!\!\right\}.
\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ We see that the radiated energy-momentum carried by massless scalar field is equal to one-half of the well-known Larmor rate of radiation integrated over the world line. Similarly, the radiated angular momentum is equal to the one-half of corresponding quantity in classical electrodynamics [@LV]. This finding is in line with expressions obtained in [@HC; @H1; @BV] for massless scalar self-force.
Radiation carried by massive scalar field {#massive}
-----------------------------------------
In this Section we decompose the energy-momentum and angular momentum carried by massive scalar field into the bound and radiative parts. The bound terms will be absorbed by particle’s individual characteristics while the radiative terms exert the radiation reaction. We do not calculate the flows of the massive scalar field across a thin tube around a world line of the source. To extract the appropriate finite parts of energy-momentum and angular momentum we apply the scheme developed in Refs.[@Yar3D; @Y3D]. The scheme summarizes cumbersome calculations of flows of energy, momentum, and angular momentum carried by electromagnetic field of a point-like source arbitrarily moving in flat space-time of three dimensions. In $2+1$ electrodynamics both the electromagnetic potential and the electromagnetic field are non-local: they depend not only on the current state of motion of the particle, but also on its past (or future) history. The scalar field strengths (\[Fmret\]) and (\[Fmadv\]) behave analogously.
To find the tail parts of radiated Noether quantities sourced by the interior of light cone we deal with the retarded and the advanced fields defined on the world line only: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{tlFret}
F_\mu^{\rm ret}&=&g\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm d}\tau_2 f(z_1,z_2),\\
F_\mu^{\rm adv}&=&g\int^{\tau}_{\tau_1}{\rm d}\tau_2 f(z_1,z_2).
\label{tlFadv}\end{aligned}$$ The integrand is $$\label{f_m}
f_\mu(z_1,z_2)=gk_0\frac{J_1[k_0\sqrt{-(q\cdot q)}]}{\sqrt{-(q\cdot q)}}
\left[\frac{1+(q\cdot a_2)}{r_2^2}q_\mu- \frac{u_{2,\mu}}{r_2}\right]$$ where $w=k_0\sqrt{-(q\cdot q)}$. Time-like vector $q^\mu=z_1^\mu-z_2^\mu$ connects an emission point $z(\tau_2)\in\zeta$ with a field point $z(\tau_1)\in\zeta$; $r_2=-(q\cdot u_2)$. In the forthcoming expressions up to the end of the present paper index $1$ indicates that the particle’s velocity or position is referred to the instant $\tau_1\in ]-\infty,\tau]$ while index $2$ says that the particle’s characteristics are evaluated at instant $\tau_2$ before $\tau$.
Let’s explain how these fields appeared. In case we do decide to integrate of energy and momentum densities over $\Sigma$ [@Yar3D], we should study of interference of outgoing scalar waves emitted by different points on particle’s world line. This is because massive scalar waves propagate not just at a speed of light, but also at all speeds smaller than or equal to the speed of light. The world tube is not convenient to study the interference. The tilted hyperplane which plays privileged role in the radiation reaction problem in classical electrodynamics [@Teit] is not suitable for our purpose too. The reason is that there is no a plane which is orthogonal to the particle’s 4-velocities at [*all*]{} points on $\zeta$ before the end point $z(\tau)=\zeta\cap\Sigma$. In Refs.[@Yar3D; @Y3D] we choose the simplest plane $\Sigma_t=\{x\in{\mathbb
M}_{\,3}: x^0=t\}$ associated with an unmoving inertial observer. Non-covariant terms arise unavoidable due to integration over this surface. To reveal meaningful contribution in radiated energy-momentum we apply the criteria which were first formulated in [@Teit Table 1]:
- the bound term diverges while the radiative one is finite;
- the bound component depends on the momentary state of the particle’s motion while the radiative one is accumulated with time; and
- the form of the bound terms heavily depends on choosing of an integration surface while the radiative terms are invariant.
Since the stress-energy tensor, either electromagnetic or scalar, is quadratic in field strengths, we should [*twice*]{} integrate it over $\zeta$ in order to calculate its flux (\[sc-p\]) through $\Sigma_t$. Figures \[int\_ret\] and \[int\_adv\] picture the interference of the disk emanated by fixed point $z(\tau_1)\in\zeta$ with radiation generated by portion of the world line from the remote past to the observation instant $\tau$. Cumbersome calculations performed in [@Yar3D] can be summarized as a simple scheme which can be easily adopted to case of massive scalar field.
$\qquad$
$\qquad$
1. Integration of the stress-energy tensor density over $\Sigma_t$ yields [ *action at a distance*]{} theory which manipulates with fields evaluated on the world line only.
2. In case of combination of waves pictured in Fig.\[int\_ret\] the surface integration (\[sc-p\]) of the stress-energy tensor contributes in [ *radiated*]{} energy-momentum one-half of the work $$\label{pret}
p_{\rm ret}^\mu=-\frac{1}{2}
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1 F_{\rm ret}^\mu(\tau_1)$$ of the retarded tail force (\[tlFret\]) acting on the charge itself. (The charge “fills” its own massive field just as an external one.)
The surface integration of the angular momentum tensor density (\[sc-M\]) gives one-half of the path integral of the torque of force (\[tlFret\]): $$\label{Mret}
M_{\rm ret}^{\mu\nu}=-\frac{1}{2}
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1 \left[
z_1^\mu F_{\rm ret}^\nu(\tau_1)-z_1^\nu F_{\rm ret}^\mu(\tau_1)
\right].$$
3. Interference of outgoing scalar waves pictured in Fig.\[int\_adv\] takes away from [*radiated*]{} energy-momentum one-half of the work $$\label{padv}
p_{\rm adv}^\mu=-\frac{1}{2}
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1 F_{\rm adv}^\mu(\tau_1)$$ of the advanced tail force (\[tlFadv\]) acting on the charge itself. The surface integration of the angular momentum tensor density gives one-half of the path integral of the torque of advanced force (\[tlFadv\]): $$\label{Madv}
M_{\rm adv}^{\mu\nu}=-\frac{1}{2}
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1 \left[
z_1^\mu F_{\rm adv}^\nu(\tau_1)-z_1^\nu F_{\rm adv}^\mu(\tau_1)
\right].$$
4. The the support of double integral $\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d}\tau_1\int_{\tau_1}^\tau {\rm d}\tau_2$ coincides with the support of the integral $\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d}\tau_2\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_2}{\rm d}\tau_1$ (see Figs. \[int\_ret\] and \[int\_adv\]). Since instants $\tau_1$ and $\tau_2$ label different points at the same world line $\zeta$, one can interchanges the indices “first” and “second” in the integrand. Via interchanging of these indices we finally obtain $\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm
d}\tau_1\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm d}\tau_2 g(\tau_2,\tau_1)$ instead of initial $\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d}\tau_1\int_{\tau_1}^\tau {\rm d}\tau_2
g(\tau_1,\tau_2)$.
5. The radiative part of energy-momentum carried by massive scalar field is therefore $$\begin{aligned}
\label{pmR}
p^R_{{\rm tail},\mu}&=-&\frac{1}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d}\tau_1\left(
F^{\rm ret}_\mu-F^{\rm adv}_\mu\right)\\
&=&-\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm
d}\tau_1\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm
d}\tau_2\left(f_\mu(z_1,z_2)-f_\mu(z_2,z_1)\right).\nonumber \end{aligned}$$ Both the radiated angular momentum $$\begin{aligned}
\label{MmR}
M^R_{{\rm tail},\mu\nu}&=&-\frac{1}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm
d}\tau_1\left[
z_{1,\mu}\left( F^{\rm ret}_\nu-F^{\rm adv}_\nu\right)
-z_{1,\nu}\left( F^{\rm ret}_\mu-F^{\rm adv}_\mu\right)\right]\\
&=&-\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm
d}\tau_1\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm
d}\tau_2
\left\{\!\!\!\!\phantom{\frac11}
z_{1,\mu}f_\nu(z_1,z_2)-z_{1,\nu}f_\mu(z_1,z_2)\right.
\nonumber\\
&-&\left.\left[z_{2,\mu}f_\nu(z_2,z_1)
-z_{2,\nu}f_\mu(z_2,z_1)\right]\!\!\!\!\phantom{\frac11}\right\}.\nonumber \end{aligned}$$ and energy-momentum (\[pmR\]) exert the radiation reaction.
Now we evaluate the “upper-limit” behavior of the tail Noether quantities. By this we mean the coincidence limit $\tau_2\to\tau_1$ of the of the expressions under the double integrals in eqs. (\[pmR\]) and (\[MmR\]), namely $$\label{p_nlrad}
p_{\rm tail,R}^\mu=-\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1
\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm d}\tau_2
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_2)}{r_2^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_2^\mu}{r_2}
+\frac{1-(q\cdot a_1)}{r_1^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_1^\mu}{r_1}
\right]$$ and $$\begin{aligned}
\label{M_nlrad}
M_{\rm tail,R}^{\mu\nu}=\frac{g^2}{2}
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm d}\tau_2
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot
a_2)}{r_2^2}\left(z_1^\mu z_2^\nu -z_1^\nu z_2^\mu\right)
+\frac{z_1^\mu u_2^\nu-z_1^\nu u_2^\mu}{r_2}
\right.\nonumber\\
\left.+\frac{1-(q\cdot
a_1)}{r_1^2}\left(z_1^\mu z_2^\nu -z_1^\nu z_2^\mu\right)
+\frac{z_2^\mu u_1^\nu-z_2^\nu u_1^\mu}{r_1}
\right].\end{aligned}$$ Let $\tau_1$ be fixed and $\tau_1-\tau_2:=\Delta$ be a small parameter. With a degree of accuracy sufficient for our purposes $$\begin{aligned}
\label{delta}
\sqrt{-(q\cdot q)}&=&\Delta\\
q^\mu&=&\Delta\left[u_1^\mu-a_1^\mu\frac{\Delta}{2}+
{\dot a}_1^\mu\frac{\Delta^2}{6}\right]\nonumber\\
u_2^\mu&=&u_1^\mu-a_1^\mu\Delta+{\dot a}_1^\mu\frac{\Delta^2}{2}.\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ Substituting these into integrands of the double integrals of eqs. (\[p\_nlrad\]) and (\[M\_nlrad\]) and passing to the limit $\Delta\to 0$ yields vanishing expression. Hence the subscript “R” stands for “regular” as well as for “radiative”.
In the specific case of a uniformly moving source $q^\mu=u^\mu
(\tau_1-\tau_2)$ and $r_1=r_2=\tau_1-\tau_2$. It immediately gives $f_\mu(z_1,z_2)=f_\mu(z_2,z_1)$ and, therefore, the integrands in eqs. (\[p\_nlrad\]) and (\[M\_nlrad\]) are identically equal to zero. The local parts of radiation (\[p\_sc\]) and (\[M\_sc\]) vanish if $u^\mu={\rm const}$. As could be expected, nonaccelerating scalar charge does not radiate.
In the following Section we check the formulae (\[pmR\]) and (\[MmR\]) via analysis of energy-momentum and angular momentum balance equations. Analogous equations yield correct equation of motion of radiating charge in conventional electrodynamics [@Y4D] as well as in flat spacetime of six dimensions [@Y6D]. It is reasonable to expect that conservation laws result correct equation of motion of point-like source coupled with massive scalar field where radiation back reaction is taken into account.
Balance equations {#meq}
=================
The equation of motion of radiating pole of massive scalar field was derived by Harish-Chandra [@HC] in 1946. (An alternative derivation was produced by Havas and Crownfield in [@HvC].) Following the method of Dirac [@Dir], Harish-Chandra enclosed the world line of the particle by a narrow tube, the radius of which will in the end be made to tend to zero. The author calculates the flow of energy and momentum out of the portion of the tube in presence of an external field. The condition was imposed that the flow depends only on the states at the two ends of the tube (the so-called “inflow theorem”, see [@BHC44; @BHC]). After integration over the tube along the world line and a limiting procedure, the equation of motion was derived. In our notation it looks as follows: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{HCme}
&&\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!m_0a_\tau^\mu-\frac{g^2}{3}\left({\dot a}^\mu_\tau
-a^2_\tau u^\mu_\tau\right)-\frac{g^2}{2}k_0^2u_\tau^\mu
+g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^4\frac{J_2(w)}{w^2}q^\mu
+g^2\frac{{\rm d}}{{\rm d}\tau}\left(u_\tau^\mu\int_{-\infty}^\tau
{\rm d} sk_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\right)\nonumber\\
&=&g\eta^{\mu\alpha}\frac{\partial \varphi_{\rm ext}}{\partial
z^\alpha}+g\frac{{\rm d}}{{\rm d}\tau}\left(u_\tau^\mu \varphi_{\rm
ext}\right)\end{aligned}$$ where $m_0$ is an arbitrary constant identified with the mass of the particle and $\varphi_{\rm ext}$ is the scalar potential of the external field evaluated at the current position of the particle. $J_2(w)$ is the second order Bessel’s function of $w=k_0\sqrt{-(q\cdot q)}$. In this Section the Harish-Chandra equation will be obtained via analysis of energy-momentum and angular momentum balance equations.
In previous Section we introduce the radiative part $p_{\rm R}=p_{\rm
dir,R}+p_{\rm tail,R}$ of energy-momentum carried by the field. It defines loss of energy and momentum due to scalar radiation. The bound part, $p_{\rm
S}$, is absorbed by particle’s 4-momentum so that dressed scalar charge would not undergo any additional radiation reaction. Already renormalized particle’s individual four-momentum, say $p_{\rm part}$, together with $p_{\rm R}$ constitute the total energy-momentum of our composite particle plus field system: $P=p_{\rm part}+p_{\rm R}$. We suppose that the external scalar force $g\Phi_{\rm ext}$ matches the change of $P$ with time: $$\label{blp-sc}
{\dot p}^\mu_{\rm part}+{\dot p}^\mu_{\rm R}=g\Phi^\mu_{\rm ext}.$$ The overdot indicates differentiation with respect to proper time parameter $\tau$.
Differentiating the tail contribution (\[p\_nlrad\]) in radiated energy-momentum, we obtain the single path integral: $$\label{dotp-sc}
{\dot p}^\mu_{\rm tail}(\tau)=-\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d} s
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_s)}{r_s^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_s^\mu}{r_s}+\frac{1-(q\cdot
a_\tau)}{r_\tau^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_\tau^\mu}{r_\tau}\right].$$ Here index $\tau$ indicates that particle’s position, velocity, or acceleration is referred to the observation instant $\tau$ while index $s$ says that the particle’s characteristics are evaluated at instant $s\le\tau$. The expression should be added to the proper time derivative of energy-momentum (\[p\_sc\]) carried by a massless scalar field. Substituting the sum ${\dot p}_{\rm dir}+{\dot p}_{\rm tail}$ for ${\dot
p}_{\rm R}$ into eq.(\[blp-sc\]), we obtain the energy-momentum balance equation: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{pdot-sc}
{\dot p}^\mu_{\rm part}(\tau)&=&-\frac{g^2}{3}a^2(\tau)u^\mu_\tau
+\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d} s
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_s)}{r_s^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_s^\mu}{r_s}
+\frac{1-(q\cdot
a_\tau)}{r_\tau^2}q^\mu\right.\nonumber\\
&-&\left.\frac{u_\tau^\mu}{r_\tau}\right]
+g\Phi^\mu_{\rm ext}.\end{aligned}$$ Our next task is to derive expression which explain how four-momentum of “dressed” scalar charge depends on its individual characteristics (velocity, position, mass etc.).
We do not make any assumptions about the particle structure, its charge distribution and its size. We only assume that the particle four-momentum $p_{\rm part}$ is finite. To find out the desired expression we analyze conserved quantities corresponding to the invariance of the theory under proper homogeneous Lorentz transformations. The total angular momentum, say $M$, consists of particle’s angular momentum $z\wedge p_{\rm part}$ and radiative part of angular momentum carried by massive scalar field: $$\label{Mtot-sc}
M^{\mu\nu}=z_\tau^\mu p_{\rm part}^\nu(\tau)
- z_\tau^\nu p_{\rm part}^\mu(\tau) + M^{\mu\nu}_{\rm R}(\tau).$$ The radiated angular momentum $M^{\mu\nu}_{\rm R}=M^{\mu\nu}_{\rm R,dir}+
M^{\mu\nu}_{\rm R,tail}$ is determined by eqs. (\[M\_sc\]) (direct part) and (\[M\_nlrad\]) (tail part), respectively. We assume that the torque $g(z_\tau^\mu\Phi^\nu_{\rm ext}-z_\tau^\nu\Phi^\mu_{\rm ext})$ of the external force matches the change of $M$ with time. Having differentiated the angular momentum expression (\[Mtot-sc\]) and inserting eq.(\[pdot-sc\]), we arrive at the equality $$\label{Mdot-sc}
u_\tau\wedge \left(p_{\rm part}+\frac{g^2}{3}a_\tau+
\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}
\frac{q}{r_\tau}\right)=0,$$ where $r_\tau=-(q\cdot u(\tau))$. Symbol $\wedge$ denotes the wedge product.
Apart from usual velocity term, the 4-momentum of dressed scalar charge contains also a contribution from field: $$\label{ppart}
p_{\rm part}^\mu=mu_\tau^\mu-\frac{g^2}{3}a_\tau^\mu-
\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}
\frac{q^\mu}{r_\tau}.$$ The local part is the scalar analog of Teitelboim’s expression [@Teit] for individual 4-momentum of a dressed electric charge in classical. The tail term is then nothing but the bound part of energy-momentum carried by the massive scalar field: $$\label{pmS}
p_{\rm tail,S}^\mu=-\frac12\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1\left(F_{\rm
ret}^\mu+F_{\rm adv}^\mu\right).$$ The bound part of the field energy-momentum is permanently “attached” to the charge and is carried along with it. It is worth noting that the expression under the integral sign does not diverge if $s\to\tau$. The “local” Coulomb-like infinity is the only divergency stemming from the pointness of the source (see \[unmvd\]).
In the specific case uniform motion $u^\mu={\rm const}$ and argument of Bessel’s function simplifies: $w=k_0(\tau-s)$. Similarly $q^\mu/r_\tau=u^\mu$. Since $$\label{b_int}
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d} s\frac{J_1[k_0(\tau -s)]}{\tau -s}=1,$$ the field generated by a uniformly moving charge contributes an amount $p^\mu_{\rm tail,S}=-1/2g^2k_0u^\mu$ to its energy-momentum. This finding is in line with that of \[unmvd\] where is established that if the particle is permanently at rest, the scalar meson field adds $-1/2g^2k_0$ to its energy.
The expression for the scalar function $m(\tau)$ is find in \[mass\] via analysis of differential consequences of conservation laws. We derive that [*already renormalized*]{} dynamical mass $m$ depends on particle’s evolution before the observation instant $\tau$: $$\label{mm}
m=m_0+g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d}
sk_0^2\frac{J_1[w(\tau,s)]}{w(\tau,s)}-
g\varphi_{\rm ext}.$$ The constant $m_0$ can be identified with the renormalization constant in action (\[Itot\]) which governs the dynamics of a point-like charge coupled to massive scalar field. $m_0$ absorbs Coulomb-like divergence stemming from local part of potential (\[sg-sm\]). It is of great importance that the dynamical mass, $m$, will vary with time: the particle will necessarily gain or lost its mass as a result of interactions with its own field as well as with the external one. The field of a uniformly moving charge contributes an amount $g^2k_0$ to its inertial mass.
To derive the effective equation of motion of radiating charge we replace ${\dot p}_{\rm part}^\mu$ in left-hand side of eq.(\[pdot-sc\]) by differential consequence of eq.(\[ppart\]). We apply the formula $$\label{df}
\frac{\partial}{\partial\tau}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d} sf(\tau,s)=
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d} s\left(\frac{\partial f}{\partial\tau}+
\frac{\partial f}{\partial s}\right).$$ At the end of a straightforward calculations, we obtain $$\label{me}
ma^\mu_\tau+{\dot m}u^\mu_\tau=\frac{g^2}{3}\left({\dot a}^\mu_\tau
-a^2_\tau u^\mu_\tau\right)
+ g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_s)}{r_s^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_s^\mu}{r_s}
\right]+g\Phi^\mu_{\rm ext},$$ where dynamical mass $m(\tau)$ is defined by eq.(\[mm\]). The direct part of the self-force is one-half of well-known Abraham radiation reaction vector, while the tail one is then nothing but the tail part of particle’s scalar field strengths (\[Fmret\]) acting upon itself.
Now we compare this effective equation of motion with the Harish-Chandra equation (\[HCme\]). The latter can be simplified substantially. Having used the recurrent relation $$\label{rcJ}
J_2(w)=\frac{J_1(w)}{w}-\frac{{\rm d} J_1(w)}{{\rm d}w}$$ between Bessel functions of order two and of order one, after integration by parts we obtain $$\label{rc}
g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^4\frac{J_2(w)}{w^2}q^\mu=
\frac{g^2}{2}k_0^2u_\tau^\mu -
g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_s)}{r_s^2}q^\mu-\frac{u_s^\mu}{r_s}
\right].$$ We also collect all the total time derivatives involved in Harish-Chandra equation (\[HCme\]). The term $m(\tau)u_\tau^\mu$ arises under the time derivative operator, where time-dependent function $m(\tau)$ is then nothing but the dynamical mass (\[mm\]) of the particle. On rearrangement, the Harish-Chandra equation of motion (\[HCme\]) coincides with the equation (\[me\]) which is obtained via analysis of balance equations. It is in favor of the renormalization scheme for tail theories developed in the present paper.
To clear physical sense of the effective equation of motion (\[me\]) we move the velocity term ${\dot m}u_\tau^\mu$ to the right-hand side of this equation: $$\label{meK}
m(\tau)a_\tau^\mu=\frac{g^2}{3}\left({\dot a}^\mu_\tau
-a^2_\tau u^\mu_\tau\right) + f_{\rm self}^\mu + f_{\rm ext}^\mu.$$ According to [@Kos], the scalar potential produces the Minkowski force $$f_{\rm ext}^\mu = g\left(\eta^{\mu\alpha} + u_\tau^\mu
u_\tau^\alpha\right)\frac{\partial\varphi_{\rm ext}}{\partial z^\alpha}$$ which is orthogonal to the particle’s 4-velocity. The self-force $$f_{\rm self}^\mu = g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^2
\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_s)}{r_s^2}\left(q^\mu-r_\tau u_\tau^\mu\right)
-\frac{u_s^\mu+(u_s\cdot u_\tau)u_\tau^\mu}{r_s}
\right]$$ is constructed analogously from the tail part of gradient (\[Fmret\]) of particle’s potential (\[sg-sm\]) supported on the world line $\zeta$. Indeed, since the massive scalar field propagates at all speeds smaller than the speed of light, the charge may “fill” its own field, which will act on it just like an external field. The own field contributes also to particle’s inertial mass $m(\tau)$ defined by eq.(\[mm\]).
Conclusions {#concl}
===========
In the present paper, we adopt the Dirac scheme of decomposition of the retarded Green’s function into symmetric (singular) and radiative (regular) parts to functions supported within light cones. The regularization scheme summarizes a scrupulous analysis of energy-momentum and angular momentum balance equations in $2+1$ electrodynamics [@Yar3D; @Y3D]. It differs from the approach developed by Detweiler and Whiting [@DW] on two “extra” entities: additional instant $\tau_1$ before the instant of observation and extra integration of the retarded and the advanced tail forces over particle’s path. So, the retarded tail force depends on the particle’s past history before $\tau_1<\tau$ (see Figure \[int\_ra\]). Its advanced counterpart is generated by portion of the world line that corresponds to the interval $[\tau_1,\tau]$. The tail part of radiated energy-momentum is one-half of the work done by the retarded force minus one-half of the work done by the advanced force, taken with opposite sign. This part of radiation detaches the point source and leads an independent existence.
The support of the advanced force is a portion of the world line that corresponds to finite time interval. It is presented implicitly in the Detweiler and Whiting construction where the tail term (\[DWadd\]) is introduced to achieve appropriate retarded causality. It “evaporates” in the coincidence limit $x\to z(\tau)$ at which its support $[\tau^{\rm
ret}(x),\tau^{\rm adv}(x)]$ shrinks to zero.
The one-half sum of the retarded and the advanced works is the bound part of tail energy-momentum which is permanently attached to the charge and is carried along with it. It modifies particle’s individual characteristics (its momentum and its inertial mass). A point source together with surrounded “cloud” constitute dressed charged particle.
Since the properties of the retarded and the advanced solutions of wave equation, the one-half sum is singular while one-half difference is regular at the location of the particle.
