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Behind Ukraine's Political Strife: One Big Utility Bill
Cossacks stand guard at the entrance to the Crimean Parliament building on Friday in Simferopol, Ukraine. Russian Cossacks, some heavily armed, have taken up guard duties at road checkpoints, border crossings and other key facilities that were previously guarded by local, pro-Russian militants across Crimea in recent days.
Sean Gallup
/ Getty Images
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Originally published on March 7, 2014 7:29 pm
One way to understand the situation between Ukraine and Russia right now: Look at the gas bill of an ordinary Ukrainian.
Valentina Olachenka, for example, pays $19 a month for gas to heat her house and run her stove. The average American who uses natural gas, by contrast, spends more than $100 a month.
Gas is cheap for Ukrainians because the government is paying most of the bill — 87 cents of every dollar, according to the IMF.
The subsidy used to be relatively affordable for the government, back when Russia was giving Ukraine a really good deal on its gas. At the time, Russia got cheap access to Ukranian pipelines.
But as the governments of both countries have changed, relations have grown strained. About eight years ago, Russia increased the prices it charged Ukraine for gas. And rather than pass that cost onto its people, Ukraine's government chose to pay the difference. That created a big hole in Ukraine's budget.
Ukraine now spends 7.5 percent of its gross domestic product on the gas subsidy, according to a recent IMF estimate. Context: In the U.S., defense spending plus nondefense discretionary spending adds up to 7.5 percent of GDP
That brings us to the eve of the current crisis, when then-President Viktor Yanukovych tried to ease Ukraine's financial troubles by cutting a deal with Russia, for about $15 billion and a break on gas imports. This deal didn't go through and precipitated the president's ouster.
In the current conflict, Russia has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine and said Ukraine owes billions in unpaid gas bills.
If Ukraine ends up allied with the European Union and taking orders from the IMF, lots of changes will come to its economy. The subsidies will have to end. And gas bills for people like Valentina Olachenka will rise. | 2023-10-31T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7233 |
Victoria—March 16, 2020 Bishop Logan McMenamie has ordered all churches in the diocese closed for all public use, including worship, for sixty (60) days effective immediately.
" We know churches are places of refuge, celebration and commemoration for folks from all walks of life, but the church is more than just its buildings. We are working collaboratively across our region to find creative ways to remain pastorally present to people at a time when the assurance offered in the life of faith is so critical. At the same time however, we take seriously the government's call on jurisdictions across the country to strengthen their proactive responses to contain and slow the spread of this disease. This is one way we can do our part to show our care and concern for the most vulnerable in our communities," says McMenamie.
McMenamie, who is himself currently travelling in the US will end his trip early and return to the diocese on March 17, when he will enter into self-isolation for the recommended period of 14 days.
The closure includes all public worship and facility rentals with the exception of daycare facilities being operated on church property. This is subject to change as new information becomes available.
The exception to this wide-sweeping closure is Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Victoria, which will for the time being, remain open to the public as a place of prayer and contemplation. Cathedral staff will have protocols in place for increased cleaning and ensuring the recommendations around social distancing and limiting gathering to under 50 people are observed. | 2023-12-08T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2165 |
In the winter of 1981 I was sent to Austin, Texas, for three months to learn IBM's new MVS-JES (Multiple Virtual Storage - Job Entry Subsystem) mainframe computer, which would be the backbone of our global network of data processing sites (I was based in Calgary, others were based in Australia and Britain). I studied these systems (and took a communications course called 'On the Way Up') using tutored video instruction. It worked very well for me. Note though that while John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid say "the method requires viewers to work as a group... [to] construct and negotiate a shared meaning, bringing the group along collectively rather than individually," I studied on my own and practiced what I learned messing aorund with the mainframe on the night shift. Oh, and I sincerely doubt that the method was "discovered" at Stanford in the 1970s, as Fred Bershears suggests in an email today, no more than MOOCs were "discovered" at Stanford in the 2000s. | 2023-08-03T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9887 |
Immunochemical detection of the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T-antigen) on platelet plasma membranes.
Platelet plasma membranes were found to possess the disaccharide beta-D-galactosyl (1-3)-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine which was measured by gas chromatography after release by alkaline borohyride treatment and desialylation. Immunological evidence using the specific lectins from Arachis hypogoea and Agaricus bisporus and an anti-T serum confirmed the presence of this disaccharide, the immunodominant group of the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T-antigen). This receptor was only found after prior neuraminidase treatment indicating that it is normally a cryptic antigen, i.e. masked by sialic acid in the native membrane. Evidence for a second receptor with terminal N-acetylgalactosamine was obtained using the lectin from Helix pomatia. The binding of myxovirus and the lectins from Phaseolus vulgaris (PHA) and Canavalia ensiformis (Con A) to platelet membrane was also demonstrated. The implication of the T-antigen in elimination of the platelets and its role in the haemolytic-uraemic syndrome is discussed. | 2024-03-23T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7066 |
Cats are smarter than people, YES, indeed except that they don’t talk, they meow and I would like to understand what they want when they insist in meowing. It is very frustrating not being able to communicate.
The cat I got when I was 8 is still alive (fourteen, outlived her son). My poor mom is taking care of it because I can’t have pets. It keeps pooping in her shoes. It is named after the cat in homeward bound. It is the worst cat ever. It scratches at the door and then won’t go out. Her claws don’t retract so she gets stuck to the carpet.
One thing I’ve found useful is to try following the cat when s/he is meowing. One of my cats (Shadow) has a habit of sitting/standing there yelling at me until I get up, at which point he will trot off in some direction, and by following him I can find out what he wants. Sometimes it’s food but other times it’s random stuff like “don’t sit at your desk, come sit on the kitchen floor and pet me and oh hey look out the window! Birds!”
Well in the wild (including in feral colonies) you don’t usually get adult cats outside the fighting or mating contexts meowing at each other. But cats raised in human homes to be tame will often meow at each other well into adulthood, especially if they’re littermates. Part of that whole “retained juvenile behavior” thing…they grow up less inhibited when they’re not constantly having to be on guard for their survival, I guess. My 3 ex-feral sibling kitties are just over a year old now, so technically adults, and they still “call” each other to play, etc.
CPP: re. “Useful to who”….hmm, perhaps I used the wrong word. “Effective” would have been a better choice, as in, “this method may be effective if your goal is to figure out what a cat is trying to communicate with his/her meowing”. Apologies for the incoherence. | 2023-08-21T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4611 |
const admin = require('firebase-admin');
const environment = require('../environments/environment.test');
const serviceAccount = require('../service-account.json');
admin.initializeApp(
Object.assign(environment.firebase, {
credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
})
);
admin.firestore().settings({ timestampsInSnapshots: true });
module.exports = admin;
| 2024-01-17T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6990 |
// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
// file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
package qemu
// Arch abstracts away differences between different architectures.
type Arch string
// Arch constants.
const (
ArchAmd64 Arch = "amd64"
ArchArm64 Arch = "arm64"
)
// Valid checks whether the architecture is supported.
func (arch Arch) Valid() bool {
switch arch {
case ArchAmd64, ArchArm64:
return true
default:
return false
}
}
// QemuArch defines which qemu binary to use.
func (arch Arch) QemuArch() string {
switch arch {
case ArchAmd64:
return "x86_64"
case ArchArm64:
return "aarch64"
default:
panic("unsupported architecture")
}
}
// QemuMachine defines the machine type for qemu.
func (arch Arch) QemuMachine() string {
switch arch {
case ArchAmd64:
return "q35"
case ArchArm64:
return "virt,gic-version=max"
default:
panic("unsupported architecture")
}
}
// Console defines proper argument for the kernel to send logs to serial console.
func (arch Arch) Console() string {
switch arch {
case ArchAmd64:
return "ttyS0"
case ArchArm64:
return "ttyAMA0,115200n8"
default:
panic("unsupported architecture")
}
}
// PFlash for UEFI boot.
type PFlash struct {
Size int64
SourcePaths []string
}
// PFlash returns settings for parallel flash.
func (arch Arch) PFlash(uefiEnabled bool) []PFlash {
switch arch {
case ArchArm64:
return []PFlash{
{
Size: 64 * 1024 * 1024,
SourcePaths: []string{"/usr/share/qemu-efi-aarch64/QEMU_EFI.fd", "/usr/share/OVMF/QEMU_EFI.fd"},
},
{
Size: 64 * 1024 * 1024,
},
}
case ArchAmd64:
if !uefiEnabled {
return nil
}
return []PFlash{
{
Size: 0,
SourcePaths: []string{"/usr/share/ovmf/OVMF.fd", "/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF.fd"},
},
}
default:
return nil
}
}
| 2023-08-02T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5212 |
Rawlings Womens Full Button Sleeveless Softball Jersey is made of 100% polyester double knit. It is also made of Pro Dri with moisture management and stain release material. It is a button front jersey with an embroidered Rawlings oval R logo on the back of the neck. | 2024-03-25T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4440 |
By NICK CREAMER
As perhaps the most unabashedly feast-or-famine holiday around, Valentine’s Day is a time for either treasured memories with loved ones or maybe just a whole bunch of ice cream and TV marathons.
Fortunately, whether you’re celebrating the season alone or together, there’s plenty of anime out there to help you get in the spirit, with lots of them already available right now on Crunchyroll. From first crushes to destined loves and flirty traveling companions, anime runs the gamut of romance, and today I’ll be offering just a few shows that represent the mushier side of drama. In no particular order, here are some romantic highlights to bring some warm fuzzies to your day!
Crunchyroll
OK, I said “no particular order,” but in truth I meant no particular order except for Toradora. Toradora stars the diminutive Taiga and mild-mannered Ryuuji, who wind up working together after each learns the other has a crush on their best friend. The chemistry between Ryuuji, Taiga, and each of their friends is consistent and endearing, and Toradora follows these charming characters through all manner of romantic adventures. Toradora is also blessed with perhaps the best sarcastic best friend character of all time: Ami Kawashima. Combining lovable characters, thoughtful dialogue, and high drama theatrics, Toradora is the full romantic package.
While Toradora may star one of anime’s best romantic ensembles, Spice and Wolf might have the medium’s all-time best romantic couple. Lawrence is a merchant in a vaguely medieval world, shipping raw materials for profit all across the land. Holo is a wolf god, a spirit abandoned by her believers who now seeks a voyage home. Together, the two of them trade snipes, sell goods, and generally make the most of their time on the road. Spice and Wolf is a rambling road trip with two very likable friends, a slow romance that truly embodies the importance of the journey.
Of course, romantic love isn’t the only kind of love worth celebrating. Kyousogiga does indeed have some romantic love (between a magical painter and a drawing of a rabbit!), but it’s also suffused with many other kinds of love: love of family, love of home, and love of the world itself. Starring three siblings suspended in a mystical version of Kyoto, and livened by the little sister they never knew, it’s a madcap story that spins from first romance to family breakdown and a final, difficult reunion. It’s a beautiful and creative story that embodies what love is all about.
Crunchyroll
Getting back to the strict romances, My Love Story offers something too few anime get to: a couple in an actual, committed relationship. Gentle giant Takeo ends up confessing to his crush Rinko within the first few episodes, and the rest of My Love Story involves the two of them and their friends exploring the actual hurdles of a young relationship. Starring a great cast and dangerously suffused with cuteness, My Love Story is basically a warm, lovey-dovey blanket to snuggle under.
Crunchyroll
Unfortunately, sometimes love isn’t quite that easy. White Album 2 falls at the far end of romances, centered on a love triangle that puts all three of its members through the emotional ringer. White Album 2 is defined by distinctly thoughtful characterization and brutal dramatic turns, as its protagonists Haruki, Kazusa, and Setsuna all grasp at happiness on the edge of young adulthood. Don’t worry if you haven’t seen the first White Album—this story’s entirely self-contained, offering a brutal dramatic package for anyone who’s ready for it.
6) Nana
Love doesn’t really get any easier when you leave high school, though. Starring two girls who share a name you can probably guess, Nana follows punk rocker Nana Osaki and starry-eyed Nana Komatsu as they seek fame, fortune, and romance in the often confusing adult world. Nana brings a world-weary perspective to its drama, acknowledging that no romance is meant to be, and that sometimes life brings us to places we never expected to go. Nana understands that love is great, but sometimes just getting by is hard enough.
Crunchyroll
Those last couple picks got a little heavy, so let’s lighten things up a bit. Actually, I Am stars the loose-lipped Asahi Kuromine, who secretly has a crush on his classmate Youko Shiragami. But as it turns out, Youko has a pretty serious secret of her own: She’s actually a vampire. Having discovered her secret, Asahi swears to tell no one, and so begins a ridiculous series of frantic harem escapades. Actually, I Am distinguishes itself from most rom-coms by starring a cast not defined by antagonism, but firm friendship (and also being vampires/aliens/etc). All of this show’s characters like each other – they’re just too stupid to successfully fall in love.
8) Katanagatari
I’m stretching a little to include this one among a bunch of romances, but Katanagatari is centered on such an endearing core relationship that I couldn’t leave it out. Katanagatari is a story about the strategist Togame and martial artist Shichika, who journey together across Japan to collect 12 mythic swords. The show is beautiful, has an excellent musical score, and is full of thoughtful conversations on legacy, identity, and much else besides, but the building relationship between Togame and Shichika reflects the true wonder of love—how finding someone important to you can help you discover yourself, and grow in directions you’d never expected. Kataganatari is many things, but it is definitely a standout romance.
Crunchyroll
There’s just something about music and romance, I guess. Kids on the Slope begins in the summer of 1966, and focuses on two jazz-loving teenagers: Kaoru and Sentaro. Combining a coming-of-age story, terrific musical performances, and plenty of romantic drama, Kids on the Slope offers a beautiful and life-affirming reflection on the power of music to uplift us and bring us together. It’s an excellent character story and fascinating period piece.
Incidentally, if you’d like even more shows that scratch that music/romance itch, I’d check out the career-spanning Nodame Cantabile and the beautiful Your Lie in April.
Let’s end on something nice and peaceful. From Me to You stars the shy Sawako and energetic Shota, and offers a slow and satisfying journey into a very gentle romance. Giving us a close look at all of Sawako’s insecure thoughts, From Me to You exemplifies a well-worn approach to shoujo romance. Bolstered by its strong secondary cast and full of endearing moments, From Me to You is fine comfort food to anyone searching for an easy-going love story.
And that’s it from me! I’ve covered a pretty wide stretch of shows here, but there’s always more romance to dig into, and even more shows that hide stellar romances in larger stories. Just from skimming through Crunchyroll’s own genre entries, I can already see half a dozen more I’d be happy to recommend. Either way, I hope you find something to enjoy, and please treat yourself and those you love this Valentine’s Day!
Nick Creamer is a Crunchyroll contributor. | 2024-07-20T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3890 |
Can antiosteoporotic therapy reduce mortality in MRI-proved acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures?
Patients with MRI-proved acute painful vertebral fractures in whom conservative pain management fails are frequently referred for vertebroplasty. This study investigated the effects of treating osteoporosis on the mortality rate of patients with MRI-proved acute osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures who had undergone vertebroplasty. We retrospectively reviewed the cases of osteoporosis patients with MRI-proved acute vertebral fractures who had been treated with vertebroplasty from January 2001 to December 2007. The long-term outcomes of the patients who received antiosteoporotic therapy were compared with those of patients who received no therapy. A total of 304 patients (247 female patients and 57 male patients; mean age, 74.1 ± 7.7 years) were enrolled in the study. The patients who received antiosteoporotic therapy had a significantly lower mortality rate than did patients who did not receive antiosteoporotic therapy (P = 0.001; hazard ratio, 0.396, 95 % confidence interval, 0.273-0.575). At the end of the study, 183 patients were alive, and 121 had died. Effective treatment for osteoporosis may improve survival in patients with osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures after vertebroplasty. | 2023-08-19T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4351 |
Comparative study of Helicobacter pylori eradication rates of twice-versus four-times-daily amoxicillin administered with proton pump inhibitor and clarithromycin: a randomized study.
Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-containing triple therapy with clarithromycin and amoxicillin is now a standard regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Korea. Amoxicillin has time-dependent bactericidal activity against H. pylori; we therefore assumed a dosing schedule of amoxicillin would affect the eradication rate of H. pylori. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different amoxicillin dosing schedules for the eradication of H. pylori. One hundred and eighty-six patients with H. pylori infection were eligible for this study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two regimens: amoxicillin 1000 mg with clarithromycin 500 mg and omeprazole 20 mg twice daily for 2 weeks (BID group, n = 93), or amoxicillin 500 mg four times daily with clarithromycin 500 mg and omeprazole 20 mg twice daily for 2 weeks (QID group, n = 93). The success of H. pylori eradication was evaluated 4-5 weeks after completing treatment. Overall eradication rate was 90.3%, and eradication rates were 91.4% in the BID group and 89.2% in the QID group (p = 0.62). Compliances was 95.7% in the BID group and 93.5% in the QID group (p = 0.516); this was the only factor that significantly affected H. pylori eradication in this study. Side effects in both groups were generally mild. Amoxicillin regimens with PPI and clarithromycin are found to be equally effective and safe in both the BID and QID groups for H. pylori eradication. Therefore, considering patient's comfort, we recommend a twice daily amoxicillin regimen. | 2024-01-05T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7710 |
----- Forwarded by Elizabeth Sager/HOU/ECT on 02/01/2001 08:32 AM -----
Steve C Hall
01/31/2001 07:57 PM
To: Elizabeth Sager/HOU/ECT@ECT, Richard B Sanders/HOU/ECT@ECT,
gfergus@brobeck.com, Christian Yoder/HOU/ECT@ECT
cc:
Subject: Letters to terminate EPMI's CalPX Participation Agreement
I have attached ready-to-file drafts of the letters necessary to terminate
EPMI's Participation Agreement with the CalPX. In addition to the letter to
the CalPX, I am reasonably certain that a FERC filing is required to
terminate the Participation Agreement because it is a power purchase/sale
agreement, the form of which is on file with FERC. Just to be safe I
prepared the transmittal letter, notice of termination, and notice of filing
necessary to file with FERC. Among other things, I requested waiver of the
60-day notice period.
I'll wait for further instruction before doing anything else on this matter.
Steve | 2024-01-10T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8250 |
2004 WI App 99
State of Wisconsin, Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
Kenneth A. Hudson, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 03-2083-CR.
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin.
Submitted on Briefs: April 6, 2004.
Opinion Filed: April 27, 2004.
On behalf of the defendant-appellant, the cause was submitted on the briefs of David D. Cook of Monroe.
On behalf of the plaintiff-respondent, the cause was submitted on the brief of Peggy A. Lautenschlager, attorney general, and Jeffrey J. Kassel, assistant attorney general.
Before Cane, C.J., Hoover, P.J., and Peterson, J.
¶1. CANE, C.J.
Kenneth Hudson appeals orders denying him independent and court-ordered postconviction deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing of various items. He argues the trial court erred by concluding Wis. Stat. § 974.07(6)[1] did not allow him to independently test physical evidence in the State's possession that contains biological materials. Because the State concedes the trial court erred by construing the statute to prevent independent testing of certain items at Hudson's expense, subject to protective conditions imposed by the trial court, we reverse the order entered March 25, 2003. Hudson also claims the trial court erred by refusing to order the items be tested under § 974.07(7)(a). Because we agree with the trial court that Hudson has not shown a reasonable probability he would not have been convicted if the exculpatory DNA testing results had been available before, we affirm the order entered July 16, 2003.
Background
¶2. On June 25, 2000, David Carnot was working in his yard when he heard a woman screaming. He ran through a wooded area toward the source of the screams. When Carnot arrived at Plank Road, he saw a man, later identified as Hudson, hanging onto an opened truck door, standing over a woman later identified as Shanna Van Dyn Hoven. Carnot, who was carrying a garden rake, came down the roadside and yelled, demanding to know what was going on.
¶3. Hudson jumped into his truck, put it into gear, accelerated, and drove straight at Carnot. Carnot ran and tried climbing a nearby fence, but Hudson's truck slammed into the fence before Carnot cleared the top. The impact caused Carnot to fall on top of the truck, from which he then jumped over the fence and ran into a nearby quarry. After freeing the truck from the fence's tangle, Hudson sped away down Plank Road. Carnot returned to the roadside and saw Van Dyn Hoven lying in a pool of blood. By that time, she had stopped moving and was no longer breathing. Carnot ran to a neighbor's house and they called 911.
¶4. Melvin Vanden Bloomer testified he heard a loud noise coming from Plank Road. He saw Hudson's truck approaching with a flat front driver's side tire. He saw Hudson throw something out of the window, which Vanden Bloomer shortly thereafter discovered was a bloody rag.
¶5. Sergeant Robert Patschke saw Hudson's truck traveling on a highway, noticed the flat tire, and turned his vehicle around to investigate. As Patschke pursued Hudson's truck, Hudson did not slow down, but turned onto Highway 41 and accelerated. Patschke activated his siren and a chase ensued. After reaching speeds of 80-90 m.p.h., Hudson was finally forced to pull over where he was removed from the truck, escorted to the ground, and handcuffed. Patschke observed a blood-soaked passenger seat and a bloody knife laying on the floor beneath the brake pedal. Patschke also saw Hudson had blood on different parts of his body. Patschke placed Hudson in the back of the squad car. Fifteen minutes later, Patschke noticed Hudson was slouched on his side and hyperventilating, at which point an ambulance transported Hudson to a hospital.
¶6. Later that night, Hudson was transferred to the Kaukauna Police Department and interviewed by John Manion, the assistant chief of the Kaukauna Police Department, and lieutenant Kevin Shepardson. Hudson claimed he bought the knife to gut and clean some fish he recently caught. Manion indicated that while Hudson first denied stabbing anyone, he later made several incriminating statements, including the incomplete sentence: "I got into an argument with a girl and I think I stabbed ...." Hudson said he fought with the girl who was running and tried to push her into the truck. After he forced her into the passenger side, Hudson reentered the truck but the girl got out. Hudson said he believed he stabbed her while she was in the truck.
¶7. Additionally, when Manion and Shepardson transported Hudson to the county jail, Hudson inquired what charges he was being booked for, and Manion indicated they would be homicide related because Van Dyn Hoven died as a result of the stab wounds. Manion testified Hudson started to yell and then cried and said, "Why did I stab her?" Manion testified Hudson then stated, "I didn't want for her to die. This is all because of my mother. I didn't even know her." After asking if Wisconsin had the death penalty, Hudson said his father and brother were looking down on him then, seeing what he had done.
¶8. State Crime Lab analyst John Ertl testified he performed DNA typing on various bloodstains: three from Hudson's truck, two from Hudson's person, and one from the knife. The blood from the knife and Hudson's vehicle was Van Dyn Hoven's. The bloodstain from Hudson's hand showed DNA from both Hudson and Van Dyn Hoven, while a stain from Hudson's left foot was not human.
¶9. The jury convicted Hudson of first-degree intentional homicide. Hudson later filed a postconviction motion pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 974.07 for independent or court-ordered DNA testing of ten items not previously tested: seven containing biological evidence in the form of blood, one item containing Hudson's fingernail clippings, and two items containing Van Dyn Hoven's fingernail swabbings and scrapings. Hudson sought this evidence for two purposes. First, it would undermine the credibility of the police officers who testified to Hudson's "alleged" confession. Second, it would confirm a theory of Hudson's case: that he was the victim of a Kaukauna Police Department conspiracy that was covering up for the real killer, possibly the citizen-witness David Carnot, son of a recently retired sergeant of the Kaukauna Police Department. According to Hudson, he never had physical contact with Van Dyn Hoven, the police poured a Styrofoam cupful of animal blood on him (and then smeared it on his hands and chest) while he was sleeping in the back of a squad car after he was arrested, and the police either laced the knife" purportedly found" in Hudson's vehicle with the blood that soaked the truck's passenger seat or contaminated it with blood obtained during Van Dyn Hoven's autopsy.
¶10. The trial court concluded Wis. Stat. § 974.07(6) does not provide a defendant with the means for independent DNA testing. The court also denied Hudson's court-ordered testing request because it concluded Hudson could not establish a reasonable probability he would not have been convicted even if the additional DNA testing results were exculpatory. Hudson appeals.
Discussion
¶11. Hudson first argues that under Wis. Stat. § 974.07(6)(a), the State must "make available" physical evidence containing biological material for independent DNA testing. Subsection (6)(a) states:
Upon demand the district attorney shall disclose to the movant or his or her attorney whether biological material has been tested and shall make available to the movant or his or her attorney the following material:
1. Findings based on testing of biological materials.
2. Physical evidence that is in the actual or constructive possession of a government agency and that contains biological material or on which there is biological material. (Emphasis added.)
¶12. In the trial court, the State argued, and the court agreed, that Wis. Stat. § 974.07(6) did not compel the State to turn over evidence for independent DNA testing but only required the State to provide a movant access to review the material in order to determine which specific items he or she would like tested pursuant to a subsequent court order under subsection (7). On appeal, the State has reversed its position and concedes the trial court erred by construing the statute to prevent independent testing of certain items at Hudson's expense, subject to protective conditions imposed by the trial court. See Wis. Stat. § 974.07(6)(c) ("Upon motion of the district attorney or the movant, the court may impose reasonable conditions on availability of materials requested ... in order to protect the integrity of the evidence."). We accept the State's concession and, therefore, do not address this issue further.
¶13. Hudson also argues he is entitled to court-ordered DNA testing under Wis. Stat. § 974.07(7)(a). Subsection (7)(a) requires the trial court to order DNA testing when the following four conditions are met:
A court in which a motion under sub. (2) is filed shall order forensic deoxyribonucleic acid testing if all of the following apply:
1. The movant claims that he or she is innocent of the offense at issue in the motion under sub. (2).
2. It is reasonably probable that the movant would not have been prosecuted, convicted, found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, or adjudicated delinquent for the offense at issue in the motion under sub. (2), if exculpatory deoxyribonucleic acid testing results had been available before the prosecution, conviction, finding of not guilty, or adjudication for the offense.
3. The evidence to be tested meets the conditions under sub. (2) (a) to (c).
4. The chain of custody of the evidence to be tested establishes that the evidence has not been tampered with, replaced, or altered in any material respect or, if the chain of custody does not establish the integrity of the evidence, the testing itself can establish the integrity of the evidence.
The trial court found, and the State argues on appeal, that Hudson could not establish the second condition. In light of the overwhelming evidence supporting Hudson's guilt, the court concluded it was not reasonably probable that Hudson would not have been convicted even if the supposed "exculpatory" DNA testing results showed animal blood. We agree.
¶14. At the outset, however, we address the parties' dispute over the standard of review we should employ. Hudson advocates we should review this matter as a mixed question of law and fact, upholding the circuit court's findings of historical fact and reviewing the question of reasonable probability de novo, just as is done in ineffective assistance of counsel cases. See State v. Sanchez, 201 Wis. 2d 219, 236, 548 N.W.2d 69 (1996).
¶15. The State suggests a different approach. It analogizes this sort of case to those where a defendant seeks a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. The State notes that in a newly discovered evidence case, a defendant must show there is a reasonable probability that a different result would be reached in a new trial. See State v. McCallum, 208 Wis. 2d 463, 473, 561 N.W.2d 707 (1997). The State further observes that the supreme court in McCallum declined to undertake a "reasonable probability determination" after it concluded the trial court applied the wrong legal standard. The court stated: "Because the circuit court is in a better position to determine whether a reasonable probability exists that a reasonable jury looking at both the recantation and the original accusation would have a reasonable doubt as to McCallum's guilt, we defer this determination to the circuit court." Id. at 480. The State contends this language strongly implies that we should employ a deferential standard of review.
¶16. The State also calls attention to Chief Justice Abrahamson's concurrence in McCallum, where she concluded:
On appellate review, I conclude that an appellate court should review the reasonable probability determination under the erroneous exercise of discretion standard. Having heard both the evidence at the original trial or hearing, or even just the evidence on the motion hearing, a circuit court is in a better position than an appellate court to determine whether confidence in the correctness of the outcome at the original trial or hearing has been undermined.
Id. at 491 (Abrahamson, C.J., concurring). We conclude this approach fits best. Therefore, we review the trial court's "reasonable probability" determination under Wis. Stat. § 974.07(7) under the erroneous exercise of discretion standard. A proper exercise of discretion requires that the trial court rely on facts of record and the applicable law to reach a reasonable decision. Martindale v. Ripp, 2001 WI 113, ¶28, 246 Wis. 2d 67, 629 N.W.2d 698. We now consider the substance of Hudson's argument.
¶17. Hudson notes Wis. Stat. § 974.07(7)(a)2 requires the circuit court to consider whether he has established," It is reasonably probable that the movant would not have been ... convicted ... if exculpatory deoxyribonucleic acid testing results had been available before the ... conviction." Thus, he claims the court must assume that DNA testing results would be exculpatory, and must determine how the exculpatory results would have affected the proceedings leading to a conviction considering all of the other evidence. Ultimately, Hudson notes the question is whether it is reasonably probable that exculpatory DNA testing results would raise a reasonable doubt about Hudson's guilt.
¶18. Hudson seeks to test ten items: seven containing biological evidence in the form of blood, one item containing Hudson's fingernail clippings, and two items containing Van Dyn Hoven's fingernail swabbings and scrapings. As to the items containing blood, Hudson claims if the tests show animal blood, his theory of the case-that Kaukauna police officers poured animal blood on him while he slept in the back of the squad car shortly after being arrested-would be supported, thus creating a reasonable probability of a reasonable doubt. As to the fingernail evidence, Hudson claims he never had physical contact with Van Dyn Hoven, contrary to the State's theory that he had a vigorous and prolonged struggle with her. Hudson claims the lack of Van Dyn Hoven's DNA under his fingernails and the lack of his DNA or the presence of another's DNA under Van Dyn Hoven's fingernails creates a reasonable probability of a reasonable doubt.
¶19. The trial court concluded Hudson had not met his burden because even if the test results would be as he speculates, given the overwhelming evidence of his guilt, there was not a reasonable probability he would not have been convicted. We agree.
¶20. Even if we assume that Van Dyn Hoven's DNA is not found on Hudson's fingernail clippings, and Hudson's DNA is not under Van Dyn Hoven's fingernails, and other blood tests positive for non-human blood, none of this adds up to a reasonable doubt in view of the overwhelming evidence of Hudson's guilt. Without detailing all of this evidence, we note that not only did Hudson confess to the stabbing on several occasions, albeit somewhat cryptically at times, Van Dyn Hoven's blood was found on the side of his vehicle, on his hand, and on a knife found in his truck.
¶21. Consequently, because Hudson has not established a reasonable probability that he would not have been convicted, the trial court did not erroneously exercise its discretion by denying Hudson's motion for court-ordered postconviction DNA testing. Therefore, the order entered July 16, 2003, is affirmed. However, in light of the State's concession, it must "make available" to Hudson the physical evidence containing biological specimens he has demanded for independent DNA testing at Hudson's expense, subject to protective conditions imposed by the trial court. Therefore, the order entered March 25, 2003, is reversed and the matter is remanded.
By the Court.Orders affirmed in part; reversed in part and cause remanded.
NOTES
[1] All references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2001-02 version unless otherwise noted.
| 2024-06-27T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4551 |
Juan González (volleyball)
Juan Manuel González Limón (born 11 January 1994) is a Spanish male volleyball player. He is part of the Spain men's national volleyball team. On club level he plays for Unicaja Almería.
References
External links
Profile at FIVB.org
Category:1994 births
Category:Living people
Category:Spanish men's volleyball players
Category:People from Huelva
Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Category:Expatriate volleyball players in Italy
Category:Blu Volley Verona players | 2024-06-16T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/1288 |
Davos on the river Neva
Russia’s version of the World Economic Forum highlights its ambivalence about capitalism
THERE is no better place to contemplate Russia's perennial ambivalence about modernity than St Petersburg—and not only because the city is ravishing and the sun shines for 19 hours a day at this time of year. This was the city that Peter the Great founded to force Russia to look to the west. But it was also the city Lenin used as his base to launch Russia's disastrous experiment with “socialism in one country”. Today the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) provides an annual window to Russia's still-divided soul. This year, the sixteenth since it was founded, the forum attracted the bosses of such global giants as Goldman Sachs and McKinsey, as well as everyone who is anyone in the energy business. Vladimir Putin delivered his first big speech on the economy since recapturing the presidency.
There was much that looked familiar to habitués of the World Economic Forum at Davos. The likes of PepsiCo and Mercedes-Benz pitched lavish hospitality tents. Henry Kissinger delivered of his wisdom and young global leaders networked furiously. But there was also much that was different. Russian giants such as Gazprom and Sberbank loomed over everything (Sberbank got the prize for the most eye-catching display, filling a huge glass case with €500 notes and applying a wind machine to them). Some $11 billion-worth of deals were done. The panels consisted almost entirely of middle-aged men in suits. Yet this sartorial uniformity proved deceptive: SPIEF man is far more ambivalent about the building-blocks of global capitalism than Davos man.