The bound and the radiative angular momentum carried by charge’s field are simply torques of the above combinations of the retarded and the advanced tail forces.
Together with contributions from the direct part of Green’s function, the tail terms constitute Noether quantities removing by outgoing waves from the dressed source. Changes in individual momentum and angular momentum of dressed charged particle compensate losses of energy, momentum, and angular momentum due to radiation. (Influence of an external device can be modelled easily.) Analysis of balance equations yields the Harish-Chandra equation of motion of radiating scalar pole [@HC]. This equation includes the effect of particle’s own field as well as the influence of an external force.
Energy-momentum and angular momentum balance equations for radiating scalar pole constitute system of ten linear algebraic equations in variables $p^\mu_{\rm part}(\tau)$ and their first time derivatives ${\dot p}^\mu_{\rm
part}(\tau)$ as functions of particle’s individual characteristics (velocity, acceleration, charge etc.). The system is degenerate, so that solution for particle’s 4-momentum includes arbitrary scalar function, $m(\tau)$, which can be identified with the dynamical mass of the particle. Besides renormalization constant, the mass includes contributions from particle’s own field as well as from an external field.
This is a special feature of the self force problem for a scalar charge. Indeed, the time-varying mass arises also in the radiation reaction for a pointlike particle coupled to a massless scalar field on a curved background [@Q]. The phenomenon of mass loss by scalar charge is studied in [@BHPs; @HPs]. Similar phenomenon occurs in the theory which describe a point-like charge coupled with massless scalar field in flat spacetime of three dimensions [@B]. The charge loses its mass through the emission of monopole radiation.
Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered}
===============
I am grateful to V.Tretyak for continuous encouragement and for a helpful reading of this manuscript. I would like to thank A.Duviryak for many useful discussions.
### Energy-momentum of the scalar massive field of uniformly moving source {#unmvd}
In this Appendix we calculate the energy-momentum (\[sc-p\]) carried by the scalar massive field due to static charge $g$. The stress-energy tensor $\hat T$ is given by eq.(\[T\]) where $\varphi$ is Yukawa potential (\[YuP\]).
It is convenient to choose the simplest plane $\Sigma_t=\{x\in{\mathbb
M}_{\,4}:x^0=t\}$ associated with unmoving observer. We start with the spherical coordinates $$x^0=s+r,\qquad x^i=rn^i$$ where $n^i=(\cos\phi\sin\theta,\sin\phi\sin\theta,\cos\theta)$ and $s$ is the parameter of evolution. To adopt them to the integration surface $\Sigma_t$ we replace the radius $r$ by the expression $t-s$. On rearrangement, the final coordinate transformation $(x^0,x^1,x^2,x^3)\mapsto (t,s,\phi,\theta)$ looks as follows: $$x^0=t,\qquad x^i=(t-s)n^i.$$ The surface element is given by $${\rm d}\sigma_0=(t-s)^2{\rm d} s{\rm d}\Omega$$ where ${\rm d}\Omega=\sin\theta{\rm d}\theta{\rm d}\phi$ is an element of solid angle.
After trivial calculation one can derive the only non-trivial component of energy-momentum (\[sc-p\]) is $$\begin{aligned}
p^0_{\rm sc}&=&\frac{1}{4\pi}
\int_{-\infty}^t{\rm d} s(t-s)^2\int{\rm d}\Omega\frac12\left[
\sum_i\left(\frac{\partial\varphi}{\partial x^i}\right)^2+k_0^2\varphi^2
\right]
\\
&=&\frac{g^2}{2}\left[
k_0\exp[-2k_0(t-s)]+\frac{\exp[-2k_0(t-s)]}{t-s}
\right]_{s\to-\infty}^{s\to t}
\nonumber\\
&=&\lim_{\varepsilon\to 0}\frac{g^2}{2\varepsilon} - \frac{g^2}{2}k_0
\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ where $\varepsilon$ is positively valued small parameter.
Having performed Poincaré transformation, the combination of translation and Lorentz transformation, we find the energy-momentum carried by massive scalar field of uniformly moving charge: $$\label{infin}
p^\mu_{\rm sc}=\lim_{\varepsilon\to 0}\frac{g^2}{2\varepsilon}u^\mu -
\frac{g^2}{2}k_0u^\mu .$$ The divergent Coulomb-like term is absorbed by the “bare” mass $m_0$ involved in action integral (\[Itot\]) while the finite term contributes to the particle’s individual 4-momentum (\[ppart\]).
### Derivation of the renormalized mass of scalar charge {#mass}
We follow the scheme elaborated within analysis of $2+1$ electrodynamics where the expression for the scalar function $m(\tau)$ is derived via analysis of differential consequences of conservation laws. In hypothetical Minkowski space of three dimensions [*already renormalized*]{} mass of charged particle depends on particle’s evolution before the observation instant $\tau$.
The scalar product of particle 4-velocity on the time derivative of particle 4-momentum (\[pdot-sc\]) is as follows: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{udp}
({\dot p}_{\rm part}\cdot u_\tau)&=&\frac{g^2}{3}a_\tau^2+
\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} s
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\left[
\frac{1+(q\cdot a_s)}{r_s^2}(q\cdot u_\tau)-\frac{(u_s\cdot u_\tau)}{r_s}+
\frac{(q\cdot a_\tau)}{r_\tau}
\right]\nonumber\\
&+&g(u\cdot\Phi_{\rm ext}).\end{aligned}$$ Since $(u\cdot a)=0$, the scalar product of particle acceleration on the particle 4-momentum (\[ppart\]) does not contain the scalar function $m$: $$\label{ap}
(p_{\rm part}\cdot a_\tau)=-\frac{g^2}{3}a_\tau^2-
\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} s
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\frac{(q\cdot a_\tau)}{r_\tau}.$$ Summing up (\[udp\]) and (\[ap\]) we obtain $$\label{d2p}
\frac{{\rm d}}{{\rm d}\tau}(p_{\rm part}\cdot u_\tau)=
\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} s
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}
\frac{\partial}{\partial s}\left[\frac{(q\cdot u_\tau)}{r_s}\right]
+g(u\cdot\Phi_{\rm ext}).$$ We rewrite the expression under the integral sign as the following combination of partial derivatives in time variables: $$k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}
\frac{\partial}{\partial s}\left(\frac{(q\cdot u_\tau)}{r_s}\right)=
\frac{\partial}{\partial s}\left(k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}
\frac{(q\cdot u_\tau)}{r_s}\right)-
\frac{\partial}{\partial \tau}\left(k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\right).$$ At this point we suppose that the external field is the gradient of an external scalar potential, say $\varphi_{\rm ext}(x)$. If the field is referred to the point $z(\tau)$ where the charge is located, the scalar product $(u\cdot\Phi_{\rm ext})$ becomes the total time derivative: $$\begin{aligned}
(u\cdot\Phi_{\rm ext})&=&\frac{{\rm d}z^\alpha}{{\rm d}\tau}
\frac{\partial \varphi_{\rm ext}(z)}{\partial z^\alpha}\\
&=&\frac{{\rm d}\varphi_{\rm ext}}{{\rm d}\tau}.\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ These circumstances allow us to integrate the expression (\[d2p\]) over $\tau$: $$\begin{aligned}
(p_{\rm part}\cdot
u_\tau)&=&-m_0+\frac{g^2}{2}\left.
\begin{array}{c}
\displaystyle
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1\int_{-\infty}^{\tau_1}{\rm d}\tau_2\\
\\[-1em]
\displaystyle
\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_2\int_{\tau_2}^\tau{\rm d}\tau_1
\end{array}
\right\}\left[
\frac{\partial}{\partial \tau_2}\left(k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}
\frac{(q\cdot u_1)}{r_2}\right)\right.\nonumber\\
&-&\left.
\frac{\partial}{\partial \tau_1}\left(k_0^2\frac{J_1(w)}{w}\right)
\right]+g\varphi_{\rm ext}\nonumber\\
&=&-m_0-\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau{\rm d} s
k_0^2\frac{J_1(w(\tau,s))}{w(\tau,s)}
+g\varphi_{\rm ext}.\end{aligned}$$ The external potential is referred to the particle’s position $z(\tau)$.
Alternatively, the scalar product of 4-momentum (\[ppart\]) and 4-velocity is as follows: $$\label{pu}
(p_{\rm part}\cdot u_\tau)=-m+\frac{g^2}{2}\int_{-\infty}^\tau ds
k_0^2\frac{J_1[w(\tau,s)]}{w(\tau,s)}.$$ Having compared these expressions we obtain: $$\label{mas-sq}
m=m_0+g^2\int_{-\infty}^\tau {\rm d} sk_0^2\frac{J_1[w(\tau,s)]}{w(\tau,s)}-
g\varphi_{\rm ext}[z(\tau)].$$ The constant $m_0$ can be identified with the renormalization constant in action (\[Itot\]) which governs the dynamics of a point-like charge coupled to massive scalar field. $m_0$ absorbs Coulomb-like divergence (\[infin\]) stemming from direct part of potential (\[sg-sm\]). It is of great importance that the dynamical mass, $m$, will vary with time: the particle will necessarily gain or lost its mass as a result of interactions with its own field as well as with the external one. Since eq.(\[b\_int\]), the field of a uniformly moving charge contributes an amount $g^2k_0$ to its inertial mass.
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|
Dose escalation to dominant intraprostatic lesions with MRI-transrectal ultrasound fusion High-Dose-Rate prostate brachytherapy. Prospective phase II trial.
To demonstrate the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of dose escalation to intraprostatic lesions with MRI-transrectal ultrasound fusion High-Dose-Rate (HDR) brachytherapy. 15 patients with intermediate-high risk prostate cancer and visible dominant intra-prostatic nodule on mpMRI have been treated. The treatment consisted of combined MRI-TRUS fusion HDR-brachytherapy (1 fraction of 1500cGy) and hypofractionated external beam (3750cGy in 15 fractions). A dose of 1875Gy was delivered to at least 98% of the DIL volume. Median prostate volume was 23.8cc; median number of needles was 16 (13-18). Dose escalation to DIL was feasible in 14/15 patients (93%) without violating dosimetric constraints and 1 patient presented a minimal deviation of dosimetric restrictions. With a median follow-up of 18months (17-24), none of the patients developed acute urinary retention or grade ⩾3 toxicity. In addition to standard PSA follow-up, response has been assessed by mpMRI at 12months. All patients presented adequate morphological responses on anatomical and functional sequences. HDR brachytherapy using MRI-transrectal ultrasound fusion for image guidance is a suitable technique for partial prostate dose escalation. Tolerance and toxicity profiles are excellent and results are encouraging in terms of biochemical, morphological and functional response. |
<>Start facedown on a stability ball with feet resting on floor and core engaged so body forms a straight line. Keeping your back naturally arched, place hands behind ears and lower your upper body as far as you comfortably can. Squeeze glutes and engage back to and raise your torso until it’s in line with your lower body. Pause, then slowly lower your torso back to the starting position. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
>
<>Lumbar radiculopathy: Lumbar radiculopathy is nerve irritation that is caused by damage to the discs between the vertebrae. Damage to the disc occurs because of degeneration ("wear and tear") of the outer ring of the disc, traumatic injury, or both. As a result, the central softer portion of the disc can rupture (herniate) through the outer ring of the disc and abut the spinal cord or its nerves as they exit the bony spinal column. This rupture is what causes the commonly recognized "sciatica" pain of a herniated disc that shoots from the low back and buttock down the leg. Sciatica can be preceded by a history of localized low-back aching or it can follow a "popping" sensation and be accompanied by numbness and tingling. The pain commonly increases with movements at the waist and can increase with coughing or sneezing. In more severe instances, sciatica can be accompanied by incontinence of the bladder and/or bowels. The sciatica of lumbar radiculopathy typically affects only one side of the body, such as the left side or right side, and not both. Lumbar radiculopathy is suspected based on the above symptoms. Increased radiating pain when the lower extremity is lifted supports the diagnosis. Nerve testing (EMG/electromyogramspina bifida
>
<>For example, ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. It may help reduce inflammation associated with back pain, especially helpful after strenuous activities. Consider simmering fresh ginger root slices in hot water for about 30 minutes to prepare a spicy but soothing cup of tea. Capsaicin has also shown some promise for reducing pain. It’s the active ingredient in chili peppers. You can find it in both topical cream and oral supplement forms.
>
<>Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS): TENS provides pulses of electrical stimulation through surface electrodes. For acute back pain, there is no proven benefit. Two small studies produced inconclusive results, with a trend toward improvement with TENS. In chronic back pain, there is conflicting evidence regarding its ability to help relieve pain. One study showed a slight advantage at one week for TENS but no difference at three months and beyond. Other studies showed no benefit for TENS at any time. There is no known benefit for sciatica.
>
<>Radicular pain. This type of pain can occur if a spinal nerve root becomes impinged or inflamed. Radicular pain may follow a nerve root pattern or dermatome down into the buttock and/or leg. Its specific sensation is sharp, electric, burning-type pain and can be associated with numbness or weakness (sciatica). It is typically felt on only one side of the body.
>
<>Injections. If other measures don't relieve your pain, and if your pain radiates down your leg, your doctor may inject cortisone — an anti-inflammatory medication — or numbing medication into the space around your spinal cord (epidural space). A cortisone injection helps decrease inflammation around the nerve roots, but the pain relief usually lasts less than a few months.
>
<>About footnotes. There are 465 footnotes in this document. Click to make them pop up without losing your place. There are two types: more interesting extra content,1Footnotes with more interesting and/or fun extra content are bold and blue, while dry footnotes (citations and such) are lightweight and gray. Type ESC to close footnotes, or re-click the number.
>
<>There are many additional sources of pain, including claudication pain (from stenosis) myelopathic pain, neuropathic pain, deformity, tumors, infections, pain from inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis), and pain that originates from another part of the body and presents in the lower back (such as kidney stones, or ulcerative colitis).
>
<>”Tulsa Spine & Rehab is not your ordinary chiropractor experience. They provide a thorough diagnostic, clinical massage therapy, adjustment & physical therapy to start. I started with excruciating thorasic pain in the lumbar region. After the first day my pain was reduced by 50% then after the second to 75% then after the third I am good to go! Thanking the Lord my primary care physician referred me to them!“
>
<>Application of Ice or Heat. Low-quality evidence shows that in the first five days of acute low back pain, the use of heat treatments may be more effective for reducing pain and disability than nonheat wraps, NSAIDs, or acetaminophen, but shows no difference between heat application and McKenzie therapy at seven days.32 A low-quality study found that heat therapy in conjunction with education or NSAIDs is more effective than education or NSAIDs alone at 14 days.33 Ice and heat therapy have similar analgesic effects.32
>
<>When you have back pain, sleeping can be hard. It can be a vicious cycle because when you don't get enough sleep, your back pain may feel worse. A poor sleep position can also aggravate back pain. Try lying on your side. Place a pillow between your knees to keep your spine in a neutral position and relieve strain on your back. If you need to sleep on your back, slide a pillow under your knees. Be sure to sleep on a comfortably firm mattress.
>
Affiliate Disclosure: There are links on this site that can be defined as affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you purchase something when clicking on the links that take you through to a different website. By clicking on the links, you are in no way obligated to buy.
Medical Disclaimer: The material on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. |
Shiv Sena on Thursday criticized Sharad Pawar for defending actor Aamir Khan over his intolerance remarks, it said that the NCP chief has lost connect with the sentiments of the people.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Thursday criticised Sharad Pawar for defending actor Aamir Khan over his remarks on intolerance.
Sena in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana said that the NCP chief has lost connect with the sentiments of the people. "If according to Pawar intolerance means betraying the country whose food you eat then you should call Aamir Khan to Baramati and honour him with Nishan E Baramati award...What Pawar is saying in Aamir Khan's defence does not befit the character of Maharashtra," the editorial read.
The party paper also said, "It is unfortunate that a leader who has been in politics and in power for so many years should consider anti-India remarks of the actor as a personal view."
The editorial also added that it was necessary to tell Pawar to make comments that aligned better with his age and experience.
Slamming Aamir Khan's critics, Pawar on Wednesday had said that the tone and tenor of the reactions to the Bollywood superstar's statement on growing intolerance in the country actually lent substance to the debate on the issue and to say that he got his wealth in India itself betrayed an intolerant attitude.
The 50-year-old actor in an interaction at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony on Monday had said, "Kiran (his wife) and I have lived all our life in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India...She fears for her child, she fears about what the atmosphere around us will be."
PTI |
Relationship of food intake and dietary patterns with blood pressure levels among middle-aged Japanese men.
To investigate the relationship of food intake habits and dietary patterns to blood pressure, a cross-sectional study was conducted for 473 middle-aged Japanese males. After adjustment for age, residence, occupation, body mass index and alcohol consumption, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were inversely associated with each intake frequency of dairy products, coffee, fruits, egg, beef, pork and chicken. The adjusted mean SBP and DBP of the individuals with 'all (= three)' of the following three dietary habits; 'once and over/wk of dairy products', 'once and over/wk of fruits', and 'three times and over/wk of beef, pork or chicken', were 7.4 mmHg and 6.9 mmHg lower (p < 0.001, for each) than those of 'zero or one' group. According to the analyses on 3-days weighed food records of 157 volunteers, the adjusted mean daily intake of total protein, animal protein and potassium were markedly higher in the 'two' or the 'three' group than in the 'zero or one' group (p < 0.05, for each). These results suggest that habitual intake of dairy products, fruits, and meat or chicken may be associated with the reduction of blood pressure possibly through the intake of protein and potassium. |
The Epal fever has reached convulsive proportions and the worse of the worst is the recent Calamity campaigning.
Not only is this against the law, it is criminal as cited in “Section 261 (o) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), prohibits the use of public funds, money deposited in trust, equipment, facilities owned or controlled by the government for an election campaign.”Politicians who have signified intentions of running for the 2013 election also violated Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Election Act of 2010.
Under the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) and RA 9006, the two simple election offenses are punishable by one to six years in jail without probation, disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right to vote.
Problem is, the implementation of the law is selective.
That’s why we have politicians on full EPAL mode on every opportunity they get.
They shamelessly plaster their names and faces as though ambulances, red plated vehicles, road projects, relief operations had been generously sourced WITH THEIR OWN MONEY.
IF in case such are donations made with their own hard earned cash, why may we ask should their names and faces be placed? Isn’t this nothing but grandstanding their good works for an ulterior motive or hidden agenda?
Technically, these politicians or with intentions of running for a government post are not violating the law. According to the existing law, you have to be AN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE to be liable and charged. “Signified intentions” are not official.
Sad to say, these are the loop holes of our law, and hopefully the Anti-Epal Bill will patch these loop holes.
Seemingly campaigning during calamities truly shows the lack of character of these low-life politicians. They are making their public service appear to be favorably done by him or her when in fact that it is not so. They are branding government properties and services with their own names. Shame, shame, shame on them! I hope not only do their campaigns fail, but they be punished with karma (if jail time would not permit).
Stealth .. invisible mode .. Ewan ko lang kung kaya yan ng mga pulitiko habang namimigay ng kaunting tulong. Sabi nga “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”. Anyway God knows everything we do and He will be the one to reward it for us. These politicians know that what they are doing is wrong, but the dirty culture of politics dictates them to follow the tradition thus “traditional politicians or trapos” exists and are not yet among the endangered species.
Calamity campaigning is a great way to get noticed by the people and the best way to accomplish their ulterior motives or hidden agendas, at kung pwede nga lang ay tatanungin muna nila ang bibigyan nila ng relief goods kung sino ang iboboto. Ang hindi boboto sa kanya, manigas ka sa gutom! |
Q:
Multi Boot USB Stick
I have several Boot CD's/DVD's where I'm able to make a bootable USB-stick and put into it. But I can do this separately only. Is it possible to merge several bootable CD's/DVD's into a single bootable USB-stick where I can choose which system to boot from? I'll be happy for a good link, or if you just tell me the steps with the right expressions that i can google.
A:
Yes this is possible, try out a great application called Yumi it allows you to make a long boot list with an iso if you have it, you can even use unsupported bootable iso's to be included.
A:
This possible using a bootloader like grub - or if you are working with Windows grub4dos
In the config file you can add multiple ISO images you can select from in the boot menu.
Another nice tool for Windows is RMPrepUSB for which you can find a video tutorial on YouTube that shows how to create a bootable USB-Stick. By editing the menu.lst you can add multiple ISO images.
Alternatively if you prefer a clean hardware sulution take a look onto the ISOStick - an USB stick that includes an hardware emulated usb cd/dvd-drive booting from an ISO contained on the stick.
|
// Copyright (c) 1998 INRIA Sophia-Antipolis (France).
// All rights reserved.
//
// This file is part of CGAL (www.cgal.org).
//
// $URL$
// $Id$
// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later OR LicenseRef-Commercial
// $Date$
//
//
// Author(s) : Mariette Yvinec
#include <CGAL/internal/disable_deprecation_warnings_and_errors.h>
#include <cassert>
#include <CGAL/Regular_triangulation_euclidean_traits_3.h>
#include <CGAL/Exact_predicates_exact_constructions_kernel.h>
#include <CGAL/_test_cls_regular_euclidean_traits_3.h>
//needs exact constructions as well to test the traits class
typedef CGAL::Exact_predicates_exact_constructions_kernel K;
// Explicit instantiation of the whole class :
template class CGAL::Regular_triangulation_euclidean_traits_3<K, K::FT>;
int main()
{
typedef CGAL::Regular_triangulation_euclidean_traits_3<K> Traits;
_test_cls_regular_euclidean_traits_3(Traits() );
std::cerr << "done"<< std::endl;
return 0;
}
|
In the name of Medicine By BrendaVV Watch
513 Favourites 23 Comments 8K Views
A FFXIV fanart I made for the FanFest2017 Frankfurt art contest. The character depicted is my sister's Khael Zhwan (Cerberus) a curious miqo'te scholar who owns an infirmary and goes on quests to gather ingredients from all kinds of places to make his medicine.
For those who want to visit his infirmary in game and possibly meet the doctor himself;
Topmast Infirmary - The Topmast Wing 2 Room #18, 1st Ward, Mist/Cerberus
My own character is named Nibu Chuni :3
SQUARE ENIX all rights reserved.
omg thank you all for the nice compliments and the DD!! <3
IMAGE DETAILS Image size 2025x1323px 2.25 MB Show More
Published : Feb 21, 2017 |
Q:
Must non-constructive existential proofs use axioms of foundation or choice?
I have been getting confused thinking about non-constructive proofs.
Several axioms of ZFC imply existence of a set with certain properties, and for each axiom except foundation, infinity, and choice, the set is uniquely characterized by the properties. If I'm not mistaken, the axiom of infinity is equivalent to the existence of $\omega$, which is unique. So it seems to me that a non-constructive proof that a set exists must use choice or foundation.
If there is a proof in (ZF - foundation) that a set with a certain properties exists, is the proof necessarily constructive?
If the answer if 'yes', I am curious about something else. In many branches of math there are non-constructive existential theorems requiring choice. But I can't think of similar examples requiring foundation.
Are there examples of existential theorems of ZF (let's say in branches of math other than set theory) that are non-constructive because the proof requires foundation?
A:
If there is a proof in (ZF - foundation) that a set with a certain properties exists, is the proof necessarily constructive?
No, not at all. The nonconstructivity in ZFC doesn't come from the axiom of choice or the axiom of foundation. It comes from the underlying logic that is used. Even ZF without foundation is able to prove many theorems that are not constructively valid.
One specific example is the intermediate value theorem from calculus: if $f\colon [0,1] \to \mathbb{R}$ is continuous and $f(0)\cdot f(1) < 0$ then there is an $x \in [0,1]$ such that $f(x) = 0$. This theorem is well known to not be constructively valid: it can be shown that there is no way, given a procedure to compute $f$, to compute a root of $f$. However, the theorem can be proved in ZF with no reference to the axiom of choice or the axiom of foundation.
One actual source of nonconstructivity is the law of the excluded middle, which allows us to divide proofs into cases even when we cannot determine which of the cases holds. In constructive mathematics, the underlying logic is different, and does not allow that kind of nonconstructive reasoning (or other kinds of nonconstructive reasoning).
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Many more survive, but suffer from untreated complications of pregnancy, including the most debilitating injury of childbearing, obstetric fistula. Although the condition was not recognized in the country until recently, it is estimated that 2,000 Malagasy women develop fistula each year.
Zafisoa's story
Zafisoa, a birdlike 20-year-old Malagasy woman, is one of them. She lives a three-day walk from the nearest medical clinic. When she went into labour with her second child, she spent the first day at home.
Instinct told her something was wrong, so the second day she spent on a cow-cart. The third day, she arrived in a taxi at the Marovoay health clinic, where doctors conducted an emergency Caesarean section.