The Russian delegates were strikingly equivocal about free enterprise. Yes, everybody agreed that Russia is far too dependent on the energy sector. The oil price can go down as well as up—and has been doing just that lately—while the fracking revolution is changing the gas business dramatically. Everybody also agreed that Russia needs many more entrepreneurs to spark innovation and to turbocharge business creation. But no sooner did people start to debate enterprise in St Petersburg than the doubts began to crowd in.
These doubts were partly practical. The country's 30 biggest companies account for more than 40% of GDP. The World Bank's annual survey of ease of doing business ranks Russia 120th in the world. It takes two years and innumerable bureaucratic procedures just to get permission to build a warehouse—each stage giving some bureaucrat a chance to extract a bribe. Howard Stevenson of Harvard Business School once argued that the essence of enterprise is the pursuit of opportunities regardless of the resources you currently control. Kirill Androsov, a Russian who runs Altera Capital, an investment firm, says the essence of enterprise in his country is to keep hold of the resources you control.
But that is only half of it. Russians have a deep suspicion of rich and successful people—a suspicion nurtured by communism and reinforced by the oligarchs of the 1990s, who owed their wealth to political connections and acted like Soviet caricatures of capitalist robber barons. More than a million young Russians have fled the country in the past decade. “The only place to do business is somewhere else,” one young Russian told this columnist as they waited in an interminable queue at the airport.
The delegates were ambivalent about the West. A legion of public-relations flacks boasted that Skolkovo, a science park under construction outside Moscow, is Russia's Silicon Valley in the making (500 companies have reportedly signed up to open offices there). Finnish entrepreneurs such as the man behind Angry Birds were treated with awe. But admiration for the West was qualified by doubts: not since the Soviet Union was in its pomp have so many powerful Russians expressed such blood-curdling thoughts about the crisis of capitalism. America was dismissed as a debt-fuelled Potemkin village. Europe was likened to Russia in the late 1980s, strangled by government and capable of making only two kinds of decisions: wrong ones and glacial ones.
Whatever you say, Mr Putin
The delegates were equally ambivalent about political reform. In private a striking number of businesspeople admitted to embarrassment about Mr Putin's return to the presidency. Sberbank sponsored a panel on the wonders of crowdsourcing in both politics and business. But when Mr Putin turned up to deliver his speech the delegates, Westerners included, were transformed into slavering sycophants. The hall was packed—the bigwigs up at the front and their underlings at the back.
The scepticism about Western capitalism was matched by an equally marked equivocation over Russia's own model of state capitalism. Mr Putin went out of his way to argue that the country does not practise state capitalism—indeed, that it is on the crest of another wave of privatisation. Russian businesspeople talked about their companies as if they were just like Western companies with a few Russian characteristics thrown in. But you only had to look around to realise that this was an illusion. The Russian hospitality tents all bore the names of state-controlled giants. A striking number of the Russian businesspeople present owed their careers to their connections with the Kremlin.
Mr Putin delivered a vigorous speech about making Russia more business-friendly. But under his rule state-backed behemoths have strengthened their grip. And later that day Mr Putin made a point of keeping the bosses of four Western energy companies waiting to see him in a dark, chairless foyer for three hours. Mr Putin needs to recognise that delivering on his promises to create a more business-friendly environment, not least by simplifying regulations, tackling corruption and privatising some state giants, is in his own interests as well as the country's. The cost of continued ambivalence will be political instability as well as economic stagnation. | 2023-08-18T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6180 |
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669175.post218920437607554152..comments2014-12-29T14:52:46.536-05:00Comments on Founders Ministries Blog: Other reflections on the 2007 ACP reportStanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06529978713987320095noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669175.post-60011032742791463662008-04-25T23:25:00.000-04:002008-04-25T23:25:00.000-04:00Was Rome right? I say that simply to provoke thou...Was Rome right? I say that simply to provoke thought. This has actually haunted me for quite sometime and there is no real solution to the problem. I suppose I hate to admit that (on this one point) Rome was actually prophetic! They warned the reformers that should they continue along this path, there would be hundreds if not thousands of splinter groups and the "Church" would be in chaos and confusion.<BR/><BR/>We all know that Luther's desire was to reform the Church, not to separate from it. It was the truth of the Gospel than and it is the truth of the Gospel now that is at stake and is causing division.<BR/><BR/>I realize that God is sovereign and He will use all of this for His purpose and His glory. I just wonder at times how much we have actually played into satan's hands and have created our own pope's and our little "vaticans" within the thousands of protestant denominations.<BR/><BR/>I could care less about the SBC. All I care about is that we preach Christ and Him crucified. We are not SBC ambassadors we are to be ambassadors of Christ.<BR/><BR/>I have no words of wisdom--just needed to express this. I frankly hate when Rome is right!<BR/><BR/>Perhaps this is the time to stop spending so much time discussing the problems within the SBC and preach the Word. Perhaps we need to trust the Word of God and the Power of God to do His work!ForHisSakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114435985648046259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669175.post-72177903539499287352008-04-25T18:59:00.000-04:002008-04-25T18:59:00.000-04:00"Moderates were right about at least one thing: th..."Moderates were right about at least one thing: they predicted conservative Southern Baptists would be so used to fighting after the 1980s that they would turn on each other after all the moderates are gone. What I actually think is going on is that we are creating “new” moderates by attacking, often in the most un-Christlike and intellectually dishonest ways, those who disagree with us. It happens to complimentarians who do not agree with everything CBMW says. It happens to Calvinists who dare to rock the boat by talking about doctrinal issues that are not ecclesiologically motivated. It happens to “continuationist” Southern Baptists who accept the ongoing validity of the spiritual gifts. It happens to Southern Baptists who break from the party line (but not the majority line, I daresay) on issues like the terms of communion and the validity of some alien immerisons. It happens to conservative Southern Baptists who break with the convention’s very public love affair with the Religious Right by suggesting there may be more “social” issues to engage than just abortion and the homosexual agenda. And it for sure happens to Southern Baptists who do not buy the tortured exegesis that argues that drinking alcohol is inherently sinful."....<BR/><BR/>...."But if by “future” one means a vital existence in God’s economy, I have my doubts. Collectively, I fear we are too insular, too sectarian, too pugnacious, too “Southern,” too reactionary, too pragmatic, and for sure too proud to have any real future." <BR/><BR/>This is where my head and heart is. It is the local church that is the heart of the New Testament. That is where we must concentrate.<BR/><BR/>Will<BR/>Cedar Hill TexasWillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521114181139432023noreply@blogger.com | 2024-03-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6956 |
1. Specifications table {#s0005}
=======================
Hardware nameOpen Source Nasopharyngeal Swab\
Open Source Modular UV Curing SystemSubject area•MedicalHardware type•Medical sample handling and preparationOpen Source LicenseGNU General Public License (GPL) v3.0 and CERN Open Hardware License (OHL) v1.2Cost of HardwareNasopharyngeal Swabs:\$0.060/swab with press-fit handle\$0.114/swab for tong style handleUV Curing System: \$45.42Source File Repository[[https://osf.io/z5jgu/]{.ul}](https://osf.io/z5jgu/){#ir005}\
registration: [[https://osf.io/yax7q]{.ul}](https://osf.io/yax7q){#ir010}
2. Hardware in context {#s0010}
======================
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is increasing mortality rates by overwhelming medical infrastructure at the regional level [@b0005], [@b0010], [@b0015], [@b0020]. There are critical shortages of ventilators [@b0025], [@b0030], [@b0035], personal protective equipment (PPE) [@b0040], [@b0045], [@b0050], [@b0055], [@b0060], and testing [@b0065], [@b0070] including swabs [@b0075]. The latter is in such short supply coroners are concerned that the test shortages are leading to severe undercounting of COVID-19 tests in the U.S. [@b0080]. Manufacturers throughout the world have ramped up production when possible and the White House has recognized that SARS-CoV-2 represents a national emergency and has implemented the Defense Production Act (DPA) [@b0085]. One of the products the DPA has been applied to is swabs to compel an unnamed company to produce 20 million more coronavirus testing swabs per month [@b0090]. This centralized top down approach where one large company is forced to manufacture something may provide a solution to critical medical hardware shortages. Another approach, however, is to provide products uses a distributed approach. In this approach, technically and economically-viable open source small-scale digital technologies are used for distributed manufacturing [@b0095], [@b0100] using small-businesses [@b0105], fab labs [@b0110], [@b0115], or even individual home-based production [@b0120], [@b0125], [@b0130], [@b0135]. This open source hardware design approach [@b0140], [@b0145], [@b0150] has been applied to medical equipment [@b0155], [@b0160], [@b0165], [@b0170] and has been shown to be particularly adept at overcoming supply shortages [@b0175], [@b0180], [@b0185], [@b0190], [@b0195].
The U.S. remains well below the rest of the developed world in COVID-19 testing, while suffering the most deaths of any nation and there is a clear case for mass testing and contact tracing to end the pandemic [@b0200], [@b0205], [@b0210], [@b0215]. The three legs of the stool of testing are labs/personnel, media, and nasopharyngeal swabs. This study develops a distributed manufacturing solution using an open source manufacturing tool chain to the third requirement: the nasopharyngeal swab.
The U.S. CDC, recommends that testing for COVID-19 on nasopharyngeal swabs made from synthetic fiber swabs with plastic shafts are used as calcium alginate swabs or swabs with wooden shafts may contain substances that inactivate some viruses and inhibit PCR testing [@b0220]. Thus, the materials used for swab and handle are UV-curable polymer resin and thermoplastic as the former has been tested [@b0225] and the latter does not contact the patient. Many companies and research groups have developed different kinds of swabs [@b0225], [@b0230]. This in itself creates a problem for regulators because of the wide array of designs, materials and printers, many of which are trying to corner specific intellectual property. Callahan et al. have evaluated 160 of swab designs and validated four designs [@b0225]. In addition, a 3-D printed swab consortium has formed [@b0230]. 3-D printed nasopharyngeal swabs have been commercialized from the consortium for proprietary printers from Carbon, FormLabs, Envisiontec, Origin, and Abiogenix. All of the consortium's manufacturers have been verified as ISO13485 facilities and are in production of 'FDA registered' swab designs. The 3-D printer manufacturers have tested and verified the swab designs on their own printers. These designs can be used on other similar printers, but then must be retested and reverified. For example, the company FormLabs has worked with several partners to relatively-openly design and test various materials and geometries of swabs including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center [@b0235], University of Southern Florida [@b0240], the University of Washington, Stanford University, MIT and the United States Army [@b0245]. Working collaboratively, they have developed test swabs to be printed on high-resolution stereolithography (SLA) 3-D printers and are now being used [@b0250].
3. Hardware description {#s0015}
=======================
As FormLabs printers (and other major SLA 3-D printer manufacturers) are deployed throughout the world they offer a method for distributed manufacturing of nasopharyngeal swabs to help relieve the swab shortage. FormLabs and the other printers in the consortium, however, are proprietary and costly, with a full system costing \$3,500-\$10,000 for FormLabs as an example [@b0255]. In addition, the swab designs themselves are propriety. For example, the Northwell Swab, that is freely shared now comes with a warning: "This 3D print swab design protocol is patent protected. The University of South Florida grants the recipient of design files permission to 3D print and use the swabs for non-commercial purposes until April 15, 2021." [@b0260]. This may cause deployment concerns based on potential liability in the future. In addition, the source, originally available in ref. [@b0260] along with the notice was removed by July 28, 2020.
To overcome these limitations, this study develops a distributed manufacturing solution using only an open source manufacturing tool chain and provides a parametric fully free design of a nasopharyngeal swab. Following well-established open hardware design protocols [@b0140], [@b0145], [@b0150], the swab was designed using parametric OpenSCAD [@b0265]. This approach has several advantages over the bench mark designs:The front is rounded to reduce the likelihood of injury in the patient's nasal cavity as seen in [Fig. 1](#f0005){ref-type="fig"} . The nobs are positioned in an offset sequence so that each row is rotated one nob thickness in the X-Y plane. This is to ensure ideal specimen collection and retention on swab while moving in the nasal cavity.Fig. 1Top view of rounded top of nasal swab in yellow with hemisphere tip of adjustable radius, protuberance, and roundness with purple nobs surrounding in offset sequence.The front and rear of the swab head are tapered to enable easy insertion and extraction of the swab as seen in [Fig. 2](#f0010){ref-type="fig"} . The spacing between nobs is selected both for printability and ensuring space for specimen collection.Fig. 2Side view of head of tip of open source swab with top in yellow, tip and nobs (arms) in purple, tapered sections in red, and neck in blue.The swab is shortened and fit with a handle. This has several advantages including: i) minimizing print time on relatively slow SLA printers, which increases throughput for any SLA printer, ii) enabling SLA printers with smaller print volumes (like the open source and relatively less costly Prusa SL1 [@b0270]) to print the swab, iii) reduces the amount of relatively expensive UV resin, and iv) pushes production of the handle over to the more numerous, accessible and faster fused filament fabrication (FFF) over a wide variety of commercial filaments with acceptable mechanical properties [@b0275] or other material extrusion based printers such as fused particle fabrication (FPF) and fused granule fabrication (FGF) [@b0280]. This latter point is perhaps the most important because SLA-based printers are far less numerous than FFF-based printers. Using the two-part design cuts the SLA print time down and allows it to print on small SLA printers, while enabling production rates to be held up with more numerous FFF-based printers used in parallel.The design is fully parametric so any feature can be altered in the future for a specific test, patient, disease or circumstance. For example, as shown in [Fig. 3](#f0015){ref-type="fig"} , the handle can be customized with existing test to for example brand it with a specific hospital, State, funder, or company providing the test. Another example is to use different types of handle (see tong handle in [Fig. 4](#f0020){ref-type="fig"} ). The press-fit handle minimizes material cost and print time, however, requires pressing the swab base into the handle manually. The tong handle is more expensive in material and print time, however, it distances the user from the swab throughout the entire process. Depending on the tolerances of a specific FFF/FGF/FPF machine the press fit in the handle can be adjusted in the OpenSCAD to work with the SLA printed swab to enable the fit function to work.Fig. 3OpenSCAD rendering of A) full side view of swab; B) press-fit handle with customizable text; and C) swab and handle assembled.Fig. 4OpenSCAD rendering of A) top (lengthwise) view of clamping section of tong handle; B) tong handle showing swab placement in relaxed state for easy removal (side view); and C) swab and handle assembled in front view profile with customizable writing.Mechanical testing on patented 3-D printable swabs showed that they often broke in the neck of the swab when under substantial loads because there was no engineered weak point in the swab. This creates a risk that the swab may break in the patient's nose causing harm and/or being difficult to remove. To ensure that the shaft snaps off in the same location outside of the patient's nose the swab is engineered to fail at a specific location. This is accomplished with a small hole, which can be adjusted in position and radius, located near the transition point from the lower body of the swab to the base section to be put into the handle. The hole is parallel to the press fit bar (see [Fig. 5](#f0025){ref-type="fig"} ) so it provides a clear direction to press the body of the nasal swab for it to break consistently. At this point the swab has the least material present per unit cross section and is thus the weakest. The finalized assembled swab is shown in [Fig. 6](#f0030){ref-type="fig"} .Fig. 5Detail of breakaway hole with neck of swab in blue, base in green, and handle in orange.Fig. 6Assembled parametric swab and handle.
These design features allow the device to be fabricated on open source 3-D printers developed as part of the RepRap project [@b0285], [@b0290], [@b0295]. The swab tip is 3-D printed on an open source Prusa SL-1 [@b0270] and the handle on an open source Lulzbot Taz 6 [@b0300]. To further cure the resin print head, an open source UV LED box was designed, fabricated and tested. This UV curing box, which is constructed from PCBs, is itself modular so it can be used for UV illumination of other applications.•Swabs can be fabricated 9 min./swab/SLA printer at a cost of \$0.014 for the swab head alone and \$0.0458 for the swab handle on a FFF machine for a total cost of \$0.0603/swab, but perhaps more importantly can be done following a distributed manufacturing paradigm. For context, the traditional manufacturing of a patented single swab is \$0.35 with transport medium [@b0305].•The swab design is two components, both of which can be 3-D printed, although it allows for the slow AM process to be minimized and can be used on small volume SLA printers.•The open source nasal swab design is written in parametric OpenSCAD so other users can personalize it and customize it for their application (e.g. infant/child swabs)•The UV curing system is also parametric and modular enabling the system to be used for any type of UV curing. The LEDs can be swapped out for different wavelengths to be used for other applications (e.g. higher energy UV diodes could be used for virus sterilization).
4. Design files {#s0020}
===============
4.1. UV curing system {#s0025}
---------------------
### 4.1.1. UV curing system design files summary {#s0030}
Design file nameFile typeOpen source licenseLocation of the file*/GerbersGBR, DRL*GPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>*Brackets.scad*SCADGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>*Corner.stl*STLGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>Edge.stlSTLGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>Plate.stlSTLGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>UV_Curing_Box-cache.liblibGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>UV_Curing_Box.kicad_pcbKICAD_PCBGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>UV_Curing_Box.netNETGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>UV_Curing_Box.proPROGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>UV_Curing_Box.schSCHGPL3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>
1.The files available in the /Gerbers directory are composite files generated from the PCB design process and are used for ordering copies of the boards from fabrication shops.2.Brackets.scad is the editable source file for all of the 3-D printed components of the curing system.3.Corner.stl, Edge.stl, and Plate.stl are the outputs generated from the SCAD file and are ready for immediate slicing and printing on any RepRap class 3-D printer.4.UV_Curing_Box-cache.lib hosts footprints and symbols used in the schematic and board design. UV_Curing_Box.kicad_pcb is the physical board design.5.UV_Curing_Box.net is a list of components and connections which is used when transferring from a schematic design to a PCB design.6.UV_Curing_Box.pro is the project file for the design (used for logistical purposes).7.UV_Curing_Box.sch is the schematic file for the design.
4.2. Nasopharyngeal swab design files {#s0035}
-------------------------------------
### 4.2.1. Nasopharyngeal swab design files summary {#s0040}
Design file nameFile typeOpen source licenseLocation of the file*OS_nasal_swab.stl*STLGNU General Public License (GPL) v3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>OS_swab_handle.stlSTLGNU General Public License (GPL) v3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>OS_tong_handle.stlSTLGNU General Public License (GPL) v3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>OS_nasal_swab_and_handle.scadSCADGNU General Public License (GPL) v3.0<https://osf.io/z5jgu/>
The OS_nasal_swab.stl file is the printable file for SLA printers. No supports should be used, and the rectangular base should be flat on the build plate.The OS_swab_handle.stl file is the printable file for FFF printers. It should lay flat, with the subtracted text and OSHW logo facing up.The OS_tong_handle.stl is an alternative handle printable file for FFF printers. For printers that are not optimally calibrated this may be a better choice as the hold on the swab is more secure.The OS_Nasal_swab_and_handle.scad file is the master file for altering either the swab or handle. To us, render the correct part, and alter the variables to change features as desired.
5. Bill of materials {#s0045}
====================
5.1. UV curing system Bill of materials {#s0050}
---------------------------------------
DesignatorComponentNumberCost per unit-currencyTotal cost-currencySource of materialsMaterial type*Circuit Board*UVLED Board12\$2.10\$25.20In HouseNA*Bolt*M3 × 10 mm bolt48\$0.07\$3.16AmazonNA*Wire*18 AWG wire1 m\$0.72 per m\$0.72AmazonNA*Power Supply*12VDC 5A Supply1\$11.99\$11.99AmazonNA*Power Cable*IEC Power Cord1\$3.99\$3.99AmazonNA*Edge*Edge Bracket12\$0.02\$0.24In HousePLA*Corner*Corner Bracket8\$0.02\$0.08In HousePLA*Plane*Face Bracket2\$0.02\$0.04In HousePLAMany of the components in this assembly have multiple (and potentially less expensive) sources. The PLA components costs are assuming a \$22.99 / kg spool.
5.2. UV LED Bill of materials {#s0055}
-----------------------------
DesignatorComponentNumberCost per unit-currencyTotal cost-currencySource of materialsMaterial type*Circuit Board*PCB1\$0.57\$0.57JLCPCBNA*LED*UV LED12\$0.07\$0.83AmazonNA*Conn*Screw Terminals4\$0.17\$0.70AmazonNAThe UV LED type can vary as needed, but for this application 395 nm UV LED's are used [@b0310]. The LED choice is only constrained by the 2.54 mm through-hole footprint.
5.3. Nasopharyngeal swab Bill of materials {#s0060}
------------------------------------------
DesignatorComponentNumberTotal cost-currencySource of materialsMaterial type*Swab*Swab UV resin1\$0.0145PrusaUV resin*Swab handle*Handle plastic1\$0.0458LulzbotPLA/PETG/ABS*Swab Tongs*Handle Plastic1\$0.0993LulzbotPLA/PETG/ABSThe components were massed on a calibrated open source digitally lab-grade scale [@b0315]. The masses were 0.25, 1.91 and 4.14 g for the swab, handle and tongs, respectively. The cost of the components was calculated by mass × (cost per unit mass) the cost of the resin is \$57.99/kg and the cost of the filament is \$23.99/kg. The resin used here is made up of epoxy resin (CAS 61788--87-4, which is a phenolic epoxy resin 40--50%), a monomer (CAS 13048--33-4 which is 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate 20--40%) and photoinitators (CAS 947--19-3, which is 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone 3--5%). In addition, resins from Prusa Polymers have a 2--5% color pigment. The swab head is made from the Prusa UV sensitive 3-D printing tough resin and can be purchased in 1-kg bottles online. The swab handle and tongs are both made form Hatchbox PLA filament as tested and printed on a Lulzbot Taz 6. The overall cost of a full swab is \$0.0603 with press-fit handle and \$0.1138 for the tong style handle.
6. Build instructions {#s0065}
=====================
6.1. UV curing system fabrication {#s0070}
---------------------------------
The UV curing system is parametric in that it consists of modular components which can be linked together to create any size cubic container. As a first step, users can determine the geometry of the curing system with each edge being divisible by 4 in. (since the board has an edge diameter of 4 in.). For this implementation the box is 4″x8″x8″. From the dimensions the number of components need can be determined -- in this implementation there are 12 boards required.
It is not necessary to solder all screw terminals onto the boards, as they are not all necessary depending on the configuration. To determine where to place the connectors, the boards are laid out in their "unfolded" state, as seen in [Fig. 7](#f0035){ref-type="fig"} , and terminal block pairs are places such that power can be supplied to each board at least once. Redundant connections will not hurt the system.Fig. 7The UV curing box is first laid out in order to determine terminal block placement.
The boards have provisions for resistors if it is determined that the light intensity needs decreased, but for this application max intensity is desired. In this case, 0 Ohm resistors can be soldered in place, or to cut costs further, the clippings from the UV LEDs can be used to bridge the two pads. The UV LED soldering requires no special treatment -- aside from the fact that LEDs are polar and therefore must be soldered in the proper orientation. The LEDs should be soldered on the opposite side of the silkscreen such that they will be facing the interior of the box.
If cost is a major concern, the terminal blocks can be replaced with directly soldered wire as seen in [Fig. 8](#f0040){ref-type="fig"} . This is undesirable in most cases as it reduces the maintainability of the system (i.e. it cannot be as easily disassembled as it would need to be de-soldered).Fig. 8Wires directly soldered to transfer power from one board to the next.
Once the boards have been fully soldered, the next step is to identify boards that are on the same plane -- specifically terminal blocks that are intended to be connected to one another. Since they are butted up end to end, placing typical wire in the connectors is not an option. Instead, solid resistor leads are cut to the correct length and clamped in place ([Fig. 9](#f0045){ref-type="fig"} ).Fig. 9Clipped LED leads placed into screw terminals. The other ends will get clamped in adjacent connector.
At this point, the necessary brackets can be printed, and the boards can be bound together. The M3 bolts can be applied two ways -- they can either be fed through the exterior of the box and then terminated with a nut, or in the case of this application, the bolts are fed through the interior and thread directly into the plastic. No nuts are necessary.
Next, the corner joints can be wired using any standard insulated wire ([Fig. 10](#f0050){ref-type="fig"} ).Fig. 10Wires connecting two terminal blocks on a corner. The wires are made longer than necessary as they double as the hinge for the lid.
Two lengths of wire can also be tapped into one of the screw terminal sets ([Fig. 11](#f0055){ref-type="fig"} ) and wired to their respective plus and minus terminals on the power supply. The IEC power cable can have its end cut and stripped. Though the color key may vary, typically the green wire will connect to the ground terminal of the supply, the lightest color will tie to the neutral terminal, and the darkest color will tie to the live terminal. This wiring color scheme should be verified on a case by case basis.Fig. 11Two cables tapped into a terminal set for power flow from the supply.
Before powering on the completed box ([Fig. 12](#f0060){ref-type="fig"} ), a multimeter should be used to measure the input resistance of the box, if it is a low number (around 5 or less Ohms), there is likely a short.Fig. 12The exterior of the completed open source UV curing box.
Fabricators should double check each connection point and verify there are no loose strands of wire. Once the box is short free, it can be plugged in, and its functionality can be verified. It is important to point out that the LEDs are directional and will seem dimmer when viewed from the side ([Fig. 13](#f0065){ref-type="fig"} ).Fig. 13Inside of the powered-on curing box. Note the wires being used as hinges and the corner and edge brackets are fully extended so the top can correctly align when it is placed.
Swabs are placed in a 3-D printed holder made up of four legs (<https://osf.io/m5hqf/>) and one top (<https://osf.io/yzfa2/>) by hanging them upside down and then placed in the UV curing box ([Fig. 14](#f0070){ref-type="fig"} ).Fig. 14Inserting swabs into UV curing box.
6.2. Swab fabrication {#s0075}
---------------------
In order to begin printing on the Prusa SL1 printer, it must be calibrated. [Fig. 15](#f0075){ref-type="fig"} shows the Recalibration Screen.Fig. 15Recalibration Screen.
The Prusa Slicer (v 2.2.0, Prusa Reseach, Prague, Czech Republic) is open source [@b0320] and is used to import the nasal swab STL file onto the build plate. The design should be multiplied as many times as possible while ensuring a fit on the build plate ([Fig. 16](#f0080){ref-type="fig"} ). Prints were tested in a 5 by 10 array printing 50 swabs simultaneously.Fig. 16Prusa Print Bed.
When the nasal swab design was sliced, an estimated 13.69 mL of the resin was used. This build plate design was exported onto a flash drive that can be inserted into the Prusa to print. The Prusa will load a screen for how much resin must be in the tank in order to fulfill the requirements for the print ([Fig. 17](#f0085){ref-type="fig"} ).Fig. 17Ready to Print.
The print layer is set to 0.05 mm where the first layer was attached with UV light for 35 s and every consecutive layer was attached for 7 s. The estimated print time for this sequence is 6 h 53 min. This does not include calibration of the printer (which is approximately 5 min) and mixing of the resin once the print begins. Once the print is done, excess resin should be allowed to drip off. After printing, the swabs are removed from the print bed and cleaned with 90% or higher isopropanol and dried by lying flat on a sheet of paper towel ([Fig. 18](#f0090){ref-type="fig"} ). Each swab was individually rinsed with a squirt bottle while also checking on resolution of the swab head ([Fig. 19](#f0095){ref-type="fig"} ). This process takes approximately 20 min. The cleaned nasal swabs can either be placed directly in the UV curer or placed on a paper towel to dry. Leftover resin in the basin can be poured into a UV-blocking container, such as a metal water bottle, to be reused once it is filtered. The basin can then be carefully cleaned with paper towel. Warm water and soap can be used to ensure that the film is clean and clear, but metal or isopropanol should not be used to clean the film of the basin. The cleaning process takes approximately 20--30 min.Fig. 18Final Prints.Fig. 19Closeup of swab tip.
6.3. Swab handle fabrication {#s0080}
----------------------------
The swab handle fabrication print parameters should generally follow the normal print settings used as defaults for Lulzbot Cura version 3.6.8 (Fargo Additive Manufacturing Equipment: 3D, Fargo North Dakota, US) [@b0325] for the PLA or PETG materials on the Lulzbot Taz 6. The following settings were changed from the default values and used in the fabrication of the handle for testing purposes: Layer Height: 0.25 mm, Infill Pattern: Zig Zag, Skin Overlap Percentage: 10%, Infill Before Walls: Yes, Retraction of 2.5 mm, Retract before Outer Wall: Yes, Print Speed of 30 mm/s and Regular Fan Speed at layer: 1. The slicer screen is shown in [Fig. 20](#f0100){ref-type="fig"} A for an individual press-fit handle and batches of 45 handles are shown in 20B and 20C for the tong and press-fit design respectively. It should be noted that the range of acceptable parameters for the FFF-based 3-D printing for the handle is large and will vary for a given open source 3-D printer, but that the handle is not particularly critical as long as the swab fits well.Fig. 20(A) Screen grab of Lulzbot Cura version 3.6.8 of the handle in layer view mode with coloration set to line-type. (B) batches of 45 handles are shown for the tong and (C) press-fit design, respectively.
These parameter changes work for both print materials and both handle versions. A precise outer surface is critical for a clean connection between the press-fit handle and the base section of the nasal swab. The tong handle also benefits from a precise outer surface to both clamp the base of the swab securely and minimize unintended tolerances. Print settings which lower the resolution may lead to a poor fit and inhibit effective use of the swab. In this work, PLA and PETG of multiple colors and brands were used and printed at suggested temperatures by Cura-Lulzbot normal settings. A printed handle post-print is shown in [Fig. 21](#f0105){ref-type="fig"} . The swab inserted into a tong handle is shown in [Fig. 22](#f0110){ref-type="fig"} . A Lulzbot Taz 6 printer holds 45 press-fit handles, which takes 7 h and 19 min to print. Similarly, on the same print bed 45 tong handles and takes 14 h and 39 min to print. More handles could be fit on the print bed, but these values were chosen to match the SLA printed batches, which would be the limiting factor. Similarly, even more handles could be made in a single print if they were stacked, but based on the print time for 45 this may cause a higher percentage of print failure while adding only modestly to the convenience.Fig. 21As printed version of handle on a Lulzbot Taz 6 print bed.Fig. 22Swab inserted in tong handle.
6.4. Packaging/sterility {#s0085}
------------------------
It is well known that the FFF printing process produces sterile objects [@b0330] because of the high temperatures for material extrusion, so if care is taken to chemically sterilize the print bed and use sterile gloves, the handles can be sterile at manufacture. In addition, the chemical compatibility of most commercial 3-D printing filaments has been investigated by Heikkinen et al. [@b0335], which can be used to find an appropriate chemical for any handle material. The swab itself is fabricated using sterile UV light, the post print cleaning is done with isopropyl alcohol that is a disinfection agent and then cured in UV light. Thus, if appropriately handled the swab can remain sterile. Depending on the fabrication facilities and handling the assembled swab and handle may need to be sterilized. The swabs and handles can be sterilized on site and packaged at fabrication or at the hospital. The sterilization should be a non-autoclave process because of the risk of thermal degradation. For example, this can be done with hydrogen peroxide (e.g. the STERRAD process (www.asp.com), which uses hydrogen peroxide vapor and low-temperature gas plasma to sterilize quickly with no toxic residues). The sterilized swabs can be individually packaged in heat sealed plastic pouches, although this was not included in the economic analysis.
7. Operation instructions {#s0090}
=========================
7.1. UV system use {#s0095}
------------------
The open source UV curing system being used is made from LEDs and circuit boards and is attached to a 12-volt power supply. The swabs are placed in a 3-D printed holder hanging tip down and placed in the UV curing box and the lid is closed over them ([Fig. 14](#f0070){ref-type="fig"}). The box is plugged in and a timer is set for 45 min.
7.2. Swab system use {#s0100}
--------------------
Remove swab head from packaging with gloved hands and attach handle as shown in [Fig. 23](#f0115){ref-type="fig"} if it is not already assembled.Fig. 23Assembling swab with gloved hands.
After removing from packaging and if needed, assembling, insert the semi-flexible open source swab through the nares parallel to the palate (not upwards) as shown in [Fig. 24](#f0120){ref-type="fig"} until 1) resistance is encountered indicating contact with the nasopharynx or 2) the distance is equivalent to that from the ear to the nostril of the patient [@b0220]. This area is sensitive so care should be taken. At this location shown in [Fig. 24](#f0120){ref-type="fig"} gently rub the swab and leave it in place for several seconds to absorb secretions. Then, while rotating the swab slowly remove it. After extracting sample following [Fig. 24](#f0120){ref-type="fig"}, break off tip of swab and place swab immediately into sterile tubes containing 2--3 mL of viral transport media [@b0220]. See [@b0220] for guidance on storage and shipping samples.Fig. 24Using the open source nasopharyngeal swab and press-fit handle.
8. Validation and characterization {#s0105}
==================================
To validate the open source swab, 100 swabs were printed on a Prusa SL1 and underwent the following preclinical testing. The open source nasopharyngeal swabs were mechanically tested for tensile strength, break point and rotation angle at failure and compared to proprietary FormLabs printed nasopharyngeal swabs. The open source nasopharyngeal swabs were also tested for absorption, abrasion and handling testing.