The baby survived, but the 72- hour labour left Zafisoa with a birth injury - a fistula in the wall between her vagina and bladder. Without an expensive operation, she would never control her bladder again.
"My husband went out to buy food and never came back," Zafisoa said, sitting with a catheter trailing between her legs at the SALFA hospital in Mahajanga, Madagascar.
Sophia's saga
Another is Sophia. Now 20, she was forced by her parents to marry a 15-year-old boy when she was 14. Despite a 2007 law in Madagascar banning marriage for boys and girls under 18, traditional marriage customs still persist. Two years into her marriage, Sophia became pregnant. Her labour went on and on.
"I had to be evacuated by car to a city five hours away from my village. My labour lasted for a week," she says.
As a result of the obstructed labour, Sophia's baby was stillborn. To save her life, the surgeon had to remove her uterus. Shortly after the delivery, Sophia discovered that she was also suffering from fistula, the most devastating of all childbirth injuries. Her husband promptly abandoned her.
"My parents-in law told my husband that I was useless," she says. "He left me soon after I was diagnosed. Now he has married another woman."
Tragedies like Zafisoa's and Sophia's could be avoided if all Malagasy women received assistance from skilled health personnel such as a midwife during childbirth and had access to emergency obstetric care and family planning services. However, only 44 per cent of Malagasy women were attended by a health professional during childbirth, and only 35 per cent of deliveries take place in health facilities. Weak infrastructure, inefficient referral systems, inadequate equipment, and lack of qualified staff make access to healthcare especially difficult in rural areas.
In November 2012, when Sophia was 20, she had reconstructive surgery at a hospital in Tuléar, southwestern Madagascar. The procedure was arranged and subsidized by the Campaign to End Fistula, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Public health and the UNFPA. "Until relatively recently, obstetric fistula was not a recognized problem in Madagascar," said Gillian Slinger of UNFPA, Coordinator of the global Campaign to End Fistula. "But in the last five years, UNFPA has helped create a significant mobilization to identify and help fistula cases in the country. This has involved the training of local teams in fistula surgery and management, as well as support missions from international agencies such as the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research."
"I'm not sick anymore."
"After the surgery, I was so happy," Sophia reports. "My friends have come back to me. I'm not sick anymore."
Each month, several women and girls suffering from fistula come to the hospital in Tuléar seeking help, but unfortunately the surgeon cannot operate on them all. Indeed, many patients cannot afford the cost of the surgery.
"Sometimes, the family of the fistula patient looks for money before bringing the woman to the hospital, but in many cases they do not have the means necessary," says the surgeon.
More surgeons are needed
However, since 2007, many more Malagasy women suffering from fistula have received reconstructive surgery free of cost through the UNFPA-supported Campaign to End Fistula. In Madagascar, ten health-care facilities are able to perform fistula surgery, however, there is a limited number of health-care professionals with the necessary skills. The surgeon who repaired Sophia is one of 14 surgeons who performed over 100 fistula surgeries during the first national Campaign to End Fistula supported by UNFPA in 2011.
Of the 2,000 women who develop a fistula every year in Madagascar, Zafisoa is one of the lucky few to have found treatment, thanks to UNFPA.
"I don't know if my husband will return but even if he does, Zafisoa says. " I don't want him back." As a reminder of her experience, she has nicknamed her child Ningani, which means 'the husband left'.
Political upheaval, limited funds
Political crises in Madagascar have led to increasing poverty and less money for reproductive health. According to a recent national survey, poverty rates rose by around ten per cent between 2005 and 2010; today, three quarters of the population live on under $1 per day.
Across the country, women continue to pay the cost. Inadequate or expensive healthcare, limited access to contraception, poor transport and absent infrastructure: these are just a few of the challenges that contribute to poor maternal outcomes for Malagasy women.
The Government provides money on a quarterly basis to Toliara Regional Hospital says Dr. Andrianantenaina, its Deputy Technical Director. However, he adds, "Since 2009, we have never received anything in the fourth quarter."
Resources don't stretch to fixing their broken ambulance. If the hospital's ambulance had been functional, Namboarine, 48, might not now be standing over the body of her stillborn grandchild.
Insecurity, she says, prevented her 16-year old daughter from travelling during the night in time for the Caesarean -section that could have saved the baby's life. Now they have a hefty bill.
"I don't feel anything," said Namboarine, staring at the tiny corpse. "The only thing I can think of is the money." But without the access to emergency obstetric care, Namboarine's loss would have been two-fold as her daughter would probably have died as well. |
Atlantic City rolled the dice big time on casino gambling, and it's starting to look like it came up craps.
With the planned September closing of the shiny, silvery, futuristic Revel Casino Hotel, built at a cost of $2.6 billion just two years ago in hopes of making huge profits from slots, poker, and blackjack players, Atlantic City has to admit it is facing immense employment and revenue problems, and New Jersey politicians are scrambling to find a quick solution, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Gov. Chris Christie plans to convene an emergency meeting of politicos and casino officials on Sept. 8 to tackle the gambling mecca's problems.
The Revel isn’t the only victim.
The Showboat and Trump Plaza say they are shutting their tables this year, costing Atlantic City 7,000 jobs, and the Revel shutdown will siphon off another 3,100 jobs. The Atlantic Club shut its doors in January, according to the Journal.
The unemployment rate in Atlantic City was 13.1 percent in June, more than double the New Jersey rate of 6.4 percent. In all, about a quarter of casino jobs are evaporating.
According to Bloomberg News, Atlantic City derives 70 percent of its income from casinos, but competition from casinos in other states has eaten into the take so deeply that Moody's has slashed Atlantic City's rating by two steps on the city's $245 million of debt. The Revel alone was paying $19 million in property taxes.
Atlantic City has enjoyed a monopoly on New Jersey gambling, but pressures are mounting for other areas to be allowed to open casinos. Bloomberg reports that Christie gave the city five years to reverse its decline in 2010 before opening New Jersey to more casinos. Three years back, the Revel received a $261 million investment from New Jersey, which would receive in turn a fifth of the casino's now-disappearing profits, The Washington Post reports.
In a press release, Christie said, "We know that the transformation taking hold in Atlantic City is about more than just gaming and gaming-related attractions.
"Important signs are evident of the progress taking hold in the non-gaming development and economic activity we are seeing in AC, including businesses opening, attractions being added, and key non-gaming revenue streams rising." |
module Quickbooks
module Model
class PhysicalAddress < BaseModel
xml_accessor :id, :from => 'Id'
xml_accessor :line1, :from => 'Line1'
xml_accessor :line2, :from => 'Line2'
xml_accessor :line3, :from => 'Line3'
xml_accessor :line4, :from => 'Line4'
xml_accessor :line5, :from => 'Line5'
xml_accessor :city, :from => 'City'
xml_accessor :country, :from => 'Country'
xml_accessor :country_sub_division_code, :from => 'CountrySubDivisionCode'
xml_accessor :postal_code, :from => 'PostalCode'
xml_accessor :note, :from => 'Note'
xml_accessor :lat, :from => 'Lat'
xml_accessor :lon, :from => 'Long'
def zip
postal_code
end
def lat_to_f
BigDecimal(lat)
end
def lon_to_f
BigDecimal(lon)
end
def have_lat?
lat.to_s != "INVALID"
end
def have_lon?
lon.to_s != "INVALID"
end
end
end
end |
Q:
finding last row in excel and using excel.range
I am attempting to use a reference to interop.excel instead of vba to do some worksheet formatting. My code looks like:
Dim lastrow As Range = excel.Rows.End(XlDirection.xlDown)
Dim findme As Range = excel.Range("A1:A" & lastrow)
the excel.range does not allow me to use the "&" symbol here. How should I identify my last row of data?
A:
Looking at the Range Class Reference, it seems you just missed to put the Row property of the lastrow Range:
Dim findme As Range = excel.Range("A1:A" & lastrow.row)
|
Easy Macro : macro photography lens for your iphone
Simple as everything should be, Easy Macro for smartphones is a brillant lens addition to your iphone or smartphone. It is only made of a rubber band that you attach around your iphone while paying attention to locate the macro lens above your camera module. You are then ready to go. Used on an iphone 4 or 4s, the Easy Macro rubber band hides the flash and that will be quite convenient to avoid washed out tones when the iPhone flash triggers as you try to shoot a macro photography without manually switching off the flash (I am sure you must have experience that….). Easy Macro seems to be designed for the iPhone 4S and 4 but it works with practically all existing smartphones that come with a built-in camera and even with tablets as the rubber band is very elastic.
Easy Macro only costs $15 (on easy-macro.com)and is delivered on a credit card type card board that makes this little accessory easy to store and take with you everywhere. The magnifying ratio and minimal focusing distance depends on the natural specifications of your smartphone camera module.
Easy Macro : a simple and cheap macro lens with a a rubber band for iphone and other smartphones or tablets |
Fission of multiply charged alkali clusters in helium droplets - approaching the Rayleigh limit.
Electron ionization of helium droplets doped with sodium, potassium or cesium results in doubly and, for cesium, triply charged cluster ions. The smallest observable doubly charged clusters are Na9(2+), K11(2+), and Cs9(2+); they are a factor two to three smaller than reported previously. The size of sodium and potassium dications approaches the Rayleigh limit nRay for which the fission barrier is calculated to vanish, i.e. their fissilities are close to 1. Cesium dications are even smaller than nRay, implying that their fissilities have been significantly overestimated. Triply charged cesium clusters as small as Cs19(3+) are observed; they are a factor 2.6 smaller than previously reported. Mechanisms that may be responsible for enhanced formation of clusters with high fissilities are discussed. |
/*
Language: Clojure REPL
Description: Clojure REPL sessions
Author: Ivan Sagalaev <[email protected]>
Requires: clojure.js
Website: https://clojure.org
Category: lisp
*/
export default function(hljs) {
return {
name: 'Clojure REPL',
contains: [
{
className: 'meta',
begin: /^([\w.-]+|\s*#_)?=>/,
starts: {
end: /$/,
subLanguage: 'clojure'
}
}
]
}
}
|
(Newser)
–
Jimmy Carter's mission to Pyongyang has been a success. The former president flew out of North Korea today with Aijalon Mahil Gomes after securing the American citizen's release yesterday, the AP reports. Kim Jong Il released Gomes at the request of Carter, who was traveling as a private citizen, said a Carter Center spokeswoman. "President Carter’s trip was a private, humanitarian, and unofficial mission solely for the purpose of bringing Mr. Gomes home and reuniting him with his family," said a State Department rep.
Korea's state-run media used the release as an opportunity to remind the world that doing so reveals its "humanitarianism and peace-loving policy," and added that "Jimmy Carter made an apology for American Gomes' illegal entry and gave him the assurance that such case will never happen again." And though it was a successful mission, one security expert warns that “we are running out of ex-presidents."
So now, do we encourage American religious zealots to purposely trespass into foreign lands, knowing if they get caught, some American celebrity will rescue them, and with plenty of press coverage?
Rocket448
Aug 27, 2010 11:57 AM CDT
The memory of my time serving in Habitat for Humanity is highlighted by a brief visit from Mr. Carter to our building site. His kind eyes and soft voice remain, for me, the most uplifting personal experience I have been blessed to ever have. I imagine I would feel much the same were I to meet Bishop Desmond Tutu. In retirement, Mr. Carter has done more for the US and the world than most Presidents do while in office. Well done, Mr. Carter. Well done. |
The source itself is just partially my work. The original code written by Brandon Ehle in 1999. I started to update the code, but the greater part of the code written by Mildred. Many thanks for his efforts.
+
The source itself is just partially my work. The original code written by Brandon Ehle in 1999. I started to update the code, but the greater part of the code written by Mildred. Many thanks for her efforts.
-
+
== Setup your enviroment==
== Setup your enviroment==
-
The very first step is download, complie and install LUA. You can get it from the official site:
+
The very first step is download, compile and install LUA. You can get it from the official site:
[http://www.lua.org/ LUA homepage]
[http://www.lua.org/ LUA homepage]
Line 20:
Line 19:
This tutorial uses the LUA 5.1 version.
This tutorial uses the LUA 5.1 version.
-
The next step is setting up an external CS project within your enviroment. Don't forget to set up your project as a dynamic link library, and the neccessary CS and LUA libs and include director, . The concrete steps depending from your IDE and operating system. ( This is a so called "professional" tutorial. Professional tutorials are not just for C++ masters , but I assume, you can set up this project without any external help.)
+
The next step is setting up an external CS project within your enviroment. Don't forget to set up your project as a dynamic link library, and the neccessary CS and LUA libs and include directories . The concrete steps depending from your IDE and operating system. ( This is a so called ''professional'' tutorial. Professional tutorials are not just for C++ masters , but I assume, you can set up this project without any external help.)
Line 48:
Line 47:
macro.
macro.
-
Tha csLua scf class will encapsulate the lua related stuff.
+
Tha ''csLua'' scf class will encapsulate the lua related stuff.
<pre>
<pre>
Line 64:
Line 63:
</pre>
</pre>
-
We define the constructor and the virtual destructor first. The shared_instance is a static csLua instance, this object will be used by Crystal Space. We need a know about the ObjectRegistry, object_reg will store a pointer to this. The lua_State* is a specia statment indicator, when you knows Lua, yo knoe, what is it.
+
First we define the constructor and the virtual destructor. The shared_instance is a static ''csLua'' instance, this object will be used by ''Crystal Space''. We need a know about the ObjectRegistry, object_reg will store a pointer to this. The ''lua_State*'' is a special statment indicator, when you knows Lua, yo know, what is it.
The public filed continues with functions:
The public filed continues with functions:
Line 73:
Line 72:
</pre>
</pre>
-
The Initialize function will warm up the plugin. The HandleEvent function will deal with the plugin-related events (these are spcial events, like the command line help event.
+
The ''Initialize'' function will warm up the plugin. The ''HandleEvent'' function will deal with the plugin-related events (these are spcial events, like the command line help event.
-
Here comes the iScript interface functions:
+
Here comes the ''iScript'' interface functions:
-
The iScript allows us to run text form a char arrray (RunTexT, or from file(LOadModule):
+
The ''iScript'' allows us to run text form a char arrray (''RunTex'' or from file(LoadModule):
<pre>
<pre>
Line 99:
Line 98:
</pre>
</pre>
-
The foloowing functions read the stored varibles value by name:
+
The following functions read the stored varibles value by name:
<pre>
<pre>
Line 114:
Line 113:
</pre>
</pre>
-
Next iScript ensures us many Call() to call stored functions:
+
Next ''iScript'' ensures us many ''Call()'' to call stored functions:
<pre>
<pre>
virtual bool Call(const char *name, const char *fmt, ...)
virtual bool Call(const char *name, const char *fmt, ...)
Line 140:
Line 139:
</pre>
</pre>
-
The plugin needs an event handler. We hide this handler inside the csLua class:
+
The plugin needs an event handler. We hide this handler inside the ''csLua'' class:
<pre>
<pre>
Line 162:
Line 161:
</pre>
</pre>
-
The event handler simply delegates the events to csLua class. So csLua need a reference to the handler:
+
The event handler simply delegates the events to ''csLua'' class. So ''csLua'' needs a reference to the handler:
<pre>
<pre>
Line 168:
Line 167:
</pre>
</pre>
-
The header is ready, let's go to create the impelematation.
+
The header is ready, let's go to create the implementation.
-
==Impelementation ==
+
==Implementation ==
-
The cslua.cpp will start some LUA heder:
+
The ''cslua.cpp'' will start some Lua header:
<pre>
<pre>
Line 202:
Line 201:
</pre>
</pre>
+
+
Nowe some SWIG-related stuff:
+
+
<pre>
+
extern "C" {
+
int SWIG_luaopen_cspace(lua_State* L);
+
}
+
</pre>
+
+
The cspace is the great SWIG interface file. Swig will generate from the CS API the bindings after this file. You can find it in your ''CS/include/bindings/'' directory. We need to modify it later.
Current revision
Contents
Creating a LUA plugin
Short indtroduction
In this tutorial we will create a plugin for integrating Lua. That means, you can reach the the whole CS API with LUA scripting. Note, you can any SWIG supported language integrate easily into Crystal Space. In that case, when SWIG is new for you, please have a look at the project here:
A note about the history of this plugin.
The source itself is just partially my work. The original code written by Brandon Ehle in 1999. I started to update the code, but the greater part of the code written by Mildred. Many thanks for her efforts.
Setup your enviroment
The very first step is download, compile and install LUA. You can get it from the official site:
You can find here also some precompiled version, you can use them, when you want.
This tutorial uses the LUA 5.1 version.
The next step is setting up an external CS project within your enviroment. Don't forget to set up your project as a dynamic link library, and the neccessary CS and LUA libs and include directories . The concrete steps depending from your IDE and operating system. ( This is a so called professional tutorial. Professional tutorials are not just for C++ masters , but I assume, you can set up this project without any external help.)
Start coding
Crystal Space uses the iScript interface to communicate with scripting languages, so we have to implement this interface to integrate LUA. So we include some CS headers:
First we define the constructor and the virtual destructor. The shared_instance is a static csLua instance, this object will be used by Crystal Space. We need a know about the ObjectRegistry, object_reg will store a pointer to this. The lua_State* is a special statment indicator, when you knows Lua, yo know, what is it. |
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Today, we are going to talk about love.Last night, my best friend and - one of my soulmates I believe - and I started to talk about our issues with love. We have known each other for 10 years now, we have held each other's hand throught everything, literaly everyfucking thing you can imagine. We seem to share the same views and thoughts on life so we often get into these deep discussions about what does it all mean. Suddenly, he showed me something that I can't just keep to myself. It was a poem by Charles Bukowski, one so raw, so heartbreakingly true...so us. “Love is a form of prejudice. You love what you need, you love what makes you feel good, you love what is convenient. How can you say you love one person when there are ten thousand people in the world that you would love more if you ever met them? But you'll never meet them.” - Charles Bukowskii'm going to get personal, I have recently got out of a 7 year long on & off relationship with what I thought it was the man I was going to spend my entire life with. It was bad. It was really bad and then...nothing. I started to get to know myself again, gosh how I have missed me. How could I forget how much fun I can be? How could I forget who I was? How?You know that insecure, little girl who waited for validation from the people around her, almost apologising when she spoke her mind? She is no more. I have grown and changed into someone that is above all else ... stronger and belongs to the world.I have this fire that makes me wanna go dancing every friday night and this lust that makes wannacatch the eye of that very cute guy in the corner and when it's over I pretty much just want to get home and get to bed alone. And that's ok. Wanting that is totally ok. No, you are not a slut, you are not some wild card, you know what you are doing. All of this is ok. I know they don't tell you that very often, do they? Still...no matter how much fun I'm having, no matter with whom.... there's always a question on the back of my mind: is this it? Am I doomed to spend the rest of my life being the crazy cat lady from the simpsons? Fuck that. Fuck everything that tells me that by 28 I ought to be preparing for marriage and listening to some internal tik tak, tik tak.
I'm 28, beautiful, successful, healthy - when I'm not destroying my liver every other day - I refuse to settle though.
Because, once you settle, how do you find the answer to this: " How can you say you love one person when there are ten thousand people in the world that you would love more if you ever met them?" That's hard enough to do when you're not settling. That is so hard, to actually stop thinking what if, to actually be happy with someone..."But you'll never meet them".
I hope I never stop wanting to go dancing. I hope this fire never goes out. I hope to never settle. I hope I get shaken to the core. Your very poetic TopCrusher,Alex
Thursday, 17 December 2015
"The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while.
Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder: "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say: "Hey, don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." And we...kill those people. "Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real."
It's just a ride.
But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride.Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace." |
"_1" "Mid(bb0[2])"
"_5" "Mid(bb0[8])"
"_5" "Mid(bb0[9])"
"_4" "Mid(bb0[10])"
"_3" "Mid(bb5[2])"
"_2" "Mid(bb6[1])"
"_1" "Mid(bb6[3])"
"_6" "Mid(bb6[4])"
"_8" "Mid(bb7[0])"
"_8" "Mid(bb7[1])"
"_1" "Mid(bb10[0])"
"_13" "Mid(bb10[1])"
"_2" "Mid(bb11[2])"
"_6" "Mid(bb11[4])"
"_10" "Mid(bb11[5])"
"_11" "Mid(bb11[5])"
"_1" "Mid(bb12[3])"
"_12" "Mid(bb12[4])"
"_12" "Mid(bb13[0])"
"_13" "Mid(bb14[0])"
"_2" "Mid(bb15[4])"
"_15" "Mid(bb15[5])"
|
INTRODUCTION {#rjy283s1}
============
Based on Mulliken and Glovacki Classification (1982), vascular lesions are categorized broadly into two types: hemangiomas and vascular malformations, former being the commonest lesions of infancy and childhood. Hemangiomas are classified based upon histology into capillary and cavernous types and upon vessel involvement into high flow (arterial and arteriovenous) and low flow types (capillary or venous) \[[@rjy283C1]\].
Most hemangiomas of head and neck appear few weeks post natally, attain rapid growth, enter a phase of involution and eventual spontaneous resolution by 5--8 years \[[@rjy283C2]\]. However, in some they may persist and pose treatment challenges. We hereby present a boy who had a persistent and expanding lingual hemangioma presenting with macroglossia despite attempted conservative measures.
CASE REPORT {#rjy283s2}
===========
A 5-year-old boy presented with an unsightly and protuberant swelling over the anterior third of tongue that had started as a small nodule soon after birth and gradually progressed in size after 9 months of age. It was associated with difficulty in swallowing, speech, recurrent blistering with pain and bleeding with minor trauma. He was unable to contain it within his mouth necessitating to sleep open-mouthed. He had also developed multiple dental caries with it.
He had been managed conservatively with beta-blockers and steroids elsewhere for years with no appreciable benefit. General examination was normal. Oral examination revealed a well demarcated swelling involving the anterior third of tongue extending dorso-ventrally (occupying mostly the ventral surface) and measuring 6×5×3 cm^3^, red in color with a purplish hue. It had a smooth surface, with fine granularity. It was partially compressible and soft in consistency as shown in Fig. [1](#rjy283F1){ref-type="fig"}. Also noted were multiple dental caries. Examination of the neck and rest of the systems was unremarkable.
{#rjy283F1}
A working clinical diagnosis of macroglossia secondary to lingual hemangioma was made and partial glossectomy using an inverted V incision was performed as shown in Fig. [2](#rjy283F2){ref-type="fig"}.
{#rjy283F2}
The limbs of V were approximated to reconstruct the residual tongue as shown in Fig. [3](#rjy283F3){ref-type="fig"}
{#rjy283F3}
At 10 day outpatient follow up, improved swallowing, speech clarity and good healing was observed as shown in Fig. [4](#rjy283F4){ref-type="fig"}.
{#rjy283F4}
The histopathology report showed mucosa lined by stratified squamous epithelium, with underlying stroma showing dilated vascular channels lined by endothelial cells and containing red blood cells in their lumen confirming the diagnosis of lingual cavernous hemangioma as shown in Figs [5](#rjy283F5){ref-type="fig"} and [6](#rjy283F6){ref-type="fig"}.
{#rjy283F5}
{#rjy283F6}
DISCUSSION {#rjy283s3}
==========
Of the majority of hemangiomas that tend to occur in the region of head and neck, the ones that occur in the tongue deserve special consideration not merely due to the rarity of occurrence but also due to associated issues with swallowing, breathing, susceptibility to trivial trauma and cosmesis \[[@rjy283C3]\]. Like other hemangiomas most of these glossal lesions appear 2--4 weeks after birth, growing rapidly till 6--8 months age and then following a usual course of involution in 70% of patients to a state of near disappearance by 5--8 years \[[@rjy283C3]\]. Less commonly, these lesions may be associated with Sturge--Weber syndrome, Osler--Weber--Rendu syndrome and Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome \[[@rjy283C3]\]. The characteristic history and local examination findings aided by histopathological studies confirms the diagnosis in most cases. The treatment modalities include watchful observation, intralesional and systemic steroids, beta blockers, embolization, sclerotherapy and surgical excision \[[@rjy283C3]\]. The choice of therapy depends upon factors like age, size, location, lesion hemodynamics and response to the modality used \[[@rjy283C2], [@rjy283C3]\]. Having treated earlier with systemic steroids and beta blockers with unsuccessful outcome, we opted to proceed with surgical excision for our patient with a successful and satisfactory outcome.
The authors would like to thank the staff of the Operation Room, the General ward and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the hospital for providing support and helping in management of the patient.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT {#rjy283s4}
==============================
None declared.
|
The cell wall of Chlamydomonas eugametos. Immunological aspects.
An antiserum was raised against the major cell wall glycoprotein of Chlamydomonas eugametos which after purification reacted specifically with all individual wall components but not with intact cell walls. The antigenic sites in intact walls appear to be cryptic but become exposed on partial enzymatic degradation or in situ during daughter-cell release when the insoluble component is digested. Using the antiserum as a specific label for cell walls in various stages of disintegration, cell wall digestion during asexual and sexual reproduction was studied. It is also shown that while cell wall material is associated with isolated flagella, it is not normally associated with the flagella of intact cells. |
Isolation of a DOPA positive rapid growing mycobacterium from blood of a leprosy patient.
A rapid growing acid-fast organism was isolated from the blood of a borderline leprosy patient. The isolate appeared to be close to Mycobacterium cheloni group of organisms but showed globi, cigar shaped bundles and was positive for DOPA-oxidase. Catalase, iron uptake, sodium chloride tolerance, tellurite reduction, Tween 80 hydrolysis and pyridine extraction tests were also positive. The 3-days arylsulphatase test and nitrate reduction test were negative. |
William Pascal Kikoti
William Pascal Kikoti (March 3, 1957 – August 28, 2012) was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mpanda, Tanzania.
Ordained to the priesthood in 1988, Kikoti was named bishop in 2000; he died in office.
Notes
Category:Tanzanian Roman Catholic bishops
Category:1957 births
Category:2012 deaths |
Hazard took the Man of the Match accolade with his impressive all-round showing at The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon, as the Blues picked up their fourth Premier League victory in a row.
The Belgium international played a part in Morata's opener - his ninth goal since joining from Real Madrid in the summer - while wing-back Marcos Alonso was also on the scoresheet in the one-sided match.
Conte was particularly pleased with his attacking players on the back of this latest victory, admitting that he would have liked to have had both Hazard and Morata on the field together much sooner at the start of the campaign.
"We performed very well," Conte told reporters. "Morata and Hazard have a great link - they are now 100% fit. It is easy to forget that we started the season without Hazard.
"Today Eden played very well. I think he showed a great patience, despite some situations very strong. I played and I understand when you are against these types of players it is difficult to stop them, you try to find a different way to stop them. He has to continue in this way now that he is 100%. He is enjoying to play with us."
Chelsea have now won 10 of their last 12 away games in the Premier League, losing the other two, and they have an unrivalled 118 top-flight points since Conte took charge. |
North America is home to a plethora of native bees. Sadly, they are a bit of a mystery. Overshadowed by non-native honey bees, many of our native species are in serious trouble. That is where scientists like Dr. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt come in. An assistant professor of entomology at the University of Illinois, her lab is focused on the interactions between native bees and the surrounding plant communities. This is a fascinating discussion that will hopefully inspire more people to dive into the shadows surrounding these important players in our local ecology. This episode was produced in part by Gregory, Mark, Bryan, Laura, Margie, and Allan.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Harmon-Threatt's work
Click here to support this podcast
Music by Moneycat |
Other examples
==============
.. meta::
:keywords: Python,Dependency Injection,Inversion of Control,Container,Example,Application,
Framework
:description: This sections contains assorted Dependency Injector examples.
This sections contains assorted ``Dependency Injector`` examples.
.. toctree::
:maxdepth: 2
use-cases
password-hashing
chained-factories
factory-of-factories
|
Over 1 mln unemployment claims filed in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, May 21 : Los Angeles County officials have said that the local economy has been devastated by the COVID19 pandemic and more than 1 million unemployment claims have been made so far. Speaking at her daily briefing, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Wednesday cited data from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, saying among the over 1 million layoffs, over 75 per cent earned an average annual salary of less than $50,000 a year.
The restaurant industry had seen 80 per cent of jobs lost, and 890,000 people in the film and entertainment employees were laid off. On Tuesday, Barger chaired the second convening of the Los Angeles County Economic Resiliency Task Force, in which key leaders from 13 different industries discussed how they have been impacted by months of closures due to COVID-19 and expressed the goal to safely reopen Los Angeles County as early as July 4.
The leaders said prolonged closures will continue to undermine the ability of most small businesses to reopen and will cause permanent loss of jobs and wages for millions throughout the county. According to the latest official data, the county has registered a total of 40,857 cases of COVID-19 and 1,970 deaths. (UNI) |
Accumulation of 55Fe-labeled precursors of the iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase on NifH and NifX of Azotobacter vinelandii.
Iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) biosynthesis involves the participation of several proteins. We have used (55)Fe-labeled NifB-co, the specific iron and sulfur donor to FeMo-co, to investigate the accumulation of protein-bound precursors of FeMo-co. The (55)Fe label from radiolabeled NifB-co became associated with two major protein bands when the in vitro FeMo-co synthesis reaction was carried out with the extract of an Azotobacter vinelandii mutant lacking apodinitrogenase. One of the bands, termed (55)Fe-labeled upper band, was purified and shown to be NifH by immunoblot analysis. The (55)Fe-labeled lower band was identified as NifX by N-terminal sequencing. NifX purified from an A. vinelandii nifB strain showed a different electrophoretic mobility on anoxic native gels than did NifX with the FeMo-co precursor bound. |
Q:
When using ka, is it acceptable to eliminate the question mark when ending a sentence?
I am unable to find content addressing this question.
A:
For writing in Japanese, question marks after か appear to be less common than simple periods in plain-text formats like novels. For manga, question marks seem to be more common. For writing in romaji, question marks appear to be standard.
Note that this is all from my own subjective perspective.
|
The state legalized medical marijuana more than four years ago, but the Frederick firm is the first that has been authorized to actually grow cannabis. The first crop is not expected to be ready for about two more months. |
6 Essential Gardening Tips to Create the Garden You’ve Always Wanted
6 Essential Gardening Tips to Create the Garden You’ve Always Wanted
Gardening requires commitment and a certain level of knowledge to achieve the results that you want. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an expert gardener, you can always stand to benefit from new knowledge and techniques. There’s something special about planting things that end up thriving as a direct result of your care. A gardener is only as good as the techniques and landscaping products that they work with. Cal Blend Soils Inc. has been providing top quality landscaping products to both home and commercial gardeners for over thirty years. We offer a variety of different gardening products such as topsoil, compost, mulch, and more so that you can plant and grow a truly amazing garden.
Not everyone is born with a green thumb, which is why we’ve created this guide that details six essential gardening tips that will help you achieve the garden you’ve always been looking for.
Essential Gardening Tip #1 – Look for Light
Plants always need light to truly flourish. You might remember the term photosynthesis from science class. For plants, sunlight is essentially their food. This is a fact that you certainly need to keep in mind when you are choosing an area for gardening. However, plants can sometimes be very picky with the amount of light they receive. Give them too much sun and they will wilt away and rot. On the other hand, too little sun can prevent them from ever even sprouting. The ideal amount of direct sunlight for growing vegetable is at least eight hours daily. However, every plant type has its own demands for sunlight. Keep this tip in mind to help your plants get the light that they need to really spring out from the ground.
Essential Gardening Tip #2 – Prevent Weeds from Derailing Your Garden
There’s nothing more frustrating than creating an amazing garden or landscaping project only to have it overrun by weeds. Weeding is going to be a part of your gardening tasks, whether you like it or not. However, there are several smart approaches you can take that will prevent weeds from completely derailing your garden. One way is to purchase high-quality mulch from a supplier like Cal Blend Soils Inc. Mulch is great because it keeps the soil cool and prevents weeds from getting the light they so desperately crave. If you want to get physical with weeds, remember to pull them out by hand when the soil is wet and use a hoe when the soil is dry. For weeds that sprout out and have heads, lop them off with clippers to stop them dead in their tracks. The battle against weeds will be one that is ongoing for any gardener, but you don’t have to let them take over entirely.
Essential Gardening Tip #3 – Plant According to the Seasons
The seasons play a huge roll in the success of your garden. It’s important to time things right when you are planting to give your garden or landscaping project the best chances for success. You should try to plant spring-blooming plants in the fall before the ground becomes totally frozen. This applies to plants like daffodils and hyacinths. Timing things right will be key to growing the garden that you want. Keep the seasons in mind so that your plants have the best environment to grow.
Many novice gardeners think that all they need to do is plant a few things, cover them with fertilizer, and let nature do the rest. Sure, fertilizer can certainly help plants to grow, but the real secret to a garden’s success is in the soil. If the soil is lacking in nutrients, the plants will simply not grow the way that you want. Also, if you do fertilize your plants, make sure you use organic fertilizer. Some fertilizers are good for plants but really bad for the rest of the environment. You can use landscaping products like mulch and organic compost to really enrich the quality of the soil and give your garden the best chance for success. If you are looking to purchase the best compost and mulch on the market, reach out to Cal Blend Soils today.
Essential Gardening Tip #5 – Water Level Matters
Every plant needs water to grow. It’s a fact of life that has existed since the dawn of time. However, the amount of water you give your garden is crucial. If you live in an area where heavy rainfall occurs frequently, factor this into the amount of water you give your plants. Most garden plants grow best with one to two inches of water every week. If it hardly ever rains, simply water your garden deeply once per week instead of a little bit every day.
Essential Gardening Tip #6 – Drainage is Key
We’ve touched on the fact that plants are very selective in the amount of water that they receive. One thing to consider is that drainage will impact the success of your garden as well. Plant’s roots need oxygen to thrive. The soil beneath them will not be doing you any favors if it is constantly wet due to poor drainage. You can use landscaping products like mulch, topsoil, and compost to help with drainage and the quality of the soil.
These are all great tips to keep in mind if you are trying to create a next-level garden. Plants are truly amazing life forms on this planet, and with the right care and attention, you can create a one-of-a-kind garden that will last for years. Remember to contact Cal Blend Soils for any of your commercial or home gardening needs. We can provide you more tips and the products you need to achieve the garden you have always wanted.
Map
CANCELLATION, POSTPONEMENT OR ORDER CHANGE POLICY:
•A CHANGE IN QUANTITY OR TYPE OF MATERIAL, ONCE LOADED FOR DELIVERY, OR IN TRANSIT, MAY RESULT IN A RELOADING FEE.
•CANCELLING OR POSTPONING AN ORDER, ONCE LOADED FOR DELIVERY, OR IN TRANSIT, MAY RESULT IN A FEE.
Prices subject to change without notice. All products subject to availability. |
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: ClusterRole
metadata:
name: prometheus
rules:
- apiGroups: [""]
resources:
- nodes
- pods
- endpoints
- services
verbs: ["get", "list", "watch"]
- nonResourceURLs: ["/metrics"]
verbs: ["get"]
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: ClusterRoleBinding
metadata:
name: prometheus
roleRef:
apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
kind: ClusterRole
name: prometheus
subjects:
- kind: ServiceAccount
name: default
namespace: default
|
Update to Re^3: After a short investigation with corelist HTTP::Daemon turns out that HTTP::Daemon is not a core-module. I confused that since my fresh installed Debian distribution already came along with that module... |
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220 F.2d 565
55-1 USTC P 9239
William B. CUDLIP and Lynwood B. Cudlip, Petitioners,v.COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent.
No. 12165.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
Feb. 18, 1955.
Edward L. Weber, Detroit, Mich., for petitioners.
John J. Kelley, Jr., Washington, D.C. (H. Brian Holland, Ellis N. Slack, Howard P. Locke and Walter Akerman, Jr., Washington, D.C., on the brief), for respondent.
Before MARTIN, McALLISTER and STEWART, Circuit Judges.
McALLISTER, Circuit Judge.
1
Petitioners, husband and wife, in their joint income tax return for 1949, claimed a deduction from gross income in the amount of $30,000 on the ground that it was a loss incurred in a transaction entered into for profit and properly allowable to them as a deduction under Section 23(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.A. The Commissioner's denial of the deduction was sustained by the Tax Court.
2
Petitioner, William B. Cudlip, is an attorney engaged in a legal practice having to do, principally, with banks, corporations, and business ventures. Sometime prior to 1947, he became interested in the WiRecorder Corporation, the sole asset of which, at the time of its organization in 1944-- other than the cash capital paid in-- was a license agreement with Armour Research Foundation to manufacture and use products, adapting the principles of recording sound on wire and tape, under Armour patents. Under the license agreement, the corporation was required to pay Armour the amount of $10,000 as a prepayment of royalties and, in addition, to spend at least $25,000 a year for three years in research work to perfect and exploit the devices licensed under the agreement, for use in the automotive field. It was provided that if these conditions were met, the license in this field would become exclusive.
3
The corporation spent not only the amounts required under the agreement, but substantial sums in excess thereof. This required the borrowing of money from a bank in Detroit, and in 1947, petitioner Cudlip became a co-guarantor, with two other, in a corporation note in the amount of $90,000 for money borrowed on behalf of the corporation from the bank. In spite of the financial support given, the corporation failed, and on November 23, 1949, notified the bank that it was unable to meet its obligation on the note. Petitioner Cudlip, in accordance with his guaranty agreement, on November 25, 1949, paid the bank $30,000 of principal and $200 of interest due on the note. The other two guarantors also paid $30,000 each on their guaranty, so that no right of contribution remained in favor of any of them. The corporation was insolvent at that time; its corporate existence terminated on December 13, 1949; and petitioner Cudlip never recovered anything from the corporation for his payment.
4
In their joint income tax return in question, petitioners deducted, as a loss resulting from a transaction entered into for profit, the amount of $30,000 by reason of the aforementioned payment by Mr. Cudlip as guarantor of the corporate note. The Commissioner refused to allow the deduction on the ground that the loss sustained as guarantor was on a non-business bad debt; and the Tax Court sustained the determination of the Commissioner.
5
On this review of the decision of the Tax Court, petitioners contend that the loss of $30,000, which was sustained by Mr. Cudlip by reason of his payment of that sum as guarantor of the corporation's note, was a loss resulting from a transaction entered into for profit, and that they are, accordingly, entitled to a deduction in the amount of the entire loss sustained under Section 23(e) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides:
6
' § 23. Deductions from gross income. In computing net income there shall be allowed as deductions:
7
'(e) Losses by individuals. In the case of an individual, losses sustained during the taxable year and not compensated for by insurance or otherwise--
8
'(2) if incurred in any transaction entered into for profit, though not connected with the trade or business.'
9
The Commissioner insists that the loss was a non-business bad debt under Section 23(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides:
10
' § 23. Deductions from gross income. In computing net income there shall be allowed as deductions:
11
'(k) Bad debts.
12
'(1) General rule. Debts which become worthless within the taxable year; * * *. This paragraph shall not apply in the case of a taxpayer, other than a corporation, with respect to a non-business debt, as defined in paragraph (4) of this subsection. * * *
13
'(4) Non-business debts. In the case of a taxpayer, other than a corporation, if a non-business debt becomes worthless within the taxable year, the loss resulting therefrom shall be considered a loss from the sale or exchange, during the taxable year, of a capital asset held for not more than 6 months. The term 'non-business debt' means a debt other than a debt evidenced by a security as defined in paragraph (3) and other than a debt the loss from the worthlessness of which is incurred in the taxpayer's trade or business.'
14
Under the foregoing section, the Commissioner contends that, instead of being allowed a deduction for the entire claimed loss, petitioners are entitled only to a deduction for a non-business bad debt as a short-term capital loss.
15
At the outset, it is to be said that Section 23(e)(2), upon which petitioners rely, and Section 23(k)(4), upon which the Commissioner's case is based, are mutually exclusive provisions. Spring City Foundry Co. v. C.I.R., 292 U.S. 182, 189, 54 S.Ct. 644, 78 L.Ed. 1200. Section 23(e) 'is the broad residuary section which covers losses not specifically covered by Section 23(k) and other similar subsections of 23.' Allen v. Edwards, D.C.Ga., 114 F.Supp. 672, 674. If the losses in this case were losses from debts which 'become worthless within the taxable year,' within the meaning of Section 23(k), they would not be allowable under Section 23(e).
16
We shall first discuss the contention of the Commissioner, which was sustained by the Tax Court. He submits that Mr. Cudlip's loss may be deductible only under Section 23(k)(4) as a debt which became worthless during the taxable year; and that since, under that section, it was a non-business bad debt as to Mr. Cudlip, it is deductible only as a short-term capital loss. The Commissioner's contention is based upon the proposition that upon payment of his guaranty, Mr. Cudlip became subrogated to the rights of the bank against the corporation; that in standing in place of the bank as creditor, his loss is to be measured only to the extent that the debt is found worthless; that if the petitioner, having paid his guaranty, were ultimately to recover in full from the debtor, he would suffer no loss; that the loss resulting from payment of the guaranty is directly dependent upon the worthlessness of the debt and must be attributed thereto; and that since the taxpayer's loss is attributable to the worthlessness of the debt, he is limited, in claiming a deduction, to the provisions of Section 23(k) relating to deduction of losses from worthless debts.
17
In Pollak v. C.I.R., 3 Cir., 209 F.2d 57, 58, the same question that is presented in this case came before the court for decision. In its opinion, the court observed that it was doubtless true, as the Commissioner said, that under the doctrine of subrogation the corporation became indebted to the guarantor for the payments made by him on his endorsements and guaranty as and when he made them; but, the court went on, these payments were made under a legal obligation of endorsement and guaranty which the guarantor had entered into previously at a time when he believed that the corporation would prosper and that he would not lose as a result of his action. 'It is utterly unrealistic', said the court, 'to suggest, as the Tax Court does in its opinion in this case, that Leo L. Pollak when he entered into this transaction 'fully intended and expected to be repaid by the then existing solvent corporation if he was ever called upon to make good his endorsement or guaranty". The debt in the instant case was uncollectible from the instant it arose. The loss was not a debt which, within the meaning of Section 23(k)(4), 'becomes worthless within the taxable year.' 'For the debt, if we call it such, was worthless when acquired and, therefore, did not and could not become worthless at any time thereafter.' Pollak v. C.I.R., supra. Under similar facts, the Supreme Court, in Eckert v. Burnet, 283 U.S. 140, 51 S.Ct. 373, 374, 75 L.Ed. 911, held that the debt due by a principal debtor to the endorsers of its notes who paid them was not deductible as a bad debt because it was worthless when acquired. As Justice Holmes, in the opinion of the court, said: 'There was nothing to charge off.' The ruling in the Eckert case was reaffirmed in Helvering v. Price, 309 U.S. 409, 60 S.Ct. 673, 84 L.Ed. 836. To the same effect, see the recent decision of the Court of Appeals of the Third Circuit in Ansley v. C.I.R., 217 F.2d 252.
18
The Commissioner seeks to distinguish the decision of the Supreme Court in Eckert v. Burnet, supra, on the ground that the court's ruling applied only to debts voluntarily acquired; and he contends that Helvering v. Price, supra, is distinguishable in that it decided only that a deduction was not proper in the year in which it was sought to be taken, and did not decide which of the deduction provisions otherwise might have been applicable. In Allen v. Edwards, supra, the same contention was advanced by the Commissioner with respect to the Eckert case, and in disposing of the argument, the court said: 'If a debt worthless when acquired cannot be said to 'become worthless' in the hands of the taxpayer if voluntarily acquired, no reason appears why it can be said to 'become worthless' in the hands of the taxpayer when involuntarily acquired. Indeed, in the Eckert case, the leading case in which the principle is laid down, the debt was involuntarily acquired.' 114 F.Supp. at page 675. Supporting these conclusions of the district court in the Allen case as to the distinction sought to be made by the Commissioner in the Eckert case, see Pollak v. C.I.R., supra, and Edwards v. Allen, 5 Cir., 216 F.2d 794, in which the judgment of the district court was affirmed on appeal. It is true that the facts in the cases of Eckert v. Burnet, supra, and Helvering v. Price, supra, are not identical to those in the instant case, but the reasoning in those cases clearly sustains the adjudications in Pollak v. C.I.R., supra, and Edwards v. Allen, supra.
19
For the pervading principle of the Eckert case is that a debt, worthless when created or acquired by a taxpayer, cannot be the basis of a bad debt deduction under Section 23(k) but must be deducted, if at all, as a loss under Section 23(e).
20
In Fox v. C.I.R., 2 Cir., 190 F.2d 101, 104, where petitioner had made a written guaranty for the debts of her husband, executed to protect her securities which had been pledged for his debts, the Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the Tax Court which had held that petitioner was not entitled, under Section 23(e), to claim a deduction as a loss in a transaction entered into for profit, or perhaps, more specifically, of cutting her losses, but was limited to a bad debt deduction under Section 23(k)(4). On review, petitioner objected to the reasoning of the Tax Court because of its 'illusory character' since, at the time of her payment on the guaranty, her husband had been dead and his estate closed for several years. Petitioner argued that the Tax Court's theory that her payment resulted in a debt in her favor against her husband's estate amounted to a subrogation forced upon her-- contrary to the equitable spirit of the doctrine-- to yield her an utterly worthless claim, and a very real tax liability. In reversing the decision of the Tax Court, the Court of Appeals said: 'It is utterly unrealistic to consider the payment as one made in any expectation of recovery over or of any legal claim for collection. Actually it was merely the fulfillment of her contractual objection of the earlier date. The bad-debt provision thus had no direct application; only by straining the statutory language can we erect here a disembodied debt against an insolvent and long dead debtor.'
21
The Commissioner seeks to distinguish Fox v. C.I.R., supra, as well as Greenspon v. C.I.R., 8 T.C. 431, cited by petitioners, from the controversy before us on the ground that, in the Fox case, the debtor had died; the executors of his insolvent estate had been discharged four years before the payment there in issue was made by the guarantor; and that the court, in its opinion, had observed that its decision did 'no violence to the theory that a debt might arise upon payment by a guarantor where the principal debtor remains still in existence.' As to Greenspon v. C.I.R., supra, it is sought to distinguish that case on the ground that the debtor was out of existence at the time the payment was made under the guaranty. These factors in the foregoing cases do not affect the principle which is found therein and which governs this case. The same contentions now presented by the Commissioner were advanced by him in Allen v. Edwards, D.C.Ga., 114 F.Supp. 672, and in disposing of them, the court said: 'Counsel for the defendant seeks to distinguish those cases on the ground that in the former the principal debtor was dead at the time of payment and in the latter the principal debtor corporation had been liquidated at the time of payment of the guaranty. The Court does not consider that the death or liquidation of the principal debtor, prior to payment by the guarantor, should or does change the result. To so hold would permit the shifting of the tax by the simple expedient of deferring payment on the guaranty until the insolvent principal debtor or corporation is liquidated.'
22
The Commissioner submits that Shiman v. C.I.R., 2 Cir., 60 F.2d 65, clearly supports his contentions in this case. The same argument was made in Pollak v. C.I.R., 3 Cir., 209 F.2d 57, where the court said: 'The Commissioner strongly relies upon Shiman v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue * * * as authority to the contrary. That case, however, involved only the question whether a payment under a guaranty could be deducted as a bad debt or must be considered as a non-deductible gift. The court held in that setting that it was a bad debt and deductible as such. The question whether the payment could be deducted as a loss was not considered by the Court of Appeals.' In the Shiman case, the petitioner had paid certain brokers on a guaranty after his principal had become, as the court assumed, completely insolvent, and the court, in deciding the case, said (60 F.2d 67): 'Though there was no debt until Shiman paid the brokers, it then became such at once and was known to be worthless as soon as it arose.' In Fox v. C.I.R., 2 Cir., 190 F.2d 101, decided some twenty years later in the same circuit, where the guarantor had ultimately paid according to her guaranty, the court, in holding that the transaction was not one involving a bad debt, said: 'Nor could payment ten years later create a debt out of something less than even the proverbial stone.' This is somewhat contradictory of the prior decision, and as the court, in Pollak v. C.I.R., supra, remarked with respect to the Shiman case: 'To the extent that some of the language used by the court in its opinion is thought to be opposed to our conclusion in the case before us we believe it to be inconsistent with the rule announced in the Eckert case. In this connection it is to be noted that the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in its opinion in the Fox case, to which we have previously referred, made no reference whatever to its earlier Shiman opinion. Obviously the opinion in the Fox case must be taken as the current expression of the views of that court upon the question.'
23
Taxation is concerned with realities; and we concur with the above mentioned authorities that the contentions here advanced by the Commissioner are completely unrealistic. The argument that, because of payment on the guaranty, petitioners would have a claim for reimbursement against the insolvent corporation that had no assets and that, therefore, their loss was a debt which became worthless during the taxable year in which they made the payment, is illusory and untenable; and the finding of the Tax Court that Mr. Cudlip 'intended to, and did expect to, be repaid by WiRecorder in the event he was at any time required to fulfill his obligation under the guaranty agreement' finds no support in the evidence, or in any inferences that might be reasonably drawn therefrom.