8.1. Mechanical and break point testing {#s0110}
---------------------------------------
Tensile tests were performed on the open source swabs for four different UV curing times: 10 min, 20 min, 30 min and 45 min. Optimum curing times were selected based on the average load during break and standard deviation for 5 specimens. The optimum curing time was then used to cure an array of swabs. 5 specimens were then chosen randomly from the array to test for average load during break and standard deviation. FormLabs samples were also tested for comparison. Tensile testing is meant to mimic pulling the swab out of the nasopharyngeal space.
The specimens were tested for tensile strength on Instron 4206 (Nowood, MA, USA) with a 300 lb load cell (Model LCF455, Futek, Irvine, CA, USA) and on Instron 4210 (Nowood, MA, USA) with a 10kN load cell. The results were within error (+/- 1%) on both systems. The setup (Instron 4206) is shown in the [Fig. 25](#f0125){ref-type="fig"} .Fig. 25Mechanical testing of swabs with an Instron 4206.
The Form Labs specimens broke at an average load of 53.67 N with a standard deviation of 3.25 N.
The average load at breaking for the samples at various UV curing times are shown in the [Fig. 26](#f0130){ref-type="fig"} . The highest load at break (40.97 N) was at a curing time of 45 min, which was only a slight improvement on the 30 min. cure time and within error of the 30 min cure. This indicates that complete curing has taken place and was thus used throughout the remainder of the testing. It should be noted that all of these forces (40 N is about 4 kg of force) are significantly more than would be expected in a clinical application.Fig. 26Maximum tensile load at break for open source swabs as a function of UV curing time.
Although, the open source swabs had a lower tensile strength than the FormLabs swabs, this was purposefully engineered into the design to ensure that the swabs would not break inside of a patient's nasopharyngeal space. All the Form Labs specimens broke around the middle of the swab. If this were to occur in a patient this would create a new medical problem. All open source swab specimens for all curing times broke at the neck near the handle as designed (hole shown in [Fig. 5](#f0025){ref-type="fig"}). Representative examples of this can be seen in [Fig. 27](#f0135){ref-type="fig"} .Fig. 27Representative results of break point evaluation.
The position of the swabs in the UV curing box was shown not to be a significant factor in the strength. The specimens chosen from the array of swabs cured at 45 min broke at an average load of 38.02 N with a standard deviation of 5.14 N.
The open source swabs were also tested for rotation until break by placing one end in a vice and rotating. The swabs broke at the break point after about 360 degrees of rotation, which again is far more than would be expected for clinical applications.
8.2. Absorption tests {#s0115}
---------------------
Three different tests were conducted on the open source nasal swabs that were cured for 30 min on each side. The first test was with synthetic nasal mucous (Kryolan, Cotati, CA) [@b0340]. The dry swab was weighed on a calibrated open source digital scale [@b0315]. Then, the swab was placed vertically in synthetic nasal mucous and massed again. Then, the excess nasal mucous is gently rubbed off on paper towel and weighed again in order to determine how much is stored within the tip of the swab when inserted into the nasopharynx. The second test was to capture the nasal mucous by putting it in a petri dish and twisting the swab in a rotational manner. Finally, the third test was done with a honey-water (3:1) mixture that approximated the viscosity of the synthetic nasal mucous so that those developing other swab designs can use more readily available materials (at the time of this writing there was only one synthetic nasal mucous supplier in the U.S.). All experiments were repeated five times.
For the twisting petri dish tests the swabs were found to hold 0.306 g (SD 0.014). For the swabs dipped vertically the swabs held 0.304 g (SD 0.016). These values were found to be comparable with the commercialized FormLabs swabs with an average of 0.297 g. These results indicate that the open source swabs printed on a Prusa SL1 can absorb an adequate amount of material to be used for testing.
The 3:1 honey mixture provided similar results with a mass held between the rough surface of the tip to be 0.314 g (SD 0.023). Although the spread in values was slightly higher with the 3:1 honey mixture these results indicate future swab designers can use honey and water to test absorption in new swabs.
Overall it was found that approximately 0.068 g of material gets caught within the tip of the nasal swab after lightly rolling the swab over a piece of paper towel after dipping in synthetic mucous.
8.3. Abrasion tests {#s0120}
-------------------
Tip abrasion tests were performed by 1) massing the dry weight of the swab on the open source digital scale [@b0315], 2) placing distal end of swab (absorbent end) next to human tissue (inner left arm) and applying a rotation to proximal end (hand side -- handle) at hand twirling speed for 10 s, and 3) the swab was removed wash and dried, and 4) massed. The difference in the pre and post abrasion test was recorded. Each experiment was repeated for five trials.
There was no change in mass within error indicating the tips were rugged enough for this application as the arm skin is rougher than that of the inner nasal passage.
8.4. Handling testing {#s0125}
---------------------
Following Callahan et al., [@b0225] the swab heads were tested for head and neck flexibility and robustness to fracture ([Fig. 28](#f0140){ref-type="fig"} ), robustness to repeat insertion into and removal from a tortuous canal (diameter \~ 3.50 mm ([Fig. 29](#f0145){ref-type="fig"} ). The neck bending occurred by holding the swab above the break point and bending it to the swab's nose. Swabs could bend 180 degrees as shown in [Fig. 28](#f0140){ref-type="fig"}.Fig. 28Neck bending test.Fig. 29Open source 3-D printed nasal swab tip being tested for robustness to repeated insertions into and removal from a tortuous canal.
For the robustness to repeated insertions into and removal from a tortuous canal test the tip of the nasal swab was inserted and removed into a 3-D printed channel ([[https://osf.io/t6yqk/]{.ul}](https://osf.io/t6yqk/){#ir095}). During both insertion and removal, the swab was rotated slightly by hand as shown in [Fig. 29](#f0145){ref-type="fig"}. This process was repeated 20 times. As an end result, there was no visible damage to the swab. Note that the swab needs to be held by the neck past the point where there is an engineered weakness.
Finally, it should be stressed that the swab heads broke at the designed weak point near the insertion point of the handle [Fig. 27](#f0135){ref-type="fig"}). The engineered break point can be an issue for the selection of handle type if the swabs are improperly handled. To work the press-fit as designed the swab needs to be pushed into the handle at the T, if not (e.g. pushed from above the break point) it can break at the break at the designed break point point. Open source swab manufacturers may need to adjust the print parameters or design slightly to get a reliable press-fit on their specific FFF/FGF/FPF machine because of varying print tolerances. All of the variables are defined and are adjustable in the OpenSCAD. Minimum angle of fragments and sizes are set at 0.5 and 0.15 respectively with recommendations about changing these variables in the code. Material extrusion users can use standard approaches to fixing either an under or over extrusion that is preventing a good press fit (e.g. recalibrating or adjusting the temperature of their printer). On the other hand, the tongs are more easily fabricated. The tongs are also easy to use, do not require more work on the user's part, allow the swabber's fingers to be further from the swabbee's nose, and make it easy just to drop into viral transport media (VTM). The tongs do have negatives of being costlier and twice as time consuming to produce (because of print time on the FFF/FPF printers) as compared to the press-fit handle. There are some opportunities to reduce this cost by redesigning to be thinner, printing at a lower fill density or shell thickness, but for any given set of print parameters they need a larger volume of material than the press-fit design.
9. Safety {#s0130}
=========
Standard safety procedures should be used for FFF-based 3-D printers [@b0345]. For the UV 3-D printers, the casing on the printer must be closed when the print is in progress as exposure to UV light can cause premature skin aging and mutations or eye problems [@b0350]. When using isopropanol to wash the prints, users should wear gloves and eye protective gear [@b0355]. The gloves will protect from possible burning or irritation of the skin. It is flammable, so keep away from flames and high heat.
Nasopharyngeal swabs, which are used to collect specimens from a patient, are Class I devices and are 510(k) exempt [@b0360] from premarket notifications in the U.S. according to 21 CFR § 880.6025 [@b0365]. For the FDA, as of this writing (5--6-2020) 3-D printed swabs are a new technical area that the FDA is working out guidance. Traditional swabs are 510(k) exempt and as such are not generally reviewed by the FDA [@b0370].
Fabricators should check with their local laws, however, as for example the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires medical device manufacturers to register their facility and list their products according to 21 CFR § 807.20 [@b0375]. As of this writing (5--6-2020) this is challenging in the U.S. because the rules differ by state. For example, the Michigan Health Association is running studies with clinical labs across the state [@b0380]. Some public health entities are testing specific safety issues related to some 3-D printed materials. The 3-D printing materials used in this study have not yet been approved of for biological applications and future work is needed to ensure the resin used on the tip is compatible with the human nasopharynx. In addition, although the basic makeup of the resin for the tip and hard plastics for the handle used here were known, the pigments and any other additives was not disclosed. This problem has been discussed before [@b0385] in the context of expanding John F. Kennedy's Consumer Bill of Rights to include material ingredients [@b0390]. This application of distributed manufacturing using 3-D printing for critical medical devices during a pandemic [@b0395] further underscores the necessity to have all materials be openly available and disclosed for all products, but particularly for those used in manufacturing.
In addition, as the results here clearly showed that after post-printing uv curing, the mechanical properties of the swabs improve. This means that there are mobile chemicals and monomers within the printed structure that have the potential to irritate human tissue as the uncured material can be harmful as a respiratory irritant [@b0400]. Future work is needed to verify the presence of free monomers or chemicals to indicate for how long they can be extracted out while immersed in IPA. Similarly, this design with a FFF/FPF/FGF printed handle was made without an intension of reuse. This is because the ability to sterilize material extrusion parts is limited because of their low melting temperatures of often used feedstocks (e.g. PLA, ABS, PETG) restricts the use of thermal sterilization. Sterilization is possible with autoclave, ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide and gamma radiation; although the former causes major deformation and the others present challenges [@b0405]. 3-D printed materials can be compatible with H~2~O~2~ vapor sterilization, but again there are substantial challenges [@b0410]. Another approach is to use an open source high-temperature printer to fabricate the handles in polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) or polyetherimide (PEI, ULTEM), which would allow for thermal sterilization [@b0415]. Although the open source printer can be manufactured for \$1,000 in parts it is new and other high-temperature material extrusion printers are high cost and thus also not as well-dispersed as standard desktop FFF-based machines.
These biological compatibility experiments are needed to show the safety of the 3-D printing materials before this approach can be used clinically. As NP swabs fall under a specific device class, the FDA has a running list online of specific manufacturers and types of materials acceptable for use in COVID responses. This presents a challenge to distributed manufacturers. Currently, Michigan MDHHS, BOL have been using the list for what they can use. It is up to each and every lab director to make their own decisions and turn in appropriate paperwork documentation to FDA regarding what they choose to use based on how it fits with their assay EUA documents (some platforms have more restrictions than others) [@b0380]. This obviously provides a bureaucratic barrier to acting quickly, which in part explains the limited supply of swabs in Michigan. This work should help expedite distributed manufacture of nasal swab use for future pandemics or supply disruptions.
10. Discussion {#s0135}
==============
A nasal swab goes into the nose about 4--6 cm from the nasal opening to the back of the nasopharynx. A good rule of thumb is the distance from the opening of the nose to the opening of the ear (measured on the outside). Commercial swabs have a relatively firm 10.5 cm long handle that is approximate 2.5 mm diameter. This attaches to a flexible 3.5 cm in length neck 1 mm diameter, where the break point is. This in turn is attached to the fibrillar head, which is 2.0 cm in length, with an approximate 3 mm diameter. The variance in the SLA prints is not a factor in this application (e.g. the diameter of the head).The proprietary 3-D printed swab tested (the Northwell Swab STL) with the base handle cut off (97%) is approximately 97.15 mm. The total length of the swab would therefore be about 100 mm (100.0645 mm). The final dimensions of the open source swab are: length of 85.20 mm, diameter at the base is 2.45 mm, length of the neck is 54.60 mm with a 1.05 mm diameter and length of the head is 22.30 mm with a diameter of 3.30 mm. Both the tong and press-fit handles are 80 mm in length, creating a total for the new swab and handle to be approximately 156.57 mm since the base of the swab is held in the handle. The open source design provided here is able to meet these specifications with a broad flexibility of using the parametric design to meet different types of swab needs.
The results of the mechanical validation tests showed that the swabs could withstand greater forces than would be expected in normal clinical use. The swabs were also able to absorb a significant amount of material and passed the abrasion and handling tests. The open source swab therefore appears to be a promising candidate for clinical trials.
The single swab stl can be copied until an entire print bed is filled in the PrusaSlicr Program. In this study, the Prusa print bed was organized in a 5x10 swab fashion (50 swabs per print), to allow each swab build space towards the fibular tip. Future work could evaluate printing the swabs at a higher density and filling the entire build platform. At the same time, the quality of a particular print is important for this application so a low-cost rapid method of quality verification can be developed as future work as well.
The bottle neck SLA 3-D print time for the open source swab is 6 h 45 min for 50 swabs. For the entire process from calibration to cleaning of the swabs, is approximately 7.5 h. So, the throughput of the SLA portion of the swab represents about 9 min/swab/machine. The ability to use lower cost UV curable resin from Prusa or other open materials suppliers also represents potential cost savings compared to proprietary SLA systems although future work on the yields of those systems would need to be completed for a full cost comparison. As there is significant time and cost savings using a two-part design the economics for other SLA printers would improve for printing swabs if a similar design to the one shown here is used.
Another distinct advantage to this two-part system is the ability to brand or customize the handle. This feature could be used to cut down on waste. Normally swabs are discarded as medical waste and incinerated. As only the head of the open source swab goes to the lab for testing the handles could be either sterilized and reused as handles or sterilized and reused for other applications. An example might be to make a handle with Lego compatible geometries so that sterilized swab handles could be cleaned and then used in children's waiting rooms at the hospital as building blocks.
This design is fully licensed as open source (as defined by the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) [@b0145]), which comes with distinct benefits for scaled distributed manufacturing as well as enabling creativity and productivity in the case of future pandemics or needs. In general, the designs in clinical use are proprietary and provided with a license waiver on a high-cost proprietary tool. This provides the opportunity for some emergency distributed manufacturing, but it is limited, mostly by access to the high-cost tooling. There are freely available (accessible) untested designs that are creative commons licensed with a non-commercial license (for example see untested accessible designs [@b0420], [@b0425], [@b0430], [@b0435]). These designs are thus not strictly open source by the OSHWA definition as they restrict manufacturers from selling them, which could limit deployment as for example distributed manufacturers would not be able to recoup the cost of materials or their personnel time.
Lastly, and most importantly the open source swabs need to be verified clinically before widespread use. The State of Michigan has a Validation Plan [@b0440], which includes a 3-D Printed Swab Bridging Study. To bridge the performance of novel 3-D printed swabs, the FDA recommends [@b0445] testing 3-fold serial dilutions of SARS-CoV-2 viral material in pooled respiratory sample matrix in triplicate in parallel between the new and existing component, where the smallest serial dilution should be no greater than 1-2X the demonstrated limit of detection of the assay. According to the FDA, acceptance criteria is 95% concordance between the two components. In Michigan each laboratory will determine the parameters to evaluate to assess agreement based on the technical performance of their assays. These tests will need to be completed for the open source nasopharyngeal swabs for the specific UV-curable materials used. 3-D printer operators can work with clinicians to assess suitability of prospective products for use in local patient care settings.
Declaration of Competing Interest
=================================
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements {#s0140}
================
The authors would like to acknowledge helpful discussions and assistance from A. Kulkarni, D. Holden, J. Schneiderhan, C. Dehlin, C. Gottlieb, Z. Arnold, R. Berkey, M. Soehnlen, and C. Heldt.
This work was supported by the Witte Foundation.
| 2024-04-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/1923 |
Brazen robber wanted his wallet back
October 15, 2009 9:57:27 AM PDT
LITTLE ROCK, AR --
Losing his wallet was a would-be robber's mistake. Trying to get it back was an even bigger blunder. Police in Little Rock, Ark., report 23-year-old Courvoisier Marteze Riley dropped his wallet during an attempted robbery at a home.
While police were interviewing the victim, authorities say Riley called wanting to get his wallet returned. Officers say Riley told the victim to bring the wallet to a service station.