24
In accordance with the foregoing, the decision of the Tax Court is reversed and the case remanded for allowance of the claimed deduction and such other further proceedings as may be necessary, consonant with this opinion.
25
STEWART, Circuit Judge (dissenting).
26
Since deductions for bad debt losses are governed by the special provisions of § 23(k) of the Code, such losses cannot be deducted under the ordinary loss provisions of § 23(e). When a taxpayer's loss results from the total or partial worthlessness of a debt owing to him, if a deduction cannot be taken under the provisions of § 23(k), it cannot be taken at all. That is what was decided in Spring City Foundry Co. v. C.I.R., 1934, 292 U.S. 182, 54 S.Ct. 644, 78 L.Ed. 1200. 'The making of the specific provision as to debts indicates that these were to be considered as a special class and that losses on debts were not to be regarded as falling under the * * * general provision.' 292 U.S. at page 189, 54 S.Ct. at page 647. It is worth noting that in the Spring City case the loss in question was held not to be deductible under the then applicable bad debt provisions of the statute, but was nonetheless held excluded from consideration under the ordinary loss provisions, since the loss had arisen from a debt.
27
If, then, the petitioner's loss in this case arose from a debt owing to him, it may not be considered under the ordinary loss provisions of § 23(e) of the Code. If it did not so arise, it may be so considered. The question therefore is whether or not the petitioner's loss arose from a debt.
28
As recognized in the majority opinion, it is hornbook law that when a guarantor is compelled to pay the principal creditor, he becomes by operation of law subrogated as a creditor of the principal debtor. In the nature of things, the debt which the guarantor thus acquires is usually worthless at the time of its acquisition. Yet, until the Pollak and Allen cases, and today's decision in this case, the debt so arising has consistently been considered nonetheless deductible as a bad debt, although it became worthless immediately upon its ripening from a secondary obligation into a debt. Hamlen v. Welch, 1 Cir., 1940, 116 F.2d 413; Shiman v. C.I.R., 2 Cir., 1932, 60 F.2d 65; Whitcher v. Welch, D.C.Mass., 1938, 22 F.Supp. 763; Kate Baker Sherman, 1952, 18 T.C. 746; Harold Guyon Trimble, 1946, 6 T.C. 1231; Warren Leslie, Sr., 1946, 6 T.C. 488, 494; Alice DuPont Ortiz, 1940, 42 B.T.A. 173, 186-188, reversed sub nom. Helvering v. Wilmington Trust Co., 3 Cir., 1941, 124 F.2d 156, reversed (without discussion on this point) 1942, 316 U.S. 164, 62 S.Ct. 984, 86 L.Ed. 1352; D. W. Pierce, 1940, 41 B.T.A. 1261; H. Rodney Sharp, 1938, 38 B.T.A. 166; E. A. Roberts, 1937, 36 B.T.A. 549; Daniel Gimbel, 1937, 36 B.T.A. 539.1
29
Eckert v. Burnet, 1931, 283 U.S. 140, 51 S.Ct. 373, 75 L.Ed. 911, is not to the contrary. The decision in that case, as explained and followed in Helvering v. Price, 1940, 309 U.S. 409, 60 S.Ct. 673, 84 L.Ed. 836, was that the taxpayer who makes his return on the basis of cash receipts and cash disbursements must suffer a cash detriment before taking a deduction. In the Eckert case, the taxpayer substituted his own note for the corporation's obligation upon which he had been an endorser. The Court held that until he paid the note, he could take no deduction at all.2
30
The dictum in the Eckert case that a debt worthless when acquired cannot later become worthless originated in the Court of Appeals opinion in that case, 42 F.2d 158, as was pointed out by Judge Learned Hand in Shiman v. C.I.R., supra. Thus, the court in which that dictum originated, shortly thereafter refused to apply it to a guaranty situation, and so consistently have other courts, until Pollak v. C.I.R.; Edwards v. Allen, and this case. See Hamlen v. Welch; Whitcher v. Welch; Kate Baker Sherman; Harold Guyon Trimble; Warren Leslie, Sr.; Alice DuPont Ortiz; D. W. Pierce; H. Rodney Sharp; E. A. Roberts; Daniel Gimbel, all cited above.
31
The statement that a debt worthless when acquired cannot later become worthless has an attractive ring to it, which no doubt accounts for its frequent repetition. Yet it is only a rather inaccurate way of saying that a transaction which is donative from the outset, even though in form a loan or a guaranty, cannot be the basis of a deduction, because in reality the transaction from the beginning was a gift or a contribution to capital. E.g. Hoyt v. C.I.R., 2 Cir., 1944, 145 F.2d 634. That issue is not involved in the present case.
32
For the reasons stated, I think the Tax Court was correct in finding that the loss which the petitioner sustained in the present case was a bad debt loss,3 and that its finding that the debt was a nonbusiness debt was not erroneous. Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Smith, 2 Cir., 1953, 203 F.2d 310. Accordingly, I think the Tax Court's decision permitting the petitioner a nonbusiness bad debt deduction should be affirmed.4
33
If what has been said seems overly technical, it may be well to point out some important realities. At the time petitioner's corporation was organized it had commitments requiring it to expend $85,000 during its first three years of existence. Yet its capital consisted of only $5,000. Obviously more risk capital was required.
34
Had the petitioner made the necessary additional investment in the conventional form of subscribing for stock, his loss upon the failure of the corporation would have been a capital loss, § 23(g)(2), I.R.C. Had he made the investment in the form of a loan to the corporation evidenced by an instrument bearing interest coupons, his loss would likewise have been a capital loss, § 23(k)(2), I.R.C. Had he made the additional investment in the form of an ordinary loan to the corporation, his loss would likewise have been a capital loss, § 23(k)(4) I.R.C., Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Smith, supra.
35
Because the petitioner happened instead to risk his money by guaranteeing the corporation's bank loans, the court now holds that the petitioner may take an ordinary loss, deductible in full from his ordinary income. Yet from the petitioner's viewpoint, the situation would have been precisely the same had he himself borrowed the money and then lent it to the corporation. It therefore seems to me that the result reached by the court in this case is significantly unrealistic.
36
From now on an investor in this Circuit need not be content with a capital loss if he loses his risk capital. If only he can make his investment in the form of a guaranty, his loss will be deductible in full from his ordinary income if the venture is unsuccessful.5 Conversely, the taxpayer who becomes a guarantor of a corporation's indebtedness for a reason other than to make a profit (and not in his trade or business), will be able to take no deduction at all if he pays on the guaranty and can collect nothing from the original debtor. That follows from the reasoning of today's decision that the debt to which he is subrogated is not deductible, because it did not 'become worthless' but was 'worthless when acquired.'
37
In regretfully parting company with my respected colleagues, I realize that I part company with our brethren of the Third and Fifth Circuits as well. Pollak v. C.I.R., supra; Edwards v. Allen, supra. I do so because the result reached by them seems to me neither permissible under the law nor equitable upon the facts, and at such length because this rather important question of tax law is at the moment in a critical stage of its development.
1
See Mertens Law of Federal Income Taxation (1953 Revision), Vol. 5, Par. 30.11, page 412, where it is stated, in part, as follows: 'A voluntary loan which gives rise to a debt which is worthless when created or acquired-- in the sense that it has no value-- may not then or subsequently be deducted as a bad debt. Advances under such circumstances may generally be characterized as either gifts or contributions to capital, but not debts. * * *
'Where the debt is created involuntarily the foregoing rules do not apply and the taxpayer may be allowed a bad debt deduction upon the worthlessness of his claim. This principle finds illustration in the cases of an endorsement or the assumption of the obligation by a surety. In such cases the debt arises only when the endorser or surety pays, and he pays only if the prior obligor is unable to do so. In such cases a bad debt deduction may be allowed, but only if the principal debtor is still in existence.'
2
The taxpayer had argued that he was entitled to either a bad debt deduction or an ordinary loss deductions. See Eckert opinion in Court of Appeals, 2 Cir., 1930, 42 F.2d 158; Helvering v. Price, supra
3
The petitioner himself treated the loss as one arising from a debt. After paying on his guaranty he notified the corporate debtor in writing of his claim against it. Subsequently, in his tax return he claimed the deduction as a business had debt under § 23(k)(1) of the Code
4
Fox v. C.I.R., 2 Cir., 1951, 190 F.2d 101, is not to the contrary. In that case the debtor had been dead and his insolvent estate long closed when the guarantor paid. The guarantor was allowed an ordinary loss. The decision is justified upon the premise that there can be no debt when there is no debtor. The court was careful to point out that its decision 'does not violence to the theory that a debt might arise upon payment by a guarantor where the principal debtor remains still in existence.' Where the principal debtor is a corporation, and its 'existence' within the control of the guarantor, such a result would seem more questionable. Cf. Abraham Greenspon, 1947, 8 T.C. 431
5
Before the addition of subsection 23(k)(4) a guarantor did receive an ordinary loss deduction in a situation like the present one. The House Ways and Means Committee stated the new subsection was 'designed to remove existing inequities.' H.Rep. No. 2333, 77th Cong., 1st Sess. (1942-2 Cum.Bull. 372, 408)
|
Raman exfoliative cytology for oral precancer diagnosis.
Oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and oral submucous fibrosis, often precede oral cancer. Screening and management of these premalignant conditions can improve prognosis. Raman spectroscopy has previously demonstrated potential in the diagnosis of oral premalignant conditions (in vivo), detected viral infection, and identified cancer in both oral and cervical exfoliated cells (ex vivo). The potential of Raman exfoliative cytology (REC) in identifying premalignant conditions was investigated. Oral exfoliated samples were collected from healthy volunteers (n=20), healthy volunteers with tobacco habits (n=20), and oral premalignant conditions (n=27, OPL) using Cytobrush. Spectra were acquired using Raman microprobe. Spectral acquisition parameters were: λex: 785 nm, laser power: 40 mW, acquisition time: 15 s, and average: 3. Postspectral acquisition, cell pellet was subjected to Pap staining. Multivariate analysis was carried out using principal component analysis and principal component-linear discriminant analysis using both spectra- and patient-wise approaches in three- and two-group models. OPLs could be identified with ∼77% (spectra-wise) and ∼70% (patient-wise) sensitivity in the three-group model while with 86% (spectra-wise) and 83% (patient-wise) in the two-group model. Use of histopathologically confirmed premalignant cases and better sampling devices may help in development of improved standard models and also enhance the sensitivity of the method. Future longitudinal studies can help validate potential of REC in screening and monitoring high-risk populations and prognosis prediction of premalignant lesions. |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to carbonaceous materials in oil slurries and more particularly to stabilized coal or coke in oil slurries containing mixtures of imidazoline quaternary salts and a nitrogen base having from zero to nine carbon atoms as stabilizers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Addition of solid particulate carbonaceous material, such as coal or coke, to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, such as fuel oil, has been studied for many years. In the past five years, and particularly during the last two years, importance of reducing dependency of the world upon natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon fuels for its energy has been dramatically demonstrated.
Though not providing a complete solution to this energy problem, attempts have been made to incorporate solid particulate carbonaceous material, such as coal and coke, in liquid hydrocarbon fuels, because these particulate carbonaceous materials are far more plentiful than liquid fuels. There is considerable interest in extending and/or supplementing liquid fuels with solid fuels.
Many large industrial fuel users have equipment which was designed and constructed for the transportation, storage and combustion of liquid fuels. As yet, solid-liquid slurries, suspensions or emulsions are not accepted for regular use in such conventional equipment. In some instances this equipment was converted from its original design for burning solid fuels to liquid fuels. Many believe this trend should be reversed.
Various solutions to the problem of combining a solid particulate carbonaceous material with a liquid hydrocarbon fuel have been explored. One solution involved grinding carbonaceous material to colloidal size before introducing it into an oil. Even though this solution was successful, grinding costs were prohibitive. Coal oil slurries tend to form gels when heated to usable temperatures during storage, usually thixotropic gels.
Attempts were made to use the gelling phenomenon to hold larger than colloidal size particles in suspension. The gel was later broken down by adding additional oil so that the resulting slurry was pumpable without particulate material settling out. Inherently, this procedure was an expensive batch process.
Various materials were also added in an attempt to stabilize a coal oil slurry against settling of larger than colloidal size coal particles. Lime-rosin and starch were added to prevent settling of the larger slurry particles. Casein, gelatin and rubber were also added as suspension stabilizing agents to inhibit settling of coal particles. It was found that these suspension stabilizing agents must be added in quantities which undesirably thicken and increase viscosity of the slurry in order to prevent substantial quantities of coal particulate material from settling. Increasing slurry viscosity not only reduced the settling problem, but also limited uses to which the slurry may be put.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,022--Metzger, issued Jan. 17, 1978, describes a substantially water-free, high solid content, stable and combustible fuel slurry of about 5 to about 50 weight percent of a solid particulate carbonaceous material with the balance of the slurry being a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, a slurry suspension stabilizing agent and a water-free slurry viscosity reducing agent. The viscosity reducing agent was present in an amount sufficient to maintain the slurry at a viscosity below about 300 seconds Saybolt Universal when the slurry is at a temperature of 175.degree. F. Preferably, the viscosity reducing agent was a soap and the suspension stabilizing agent was starch.
The process for preventing formation of a gel in and controlling the settling and viscosity of this slurry involved the step of adding to the slurry containing a suspension stabilizing agent, a soap or salt of a fatty acid in an amount sufficient to maintain the viscosity of the slurry below 300 seconds Saybolt Universal when the slurry temperature was 175.degree. F.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,210,168--Morway, issued Oct. 5, 1965, describes a stabilized slurry of pulverized coal coated with a liquid hydrocarbon fuel in water to make the slurry pumpable through a pipeline. The slurry is stabilized with an imidazoline surfactant having the formula: ##STR1## where R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain radical containing from 10 to 23 carbon atoms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,552--Rowell et al, issued May 6, 1980, describe coal oil slurries stabilized with certain cationic surfactants having the group EQU >N--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --O--
where the group forms part of a straight chain such as Ethomeen.RTM. C-20 or cyclic ring such as N-soya-N-ethyl morpholinium ethosulfate. |
Muscle ultrasound in the assessment of suspected neuromuscular disease in childhood.
One hundred paediatric, muscle ultrasound examinations performed in the evaluation of suspected neuromuscular disease were reviewed. The results were related to the presence or absence of neuromuscular disease in each child assessed. The group comprised 66 males and 34 females, age range 2 months to 16 years (mean 5.3 years). Scans were graded I-IV, according to muscle echogenicity, using Heckmatt's criteria. Thirty-two children had a final diagnosis of neuromuscular disease. The sensitivity of ultrasound in detecting neuromuscular disease was 78% with 91% specificity. The test was more reliable in the sub-group of > 3 years with a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 96%. There was a significant difference in disease status, (with and without neuromuscular disease), between children with a normal, grade I, scan and those with an abnormal, grade II, III, IV, image (chi-square, P < 0.001, 95% confidence limits 0.54-0.86). Muscle ultrasound is a specific and sensitive investigation for suspected neuromuscular disease in children. |
- 18384239 = 0. Let v = b - -11270494. What is v rounded to the nearest 1000000?
5000000
Let x = -80910709 - -80907455.86056. Let g = x + 3253. Let y = -0.14 - g. Round y to four decimal places.
-0.0006
Let u = -0.105 - 0.009. What is u rounded to two decimal places?
-0.11
Let y = -0.109956 - -0.11. What is y rounded to 5 dps?
0.00004
Let y = 2132261743607.5999992 + -2132262623126. Let i = 879518 + y. Let d = i + 0.4. Round d to six decimal places.
-0.000001
Let j = 222831 + -119831. What is j rounded to the nearest 10000?
100000
Let g = 0.38 - 0.38000006. Round g to seven dps.
-0.0000001
Let z = 0 - 0. Let w = 0.3 + z. Let t = -0.82 + w. What is t rounded to 1 decimal place?
-0.5
Let d = -0.037 + 0.0369884. Round d to six dps.
-0.000012
Let t be 20/(990003/(-330000) - -3). Round t to the nearest 1000000.
-2000000
Let s = -8.94 - -9. Let u = 0.0599968 - s. What is u rounded to 6 dps?
-0.000003
Let i = 2.6 - 3.16. Let h = i + 0.56000049. What is h rounded to seven decimal places?
0.0000005
Let l be (-4)/(-6) + (-13)/(-3). Let o(s) = -l + 3 + 229*s + 0. Let b be o(-2). Round b to the nearest 100.
-500
Let f = -7.89999794 + 7.9. Round f to six dps.
0.000002
Let x(f) = -f**3 + 2*f**2 + 2*f - 2. Let t be x(2). Suppose -t*v + 3*v = -14800. Round v to the nearest 1000.
-15000
Let i = 4 - 3.95. Let b = i - 0.04999999. What is b rounded to 7 dps?
0
Let m = 67 + -21. Let x = m + -45.99939. Round x to 4 dps.
0.0006
Suppose 2*l + 0*q - 5*q = 2132846, -4*l + 4265702 = -5*q. Suppose -16666428 + l = -3*k. Round k to the nearest one million.
5000000
Let p = -30 + 19. Let t = 11.0065 + p. What is t rounded to three dps?
0.007
Let d = -387.36 + 267.67. Let n = d + 119. Round n to one dp.
-0.7
Let p = -5462.1 - -5462.293272. Let o = p + -0.1634. Let j = o - 0.03. What is j rounded to five dps?
-0.00013
Let u = -55.034 + 55. Let d = -6607.97300059 + 6607.939. Let l = d - u. What is l rounded to seven decimal places?
-0.0000006
Let v = 16 - 27. Let o = v - -10.99999998. Round o to 7 decimal places.
0
Let o = 5.8 + 1.5. What is o rounded to 0 decimal places?
7
Suppose -2*f + 2160000 = f. What is f rounded to the nearest 100000?
700000
Let p be 5 + -3 + 0/2. Suppose -v + 5*o + 362893 = -227107, 1770000 = 3*v - p*o. Round v to the nearest 100000.
600000
Let f = -0.39 + 4.19. Let r = f - 3.46. Let b = r - 0.5. Round b to 1 dp.
-0.2
Let l = 6.91 + -0.01. Let v = l + 0.1. Let b = v + -14.9. Round b to the nearest integer.
-8
Let i = -2.81 - -2.7. Let f = i + 4.61. Let g = 5 - f. Round g to the nearest integer.
1
Let n = 7 - 6. Let b = n - 1.000064. Round b to 5 dps.
-0.00006
Suppose 1440 = -5*k + f - 2107, -k - 3*f - 719 = 0. What is k rounded to the nearest 100?
-700
Let f = 3.58 + -3.58507. What is f rounded to 3 decimal places?
-0.005
Let b be 35*-1*(-8)/(-4). What is b rounded to the nearest one hundred?
-100
Suppose 202439 = c - 51561. What is c rounded to the nearest 10000?
250000
Let g = 2026 + -2024.817. Let i = -0.033 + g. Round i to 1 dp.
1.2
Let w be 0 - -3 - (-12)/(-3). Let r(m) = -518453*m - 471987*m + 150441*m + 1. Let g be r(w). What is g rounded to the nearest 100000?
800000
Let f(m) = 2 - 3*m**2 + 2 - 2*m**3 + m**2 + 5*m. Let v be (-10)/3 + (-3)/(-9). Let r be f(v). What is r rounded to the nearest ten?
30
Let r = 62.00082 - 62. What is r rounded to four dps?
0.0008
Let c = 84007713652373762.99999858 + -84007714656568843. Let y = 1004195038 + c. Let k = -42 - y. Round k to seven decimal places.
0.0000014
Let m = 551411 + 4079038. Suppose 5*t + 0*h = -3*h + 24347743, -24347771 = -5*t + 4*h. Let f = m + t. Round f to the nearest one million.
10000000
Let s = -6 + -6. Let q be s/(-7) + 10/35. Suppose -q*l = -3*w + 620000, -w = l - 0*w + 310000. Round l to the nearest 100000.
-300000
Let x = 1.8 + 0.2. Let n = -146.025 - -148. Let p = x - n. What is p rounded to 2 dps?
0.03
Let r = -8 - -8.006. Let z = r + 39.994. Let q = 40.0043 - z. Round q to 3 dps.
0.004
Suppose 0 = f - 6 + 2. Suppose -2*u - f*g - 155008 = 3*u, -u - 3*g - 31006 = 0. What is u rounded to the nearest ten thousand?
-30000
Let m = -0.49 - -0.48883. Round m to four dps.
-0.0012
Let s = -23.894 + 24. Let q = s + -0.10599951. What is q rounded to 7 decimal places?
0.0000005
Let g = -1656177 - -966177. Round g to the nearest 100000.
-700000
Let n be (-3)/((6/2)/(-3)). Suppose 0 = 7*m - n*m + 22400000. What is m rounded to the nearest one million?
-6000000
Let s = 540037.15900084 + -540015.159. Let f = s + -22. Round f to seven decimal places.
0.0000008
Let d = 148 + -147.701. Let h = -0.044 + d. Let f = h - 0.025. Round f to one dp.
0.2
Let n = -9 - -3. Let b = -0.3546 - -6.35364. Let s = n + b. Round s to 4 decimal places.
-0.001
Let t = -82 - -81.9392. Let p = 0.06 + t. What is p rounded to 3 decimal places?
-0.001
Let j = 3.32 + -3.3199358. What is j rounded to five decimal places?
0.00006
Suppose -n - 418 = -0*n. Let l = 1918 + n. What is l rounded to the nearest one hundred?
1500
Let x(f) = -2*f - 1. Let v be x(-4). Let i(y) = -13264*y**2 - 10*y + 6. Let g be i(v). Round g to the nearest 100000.
-700000
Let n = -0.325 - -0.3. Let d = 0 + n. What is d rounded to 2 dps?
-0.03
Let d = -7 - -5.9. Let y = d + 1.1065. Round y to three decimal places.
0.007
Let l = 83 + -79.7. What is l rounded to the nearest integer?
3
Let n = -0.14 + 0.38. Let t = 1.86 + n. Round t to 0 decimal places.
2
Let y be 3 - (-24000 + 1 + 2). Suppose -5*w = -w + y. What is w rounded to the nearest ten thousand?
-10000
Let f = 1.02 - -60.98. Let a = 4938.54 - 4876. Let s = f - a. What is s rounded to one decimal place?
-0.5
Let b = 8181890539 - 8181891304.0734971. Let p = -764.3935 - b. Let j = p - 0.68. Round j to six decimal places.
-0.000003
Let u = -16.35 - -0.55. Let w = u + 15.799889. What is w rounded to five decimal places?
-0.00011
Let b = -11.23 + -0.45. Let k = b + -0.02. What is k rounded to 0 dps?
-12
Let n(k) be the first derivative of -k**5/3 - k**4/24 - 2*k**3/3 - 1. Let i(x) be the third derivative of n(x). Let m be i(1). Round m to the nearest ten.
-40
Let u = -11.09 + 11. Let h = u - -0.0899912. Round h to six dps.
-0.000009
Let a(n) = n**2 - 3*n - 1. Let g be a(2). Let s be g/(-9) - 2701/3. Round s to the nearest 1000.
-1000
Let d = 0.04449 + 0.41145. Let r = d - -0.14436. Let s = -0.6 + r. What is s rounded to 4 decimal places?
0.0003
Let x = 14 - 13.9949. What is x rounded to 3 decimal places?
0.005
Let a = -0.045381 + -2874.804619. Let j = a - -2874.969981. Let h = 0.12 - j. What is h rounded to five decimal places?
0.00002
Suppose -2*c = 3*c - 3*g - 21, 4*g - 4 = -4*c. Suppose -350 = -a - 2*a + 2*v, -a = -c*v - 105. What is a rounded to the nearest ten?
120
Let v = -2127942 + -10072058. What is v rounded to the nearest 1000000?
-12000000
Let t = 30.6 + -16.3. Let x = -14.2999882 + t. What is x rounded to six decimal places?
0.000012
Let x = -0.1 + 1.2. What is x rounded to 0 dps?
1
Let r = 11 - 13. Let p = r + 1.999967. What is p rounded to 5 dps?
-0.00003
Let a(i) = -i + 1 - 3 - 2 + i**3 - 4*i**2 + 6*i. Let m be a(3). What is m rounded to the nearest integer?
2
Suppose 116 = -4*p + 3*q - 234, 4*p + 2*q + 340 = 0. Let h be p + 2/(-5 - -3). Round h to the nearest 10.
-90
Let g(k) = 4 + 5*k**2 + 0 - 4*k**2 + 5*k. Let j be g(-4). Let f(z) = z**3 - 1190000. Let h be f(j). Round h to the nearest one hundred thousand.
-1200000
Let a = -54.2952 + -0.0048. Let o = a - -49. What is o rounded to the nearest integer?
-5
Let p = 7336511 - 7336512.7999993. Let d = 1.8 + p. Round d to seven decimal places.
0.0000007
Let f = 13449710 - 8949710. What is f rounded to the nearest 1000000?
5000000
Suppose 3*f + 62935 = -2*f. Let n = -24587 - f. Round n to the nearest 10000.
-10000
Let m be (-89200003)/(-4) - 15/20. What is m rounded to the nearest one million?
22000000
Suppose 2*k + 21664 = k - 2*h, -4*k = -2*h + 86616. Let s = -5969 - k. Let f = s - 108687. Round f to the nearest ten thousand.
-90000
Suppose -4*v - 2 = -2*l, -4*l + 0*l + 12 = -4*v. Suppose 0 = -v*i + 5*i - 14700. Round i to the nearest 1000.
5000
Suppose 12*p = 8*p - 16. Let c be p/(-8)*8 + -1304. What is c rounded to the nearest one thousand?
-1000
Let j = -9 + 10. Let h be 1*((1 - -1) + j). Suppose -2300000 = 2*o - h*o. Round o to the near |
Quality of care of Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction: who is included in quality improvement measurement?
To determine the proportion of older patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incorporated in a commonly used set of AMI quality indicators. Retrospective analysis of a medical record database. Nongovernmental U.S. acute care hospitals. Medicare patients hospitalized for AMI between January 1994 and February 1996. Proportion of patients aged 65 and older classified as ideal candidates (without absolute or relative contraindications) for six Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services AMI quality indicators: aspirin (admission, discharge), beta-blocker (admission, discharge), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors at discharge, and time to reperfusion therapy. Of the 149,996 patients eligible for admission therapies, 10.1% were ideal candidates for reperfusion therapy, 65.0% for aspirin, and 34.7% for beta-blockers. Of the 116,919 patients eligible for discharge therapies, 47.7% were ideal candidates for aspirin, 17.6% for beta-blockers, and 15.2% for ACE inhibitors. More than one-quarter (26.8%) of all patients were ineligible for any of the six quality indicators; this proportion increased with age, ranging from 23.7% of patients aged 65 to 69 to 30.2% of patients aged 85 and older. A substantial proportion of older patients were not included in AMI process quality measurement, with the proportion excluded higher in successively older age groups. The data highlight the need for additional research to determine effective treatment strategies for patients for whom the evidence base for clinical decision-making remains weak. |
News
Classes start today at Penn State, with a new buzz on campus
Written by
Ben Allen and Radio Pennsylvania
|
Jan 13, 2014 4:48 AM
Comments : 0
(State College) -- Spring semester classes begin today at Penn State, and the talk among students in the dorms and classrooms is expected to center around the university's new football coach James Franklin.
Many in the community are already praising Franklin for hitting the ground running - he spoke to crowds at both a Lady Lions game and wrestling dual Sunday.
Despite early concern that a new coach could mean some recruits changing their committment, at least one four star recruit - quarterback Michael O'Connor - is enrolling early in the school.
"We are going to dominate the state. We are going to dominate the state. We are going to dominate the region. I worked at a lot of different institutions that tried to compete in recruiting against Penn State, and it was always an unbelievable challenge," said Coach Franklin in his introductory press conference Saturday.
Franklin's contract starts at $4 million this year, eventually climbing to 4 and a half million in 2019.
He will also earn $300,000 bonuses for nearly every year he stays at the school, with the last bonus in 2019 for $750,000. |
Plastid sequence evolution: a new pattern of nucleotide substitutions in the Cucurbitaceae.
Nucleotide substitutions (i.e., point mutations) are the primary driving force in generating DNA variation upon which selection can act. Substitutions called transitions, which entail exchanges between purines (A = adenine, G = guanine) or pyrimidines (C = cytosine, T = thymine), typically outnumber transversions (e.g., exchanges between a purine and a pyrimidine) in a DNA strand. With an increasing number of plant studies revealing a transversion rather than transition bias, we chose to perform a detailed substitution analysis for the plant family Cucurbitaceae using data from several short plastid DNA sequences. We generated a phylogenetic tree for 19 taxa of the tribe Benincaseae and related genera and then scored conservative substitution changes (e.g., those not exhibiting homoplasy or reversals) from the unambiguous branches of the tree. Neither the transition nor (A+T)/(G+C) biases found in previous studies were supported by our overall data. More importantly, we found a novel and symmetrical substitution bias in which Gs had been preferentially replaced by A, As by C, Cs by T, and Ts by G, resulting in the G-->A-->C-->T-->G substitution series. Understanding this pattern will lead to new hypotheses concerning plastid evolution, which in turn will affect the choices of substitution models and other tree-building algorithms for phylogenetic analyses based on nucleotide data. |
This past weekend, rumours swirled about Toronto's alleged interest in New Jersey Devils centre Travis Zajac. The connection here is obvious. Zajac, a former first-round pick in 2004, was drafted and developed by none other than new Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello.
For a team mostly devoid of talent right now, it's understandable why the beggars-can't-be-choosers crowd fanned the flames of this trade rumor. The Leafs have a huge hole down the middle of the lineup, and Zajac's been, at the very least, a pillar of stability for a New Jersey team venturing into a rebuild.
That's perhaps the only defensible point of this proposed trade. For starters, I can't see how Zajac fits into Toronto's plans either – he's a 30+ veteran with a massive contract, both in terms of average annual value ($5.75 million) and dollars owed ($28.75 million) through the 2020 season.
The dollars remaining strikes me as a major red flag – even for a Leafs organization with plenty of cap space and an infinite pool of resources. Assuming that New Jersey is looking to get out of Zajac's deal before things get really dire in his older years, it's hard to believe they'd dump him for little in return. If Zajac's truly on the market, they'll be looking for the usual top-six centre haul – a combination of picks and prospects commensurate to his perceived value as a steady two-way pivot with plenty left in the tank.
On the red flag point: I'm increasingly concerned about the stagnation of Zajac's offence. No doubt the system he has played in for years has suppressed offence to some degree, but it hasn't stop players like Ilya Kovalchuk, Jaromir Jagr, and Patrik Elias from having impressive scoring totals in recent years. For whatever reason, it seems increasingly clear that the days of Zajac being an offensive presence – his high-water mark of 67-points was back in 2009-2010 – are a thing of the past.
It can't be overstated enough how much his offence has dried up in the years. And to illustrate this point, I went ahead and grabbed a bunch of similarly-situated centres. Many of these players have reputations of being two-way types – guys who add real value on the defensive end that may, in some way, suppress their ability to produce at the offensive end of the rink. A couple of other names I floated in because they're actually UFA (like Derek Roy) or teammates (like Adam Henrique).
The table below is reasonably simple. It's a five year Point/60 number for each skater, or how many points we have seen them tally in every 60-minutes of action. The far right column is the most interesting to me. It includes the results of a simple t-test. The t-test is used to check whether two sets of data (in this case, each player's game-by-game scoring rates) differ significantly.
There, I noted the players who we can say with 95 per cent confidence are better scorers than Travis Zajac.
These players have a number of things in common. One, they've played hundreds of games over multiple seasons. Two, they all have out-scored Travis Zajac at 5-on-5 over the last five years. Three, none of them have even a shred of a reputation as offensive threats. Many of them, I would submit, have been labeled and discarded as limited attackers.
The top-four skaters are almost certainly better scorers than Zajac at this point in his career. It's worth pointing out that the combined liabilities for these four players is just $13.8 million – roughly 37 per cent of what's owed to Zajac by New Jersey. In a league where scoring drives salaries, there's a reason why there's not a lot of money committed to the likes of Bonino, Bickell, Roy, and Cullen, and that's because they're not very strong offensive producers. Which raises the question: just how badly did New Jersey miss on Travis Zajac?
There are a bunch of other skaters filling out the list who have out-scored Zajac over that same stretch, though we are less confident in our conclusions there. It's a weird collection of names – Tyler Bozak's contract is terrible, Sean Couturier's never produced much of anything offensively, Vernon Fiddler's nothing more than a checking centre with increasingly limited offensive zone touch. And yet, again, they all have beaten out Zajac offensively.
The Takeaway
Points aren't everything, and it is worth mentioning that Zajac's underlying numbers are quite alright. But when you have diverted a significant portion of your team's available cap resources to a forward, you anticipate he will be a presence on both ends of the ice. Zajac has failed to live up to expectations in the offensive end, and for a Maple Leafs team that was starved for 5-on-5 goal-scoring last season, that matters quite a bit. It's best we put this rumour to bed for good. |
Rafinha will have surgery on Tuesday 22 September
The Brazilian midfielder was injured in the recent Champions League game against AS Roma
WWW.FCBARCELONA.COM
10:00PM Sunday 20 Sep
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Barça midfielder Rafinha will undergo surgery on Tuesday for the cruciate ligament knee injury he suffered in the game against AS Roma in the Stadio Olimpico. The process will be carried out by doctors Ramon Cugat and Ricard Pruna and following the operation the Club's Medical Services will release a press statement. |
United States Court of Appeals
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
___________
No. 03-1127
___________
United States of America, *
*
Plaintiff-Appellee, *
* Appeal from the United States
v. * District Court for the Western
* District of Missouri.
James L. Parker, *
*
Defendant-Appellant. *
___________
Submitted: June 11, 2003
Filed: April 20, 2004 (Corrected: May 5, 2004)
___________
Before MELLOY, HANSEN, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.
___________
MELLOY, Circuit Judge.
James L. Parker was charged in a twenty-count indictment with one count of
conspiracy to commit mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, eight counts of mail
fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and eleven counts of money laundering in
violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956. A jury convicted him of each of these charges, and the
district court1 sentenced him to fifty-one months imprisonment and ordered him to
pay restitution in the amount of $704,720.00. Parker appeals his conviction, making
several challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence, evidentiary rulings, and the jury
instructions. We affirm.
I.
On April 12, 2000, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Missouri
indicted Parker, his son, Ethan Parker, and Lyle Perry on charges arising out of their
business activities with Parker’s corporation, FCI Marketing, Inc. (“FCI”). All three
co-defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Only Parker and
Perry, FCI’s vice president, were charged with mail fraud, while Parker alone was
charged with money laundering.
In 1981, Parker, together with his wife, formed FCI’s predecessor company,
Factory Connections, Inc. That company foundered, and it filed bankruptcy in 1987.
Burdened by personal, as well as corporate, debt, the Parkers themselves also filed
a petition for bankruptcy in 1988. The Parkers revamped their business approach
and, in June of 1989, founded FCI. James Parker functioned as the president and
controlling partner.
Parker’s concept in forming FCI was to sell exclusive distributorships to
investors who would sell FCI brand-name automotive parts on a consignment basis.
In exchange for an initial investment of between $30,000-$250,000 (depending on
the initial package of inventory and the size of the investor’s territory), FCI agreed
not to set up other distributorships within the boundaries of the agreed-upon
exclusive geographic territory. In addition, FCI’s sales teams traveled to the
1
The Honorable Howard F. Sachs, United States District Judge for the Western
District of Missouri.
-2-
distributors’ territories and set up accounts with garages. After an account was
established, the sales teams installed FCI cabinets and racks at these locations and
stocked them with FCI brand products, namely brakes, spark plugs, belts, tire repair
kits, starters, alternators, and other commonly used aftermarket automobile parts.
The investors, or “distributors,” serviced these garages and replaced the
depleted inventory with parts that the distributors purchased directly from FCI. When
servicing the garages, the distributors also collected money for the parts that the
garages’ mechanics had used since the last servicing. Therefore, distributors paid FCI
for the inventory they used to stock garages, but the distributors themselves did not
receive any payment for the products until mechanics actually used them. The
distributors maintained a line of credit with FCI so that they could adequately service
their accounts.
Investors’ execution of Parker’s consignment-based business model proved
considerably more difficult to carry out successfully than Parker advertised orally and
in printed media. At trial, the government sought to prove that Parker, in conjunction
with his co-defendants, fraudulently induced investors to purchase FCI
distributorships by making several false statements. The substance of these
statements concerned the quality of the automotive parts sold under the FCI brand
name, the quality of the distributorship accounts, FCI’s business history, and the
amount of actual and projected income.
For example, Parker’s written promotional packages touted FCI products as
being of the highest quality. However, the evidence at trial showed that many of the
products, particularly the starters, alternators, and brakes, were of substandard
quality. This poor quality created friction between the distributors and the garages
that used these FCI products. Parker himself claimed in a 1996 lawsuit against his
brake manufacturer that the brakes were subject to premature wear, squealing, and
disintegration and that FCI lost distributorships as a result of the problems.
-3-
Moreover, in a 1996 civil deposition, Parker claimed FCI had lost thirteen distributors
as a result of the inferior quality of the starters and alternators. Even so, when
distributors complained to Parker about the products, Parker assured the complaining
distributors that they were the only ones experiencing recurrent problems. In
addition, testimony at trial established that Parker often responded to these
complaints by accusing the mechanics of improperly installing the FCI products,
which exacerbated the tension between the distributors and the garages.
Parker also represented that FCI would provide distributors with a professional
sales staff to set up high quality accounts. He described the accounts as garages that
employed several mechanics and had two or more bays. Instead, the government
alleged that the “professional” sales team members had little to no training and that
the accounts were oftentimes no more than dump sites for the sales person’s
inventory. There was evidence that FCI sales teams had set up accounts at a bait shop
and at a junk yard and that, in order to entice garage owners to accept an FCI account,
sales members would tell the owners that they need not use the product but could
keep it on hand for emergencies. The government alleged that Parker knew of these
deficiencies but continued to promote his sales staff as a professional one that would
establish income-producing accounts at high volume garages.
What is more, FCI promotional materials included documentation concerning
the profitability of owning an FCI distributorship. The figures contained in these
materials were compiled by Parker and co-defendant Perry, who was a certified public
accountant. In 1993, at FCI’s annual seminar, Parker circulated an informal income
and sales survey. The idea to conduct such a survey was an impromptu one, and
distributors were told to estimate their sales revenues. Based on these responses,
Perry compiled a chart of gross and net incomes for the current year and, based on a
10% yearly growth rate, projected gross and net income for the following two years.
-4-
In 1994, Parker again surveyed distributors at FCI’s annual convention. The
figures obtained from this survey were significantly lower than the 1993 figures, and
Parker and Perry compiled a new chart with the updated 1994 figures. When the
survey showed yet another decline in income in 1995, Parker did not update his
promotional materials with the 1995 figures. Instead, he continued to provide
prospective investors with the 1994 chart. Moreover, the 1994 chart continued to
show a 10% annual increase in sales and profits even though the results of Parker’s
survey showed a decline in income for two consecutive years. After 1995, Parker did
not conduct any further surveys, nor did he tell new distributors that the most current
data showed significantly less profitability and growth than the information he
provided them.
Representations concerning the profitability of an FCI distributorship, the
projected incomes, the professionalism of FCI’s sales staff, and the quality of its
goods and accounts were not the only bases of the crimes charged in the indictment.
At trial, the government produced evidence of other alleged misrepresentations
Parker made that tended to prove his intent to deceive and to induce potential
investors into buying FCI distributorships. Like the above-mentioned statements,
these other misrepresentations were mailed to interested investors as part of FCI’s
promotional literature packet. For instance, the government alleged that Parker
falsely represented to potential investors that FCI distributorships were 100%
successful when, in fact, Parker knew of failed distributorships and of distributorships
that were not profitable. Similarly, in print media, FCI advertised that it was
“Number 1,” and the advertisement further indicated that this ranking was based on
an “Independent survey conducted by FCI Marketing Inc.” No such survey had ever
been conducted.
FCI was headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri, and prospective investors
commonly traveled to FCI headquarters to meet with Parker before purchasing
distributorships. As part of Parker’s sales pitch to several investors, he informed
-5-
them that the profitability of his son, Ethan Parker’s, distributorships was typical.
Parker failed to inform prospective investors, however, that his son received
substantial inventory free of charge and had a much higher line of credit than ordinary
distributors. The government alleged that Parker’s representations regarding the
normalcy and the profitability of his son’s distributorships were made (or omitted)
with the fraudulent intent of inducing and deceiving prospective investors.
II.
Parker’s first point of contention on appeal concerns the trial court’s admission
of the expert testimony of Steven Toporoff. Toporoff is a government lawyer with
the Federal Trade Commission. His job title, specifically, is Franchise Program
Coordinator. The thrust of his testimony summarized the scope and substance of the
so-called Federal Trade Commission’s “Franchise Rule.” Without offering any
opinion as to whether or not FCI distributorships were “franchises” within the
meaning of the Franchise Rule, Toporoff testified as to the Federal Trade
Commission’s definition of a franchise and the disclosure obligations under federal
franchise law that accompany classification as a franchise.
Toporoff testified that the Franchise Rule requires that a franchisor make
several disclosures to potential investors. First, a franchisor must disclose the total
number of franchises that have opened, as well as the total number of those that have
closed. In addition, a franchisor must disclose its litigation history to the extent it
implicated the franchisor’s wrongdoing . Franchisors are also required to disclose all
bankruptcy proceedings in which the franchise or its principals have been involved.
And while the Franchise Rule does not require that a franchisor make any financial
disclosures, it governs those that are made. For example, a statement as to historical
performance must meet generally accepted accounting principles, and a projection
must proceed from a reasonable basis.
-6-
At trial, Parker’s counsel objected to Toporoff’s testimony on relevancy
grounds, while counsel for his co-defendant, Perry, objected to the testimony on the
ground it constituted an impermissible legal conclusion. The trial judge overruled the
objections, agreeing with the government’s contention that the testimony was
properly admissible to show intent and motive. At Parker’s request, the court did,
however, give the jury the following cautionary instruction at the conclusion of
Toporoff’s testimony:
I advise you that whether FCI, that is the corporation that we’re
[sic] been talking about, whether FCI created franchises is not
something that the witness established by his testimony. He wasn’t
asked that; he didn’t answer any such question. The question of whether
a franchise or franchises were created by FCI with regard to its
distributorships is something that would have to be determined to the
extent it is pertinent by other evidence in the case.
And I further remind you that even if FCI did create franchises,
this prosecution is not a lawsuit claiming violation of the Federal Trade
Commission, FTC requirements. The question in this case, at least one
of the ultimate questions, would be whether one or more of the
defendants knew of the obligations under the FTC written rules, whether
one or more of them knew of the obligations and failed to comply in
order to hide things from the investors and to deceive them into
becoming distributors.
Parker did not object to the substance of this cautionary instruction.
On appeal, Parker argues the trial court erred in admitting Toporoff’s testimony
for three reasons. First, Parker contends the testimony invaded the province of the
judge and the jury because it constituted opinion testimony concerning legal
standards. Second, he reasserts his relevancy objection. And third, for the first time,
he argues that, even if the testimony were relevant, the district court should have
-7-
excluded it under Federal Rule of Evidence 403 because, according to Parker, its
probative value was substantially outweighed by its prejudicial effect.
We review the district court’s decision to admit evidence over a party’s
objection for abuse of discretion. United States v. Rock, 282 F.3d 548, 551 (8th Cir.
2002). The government argued, and the trial court found, that the testimony was
properly admissible to show Parker’s intent to deceive. We agree.
Among other charges, Parker was convicted of mail fraud in violation of 18
U.S.C. § 1341. This statute prohibits the use of the mails to execute “any scheme or
artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent
pretenses, representations, or promises.” 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Intent to defraud is an
essential element of proving a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. See United States v.
Manzer, 69 F.3d 222, 226 (8th Cir. 1995) (to prove a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341,
government must establish “(1) the existence of a scheme to defraud, and (2) the use
of the mails . . . for purposes of executing the scheme”). Toporoff’s testimony was
relevant to establishing this essential element.
Toporoff did not testify that FCI distributorships were franchises subject to the
Federal Trade Commission’s Franchise Rule. Thus, contrary to Parker’s assertion,
Toporoff did not offer an impermissible legal opinion. He testified as to the scope
and obligations of the rule. Other evidence supported a finding that FCI
distributorships were, in essence, franchises. For instance, in the late 1980's, the State
of Nebraska sent Parker a letter, in which it informed him that FCI may be subject to
compliance with Nebraska’s seller-assisted marketing regulations. In addition,
Parker’s promotional materials indicated that the information contained therein was
given in compliance with state and federal regulations, and the referenced information
included disclosures that Toporoff testified were required by the Franchise Rule.
-8-
The most telling evidence that Parker believed he was marketing franchises and
was subject to compliance with the Franchise Rule was a document drafted by his
attorney. In 1995, Parker contemplated expanding FCI and incorporating a new
business entity, FCI Franchising, Inc. While Parker ultimately did not pursue this
venture, the document describes the FCI Franchising, Inc.’s franchises as similar to
the distributorships offered by FCI Marketing, Inc. Indeed, the description of FCI
Franchising, Inc.’s franchises is identical in substance to that of an FCI Marketing,
Inc. distributorship: “FCI [Franchising, Inc.] sells franchises to operate
distributorships which sell aftermarket autoparts on consignment to automobile repair
shops, service centers, and repair garages,” while FCI Marketing, Inc. similarly
consists of “a marketing program of placing assortments of major product lines on
consignment at Automotive Repair Shops and Garages.”
In short, the government presented sufficient evidence from which a reasonable
jury could have found that FCI was subject to the Franchise Rule, that Parker knew
he was selling franchises, and that he was aware of the obligations of the Franchise
Rule. Therefore, Toporoff’s testimony concerning the scope and substance of the rule
was relevant, as indicated by the trial judge in his cautionary instruction, to show
Parker’s intent to deceive if he knowingly failed to comply with the rule. The jury
was not compelled to make such an inference, and the trial judge specifically
instructed the jury that Toporoff’s testimony was relevant only if other evidence
established that FCI distributorships were subject to the Franchise Rule. Under these
circumstances, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting Toporoff’s
testimony over Parker’s relevancy objection, especially in light of the cautionary
instruction that limited the jury’s use of the testimony to the issue of Parker’s intent
to deceive.
Confronted with an almost identical argument to Parker’s, the Fifth Circuit
Court of Appeals affirmed the admission of evidence of violations of civil banking
-9-
regulations in a bank fraud trial. In United States v. Harvard, 103 F.3d 412 (5th Cir.
1997), the court held that evidence of banking regulations violations was relevant to
show the defendant’s motive or intent. Id. at 422-23. The court reasoned that the
regulations,
tended to prove that Harvard had a motive to make false entries in order
to hide the nature of the sham loan . . . . Evidence that Harvard’s non-
disclosure of the “consulting fee” was in violation of civil banking
regulations went toward showing Harvard’s knowledge of his duty to
disclose the fee and his motivation to hide his receipt of the fee.
Id. at 422.
In yet another similar case to come before the Fifth Circuit, the court in United
States v. Parks, 68 F.3d 860 (5th Cir. 1995), affirmed the district court’s admission
of evidence of civil banking regulations on the ground that the evidence was relevant
to show intent and motive. Id. at 866-67. In that bank fraud case, the court held,
“Evidence of violations of civil banking regulations cannot be used to establish
criminal conduct. Evidence of such violations may, however, be admitted for the
limited purpose of showing the defendants’ motive or intent to commit the crime
charged.” Id. at 866 (internal citations omitted). As in Harvard and Parks, the
government in the present case was charged with proving intent to defraud, and the
district court took painstaking care to guard against the possibility that the defendant
would be convicted of a federal crime because he violated civil regulations.
The paramount concern for the trial judge in these types of cases is not one of
relevancy, because, as discussed above, evidence of civil violations is clearly relevant
insofar as a defendant’s knowledge and violation of the regulations are relevant to
show intent and motive. Instead, the question is one of undue prejudice. The district
courts in Harvard, Parks, and in the present case recognized the potential for unfair
-10-
prejudice and confusion and guided the juries’ use of such evidence by instructing the
juries as to its proper, limited use.
Moreover, Parker did not object to Toporoff’s testimony at trial as being
unduly prejudicial, and we are not swayed by his Rule 403 argument on appeal,
particularly in light of the district court’s cautionary instruction. The Federal Rules
of Evidence instruct that relevant evidence is admissible unless “its probative value
is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues,
or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless
presentation of cumulative evidence.” Fed. R. Evid. 403. To the extent Toporoff’s
testimony implicated Rule 403 concerns, the district court adequately minimized the
testimony’s prejudicial impact. The court instructed the jury regarding the Federal
Trade Commission regulatory evidence and guided the jury’s consideration of such
evidence by way of a cautionary instruction, which immediately followed Toporoff’s
testimony. The district court was mindful of the potential prejudice that this
testimony could have on Parker’s trial and, accordingly, explicitly admonished the
jury that the trial was “not a lawsuit claiming violation of the Federal Trade
Commission, FTC, requirements.”