Of course, that's where officers found the suspect. Police say Riley tried to run, but was caught after a short chase. | 2023-11-27T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2098 |
If you’d like to have your review featured on the website as well, just send me an email on email.kbeauty.reviews@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to publish it here. ^.^
Son&Park Beauty Water Mini Review
MINI REVIEW: so the reason I bought this product, the @sonandpark_korea Beauty Water, was because I now use an acid serum at night and wanted to switch to an acid free but still lightly exfoliating/ astringent toner. advertised to feature papaya extract, an exfoliating fruit enzyme, this seemed perfect. turns out papaya is pretty far down the ingredient list, and after water and rose water, the main ingredient is actually witch hazel. which is fine! but for $7 you can get a great witch hazel toner from Thayers. after time and use, however, I learned that this product is more than a toner. it also has surfactants, which can remove dirt and oil. so actually it’s more like a combination toner and micellar water, and very often is my morning cleanse in lieu of warm water and cleanser. and THAT has transformed my skin a lot, since cleansing with warm water inherently disrupts the skin barrier and dehydrates (although evening cleanse is not optional). so all in all a super interesting product! more than a micellar water, since it also has exfoliating, astringent and hydrating ingredients. but also more than a toner since it also has surfactants. only beef: it has many essential oils, so if you have sensitive or compromised skin you might want to pass. retails for $30 💕goo.roo💦
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Mini Review
is one of those SO hyped about products, that I was maybe a bit extra critical of it at first. but after a couple months of use, I can definitely file this under “products-i-didn’t-know-i-needed-but-now-i-have-it-i’m-really-happy” category (yes it’s a whole category now!). i kinda always thought anything beyond a chapstick in the pocket was a bit excessive, unless you wear lipstick and need a perfectly exfoliated/ hydrated base. while my lips aren’t flaky, I haven’t been able to leave the house without a lip balm since I was on accutane at 16 (you accutane-rs know what I’m talking about!). I also noticed that I didn’t particularly like the way my lips looked in photos recently; the color was a little off and always that line down the middle of the bottom lip. So I threw it into the basket of a Yesstyle order just to see. after a couple weeks of no big results, I realized I wasn’t using it correctly: it is a lip MASK, so you really need to slather it on. after that, I didn’t think I was seeing any tangible results, but by then it had become a part of my routine that I enjoyed (i love the little spatula it comes with and using it to paint my lips up before bed). fast forward two months, and I realized that not only are my lips healthier looking (better color, no line) but also I don’t apply balm during the day nearly as often. could it be simply because I adopted a new daily lip routine I didn’t have before? many people say vaseline is just as good. as far as I’m concerned, if a product being fun/ pretty/ yummy inspires you to adopt a habit, I don’t see the harm. if you’re concerned about the price, there are many places you can get this for cheaper than Sephora and it will last FOREVER. but if you are happy with your vaseline, carry on! goo.roo
If you’d like to have your review of a k-beauty product/store featured on the website as well, just send me an email on email.kbeauty.reviews@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to publish it here. ^.^
Benton Cacao Moist and Mild Toner Review
Here I have a toner to review for you! This cute packaged toner is from Benton and it’s from their Cacao Moist and Mild line. I never used anything with cacao so I was super curious to see how it delivers!
Benton is quite a well know Korean brand and is one of my personal favorites. It’s funny to know that the name Benton is inspired by and named after the movie ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ in which Benjamin Button grows younger with time. In the movie, Benjamin has no choice but to leave his love, Daisy as he becomes younger. They wondered what would happen if Daisy could turn back time on her own appearance.
Of course this’s just a fictional movie, but wouldn’t most people have the same desire to be young again? Likewise Benton wishes to turn back the time of your skin with healthy cosmetics. Benton cosmetics are designed to restore your skin back to its original, youthful condition with healthy recipes, rather than to give temporary effects with harmful ingredients.
What does it do?
“Benton’s Cacao Moist and Mild Toner is a lightweight and hydrating toner. With Cacao Extracts and Hyaluronic Acid, this toner replenishes moisture to the skin. Various botanical extracts in the toner further help to keep skin smooth.”
This toner is free of colorant, artificial fragrance, and volatile alcohol. The high content of cacao extract provides not only moisture but also nutritive benefits! This product is suitable for all skin types but this is recommended for those with oily skin, acne, dehydration and tightness, sensitive skin or skin with a poor oil-water balance and this toner is suitable for all seasons.
The bottle is made out of plastic and isn’t the label so pretty? I love the color and the flowers on it! It has a white screw on lid that is like the bottle made out of plastic. On the front of the label is the information about the product printed, on the back you have the basic information in Korean and English.
As you can see the box has the same pink color and flower design. On the front you have the name of the product and what it does, on the two sides you have the information in Korean and at the back you have the ingredients and directions of use.
Texture of the product.
The texture of the toner is watery but still viscous with a nice slip to it and has no scent whatsoever!
The performance.
For the last two weeks I have been using this everyday as my toner in my night and day skincare routine. The toner is very light in texture which makes it perfect for the multi skin method! I like doing up to 3 skins with it and it doesn’t leave any stickiness and it absorbs quickly with every skin. It leaves the skin feeling very hydrated soft and smooth after it’s absorbed with a beautiful radiant glow.
As you can see from the Wayskin readings it’s very hydrating! As you can see in the and picture, I tracked the moisture level on my skin right after cleansing and the moisture level is at 12% and after I applied the toner once it was at 41%, the second time 48% and the third time 54%. That’s an increase of 42%!
After two weeks I have noticed that my skin is smoother and softer since I started to use this product. It also calms down my redness everytime I use it although it isn’t a longlasting result like the hydration, softness and smoothness but considering that I have a lot of heat in my skin especially the cheeks I don’t expect that this product will resolve that. Overall I’m really happy with this product, it gives great results!
Rating.
1. This isn’t worth the money at all.
2. Gave me some skin troubles, not going to repurchase.
3. It’s alright. Neither good nor bad.4. I like it quite a lot! Unless I find something better I’ll continue using this product.
5. An amazing product, never going back!
Where to purchase?
You can purchase this from:Benton for $13.50 on sale otherwise for $18.00
Do you want to read more about skincare products? Hear over to my Instagram account misa_skincare where I share short reviews, my daily skincare routine and more!
DISCLAIMER: This was kindly given to me for reviewing purposes by Purito but as always, my opinions are mine and only mine own! I’m not a skin expert! I try skincare products out and I review them accordance to my skin type, which is normal but dehydrated and prone to acne. What works for me, might not work for you and vice versa.
Author: Blue
If you’d like to have your review featured on the website as well, just send me an email on email.kbeauty.reviews@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to publish it here. ^.^
The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream Review
Hi there!
Today’s review is about The Face ShopNatural Sun Eco Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream. I’ve been using this Korean sunscreen for quite a while now and I can honestly say it’s one of my favourite K-Beauty products so far. There are a lot of reasons for that which I’m gonna list below, but first- some pictures!
The sunscreen comes in the golden-matte box with some orange bits. The tube itself is of the same colour and I didn’t have any problems with squeezing the cream out. It’s also a bit heavier than the sunscreens I’ve reviewed here up till now (I meant the tube) due to the cap. So even though the sunscreen comes in a 50ml tube (1.69 US fl. oz.) it’s heavier than the one from goodal (same capacity of the tube) for example.
The first picture is the ingredients list. You can find it here as well, with some additional information on the ingredients and what they do, although I did notice a few ingredients are missing.
The sun cream contains two physical and one chemical sunscreen- Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (physical) and Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (chemical). They all provide broad sun protection and because there’s only one chemical filter in the cream, the risk of skin irritation is fairly low. The physical filters provide excellent protection against both UVA and UVB rays. How so, you can check here.
The sunscreen also contains some skin-friendly extracts such as Nutmeg Extract (Myristica Fragrans Extract on the ingredients list) and other beneficial stuff like Adenosine or Panthenol.
The texture of the cream is quite heavy but it’s easy to spread. It’s also beige-like in colour which is quite unusual for a sunscreen with physical filers. The sunscreen was designed to resemble a little bit a BB cream so that you get foundation-like effect along with high and thorough sun protection. After application the suncream blends in really well so there’s no (or very minimal) white cast left.
So now let’s get to the juicy bits of the review. Some pros first.
Pros: * it leaves minimal to none white cast. Blends in really well and the skin colour is just a bit enhanced (just like with a discrete foundation I’d say). The manufacturer claims that it conceals small imperfections and that’s true indeed. But don’t expect miracles.
* it’s long-lasting- provides long and broad-spectrum protection against the sun (due to physical filters) and it’s also waterproof.
* it’s relatively affordable, although it depends on from where you buy – I bought my first tube on eBay for less than £10 if I remember correctly, and was lucky enough not to have come across a fake. But if you buy one from other places, it may be a bit more expensive.
Cons:
* it’s hard to get rid of it- I have to use olive oil to break down the waterproof barrier, face scrub and cleansing cream to get my skin cleansed (which is really bothersome if you’re like me and you’re a lazy being). However, I got used to it and since I started using more makeup due to my new job, I have to use oil to cleanse my face anyway. So it’s not that bothersome in the end. And if you do it properly, it can get quite fast to remove it. So it may be a bit con for some, but maybe not such a big one for people used to wearing makeup.
* it could contain more skin-friendly ingredients. There are some but I wouldn’t complain if there were more. The more, the better, as they say.
* you have to wait about 15-20mins before heading outside- for the first few minutes your skin is a bit oily, most likely due to the chemical sunscreen in it. So it has to settle to make you get full benefits out of it. After that time, though, it has an interesting finish- your face is dewy but not too dewy to appear oily.
* you have to spread it evenly and pat it in to make it blend well; otherwise there will be noticeable traces of it left on your face. So even though it doesn’t leave that much white cast when compared to other sunscreens, you still need to pay a fair bit of attention to spread it well.
Rating: 8/10
I like this sun cream a lot. It’s far better than most I’ve tried so far. I like the fact that it conceals small imperfections (but at the same time I’d like my Korean skincare routine to improve them so that I don’t have to hide those imperfections. Which I’m continuously working on, although constant stress rather exacerbates than improves my skin. At that rate I’m gonna look 60 when I’m 30.). I also appreciate the waterproof aspect of the sunscreen that works great when I’m at work and I’m in constant danger of contact with water (or other liquids) or when I go somewhere on foot and it starts to rain (which happens quite often in the UK) and I didn’t take my umbrella (happens from time to time but I generally try to remember to take it with me). The sunscreen doesn’t make my skin dry which I’m grateful for. Although after spending some time outdoors, my face can get a bit too oily and hence shiny due to the chemical filter it has. Which is quite annoying.
Overall, the sunscreen’s really good in terms of protection, appearance and skin-friendliness. It’s not perfect though, that’s why I gave it only 8/10. Would I purchase it again? I already did.
Claims
provides a ‘natural ionic film formed from botanical extracts [that] protect [the] skin’
‘uses skin-friendly technology to help care for skin and ensure breathability’ (not sure what this ‘skin-friendly’ technology is, though)
its ‘Herbal Garden Complex cares for skin affected by external stressors and keeps it hydrated’
‘is less greasy and sticky compared to other sunblocks, which hinders the adherence of dust particles to the skin while providing full-spectrum UV protection’.
In My thoughts subheading, I’ll check those claims against the reality. But first- the appearance of the sunblock.
Packaging
The Missha’s sunblock comes in this:
A white box and a white tube. I had no problems opening the box nor with squeezing out the sunscreen from the tube- it works perfectly okay. Nothing to complain about, really. Just a standard (susncreen) packacking.
Ingredients and Texture
The first two photos show the sunscreen’s texture. It’s white, quite watery and easy to spread. Sinks in quite quickly as well. It leaves a matte finish, however, it also made my skin too dry. It might be it’s actually moisturizing but only when it’s relatively warm (I tried it in the spring and during spring it’s quite cold in the UK). But I think it should be moisturizing regardless the temperature (within the reason, of course).
The last photo is a list of ingredients which you can also find here (although the ingredients aren’t in the same order as they are on the sunscreen’s box so may not give the adequate impression as to in what’s the proportion of every ingredient in the cream). As the Missha’s Near Skin Dustless Defence Sunblock is a physical sunscreen, it contains both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide that provide broad UV spectrum defence and are good for sensitive skin. Additionally, the sunblock contains quite a lot of skin-friendly plant extracts, such as Jasmine Extract and Rosemary Extract.
My thoughts
The Missha’s Near Skin Dustless Defence Sunblock does have a quite impressive ingredients list in terms of the plant extracts (I suppose that’s what’s meant by the ‘Herbal Garden Complex’). It made me feel that not only do I provide adequate sun protection for my skin but I also care for it through the addition of various extracts. However, just as the claims that it’s not sticky or greasy hold true, the sunblock leaves noticeable whitecast (which even for me- a person with really fair skin- was way too white). It may not be an issue, though, if you apply makeup on the top of it. I didn’t try it as I don’t wear any foundation, but because it’s not sticky or greasy it may sit well under the makeup.
In addition, the sunblock wasn’t moisturizing for my skin at all. It didn’t moisturize it nor kept it hydrated. That’s a really big minus. Especially for me as my skin is sensitive AND dry/dehydrated.
I love k-beauty products. This one disappointed me a bit, though. It’s not hydrating as it claims to be and leaves the horrible whitecast. On the bright side, it has the skin-friendly plant extracts and physical sun filters that help protect the skin from the damage caused by the external factors. So I suppose if you’ve got oily/combination skin, you should give it a try if you don’t mind the white cast.
If you’d like to have your review featured on the website as well, just send me an email on email.kbeauty.reviews@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to publish it here. ^.^
Neogen Ocean Feeding Fiber Mask Review
I love Neogen skincare products and when I found out they had sheet masks I was soo excited and had to try some of them out! Here I have the Ocean Feeding Fiber Mask that I’m going to review for you guys!
Neogen Dermalogy is a brand that’s very innovative and is very focused on delivering results to their consumers. Because they’re at the forefront of all skincare trends and most technology, they can develop advanced, high-performance, and cruelty-free formulas for every skin care need. With their six-core bio-technology, Neogen delivers the true benefits of natural ingredients to the skin.
Neogen’s core value is ‘true benefit’, which means they pursue healthy and beautiful looking skin with formulas developed with selectively chosen ingredients. Because of that Neogen provides reliable, safe, and skin friendly skincare products without the harmful ingredients.
So, now you know a bit of the background of the brand, let’s start the review!
What does it do?
“A moisturising sheet mask containing marine ingredients such as kelp, squalane and undaria, work quickly and effectively to deliver moisture to rehydrate the skin. It also helps to create a barrier on the skin, preventing moisture loss, leaving skin feeling hydrated and moisturised for longer.
The sheet mask has very thin and the material wasn’t harsh or stiff but not very soft either.
The essence was watery but viscous and had a very fresh scent that fainted after a few minutes.
The performance.
The sheet mask had a good fit, only the chin area needed some small adjustments. Even the forehead had the perfect fit which doesn’t happen often! Even though it wasn’t the softest material, it wasn’t harsh to the skin at all and felt very comfortable on. It also had good adjustment, I could do m everything with it on without any slipping. The sheet mask also gave a cooling effect which lasted for about 10 minutes.
After 34 minutes I removed the mask and it still was damp with essence. The left over essence took around 10 minutes to fully absorb. This’s quite long in my opinion but as it’s very moisturizing I don’t mind. Like I said it moisturized and hydrated my skin super well! I didn’t feel the need to use my serums after this sheet mask which almost never happens!
It also had evened out my complexion really well and it had brightened up the redness nearly completely. The sheet mask really made my skin look very healthy and gave the most beautiful radiant, dewy glow!
Rating.
1. This isn’t worth the money at all.
2. Gave me some skin troubles, not going to repurchase.
3. It’s alright. Neither good nor bad.4. I like it quite a lot! Unless I find something better I’ll continue using this product.
5. An amazing product, never going back!
Do you want to read more about skincare products? Hear over to my Instagram account misa_skincare where I share short reviews, my daily skincare routine and more!
DISCLAIMER: I’m not a skin expert! I try skincare products out and I review them in accordance to my skin type, which is normal but dehydrated and prone to acne. What works for me, might not work for you and vice versa.
AUTHOR: Blue
If you’d like to have your review featured on the website as well, just send me an email on email.kbeauty.reviews@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to publish it here. ^.^
The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Cream with Green Tea Review
And here it comes- the other k-beauty product review which I mentioned a few posts back. So today’s post is going to be all about The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Cream with Green Tea. Here it goes.
Claims
According to RoseRoseShop,The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Cream with Green Tea is supposed to be ‘effective in skin cleansing’ while leaving ‘mild touch feel’. I couldn’t find anything more about the cream and what it’s supposed to do but I guess that’s understandable since its main purpose is to clean the face effectively. Under My thoughts subheading I’m checking this lonely claim against the reality.