We conclude that, in light of the court’s cautionary instruction and able
guidance to the jury, the court did not abuse its discretion, much less commit plain
error,2 in admitting Toporoff’s testimony. The trial judge employed appropriate
measures to prevent undue prejudice and jury confusion that otherwise could have
resulted from evidence that Parker may have violated Federal Trade Commission civil
2
Parker did not object to the admission of Toporoff’s testimony on the ground
it was unduly prejudicial. Instead, he objected to the testimony as irrelevant. To the
extent that Parker’s appeal is based on evidence to which he did not object at trial, our
standard of review is plain error. See United States v. Whitetail, 956 F.2d 857, 861
(8th Cir. 1992).
-11-
regulations. Therefore, we conclude that the trial court properly admitted Toporoff’s
testimony for the limited purpose of showing intent and motive.
III.
We turn next to Parker’s second argument for reversal—that is, whether the
government presented sufficient evidence to support his mail fraud conviction.
Specifically, Parker claims that the government failed to sustain its burden of
negating all reasonable interpretations of the allegedly false statements that would
render the statements literally true. In the alternative, Parker argues that the trial
judge committed plain error in failing to sua sponte instruct the jury that, if under one
reasonable construction of the allegedly false statements the statements were factually
correct, the jury must return a verdict of not guilty.
A.
“We review the sufficiency of the evidence de novo, viewing evidence in the
light most favorable to the government, resolving conflicts in the government’s favor,
and accepting all reasonable inferences that support the verdict.” United States v.
Washington, 318 F.3d 845, 852 (8th Cir. 2003). “The verdict must be upheld if ‘there
is an interpretation of the evidence that would allow a reasonable- minded jury to find
the defendant[ ] guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.’” United States v. Nambo-Barajas,
338 F.3d 956, 960 (8th Cir. 2003) (quoting United States v. Vig, 167 F.3d 443, 445
(8th Cir. 1999)). The standard of review is, thus, a strict one, and a jury’s verdict will
not be lightly overturned. “Reversal is appropriate only where a reasonable jury
could not have found all the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.”
United States v. Armstrong, 253 F.3d 335, 336 (8th Cir. 2001).
-12-
B.
To prove mail fraud, the government bore the burden of proving: (1) a scheme
to defraud by means of material false representations or promises, (2) intent to
defraud; (3) reasonable foreseeability that the mail would be used, and (4) the mail
was used in furtherance of some essential step in the scheme. 18 U.S.C. § 1341; see
also United States v. Frank, 354 F.3d 910, 916 (8th Cir. 2004) (conviction under 18
U.S.C. § 1341 requires proof that the defendant “voluntarily and intentionally devised
or participated in a scheme to defraud the United States by concealing his assets, that
he entered into the scheme with the intent to defraud, that he knew that it was
reasonably foreseeable that the mails would be used, and that he used the mails in
furtherance of the scheme”). Parker’s challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence
implicates only the first element—that is, whether the government proved the falsity
of his statements. The government alleged that the scheme to defraud in this case
consisted of Parker making a number of false representations, nine of which the
district court enumerated in its instructions to the jury. To support his conviction, the
government must have proved that Parker knowingly made at least one of the nine
false representations as part of the scheme to defraud.
Parker relies on United States v. Anderson, 579 F.2d 455 (8th Cir. 1978) for
the proposition that the government was required to disprove all interpretations of his
allegedly false statements that would render them factually true. First, it is not
altogether clear whether there is a legal basis for Parker’s argument because the cases
he cites refer to an external source of ambiguity. E.g., United States v. Whiteside,
285 F.3d 1345, 1351-52 (11th Cir. 2002) (“In a case where the truth or falsity of a
statement centers on an interpretive question of law, the government bears the burden
of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant’s statement is not true under
a reasonable interpretation of the law.”) (emphasis added); United States v. Prigmore,
243 F.3d 1, 18 (1st Cir. 2001) (looking to defendant’s asserted reasonable
-13-
interpretation of federal regulation and stating, “if the evidence at trial gives rise to
a genuine and material dispute as to the reasonableness of a defendant’s asserted
understanding of applicable law, the judge, and not the jury, must resolve the
dispute”) (emphasis added); United States v. Rowe, 144 F.3d 15, 21-23 (1st Cir.
1998) (finding that government bore burden of negating reasonable interpretations
because a reasonable interpretation of the underlying disclosure requirement would
render the defendant’s statement true); United States v. Migliaccio, 34 F.3d 1517,
1523-25 (10th Cir. 1994) (reversing and remanding for new trial where district court
refused to instruct on ramifications of ambiguity of healthcare reporting procedures
in a mail fraud case); Anderson, 579 F.2d at 459 (finding government had duty to
disprove defendant’s interpretations of statements where ambiguity arose from
certification clauses in defendant’s reimbursement invoices). Nevertheless, for the
reasons stated below, we need not reach that issue today.
In Anderson, the defendant was convicted of making false statements in
matters within the jurisdiction of a federal agency, to wit, the Federal Highway
Administration. Anderson, 579 F.2d at 457. The events that gave rise to the charges
against Anderson arose out of a federally-funded road construction project. Id. The
defendant obtained certain materials and labor free of charge through an unrelated
federal reimbursement program. Id. Nevertheless, he submitted a claim to the
Federal Highway Administration for full reimbursement without disclosing that he
had been reimbursed for some costs under the unrelated federal program. Id. The
defendant, therefore, was reimbursed twice for the same work. Id. at 457-58.
In submitting his claim for reimbursement to the Federal Highway
Administration, the defendant certified that “funds have not been received from the
State or expended for such services under any other contract agreement or grant.” Id.
at 459. The government alleged that this certification was false. Id. On appeal after
his jury conviction, the defendant argued that the government failed to prove the
-14-
falsity of his statement because a host of reasonable interpretations would have
rendered the ambiguous certification statement true. Id. The Anderson court agreed
and held that, when the statement alleged to be false is facially ambiguous, “it [is]
incumbent upon the government to introduce proof sufficient to establish the falsity
of the statements as well as the defendant’s knowing and willful submission of the
statements. In carrying out that burden the government must negative any reasonable
interpretation that would make the defendant’s statement factually correct.” Id. at
460.
Parker’s reliance on Anderson is misplaced. We held in Anderson that the
government bears the burden of negating literally truthful interpretations of
statements in a fraud case when the statements (1) are ambiguous and (2) are subject
to reasonable interpretations. See id.; accord United States v. Colin Anderson, 879
F.2d 369, 376-77 (8th Cir. 1989) (rejecting contention that government bears burden
to disprove all of defendant’s interpretations of allegedly false statement and holding
that government bears burden to “negative only any reasonable interpretation of an
ambiguous statement. The statements at issue here—‘never been in force’ and ‘null
and void’—have accepted meanings. It was the jury’s role then to determine whether
Lundin made these unambiguous statements with the required knowledge that they
were false.”). Parker’s statements were neither facially ambiguous, nor were they
subject to multiple reasonable interpretations. Consequently, under the facts of this
case, the government did not have the burden to negate the stretched interpretations
Parker now offers on appeal.
To accept Parker’s argument that the government failed to sustain its burden
of proof at trial, we would have to find that statements, such as FCI had been in
business since 1977, FCI was ranked “Number 1” based on an independent study,
FCI’s “planned program” was 100% successful, FCI supplied the best quality auto
parts, and FCI established high quality accounts for distributors, were ambiguous and
-15-
subject to multiple rational interpretations. See Anderson, 579 F.2d at 460. Even
under the most generous construction of ambiguity, Parker’s statements are clear and
are not subject to reasonable interpretations that would render them true. Unlike
Anderson, there is nothing facially ambiguous about Parker’s statements. To the
extent Parker offered differing explanations of the meaning of his statements, the jury
evidently rejected them, and we cannot say that its conclusion was not based on
sufficient evidence.
For the same reasons discussed above, the district court did not commit plain
error in failing to sua sponte give an instruction on the additional proof required if
ambiguity were found to reside in Parker’s statements. Defendants are entitled to
instructions on their theories of defense only insofar as those theories are supported
by an adequate factual basis. See, e.g., Mathews v. United States, 485 U.S. 58, 63
(1988) (stating that defendant is “entitled to an instruction as to any recognized
defense for which there exists evidence sufficient for a reasonable jury to find in his
favor”). Parker’s strained interpretations of facially unambiguous statements do not
entitle him to an instruction on this theory, and certainly the district court’s failure to
sua sponte give such an instruction does not rise to the level of clear error. Moreover,
even if he had been entitled to it, there was more than sufficient evidence at trial to
negate all interpretations of Parker’s statements that would have made them literally
truthful. Therefore, to the extent any error was committed, it was harmless.
In short, we have examined the evidence in the light most favorable to the
government and have considered each of Parker’s arguments urging reversal of his
mail fraud conviction. We conclude that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the
conviction. Moreover, the errors that Parker claims require reversal in this case, even
if committed, were harmless. This is so because the evidence, viewed as a whole,
strongly demonstrates the falsity of Parker’s statements. And because Parker’s
statements were not facially ambiguous and because they were not subject to any
-16-
reasonable interpretations, the district court did not commit clear error by failing to
sua sponte instruct the jury on the legal effect of an interpretation that would make
the statements literally correct. Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s denial of
Parker’s motion for new trial.
IV.
Parker’s third argument on appeal posits that the trial court abused its
discretion in submitting a “deliberate ignorance” instruction to the jury because the
evidence showed actual, not constructive, knowledge. “[I]n reviewing a district
court’s decision to give a willful blindness instruction, we must review the evidence
and any reasonable inference from that evidence in the light most favorable to the
government.” United States v. Hiland, 909 F.2d 1114, 1131 (8th Cir. 1990). In this
case, the district court instructed the jury that it could find that Parker acted
“knowingly” if it found that he,
was aware of a high probability that the gross sales and gross projections
overstated the average gross sales and gross profits of FCI Marketing
Distributors in 1993 and 1994, and that he deliberately avoided learning
the truth. The element of knowledge may be inferred if Defendant
James L. Parker deliberately closed his eyes to what would otherwise
had been obvious to him.
Parker argues that the willful blindness instruction created an impermissible
risk that the jury would convict him by applying a negligence standard. We have
recognized that the willful blindness instruction “should not be given . . . when the
evidence ‘points solely to either actual knowledge or no knowledge of the facts in
question.’” United States v. Regan, 940 F.2d 1134, 1136 (8th Cir. 1991) (emphasis
added) (quoting Hiland, 909 F.2d at 1130). However, “‘even where there is evidence
of actual knowledge, a willful blindness instruction is proper if there is sufficient
evidence to support an inference of deliberate ignorance.’” United States v.
-17-
Gruenberg, 989 F.2d 971, 974 (8th Cir. 1993) (quoting Hiland, 909 F.2d at 1130-31);
accord United States v. Ruhe, 191 F.3d 376, 384 (4th Cir. 1999) (“If the evidence
supports both actual knowledge on the part of the defendant and deliberate ignorance,
a willful blindness instruction is proper.”); United States v. Kellermann, 992 F.2d
177, 179 (8th Cir. 1993) (holding district court did not err in giving willful blindness
instruction where “a reasonable jury easily could find beyond a reasonable doubt that
Kellermann either had actual knowledge of his wrongdoing in making false
statements . . . or deliberately failed to make detailed inquiry into KT & R's activities
before making such statements”) (emphasis added).
The district court in Parker’s case did not commit reversible error in giving the
willful blindness instruction because there was evidence of both actual and
constructive knowledge. The evidence of actual knowledge included Parker’s
response to questioning during an interview with a Federal Bureau of Investigation
special agent. When asked about the inflated income projections that Parker provided
to distributors, Parker acknowledged that the most recent data from 1995 showed a
decline in income. According to the special agent’s testimony, Parker stated, “I guess
they are [lower]. I guess I should have updated these things with the new
information.” At the same time, however, there was also evidence that Parker
remained willfully blind to the inaccuracy of the data by not conducting any surveys
after the 1995 survey showed a decline in income for the second consecutive year.
Therefore, because the evidence viewed in the light most favorable to the government
showed that Parker intentionally remained ignorant of the true facts and had actual
knowledge, we will not disturb the district court’s decision to submit the deliberate
ignorance instruction to the jury.3
3
To the extent Parker complains that the willful blindness instruction created
a risk that he would be convicted on a mere negligence standard, any such danger was
adequately addressed by the court’s admonition to the jury,
-18-
V.
Parker also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence regarding his money
laundering and aiding and abetting money laundering convictions under 18 U.S.C.
§ 1956 and 18 U.S.C. § 2, respectively. To support these convictions, the government
was required to prove that Parker “‘engaged in financial transactions with the
knowing use of the proceeds of illegal activities’ and with the ‘intent to promote the
carrying on’ of unlawful activity.” United States v. Jolivet, 224 F.3d 902, 909 (8th
Cir. 2000) (quoting United States v. Hildebrand, 152 F.3d 756, 762 (8th Cir. 1998)).
Parker contends that the government failed to establish the “intent to promote”
element of the charge because the allegedly laundered money was used to pay for
auto parts and supplies that had already been delivered by the vendors to the
distributors. Hence, contrary to the government’s assertion that the money was
reinvested and used to purchase auto parts to resupply distributors, Parker contends
that the money was used to pay vendors for an antecedent unlawful activity.
As noted above, we review Parker’s challenge to the sufficiency of the
evidence de novo, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the
government. E.g., United States v. Washington, 318 F.3d 845, 852 (8th Cir. 2003).
We accept as established all reasonable inferences that support the verdict. See
United States v. Hawkey, 148 F.3d 920, 923 (8th Cir. 1998). The transactions the
indictment charged as money laundering consisted of expenditures, paid by checks
written by FCI, that allegedly promoted the fraudulent distributorship scheme. These
You may not find that the defendant acted knowingly, however,
if you find that the defendant did not personally sponsor the figures or
that he actually believed that the gross sales and gross profits projections
for 1993 or 1994 were as represented, or if you find that the defendant
James L. Parker was simply careless or inattentive. A showing of
negligence, mistake, or carelessness is not sufficient to support a finding
of knowledge.
-19-
checks were signed by Ralph Stover, who was FCI’s secretary and treasurer. His
duties required him, among other responsibilities, to negotiate checks on behalf of
FCI to pay automotive parts manufacturers and vendors.
For reversal, Parker relies primarily on our decision in Jolivet. In that case, a
jury convicted the defendant of mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.
Jolivet, 224 F.3d at 905. The defendant and her husband perpetrated four insurance
schemes wherein they obtained insurance and then claimed to have caused an
accident, submitting false accident claims and false expenses and medical records to
their insurance company. Id. On appeal, the defendant challenged the sufficiency of
the evidence to support her money laundering convictions on the ground that
depositing the proceeds of her insurance scams and making the funds available for
use was not enough to prove the “intent to promote the carrying on” element of
money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A)(i). Id. at 909.
The Jolivet court agreed, explaining:
In order to be found guilty of money laundering under §
1956(a)(1)(A)(i), the government must prove that the defendant
“engaged in financial transactions with the knowing use of the proceeds
of illegal activities” and with the “intent to promote the carrying on” of
unlawful activity. Hildebrand, 152 F.3d at 762 (quoting §
1956(a)(1)(A)(i)). Thus, although the prohibited conduct is
characterized as money laundering, it is different from traditional money
laundering because the criminalized act is the reinvestment of illegal
proceeds rather than the concealment of those proceeds. See id.
(contrasting § 1956(a)(1)(A)(i)’s prohibition of reinvestment money
laundering to § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)’s prohibition of concealment money
laundering).
....
-20-
The government must prove that the defendant, using illegally-
gained proceeds, undertook a financial transaction “with the intent to
promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity.” §
1956(a)(1)(A)(i). It is true that the deposit of funds in a bank account
may promote an antecedent unlawful activity by making the funds
available to the wrongdoer. However, the government bears the burden
of proving that the money was used to further the carrying on of such
illegal activity. We find no logic in the government’s suggestion that
Jolivet could promote the carrying on of an already completed crime.
Cf. United States v. Edgmon, 952 F.2d 1206, 1214 (10th Cir. 1991)
(“Congress aimed the crime of money laundering at conduct that follows
in time the underlying crime rather than to afford an alternative means
of punishing the prior ‘specified unlawful activity.’”).
Id.
In Jolivet, the appellant-defendant’s money laundering convictions could not
stand because the government did not prove that Jolivet “used the proceeds from any
one incident to further [her] future schemes. Rather, the undisputed evidence showed
that most of the money went to pay daily living expenses and to pay credit card debt
. . . .” Id. at 911. Thus, a money laundering conviction cannot stand where there is
“no evidence that the proceeds were used for anything other than personal expenses.”
Id. However, contrary to Parker’s contention, such evidence exists here. The checks
on which the money laundering counts against Parker were based were drawn from
FCI accounts and written to pay auto parts manufacturers and suppliers. Without the
constant resupply of auto parts, Parker could not have continued to operate his
fraudulent distributorship scheme. The evidence that Parker reinvested in FCI with
funds derived from the fraudulent scheme is sufficient to show that he intended to
promote the carrying on of that scheme.
Parker also relies on United States v. Brown, 186 F.3d 661 (5th Cir. 1999) for
reversal. In Brown, the defendant operated an automobile dealership and conducted
-21-
a significant amount of legitimate business. Id. at 662-63. However, he was also
engaged in a fraudulent scheme to charge some customers more than the amount
authorized by state law for document and title fees. Id. at 663. The indictment
alleged eighteen instances of overcharging and alleged that the defendant laundered
the proceeds of the excessive fees. Id. The jury convicted the defendant of money
laundering, but the Fifth Circuit reversed this conviction, finding insufficient
evidence to establish that the charged expenditures were used with the intent to
promote the defendant’s fraudulent scheme, as opposed to his legitimate business
activities. Id. at 670. The evidence showed that the allegedly laundered funds paid
for the dealership’s basic operations, such as parts, paints, materials, trade-in car
purchases, a computer system lease, glass repair, a health plan, coffee mugs, etc. Id.
at 668 n.13. No evidence linked the charged expenditures to the defendant’s scheme
to defraud purchasers by overcharging for document and title fees.
In reversing Brown’s conviction, the Fifth Circuit recognized that, under some
circumstances, “the intent to promote criminal activity may be inferred from the
particular type of transaction.” Id. at 670. For instance, an intent to promote drug
trafficking can be inferred where a defendant, who was both a drug dealer and a
preacher, purchased beepers because “beepers were not necessary to the defendant’s
legitimate business operations and played an important role in [the defendant’s] drug
trafficking scheme.” Id. (referencing United States v. Jackson, 935 F.2d 832 (7th Cir.
1991)). However, the court found that those circumstances did not exist in Brown.
Parker’s reliance on Brown and Jolivet is misplaced, because those cases are
factually inapposite to his case. In Jolivet, the government conceded that it could not
trace the use of the insurance scheme proceeds after the defendant withdrew them
from her bank account. Jolivet, 224 F.3d at 911. In addition, the evidence showed
that Jolivet’s four insurance scams were not an ongoing criminal enterprise but rather
were four discrete unlawful scams. Id. at 910-11. In Brown, there was no evidence
-22-
that the defendant’s charged expenditures were for items other than “above the board”
business expenses. Brown, 186 F.3d at 668-69. In short, what was missing in both
Jolivet and in Brown was a nexus between the charged expenditures and a specified
criminal activity. Parker, however, was charged to have fraudulently induced
investors into buying FCI distributorships by, inter alia, misrepresenting the quality
of FCI brand automotive supplies. The evidence at trial showed that the charged
expenditures paid for belts, filters, tire repair kits, ignition parts, starters, alternators,
and brake pads. The supplies were part and parcel of the underlying fraudulent
scheme and, therefore, were integral to the transactions from which the jury could
reasonably have inferred Parker’s intent to promote the fraudulent scheme.
Parker’s case is, furthermore, analogous to United States v. Hildebrand, 152
F.3d 756 (8th Cir. 1998). There, we sustained the defendants’ money laundering
convictions for defendants’ participation in a scheme to defraud would-be members
of a class action. Id. at 761. In Hildebrand, the defendants formed a group, “We The
People.” Id. at 760. This group had no legitimate purpose, as it was formed solely
to recruit people to join a class action and pay a $300 “administrative fee.” Id. No
claims were ever submitted to the court, class certification had been denied in the
underlying litigation, and the case had ultimately been dismissed. Id. at 761. In
analyzing the defendants’ sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenges as to their intent to
promote an unlawful scheme, we cited the evidence that proceeds from the scheme
were used to pay for office supplies, secretarial services, office staff wages, and
reimbursement to claims writers for promotional expenses and commissions on fees
collected from fraud victims. Id. at 762. The Hildebrand case is instructive because,
like the Hildebrand defendants, Parker’s distributorship business was ongoing, and
he did not conduct any business that was not intimately connected to his fraudulent
scheme. The nexus between the unlawful activity and the ill-gotten proceeds in cases
like Hildebrand and Parker’s case is obvious.
-23-
Moreover, we cannot accept Parker’s argument that the charged transactions
do not support his convictions as a matter of law merely because the expenditures
were for the payment of products that had already been delivered to distributors. To
do so would be nonsensical and would insulate wrongdoers from criminal prosecution
if they simply used a charge account or maintained a line of credit in order to reinvest
in their criminal activities. Indeed, in Hildebrand, one of the transactions we cited as
supporting the defendants’ convictions was payment for services previously rendered
by claim writers. Id.
When illegal proceeds are used to reinvest in a fraudulent scheme and when
reinvestment is done with the purpose of promoting that scheme, § 1956(a)(1)(A)(i)
makes reinvestment criminal. United States v. Oberhauser, 284 F.3d 827, 829 (8th
Cir.), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1071 (2002). Here, the evidence viewed in the light most
favorable to the government establishes that Parker engaged in illegal reinvestment
money laundering. The principal evidence at trial of Parker’s guilt was checks signed
by Stover to automotive parts manufacturers. Stover testified that these parts were
used to resupply FCI distributors. Without the resupply of inventory, Parker would
have been unable to continue his scheme to defraud new and existing distributors.
The nexus between his unlawful activity and the ill-gotten proceeds is evident from
the nature of the transactions themselves. From this nexus, a reasonable jury could
have inferred intent to promote the charged mail fraud conspiracy. Accordingly, we
affirm the district court’s denial of Parker’s motion for new trial on his money
laundering conviction.
VI.
Parker’s final argument on appeal concerns the district court’s instruction
regarding the government’s burden of proof to show the interstate commerce
component of Parker’s money laundering charges. Only days after Parker’s trial, in
-24-
United States v. Evans, 272 F.3d 1069 (8th Cir. 2001), cert. denied, 535 U.S. 1029
(2002), we held that the Eighth Circuit Model Criminal Jury Instruction 6.18.1956J
misstated the government’s burden as to the charged transaction’s effect on interstate
commerce. Id. at 1081. The instruction at issue in Evans provided:
It is not necessary for the government to show that a defendant actually
intended or anticipated an effect on interstate commerce, or that
commerce was actually affected. All that is necessary is that the natural
and probable consequences of a defendant’s actions would be to affect
interstate commerce no matter how minimal.
Id. (quoting jury instruction in defendant’s trial). At Parker’s trial, the jury was
similarly instructed:
It is not necessary for the Government to show that the defendant
actually intended or anticipated an effect on interstate or foreign
commerce, or that commerce was actually affected. All that is necessary
is that the natural and probable consequences of the defendant’s action
would be to affect interstate or foreign commerce no matter how
minimal.
The nearly identical language of the instruction at issue in Evans and in
Parker’s case compels us to conclude that the instruction given at Parker’s trial
understated the government’s burden of proving the interstate commerce element of
the money laundering charges against him. However, because Parker failed to object
at trial, we must consider whether or not Parker was harmed. See Evans, 272 F.3d at
1081-82 (applying harmless error review). In Evans, we held that the defendant was
not entitled to a new trial even though the interstate commerce instruction was
incorrect, because the error was harmless. Id. at 1082.
In Evans, the transaction at issue was the purchase of a vehicle from a used car
dealership. Id. at 1080. That alone was sufficient to establish an effect on interstate
-25-
commerce. Id. at 1082. Here, the government proved that two of the banks on which
funds were drawn and into which proceeds were deposited were involved in interstate
commerce. Counsel for the government explicitly asked the witnesses who were
called to testify regarding FCI bank statements whether their banks were involved in
transactions that “go from one state to another” and that cross state lines. Both
witnesses responded in the affirmative. They each identified loans and money
transfers to and from out-of-state banks and specifically identified some of the checks
deposited into FCI’s account as having originated from out-of-state banks.