Packaging
Surprisingly for me, I bought this cleansing cream in a brick-and-mortar store TKMaxx. It cost me £4.99 so I saw it as a great bargain and didn’t hesitate even for a second to purchase it. The cream itself comes in this:
It’s in a beige round plastic packaging as the photos show and inside, there’s a thin plastic lid that provides additional protection for the cream. It’s easy to open and quite convenient in terms of storing it as it’s quite flat and sealed properly so I haven’t been afraid to move it around or store it in lots of weird positions.
Ingredients and Texture
In terms of ingredients, it contains mineral oil (quite a lot of it since it is listed as second on the ingredients list) which is supposed to help remove the (waterproof) makeup and any dirt left on the face. Because of that it can be used as a first step in the cleansing routine and may replace a makeup remover/cleansing oil/cleansing balm. There are also a few plant extracts (most notably Green Tea Extract and Sage Leaf Extract) to nurture the skin which I really like- normally cleansers are designed only to cleanse and that’s their primary aim so they rarely contain anything ‘extra’ that enhances the skin’s condition.
When it comes to texture, the cleansing cream is whitish and reeeeally soft and easy to spread. It also contains small granules but there are too few of them to make it feel like a face scrub.
There’s quite a lot of it in the packaging as well and it’s lasted for over three weeks for me. That’s a long time, really, taking into account that I’ve cleansed with it not only my face but also my neck (front and back).
My thoughts
I really like this cleansing cream. It’s got a nice ingredients list, it’s long-lasting, easy to spread and (most importantly) it’s really affordable. However, it’s got one big downside- it’s not as effective in removing makeup as I expected it to be.Before I bought it, I read a few reviews of it and some of them claimed that it takes quite a bit of massaging it on the face to get rid of all the makeup. I didn’t want to believe it (as it contains mineral oil as a second ingredient so it should be pretty effective, I thought) and decided to check it myself. So after buying it, I did an experiment. I put some regular mascara, lipgloss and long-lasting lipstick at the back of my hand to see how effectively it would remove them. Here are the pictures:
Straight afterwards I put on the cleansing cream and, after about 3-4 minutes of rubbing (if not more), I finally got rid of most of the makeup. I finished with wiping the cream off with a cleansing wipe.
So it did manage to remove the makeup. I’m not sure how it’d deal with waterproof sunscreen I usually wear on its own, because whenever I used it in my evening routine, I used a face exfoliator straight after using the cleansing cream so in the end my face was thoroughly cleansed. I think that it’d be hard to use the cream as the only cleanser against the waterproof makeup as it may leave some frustrating residues.
So- did it live up to its claims? Is it an ‘effective’ cleanser? It definitely does its job when you keep messaging it on your face for at least 3-4 minutes (or more, depending on how much and what kind of makeup you’re wearing). But supplementation in the form of other cleanser is advised as, although it may remove the makeup at the end of the day, it still leaves a feeling your face is not thoroughly cleansed.
It’s a mild cleanser though so a proper nod to the claim of its ‘mild touch’. It didn’t break me out or result in an irritation of any kind. And, in the end, I got to like it quite a bit. But I wouldn’t repurchase it. It’s not perfect and I’d rather buy something more effective. So I’ll keep looking for something better and equally affordable. | 2023-09-24T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3416 |
[Angio-MR assessment of vasomotor reactivity impairment as a long-term outcome of SAH following intracerebral aneurysm rupture].
Studies on long-term outcome of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have been carried out for many years using various neuroimaging techniques, such as e.g.: SPECT, PET, TCD and XeCT. In our study angio-MRI supplemented with the acetazolamide test was used to assess cerebrovascular reserve impairment in 30 patients within 6 months since clipping an intracranial aneurysm. Severity of the SAH course was evaluated using the WFNS (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies) scale [3]. The patients' clinical status was assessed at follow-up by means of the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) [8]. Cereberovascular reserve evaluated at the follow-up in hypercapneal conditions was found to be insufficient. The degree of vessel reactivity dysfunction as a long-term outcome of SAH turned out to depend on massiveness of hemorrhage from the ruptured aneurysm. | 2024-03-17T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5525 |
The effect of depletion of brain dopamine by 6-hydroxydopamine on tolerance to the anorexic effect of d-amphetamine and fenfluramine in rats.
The effects on food intake of repeated administration of d-amphetamine and fenfluramine were examined in rats adapted to a 4 hr/day feeding schedule. Control rats given daily injections of amphetamine before food access rapidly developed a partial tolerance to the food intake reducing effect of amphetamine. However, rats given a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-HDA) treatment which produced a large selective depletion of dopamine in brain failed to display tolerance to amphetamine-induced anorexia after either 10 or 23 days of amphetamine injections. Although higher than normal doses of amphetamine were required to reduce feeding in 6-HDA-treated rats, control rats displayed tolerance after repeated injections of drug doses which were either equianorexic or equivalent to doses used in rats given 6-HDA. Furthermore, 6-HDA-treated rats failed to display tolerance to the low amphetamine doses normally used in control rats. In contrast to the results with amphetamine, both control and 6-HDA-treated rats displayed tolerance to the anorexic effect of fenfluramine. These results suggest that central dopaminergic neurons are involved in the tolerance which normally develops to the anorexic effect of amphetamine. | 2024-01-18T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4344 |
= Gerrit Code Review - Stars
== Description
Changes can be starred with labels that behave like private hashtags.
Any label can be applied to a change, but these labels are only visible
to the user for which the labels have been set.
Stars allow users to categorize changes by self-defined criteria and
then build link:user-dashboards.html[dashboards] for them by making use
of the link:#query-stars[star query operators].
[[star-api]]
== Star API
The link:rest-api-accounts.html#star-endpoints[star REST API] supports:
* link:rest-api-accounts.html#get-stars[
get star labels from a change]
* link:rest-api-accounts.html#set-stars[
update star labels on a change]
* link:rest-api-accounts.html#get-starred-changes[
list changes that are starred by any label]
Star labels are also included in
link:rest-api-changes.html#change-info[ChangeInfo] entities that are
returned by the link:rest-api-changes.html[changes REST API].
There are link:rest-api-accounts.html#default-star-endpoints[
additional REST endpoints] for the link:#default-star[default star].
Only the link:#default-star[default star] is shown in the WebUI and
can be updated from there. Other stars do not show up in the WebUI.
[[default-star]]
== Default Star
If the default star is set by a user, this user is automatically
notified by email whenever updates are made to that change.
The default star is the star that is shown in the WebUI and which can
be updated from there.
The default star is represented by the special star label 'star'.
[[ignore-star]]
== Ignore Star
If the ignore star is set by a user, this user gets no email
notifications for updates of that change, even if this user is a
reviewer of the change or the change is matched by a project watch of
the user.
Since changes can only be ignored once they are created, users that
watch a project will always get the email notifications for the change
creation. Only then the change can be ignored.
Users that are added as reviewer or assignee to a change that they have
ignored will be notified about this, so that they know about the review
request. They can then decide to remove the ignore star.
The ignore star is represented by the special star label 'ignore'.
[[reviewed-star]]
== Reviewed Star
If the "reviewed/<patchset_id>"-star is set by a user, and <patchset_id>
matches the current patch set, the change is always reported as "reviewed"
in the ChangeInfo.
This allows users to "de-highlight" changes in a dashboard until a new
patchset has been uploaded.
[[unreviewed-star]]
== Unreviewed Star
If the "unreviewed/<patchset_id>"-star is set by a user, and <patchset_id>
matches the current patch set, the change is always reported as "unreviewed"
in the ChangeInfo.
This allows users to "highlight" changes in a dashboard.
[[query-stars]]
== Query Stars
There are several query operators to find changes with stars:
* link:user-search.html#star[star:<LABEL>]:
Matches any change that was starred by the current user with the
label `<LABEL>`.
* link:user-search.html#has-stars[has:stars]:
Matches any change that was starred by the current user with any
label.
* link:user-search.html#is-starred[is:starred] /
link:user-search.html#has-star[has:star]:
Matches any change that was starred by the current user with the
link:#default-star[default star].
[[syntax]]
== Syntax
Star labels cannot contain whitespace characters. All other characters
are allowed.
GERRIT
------
Part of link:index.html[Gerrit Code Review]
SEARCHBOX
---------
| 2023-09-11T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5082 |
Our latest developer Q&A is with Mike Coeck, CEO of Cybernetic Walrus, the creative masterminds behind the beautiful, sleek new take on the anti-gravity racing genre. Launching soon on June 6, 2018, the award-winning game features breakneck races in a futuristic setting – you’ll be blown away by the polish and how it pushes the boundaries in Unity development. Check out the Steam page, and qualifying creators can grab a key over on Woovit ahead of the launch! And without further ado…
What’s the origin story of your company? How did you get started in game development?
Cybernetic Walrus was formed during the second semester of the second year of DAE (Digital Arts and Entertainment), a bachelor education in game development and game art. In the second semester of the third year we actually formed the company and started working full time on the game as part of our internship. I myself am the oldest of the team. I decided to give up a career of 15 years as an IT consultant and business developer to go back to school as I always wanted to do something with gaming.
I mean… WOW, Antigraviator looks beautiful! What was the inspiration for this game? F-Zero was one of my favorites growing up, if that had anything to do with this… 🙂
Thank you for those kind words, this is the work of Dovydas Budrys and Szabolcs Csizmadia. The game was inspired indeed by classics like WipeOut and F-zero. It didn’t really start out that way. When we started looking up ideas for how our sci-fi racer would look, we read a lot of people were wondering when the next F-Zero or WipeOut would come along, so we tried our hand at making a racer that is somewhere in between.
I noticed you offer both 4-player local split-screen and online multiplayer racing. What would you say was the most difficult aspect of implementing each of these systems?
The first iteration of the game only had split screen so I guess that must have been the easiest. But then moving to four players we needed to make a lot of changes. These changes would turn out to be beneficial towards the online multiplayer as well. The online multiplayer took a lot more iterations to get right. We tried a couple of different ways of doing things and I feel we have it right at the moment. This doesn’t mean an occasional hiccup could appear, but the racing itself feels very solid to me.
Can you tell us more about these “environmental traps”, and perhaps several examples of how that’s implemented and used against your opponents in-game?
Traps are indeed environmental based. This means that they are on fixed locations along the track. Activating a trap costs power and so does boosting. Now if you activate a trap you are also shielded from other traps. So the choice to make is do I boost here or do I trigger a trap and be shielded for a bit? An example of a trap is the rocket trap. Rocket traps fire missiles at the player in front of you. If they hit they slow your opponent down and deal damage to his ship. So you might want to know where on the map these are located.
What would you say makes this game a great choice for content creators to play for their audience?
In racing games it is always cool to see a player set a record and have someone try to beat it. But the online multiplayer also allows content creators to actually play against their audience.
Antigraviator looks to have done quite well on the awards circuit, especially for recognition as a Unity engine title. What’s catching everyone’s eye, beyond just how great it looks?
The visuals is one thing of course but people also tell us it plays very fluid. We have done a lot of shows and of the thousands of people that played the game I remember only three people telling me they didn’t like the controls and how the ship handles.
Are there any plans for stream integration with Twitch, Mixer or YouTube APIs? It’d be fun to have viewers vote on adding “environmental traps” into races on the fly!
We have thought about those for sure. The problem is that we are only a small team of 5 people and we need to be careful of the what we want in the scope of the game. If it does well, then sure we could look into adding more stream integration.
Do you have a piece of advice or knowledge bomb you’d like to drop for content creators looking to work with game developers/publishers like yourself?
I don’t have much advice on that part, I can only tell to not be afraid to get in touch with us. Even if you are just starting out, feel free to chat with us and we will figure out how we can help each other.
Any particular content creators/streamers out there that you love to watch regularly?
Funny thing, I was talking to some of my friends and seeing that I am a bit older I am not into watching streams and videos that much and neither are friends of my age. So, I watch them occasionally, but if pewdiepie would stand next to me in an elevator, I wouldn’t even recognize him. Now this is not true for the rest of our studio, I know the other guys watch streams a lot more regularly.
Any last thoughts or a story you’d like to share?
Even though the game is not being sold at the time I am answering these questions, I can only say that it has been such an amazing ride so far. So many people and companies have supported us with advice, technology and knowledge. I would like to thank all of them! I also hope people who find our game and play it, will like it a lot, that way we can keep supporting the game and adding great stuff to it.
Thanks to our friends at Iceberg for facilitating this interview, and congrats to all involved on the launch!
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About
Woovit is a platform that connects content creators with publishers offering promotional game keys and sponsored deals. Creators, sign up to get access to keys and great content! Devs and publishers, sign up to start distributing promo keys for free, offer sponsorship deals, and more at www.woovit.com! | 2024-07-31T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6069 |
<?php
/*
* $Id: DataDict.php 7490 2010-03-29 19:53:27Z jwage $
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
* "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
* LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
* A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
* OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
* SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
* LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
* DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
* THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
* (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
* OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
*
* This software consists of voluntary contributions made by many individuals
* and is licensed under the LGPL. For more information, see
* <http://www.doctrine-project.org>.
*/
/**
* Doctrine_DataDict
*
* @package Doctrine
* @subpackage DataDict
* @license http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.php LGPL
* @link www.doctrine-project.org
* @since 1.0
* @version $Revision: 7490 $
* @author Konsta Vesterinen <kvesteri@cc.hut.fi>
* @author Lukas Smith <smith@pooteeweet.org> (PEAR MDB2 library)
*/
class Doctrine_DataDict extends Doctrine_Connection_Module
{
/**
* parseBoolean
* parses a literal boolean value and returns
* proper sql equivalent
*
* @param string $value boolean value to be parsed
* @return string parsed boolean value
*/
public function parseBoolean($value)
{
// parse booleans
if ($value == 'true') {
$value = 1;
} elseif ($value == 'false') {
$value = 0;
}
return $value;
}
} | 2023-08-09T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5652 |
N Opheline hairclip in pink argile
£55.00
Each of Nahua’s pieces are made entirely by hand by Indian artisans using ancestral crafts that date back to the first maharajas. Their ‘Opheline’ hair clip is crafted from suede leather and detailed with jewels and threading. | 2023-09-05T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3256 |
Having shut down Saints once this season, Seahawks' pass defense aims to be great in playoffs
FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2013, file photo, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril hits the arm of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees causing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett in the first half of an NFL football game in Seattle. The Seahawks finished the regular season as the best pass defense in the NFL with three All-Pro selections in the secondary. Their best performance came when they suffocated New Orleans in Week 13. Now comes the challenge of duplicating that in Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Saints. (AP Photo/Scott Eklund, File)
(The Associated Press)
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll addresses media members during an NFL football news conference Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in Kirkland, Wash. The Seahawks play the New Orleans Saints Saturday in an NFC divisional playoff game. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(The Associated Press)
As the newest starter in the Seattle Seahawks secondary, cornerback Byron Maxwell had plenty of time earlier in his career to be an observer.
What he noticed about his teammates on the back end of Seattle's defense was a desire to be great in practice that transferred to the playing field.
"Guys around here they just want that. They want it. They want to be successful. They want to be great," Maxwell said. "You've got two dudes who argue, Earl (Thomas) and (Richard Sherman). They go at it. They're passionate about it. They want to be the best in history."
Seattle finished the regular season with the best pass defense in the NFL and one of the best in the past decade. They gave up 172 yards passing per game, grabbed 28 interceptions and had an opponent passer rating of 63.4, one of just 15 teams since 2000 to hold opposing passers to a rating of 65.0 or less.
The Seahawks' best performance came in Week 13 against New Orleans, holding Drew Brees to one of the worst games in his career in Seattle's 34-7 blowout victory. Brees threw for just 147 yards in the loss, the fewest for him in any game since the 2006 season.
Now comes the challenge of duplicating that success in Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Saints, knowing that Brees, coach Sean Payton and the rest of the New Orleans offense will try to counter what Seattle does so well.
In the first meeting the Seahawks were strong in two areas. They got significant pressure on Brees with their defensive line to disrupt timing. The Seahawks also didn't allow deep throws over the top, forcing Brees to choose secondary targets on short passes.
Brees wasn't able to find openings in a Seattle secondary that features three All-Pro selections — Thomas and Sherman were first-team picks while strong safety Kam Chancellor was a second-team choice — and was dominant the final nine games of the season.
Only once over the final nine games did Seattle allow a team to have more than 200 net yards passing. That distinction belonged to Minnesota, which finished with 204 yards passing in a game Seattle led 41-13 early in the fourth quarter before giving up a late score in a 41-20 win.
"We are just situationally aware," Sherman said. "We study together as a group, as a defense. We study concepts. We study plays. We study tendencies, quarterbacks, their movements. We are really a very disciplined film-watching football team."