In addition, exhibits admitted into evidence indicate that the bank, to wit,
Provident Bank, is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. That is
enough to show an effect on interstate commerce. See United States v. Wadena, 152
F.3d 831, 853 (8th Cir. 1998) (“The government presented evidence that the checks
referenced in Counts 10 through 18 were all deposited in either the First National
Bank of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota or the State Bank of Winger, Minnesota. As these
institutions are FDIC-insured, the government’s evidence that these checks were
deposited into these institutions is sufficient proof of an interstate commerce nexus.”).
Therefore, as in Evans, the erroneous instruction to which Parker did not object
at trial does not require reversal because the government proved the interstate
commerce component of the money laundering charges; consequently, Parker was not
harmed. In addition, it should also be noted that we “will affirm if the entire charge
to the jury, when read as a whole, fairly and adequately contains the law applicable
to the case.” United States v. Casas, 999 F.2d 1225, 1230 (8th Cir. 1993). In
Parker’s case, the district court did instruct the jury that it had to find beyond a
reasonable doubt that the transactions at issue affected interstate commerce. In listing
the elements of the money laundering counts, the first element the jury was instructed
to consider was whether Parker “conducted or caused to be conducted a financial
transaction which in any way or degree affected interstate commerce.” As a whole,
then, the instructions adequately contained the applicable law.
-26-
VII.
We have considered each of Parker’s arguments, and for the reasons stated
above, we affirm the district court.
______________________________
-27-
|
General Relativity and John Archibald Wheeler
4.11 - 1251 ratings - Source
Observational and experimental data pertaining to gravity and cosmology are changing our view of the Universe. General relativity is a fundamental key for the understanding of these observations and its theory is undergoing a continuing enhancement of its intersection with observational and experimental data. These data include direct observations and experiments carried out in our solar system, among which there are direct gravitational wave astronomy, frame dragging and tests of gravitational theories from solar system and spacecraft observations. This book explores John Archibald Wheeler's seminal and enduring contributions in relativistic astrophysics and includes: the General Theory of Relativity and Wheeler's influence; recent developments in the confrontation of relativity with experiments; the theory describing gravitational radiation, and its detection in Earth-based and space-based interferometer detectors as well as in Earth-based bar detectors; the mathematical description of the initial value problem in relativity and applications to modeling gravitational wave sources via computational relativity; the phenomenon of frame dragging and its measurement by satellite observations. All of these areas were of direct interest to Professor John A. Wheeler and were seminally influenced by his ideas.This book explores John Archibald Wheelera#39;s seminal and enduring contributions in relativistic astrophysics and includes: the General Theory of Relativity and Wheelera#39;s influence; recent developments in the confrontation of relativity with ...
Title
:
General Relativity and John Archibald Wheeler
Author
:
Ignazio Ciufolini, Richard A. Matzner
Publisher
:
Springer Science & Business Media - 2010-06-22
ISBN-13
:
You must register with us as either a Registered User before you can Download this Book. You'll be greeted by a simple sign-up page.
Once you have finished the sign-up process, you will be redirected to your download Book page. |
SCOOP – New Pig In Town: “Ibérico” Arrives in Atlanta
*Editor’s Note 12/18/09: The original version of this post included some mis-information regarding the origin of the pork, as well as the the recipients of this product in Atlanta. I was contact by a representative of Inland Seafood informing me of the mistakes and this version of the post includes the corrections.*
So, it looks like there is some new pork in town.
I just got word from the crew at Concentrics restaurants that Chef Nick Melvin of Parish and everyone’s favorite Top Chef contestant, Kevin Gillespie, have gotten their hands on some “Ibérico” pork.
Traditionally, Ibérico pork comes from free-range pigs that roam the oak forests along the border between Spain and Portugal, but this is not really what makes the pigs unique. The difference comes from the way the animals are fed in their final days. The pigs eat nothing but acorns and chestnuts for the final 90 days of their lives. According to Melvin, the result is “a perfectly marbled pork shoulder that is sweet, nutty and unlike any pork that anybody in this city is serving.”
The particular “Ibérico” that has arrived in our fair city actually comes from Eden Farms in State Center, Iowa, by way of Inland Seafood. This is remarkable because the pigs have been raised according to the Ibérico method, but with prized Berkshire pigs instead of the traditional Black Iberian Pig. While the first Berkshire Hogs were discovered in the 1600’s in the UK, the pure bred, acorn finished Berkshires produced by Eden Farms are 100% product of the USA. This incredibly unique product was the brainchild of Herb Eckhouse of La Quercia and Kelly Biensen of Eden Farms. Eckhouse produces American Proscuitto from all-natural hogs and approached Biensen with the idea of acorn finishing true Berkshire hogs. The combination of the Ibérico method and the exceptional taste and tenderness of the Berkshire pig is extremely promising. So, while not technically Ibérico pork, it is essentially the same thing. Sort of like the relationship between Wagyu and Kobe beef.
So that I don’t have to continue using quotations, I’m going to invent a new word: Ibérkshirco. That should keep me out of any copyright infringement troubles, right?
When most folks think of Ibérico, they think of the cured Jamón Ibérico (Ibérico Ham) which can be procured at Star Provisions (See Blissful Glutton’s post on the subject here). But what has now come to town is not the traditional ham, which is usually cured for 24-36 months, but instead the fresh pork meat, which will be transformed into a much wider array of piggy delicacies.
In addition to Woodfire Grill and Parish, Atlanta’s Cakes & Ale, Pura Vida and Eno by Zaza also acquired product from the same hogs. Some of the other restaurants in the country to get in on the Ibérkshirco action are some no-name chefs such as…Thomas Keller, Donald Link of Herbsaint in NoLa, and Blackberry Farms in Tenn. So, we are definitely in good company on this one.
I’m not sure what Gillespie’s and the others’ plans are for their newfound pigs, but Chef Melvin will be offering an Ibérkshirco special for the next few days, or until supplies run out. This FRIDAY and SATURDAY night ONLY, Parish is offering it as a Cracklin’ “Iberico” Pork Shoulder with Hakeurei and Chestnut Gratin, Noring Farms Garlic Braised Mustards, Sherry and Pork Reduction for $29.00.
Given my passionate love affair with all things pork, I plan on heading down to Parish tomorrow to check out the goods and will report back on if it lives up to the hype. Stay tuned! |
# coding: utf-8
"""
NiFi Rest Api
The Rest Api provides programmatic access to command and control a NiFi instance in real time. Start and stop processors, monitor queues, query provenance data, and more. Each endpoint below includes a description, definitions of the expected input and output, potential response codes, and the authorizations required to invoke each service.
OpenAPI spec version: 1.11.1-SNAPSHOT
Contact: [email protected]
Generated by: https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen.git
"""
from pprint import pformat
from six import iteritems
import re
class ProvenanceLinkDTO(object):
"""
NOTE: This class is auto generated by the swagger code generator program.
Do not edit the class manually.
"""
"""
Attributes:
swagger_types (dict): The key is attribute name
and the value is attribute type.
attribute_map (dict): The key is attribute name
and the value is json key in definition.
"""
swagger_types = {
'source_id': 'str',
'target_id': 'str',
'flow_file_uuid': 'str',
'timestamp': 'str',
'millis': 'int'
}
attribute_map = {
'source_id': 'sourceId',
'target_id': 'targetId',
'flow_file_uuid': 'flowFileUuid',
'timestamp': 'timestamp',
'millis': 'millis'
}
def __init__(self, source_id=None, target_id=None, flow_file_uuid=None, timestamp=None, millis=None):
"""
ProvenanceLinkDTO - a model defined in Swagger
"""
self._source_id = None
self._target_id = None
self._flow_file_uuid = None
self._timestamp = None
self._millis = None
if source_id is not None:
self.source_id = source_id
if target_id is not None:
self.target_id = target_id
if flow_file_uuid is not None:
self.flow_file_uuid = flow_file_uuid
if timestamp is not None:
self.timestamp = timestamp
if millis is not None:
self.millis = millis
@property
def source_id(self):
"""
Gets the source_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The source node id of the link.
:return: The source_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:rtype: str
"""
return self._source_id
@source_id.setter
def source_id(self, source_id):
"""
Sets the source_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The source node id of the link.
:param source_id: The source_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:type: str
"""
self._source_id = source_id
@property
def target_id(self):
"""
Gets the target_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The target node id of the link.
:return: The target_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:rtype: str
"""
return self._target_id
@target_id.setter
def target_id(self, target_id):
"""
Sets the target_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The target node id of the link.
:param target_id: The target_id of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:type: str
"""
self._target_id = target_id
@property
def flow_file_uuid(self):
"""
Gets the flow_file_uuid of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The flowfile uuid that traversed the link.
:return: The flow_file_uuid of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:rtype: str
"""
return self._flow_file_uuid
@flow_file_uuid.setter
def flow_file_uuid(self, flow_file_uuid):
"""
Sets the flow_file_uuid of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The flowfile uuid that traversed the link.
:param flow_file_uuid: The flow_file_uuid of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:type: str
"""
self._flow_file_uuid = flow_file_uuid
@property
def timestamp(self):
"""
Gets the timestamp of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The timestamp of the link (based on the destination).
:return: The timestamp of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:rtype: str
"""
return self._timestamp
@timestamp.setter
def timestamp(self, timestamp):
"""
Sets the timestamp of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The timestamp of the link (based on the destination).
:param timestamp: The timestamp of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:type: str
"""
self._timestamp = timestamp
@property
def millis(self):
"""
Gets the millis of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The timestamp of this link in milliseconds.
:return: The millis of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:rtype: int
"""
return self._millis
@millis.setter
def millis(self, millis):
"""
Sets the millis of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
The timestamp of this link in milliseconds.
:param millis: The millis of this ProvenanceLinkDTO.
:type: int
"""
self._millis = millis
def to_dict(self):
"""
Returns the model properties as a dict
"""
result = {}
for attr, _ in iteritems(self.swagger_types):
value = getattr(self, attr)
if isinstance(value, list):
result[attr] = list(map(
lambda x: x.to_dict() if hasattr(x, "to_dict") else x,
value
))
elif hasattr(value, "to_dict"):
result[attr] = value.to_dict()
elif isinstance(value, dict):
result[attr] = dict(map(
lambda item: (item[0], item[1].to_dict())
if hasattr(item[1], "to_dict") else item,
value.items()
))
else:
result[attr] = value
return result
def to_str(self):
"""
Returns the string representation of the model
"""
return pformat(self.to_dict())
def __repr__(self):
"""
For `print` and `pprint`
"""
return self.to_str()
def __eq__(self, other):
"""
Returns true if both objects are equal
"""
if not isinstance(other, ProvenanceLinkDTO):
return False
return self.__dict__ == other.__dict__
def __ne__(self, other):
"""
Returns true if both objects are not equal
"""
return not self == other
|
“Apple sank 2.4% today, bringing its losses past 6% in the past two days,” Eric Bleeker writes for The Motley Fool. “Stretch your timeline back a bit further to the day the iPhone 5 was released and losses now stand at 23% in less than two months.”
“Yet, for all the negativity, there were some positives coming out of the smartphone space that could reflect on the strength of Apple heading into the holiday season,” Bleeker writes. “The iPhone 5 underperformed versus expectations in its opening weekend, but that was largely due to supply constraints. Its shipping times have stubbornly stayed at three to four weeks even as the phone has been on the market for months.”
Bleeker writes, “Apple’s earnings were a slight disappointment, but they came in a quarter where the iPhone had limited availability. The real test will come next quarter when a full quarter of iPhone sales are recorded.Then we have the Mini, which despite some quibbles with its screen, has largely garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews and whose opening weekend sales surpassed estimates in spite of once again being supply constrained. Finally, while Forstall created iOS, most reports from inside the company indicated he’d become a divisive figure. Not only that, but many of his recent initiatives (Maps, Siri) were underwhelming.”
Bleeker writes, “The most positive news today surrounding Apple was earnings from Qualcomm… Qualcomm’s central licensing position allows the company to have great visibility into the smartphone industry. So, the company projecting revenue next year ranging from $23 billion to $24 billion speaks well to the continuing growth of smartphones.”
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It’s all about the fiscal standoff and the republicans having abtemper tantrum. They’ll fall on theor swords to save the bilkionares…hahaha I bet they won’t because if they do they will put the nail in the coffin two years from now, when they get swept outbof relevance completely.
Apple has proven recession proof throught all the last 10 -12 years. Apple has the best quality, long lasting and working products with the best software integration of any company .
Apple has no competition when it comes to quality, value and user experience.
Apple will come roaring back to make any serious investor that gets in at these fire sale prices rich.
Apple will come back soon because fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with it. It has no bedt and more money in the bank than the treasury.
OMG. If you really think that Marxism has anything to do with the current political or financial situation in this country, you are the moron. If you don’t, you’re simply spreading utterly irrelevant FUD. There was a referendum on the GOP’s extremist ideas on Tuesday night. You lost. Get used to it.
People are scared that the Bush Tax cuts will expire and their lives will be impacted by huge tax increases other than cap gains…
Then, The “fiscal cliff”, which is a bluff they’ll never live down. We know how much ks really care about the rest of the country – zip nada.
Wake up ks your time is up – change or be stamped out. The ks will continue to hold working people ransom with scare tactics to pressure Obama against increasing taxes on the very rich.
“Apple won’t be able to sell it’s products if people don’t have money because of tax increases resulting from the Bush tax cuts expiring”…Bullshit, taxes will revert the the same rate they were in Clinton years where everyone made money… Not only is that FUD that they think will give them leverage on the president’s plans to increase taxes on the very rich, but it’s another implicit scare… one that’s supposed to scare Apple shareholders into a panic sell to add to other Apple FUD , only to buy back into a windfall… We’ve seen this underhanded shit before when W came in. Selfish greed.
And raising taxes to the level they were during the Clinton years will accomplish what exactly? Bid deal, so taxes went up. The deficit will still be at least a TRILLION dollars again next year. It’s a ruse. The only thing that will save this country now is if the SPENDING went back to Clinton era levels!!!
Raising taxes on those that can afford to pay more, because they have so many other write offs that make them rich, will help substantially.
As for the actual deficits, talk to W about the iraq war costing 30 billion a month for all those years – that’s the lion share of America’s deficits that started with him. When he came in we had surlpuses.
“Raising taxes on those that can afford to pay more, because they have so many other write offs that make them rich, will help substantially.”
No, it won’t help. First, raising taxes on those that can afford it is like taking a bucket of water from the deep end of a pool and pouring it in the shallow end of the same pool. There is no redistribution nor benefit. Second, taking money from the private sector, to let the government do what it wants, is taking money out of the economy because government doesn’t produce anything but stifling rules and regulations. Third, the government didn’t earn or took a risk to make that money so they have a hell of a nerve thinking they can have at that money any time they want for them to pay their illegal exploits. They already have an over One Trillion dollar budget which is more then enough. Besides, do you think that even if they tax the rich that the money collected will go toward deficit reduction?! Then you really don’t know government! They won’t even kill of a big yellow bird. Those political morons have never cut a program except defense. What proof do you have that they have done this in the past? I know when George Bush’s father said ‘read my lips, no new taxes’ and broke that ‘promise’ it was only because he agreed to raise taxes for cuts in government by the Democrats who controlled Congress. Well, he raised taxes but the Democrats didn’t make cuts in government. Never trust a Liberal, they lie like a rug, ALL THE TIME!
As for the wars… Defense of this nation is primary whether you agree with the legitimacy of the war is another issue, but its decree is in the Constitution. Free birth control and Obamacare are not! Neither is the ‘War on Poverty’ and how many trillions has the nation wasted on THAT war?!
And no there were no Clinton surpluses! You can keep thinking that or do some research…
The war was blessed by Congress who continued to fund it all those years. Why didn’t the Dems have the courage to cut the funds off. After all Afghanistan will revert to its tribal ways as soon as US leaves. Been that way for centuries through many “occupations”.
Blesssed is dfinately the wrong word… Gongress was tricked and he world was lied to…wreriting history will not work the country has changed and so have the times – change or become irrelevant to the degreee of – shut down.
You realize that the upper 5% of wage earners pay over half half (around 60%) of all the income tax?
(and have done so for decades)
And that the bottom half (50%) pay ~3% of the total income tax? (and have so for decades)
Any way you slice it; (top 10% income pay around 70%, or, how about top 25% pay over 85% ) the class warfare propaganda pushed by the “new left” doesn’t really jive with the reality of the situation.
What happened to the real democratic party’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” It has been replaced with promises of “free” healthcare and free cellphones.
I think investors are expecting taxes on Capitol gains to go up next year. The current 15 percent rate is scheduled to expire and go to 20 or more (I think). So some people with large cap gains probably wanted to realize them before the rate goes up. The economy may be slowing and Apple has had some stumbles lately including two quarters with disappointing results. I’m bullish long term but the short term looks dicey.
Capital gains will increase no matter what. The “Bush” tax cuts expiring will bring capital gains from 15% to 20%. The “Unaffordable Care Act”, otherwise known as ObamaCare will increase capital gains an additional 3.8%. So we will have either 18.8% or 23.8% rates on capital gains.
What? The Fool gives aapl a realistic AND positive outlook. I’m old now but at least I lived long enough to see it happen. There was a day not so long ago when The Fool could not, under any circumstances, bring itself to say one single positive thing about the stock, even as Apple’s jet engines were in full thrust and it was very clear to the most investually illiterate that we were seeing the meteoric rise of a rare-gem of a unusually well run company.
Apple has an interesting way of doing thing’s the right way (as a corporation), and I think that’s why Tim was chosen, because he understands how to run Apple. No he’s not the illuminated design visionary that SJ was, but think about it, who is? Really, look around, who is or even could be, and be an amazing entrepenuer too? Yes, there are and have been people at Apple who are extraordinary at specific things, but no one is going to be a SJ, not at Apple or anywhere else. Does that mean the end of Apple? Of course not. It just means that in true Apple fashion, things will be different, and for Apple that has always been and always will be a good thing.
For those of us who’ve bought into Apple for high risk short term gains it may well be time to see Apple as well-settled into the market place, which may be a sign that we need to shift gears and begin to see Apple more as a good solid component of a well rounded portfolio and less as a get-rich-quick venue.
Whatever the case… My opinion is that we need to all stop being Wall Street Sheep, and we all need to stop being the sheep of the current politico. Let’s get our individual heads screwed back on straight, and stop buying into this self purpetuating panic about everything so that we can more clearly see where we should be going. |
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A beautician has been spared jail despite pushing an off-duty police office onto a Tube line after an alcohol-fuelled night out.
Paris Valeta Bregazzi, 30, had drunk four bottles of Prosecco and was having an argument with a friend on the platform of Hanger Lane Station in Ealing, west London when PC Sam Chegwin intervened last July.
He told her to "calm down" but she told him to mind his own business, unaware he was a police officer , a court heard.
Fearing for public safety, PC Chegwin pushed Bregazziin the chest in a defensive manner, ignorant of the fact she had recently had extensive breast surgery .
Bregazzi reacted by shoving him with force, sending him toppling onto the track, just inches from the line with a fast train seven minutes away.
(Image: central news)
Last November, she pleaded guilty to carrying out an unlawful act on a railway with intent to endanger a person.
But Judge Jeremy Dein, QC, deferred deciding on her case amid concern for her "difficult" circumstances.
She returned to the Old Bailey wearing a black jumpsuit, black studded leather jacket, blue faux fur wrap and hot pink flip flops.
Her lawyer Mustapha Hakme conceded the offence passed the custody mark but argued for a community order as she had stayed out of trouble since.
(Image: central news) (Image: central news)
He told the court Bregazzi, of Highgate, north London, was "calmer and more stable" now, despite having suffered from depression and mental health problems in the past.
Sentencing, Judge Dein told her it was lucky PC Chegwin was not seriously hurt.
He said: "The fact is he could have been killed by falling and hitting his head, electrocuted or hit by an on-coming train but mercifully he maintained his consciousness and composure and managed to clamber back onto the platform.
"Mr Chegwin is extremely fortunate he was not injured or killed and so are you, for you could have been here facing far more serious charges.
(Image: central news)
"It is clear to me having viewed the CCTV that you reacted spontaneously. You had significant surgery on the part of the body he made contact with although he did not know it. Furthermore, you did not seem to form a malign intent."
The judge said the defendant had 39 convictions for "low level" crimes of theft and violence but had difficult circumstances and a history of mental health problems.
Handing her six months in prison, suspended for two years, he said: "It was made crystal clear I do not undermine the gravity of this offence. Mr Chegwin was acting in a public spirited manner in intervening and seeking to prevent the escalation of violence."
Outside court, the defendant said she regretted what happened, saying it was "a scuffle". |
[Anti-virus research of triterpenoids in licorice].
Licorice is a leguminous plant of glycyrrhiza. It is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Triterpenoid is one of the mainly active components of licorice. In recent years, the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of many triterpenoids in licorice was confirmed, and these findings have become a hot spot of antiviral immunity. The triterpenoids of licorice has the potential to become a novel broad-spectrum antiviral medicine and will be widely used in the clinical treatment. This review provided a summary of the recent anti-virus research progress on several triterpenoids in licorice, such as glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid and its derivatives. The antiviral roles of triterpenoids in licorice against herpes virus, HIV, hepatitis virus, SARS coronavirus and influenza virus were briefly summarized. |
Sellers
A few small things can make a big difference when selling your home.
Make first impressions count. Without a doubt, a visually appealing house will attract buyers, who can't help but respond to the look and "feel" of a home. Take time to carefully prepare for showings.
Don't forget the following:
Cut the grass
Remove any clutter from the yard
Trim hedges
Weed gardens
Wash steps, windows, railings, doors, etc
Paint if needed
Remove unnecessary clutter from garages
Scrub, dust and fix up the works. Buyers will notice details. Get rid of the clutter, repair leaky faucets, wage war on dust and clean until your home shines. Small things can make a potential buyer walk away. When you prepare your house for showing, remember to:
Shampoo carpets
Clean tubs, toilets and showers and hang fresh towels
Oil squeaky doors
Fix things like broken hinges and light switches
Listen to suggestions. As you prepare your home, don't rely solely on your own judgement. It's hard to be objective when you're the owner. Your realtor will have helpful, professional tips on how to make your home more marketable.
Take a whiff. Nothing will turn a buyer away faster than an odd smell. Try to eliminate smoking, food and pet odors. And don't leave any clues. If potential buyers see a dog or an ashtray, they'll be on the lookout for smells and stains.
Turn on the lights. Open shades and draperies before a viewing. Open all doors inside home. Turn on inside and outside lights.
Get out of the house. When buyers view your home, they'll be more comfortable and spend more time if you're not there. If you must be present, be as unobtrusive as possible. Let your agent do the work.
Stay unemotional during negotiations. Selling your home can be emotionally charged, but don't let that stand in the way of making a deal. Have a business-like attitude during the process.
Choose a Real Estate Professional you like and trust.
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Whether you choose to do business with us or not, we are here to answer any questions you have. |
Lane Township
Lane Township may refer to the following townships in the United States:
Lane Township, Warrick County, Indiana
Lane Township, Greenwood County, Kansas
See also
Cherry Lane Township, Alleghany County, North Carolina |
[Course of pregnancy in patients with known infertility].
Two hundred and ninety cases of pregnant patients with antecedents of sterility, were analyzed; 55.8% corresponded to primary sterility and 44.2% to secondary sterility. About cases 38.2% corresponded to endocrine-ovarian factor; 17.9% to tuboperitoneal; 7.4% to cervico-spermatic and 36.5% of undetermined cause. The main complications of pregnancy were: abortion, ectopic pregnancy, twin pregnancy, toxemia, pre-term delivery, placenta previa, and premature detachment of normoinserted placenta. The frequency of such complications, as well as the indexes of perinatal mortality and congenital malformations, were no higher than for general population. However, analyzing separetely the different groups, it was found a notable increase the abortion and twin pregnancy indexes in factor endocrine-ovarian (25.2% and 4.5%). In tuboperitoneal the ectopic pregnancy index was higher (7.5%), and one case of heterotopic pregnancy was found. The global index for cesarean section was 47.2%, increased due to frequent use of elective section (11.2%). It is concluded that currently and because the use of diagnostic technology and surveillance since early phases, the evolution and outcome of pregnancies in women previously sterile are similar to the ones for general population. |
Q:
cloudmade - using the sample code, Marker jumps
I've setup a project with cloudmade.
If if tap on a marker and want to drag it, the marker jumps some pixel.
Any suggestions?
Would be great to get some help :)
Thanks!
A:
I think this problem doesn't occur now..
|
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