The success of Seattle's pass defense is largely due to the talent in the secondary with Sherman and Thomas being first-team All-Pro picks for a second straight season and each in the conversation for defensive player of the year.
And the secondary has been helped by Seattle's improved pass rush. Seattle finished with 44 sacks in the regular season, up from 36 in 2012. While they had only one sack against Brees in the first game, they were successful in getting enough pressure to disrupt timing and forced the only turnover of the game. Brees was stripped by Cliff Avril with Michael Bennett returned the fumble for a touchdown.
"It makes my reads easier and I can be more aggressive," Thomas said of the pass rush. "All that works hand and hand, that's why we're all tied on a string, and these guys have been great this season."
Seattle was outstanding in the first meeting with New Orleans at not giving up the big play to an offense that racked up a number of long touchdowns on the season. According to STATS, Brees had 14 touchdown passes this season in which the ball traveled at least 21 or more yards in the air.
But the longest pass completion Seattle allowed was a 20-yard catch-and-run by Jimmy Graham. Brees could never connect with his receivers downfield and regularly double-clutched his throws, pulling back and choosing not to challenge Seattle's secondary and finding other options on shorter passes. He was 2 of 12 on passes of 11 or more yards and failed to complete a pass of 21 yards or more.
Twenty-one of Brees' 23 completions in the loss were thrown 10 yards or less.
"You look at the coverage they play, and even in their zone, the coverage is outside and in a lot of cases it's bump-and-run," Brees said. "So it's the style of defense that they play and thrive on." | 2023-08-16T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9873 |
An in vitro study of the interactions of skeletal muscle M-protein and creatine kinase with myosin and its subfragments.
Two proteins reported to be located in the M-band of skeletal muscle are M-protein (Mr 160,000) and creatine kinase (Mr 83,000). We have isolated and purified these proteins from adult chicken pectoralis muscle, and have studied their in vitro interactions with myosin, heavy meromyosin, light meromyosin and subfragment-2 in order to obtain a fuller understanding of the role these proteins play in the M-band of skeletal muscle. Experiments using the techniques of analytical ultracentrifugation, affinity chromatography and electron microscopy were carried out near physiological pH and ionic strength, under which conditions the M-band proteins are known to be firmly bound to the myofibril in situ. The results of our studies indicate that such interactions are either weak or absent in vitro. Discrepancies between our results and those from several other studies are discussed. We conclude that additional components may be required in order to observe interactions in vitro which are similar to those present in the intact myofibril. | 2024-04-21T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5873 |
Education - Autism
Course Introduction
A distinctive feature of the MA (Autism) Education is the focus on learning from the authentic voices of people with personal experience of autism and the expectation that students will engage critically with received wisdom about autism.
The MA engages with education across the age range from early years to adulthood, and is relevant to a wide diversity of settings. Students on the programme include experienced professionals, people who identify with autism and parents /allies of people on the spectrum.
The close association between the Centre for Educational Research and the MA provides opportunities to work with like'minded research'active peers within a lively and supportive learning community. LSBU is currently partnering with Research Autism and the University of Cambridge on a study which explores the value of mentoring from the perspective of young adults on the autism spectrum.
Opportunities for accreditation of prior learning are available to students with an appropriate background and this should be discussed with the course director who will also explain the CPD processes on request. Individual MA modules and sessions can be taken as Continued Professional Development (CPD).
Course Modules
Modules: Research methods; dissertation.
Options: Teaching and learning: the needs of learners with special needs, autism and disability; autism, individuality and identity; special education needs and disability (SEND); understanding autism and learning; part 1 and 2 SENCO national award.
Start Date:
09/2018
Duration & Attendance
Qualification
Tuition fees
Fee type
3 years
Part Time
MA
Qualifications required:
Good honours degree or equivalent. Please discuss your qualifications with the admissions tutor if you are unsure.
London & Partnersis registered in England under no. 7493460.
Registered Office: London & Partners, 2 More London Riverside, London, SE1 2RR.
London & Partners is the official promotional company for London. We promote London and attract businesses, events, congresses, students and visitors to the capital. | 2023-09-19T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/1963 |
"""
This file is part of nucypher.
nucypher is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
nucypher is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
along with nucypher. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
"""
import os
import pytest
from constant_sorrow.constants import NO_PASSWORD
from nacl.exceptions import CryptoError
from nucypher.blockchain.eth.decorators import InvalidChecksumAddress
from nucypher.cli.actions.auth import (
get_client_password,
get_nucypher_password,
get_password_from_prompt,
unlock_nucypher_keyring
)
from nucypher.cli.literature import (
COLLECT_ETH_PASSWORD,
COLLECT_NUCYPHER_PASSWORD,
DECRYPTING_CHARACTER_KEYRING,
GENERIC_PASSWORD_PROMPT
)
from nucypher.config.keyring import NucypherKeyring
from nucypher.config.node import CharacterConfiguration
from tests.constants import INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD
@pytest.mark.parametrize('confirm', (True, False))
def test_get_password_from_prompt_cli_action(mocker, mock_stdin, confirm, capsys):
# Setup
mock_stdin.password(INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD, confirm=confirm)
test_envvar = 'NUCYPHER_TEST_ENVVAR'
another_password = 'th1s-iS-n0t-secur3'
mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, {test_envvar: another_password})
result = get_password_from_prompt(confirm=confirm)
assert result == INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD
assert mock_stdin.empty()
captured = capsys.readouterr()
assert GENERIC_PASSWORD_PROMPT in captured.out
if confirm:
assert "Repeat for confirmation:" in captured.out
# From env var
mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, {test_envvar: another_password})
result = get_password_from_prompt(confirm=confirm, envvar=test_envvar)
assert result is not NO_PASSWORD
assert result != INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD
assert result == another_password
assert mock_stdin.empty()
captured = capsys.readouterr()
assert not captured.out
assert not captured.err
def test_get_client_password_with_invalid_address(mock_stdin):
# `mock_stdin` used to assert the user was not prompted
bad_address = '0xdeadbeef'
with pytest.raises(InvalidChecksumAddress):
get_client_password(checksum_address=bad_address)
@pytest.mark.parametrize('confirm', (True, False))
def test_get_client_password(mock_stdin, mock_account, confirm, capsys):
mock_stdin.password(INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD, confirm=confirm)
result = get_client_password(checksum_address=mock_account.address, confirm=confirm)
assert result == INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD
assert mock_stdin.empty()
message = COLLECT_ETH_PASSWORD.format(checksum_address=mock_account.address)
captured = capsys.readouterr()
assert message in captured.out
if confirm:
assert "Repeat for confirmation:" in captured.out
@pytest.mark.parametrize('confirm', (True, False))
def test_get_nucypher_password(mock_stdin, mock_account, confirm, capsys):
mock_stdin.password(INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD, confirm=confirm)
result = get_nucypher_password(confirm=confirm)
assert result == INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD
assert mock_stdin.empty()
captured = capsys.readouterr()
assert COLLECT_NUCYPHER_PASSWORD in captured.out
if confirm:
prompt = COLLECT_NUCYPHER_PASSWORD + f" ({NucypherKeyring.MINIMUM_PASSWORD_LENGTH} character minimum)"
assert prompt in captured.out
def test_unlock_nucypher_keyring_invalid_password(mocker, test_emitter, alice_blockchain_test_config, capsys):
# Setup
keyring_attach_spy = mocker.spy(CharacterConfiguration, 'attach_keyring')
mocker.patch.object(NucypherKeyring, 'unlock', side_effect=CryptoError)
mocker.patch.object(CharacterConfiguration,
'dev_mode',
return_value=False,
new_callable=mocker.PropertyMock)
# Test
with pytest.raises(NucypherKeyring.AuthenticationFailed):
unlock_nucypher_keyring(emitter=test_emitter,
password=INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD+'typo',
character_configuration=alice_blockchain_test_config)
keyring_attach_spy.assert_called_once()
captured = capsys.readouterr()
assert DECRYPTING_CHARACTER_KEYRING.format(name='alice') in captured.out
def test_unlock_nucypher_keyring_dev_mode(mocker, test_emitter, capsys, alice_blockchain_test_config):
# Setup
unlock_spy = mocker.spy(NucypherKeyring, 'unlock')
attach_spy = mocker.spy(CharacterConfiguration, 'attach_keyring')
mocker.patch.object(CharacterConfiguration,
'dev_mode',
return_value=True,
new_callable=mocker.PropertyMock)
# Test
result = unlock_nucypher_keyring(emitter=test_emitter,
password=INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD,
character_configuration=alice_blockchain_test_config)
assert result
output = capsys.readouterr().out
message = DECRYPTING_CHARACTER_KEYRING.format(name=alice_blockchain_test_config.NAME)
assert message in output
unlock_spy.assert_not_called()
attach_spy.assert_not_called()
def test_unlock_nucypher_keyring(mocker,
test_emitter,
capsys,
alice_blockchain_test_config,
patch_keystore,
tmpdir):
# Setup
# Do not test "real" unlocking here, just the plumbing
unlock_spy = mocker.patch.object(NucypherKeyring, 'unlock', return_value=True)
attach_spy = mocker.spy(CharacterConfiguration, 'attach_keyring')
mocker.patch.object(CharacterConfiguration,
'dev_mode',
return_value=False,
new_callable=mocker.PropertyMock)
# Test
result = unlock_nucypher_keyring(emitter=test_emitter,
password=INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD,
character_configuration=alice_blockchain_test_config)
assert result
captured = capsys.readouterr()
message = DECRYPTING_CHARACTER_KEYRING.format(name=alice_blockchain_test_config.NAME)
assert message in captured.out
unlock_spy.assert_called_once_with(password=INSECURE_DEVELOPMENT_PASSWORD)
attach_spy.assert_called_once()
| 2024-07-15T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4507 |
Having purchase the ReAction figure concept – which saw Alien figures like the ones Kenner planned in 19079 1979 finally get made – from Super7, Funko is expanding it into other licenses, and first up is TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Using all the demographic information available to them via multiple episodes of Robot Chicken and the Internet, Funko has clearly concluded that Buffy fans are the perfect demographic to pay full price for soft sculpts and little articulation, provided you remind them of their childhood in some way.
For the rest of us, who like the advancements in toy sculpts and articulation, the “Legacy” series is boasting that it’ll be akin to Star Wars Black, with premium detail. and poseability. The first property to get that treatment? Firefly.
Fantastic Mr. Fox movie figures were promised previously, but no word on which style they’ll be. I hope this isn’t a case of Shocker Toys syndrome, promising too much that doesn’t quite happen.
Because if this actually works, we could be looking at a new figure golden age. Complete with endless stupid variants, of course. | 2024-06-05T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5168 |
1922–23 Manchester City F.C. season
The 1922–23 season was Manchester City F.C.'s thirty-second season of league football, and ninth consecutive season in the Football League First Division, excluding the four years during the First World War in which no competitive football was played.
The season was the last in which Manchester City would play at their Hyde Road stadium, the ground having been declared too small for the growing ambitions of the club, the move having been hastened by a devastating fire burning down the Main Stand back in November 1920. The following season the club made the transition to their new ground, Maine Road.
Team Kit
Football League First Division
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points
Source: 1922–23 Football League First Division
1 - Welsh Cup winners
Results summary
Reports
FA Cup
Squad statistics
Squad
Appearances for competitive matches only
Scorers
See also
Manchester City F.C. seasons
References
External links
Extensive Manchester City statistics site
Category:Manchester City F.C. seasons
Manchester City F.C. | 2023-12-05T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8942 |
Welcome to the salty world, Friend. In my opinion within a short time you will be in deep love with those swimming fellows . Actually this Marine aquarium hobby is very much addictive. Then you will increase the tank size I hope.
Share On:
indracalcutta93 wrote:Welcome to the salty world, Friend. In my opinion within a short time you will be in deep love with those swimming fellows . Actually this Marine aquarium hobby is very much addictive. Then you will increase the tank size I hope.
Let's hope so.. But then I will be kicked out of my house.. As already have 9 tanks and this will be my 10th...
The 8 mm glass has been delivered and the process is under way... It would be 12*16*12 inches tank... 4 inch would be used for filter and chiller at the back... So it would ideally be a 1 ft cube... Let's see how it turns out... | 2023-09-13T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8753 |
Q:
How to find out when Wordpress version last updated
I'm trying to troubleshoot a Wordpress site that has been automatically downloading minor version revisions. I can easily see which version of Wordpress it is using, and I can see on the main Wordpress website when that version was released, but I am not able to see when that version was applied to my site. Is there a way to find this out without logging onto the server to check the timestamp on the files that were updated?
Checking this site and Google, I haven't been able to even find someone asking this question. (The bugs we are seeing started around the time WP released the update, so we're trying to figure out if our issues are related or not.)
Thank you!
A:
You could check the date stamps of the files on your server, using an FTP client.
Edit: taking Mark's comment in consideration, it's probably best to check the modification date of the version.php file inside the /wp-includes/ folder of your Wordpress installation. This file should always be modified when Wordpress is updated.
| 2024-01-28T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3988 |
Bus Accident Lawyer in Knoxville
A city bus provides a convenient way to get to work, school, and other locations around Knoxville. Unfortunately, a convenient ride can turn into a traumatic event when a bus accident occurs and you suffer serious injuries or your loved one dies due to the crash.
If you find yourself in this situation, the Law Offices of Ogle, Elrod & Baril, PLLC, is ready to help you seek monetary compensation for your losses. Call us today at 865-546-1111 for a free legal consultation with a bus accident lawyer in Knoxville.
Bus Accidents Are Different From Other Motor Vehicle Crashes.
Bus accidents involve more in-depth investigations than a motor vehicle crash solely involving passenger vehicles. A passenger vehicle accident usually involves two drivers and their passengers. A bus accident, however, involves multiple passengers and occupants in the other vehicle.
Additionally, local governments operate public transit systems and certain city and state rules apply when dealing with government entities. After a bus crash, you will need to determine which government entity is responsible for the wreck before you can seek compensation. You will also need to know who caused the accident, whether it was the driver of a bus or another party altogether.
This is where our bus accident attorneys can help your case. We have the time, passion, and professional resources to handle an extensive investigation on your behalf. We know which local, state, or federal laws apply to your case. We will use this information to build a solid insurance claim for you while you recover from your injuries. With our help, you stand a better chance and recovering a fair settlement for your damages.
How Can I Hold the At-Fault Party Responsible for My Damages?
Before we can file an insurance claim, we need to understand the details of your bus crash. Using the information you provide, we can conduct an investigation to determine which person or entity to hold responsible for the wreck. For instance, if you suffered injuries on a local government bus line, we would determine:
Whether the driver was distracted, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or exhibiting other behavior that put passengers’ safety in jeopardy;
Whether the bus driver had a history of past traffic violations or license suspensions;
Whether the local government failed to perform routine maintenance on its buses to keep their fleet in safe conditions;
Whether the local government complies with state and federal safety standards established for public transit systems; and
Whether the bus was under a manufacturer’s recall or had a faulty part.
If our investigation finds negligence on the part of the driver or local government—or a combination of the two parties—we can hold them liable for your injuries.
How Can a Lawyer Prove Negligence?
To hold a bus driver or the local government which operates the bus legally responsible for your injuries, we must prove that negligence occurred. To do this, we must show:
The defendant driver and local government entity have a duty to other motorists to carefully operate the bus;
The defendants breached that duty;
The defendants caused the accident and your injuries; and
You incurred damages eligible for monetary compensation.
Historically, public transportation operators must meet a higher standard of care of providing safe transportation for its passengers. Research has shown that higher standards also lead to a higher degree of liability.
Does It Matter If My Accident Involved a Local Bus or a Private Commercial Bus?
An injury is an injury regardless of whether it occurred in a local Knoxville Area Transit bus accident or an accident involving a private commercial bus, such as a tour bus. When an accident involves a privately owned commercial bus company, filing for compensation may be more complex.
In addition to state laws, federal rules apply to private companies operating buses on interstate highways. This adds additional complications when an accident occurs. Our attorneys can help you navigate this legal process and get the maximum compensation you deserve.
What Type of Compensation Can I Receive for My Injuries?
Bus accident injuries are often severe due to the large size of the vehicles involved. After a bus crash, you may face bills for several trips to the doctor, extensive in-patient rehabilitation, and in-home medical supplies to use in your recovery. We can help you get compensation for these costs, as well as your:
If a loved one died in the bus accident and left a surviving minor child, we can seek additional wrongful death
Do I Need to File a Lawsuit to Receive Compensation?
While we can file a lawsuit after a bus crash, we do not always need to take this course of action to recover your compensation. First, we will negotiate your insurance claim with the defendants’ insurance company. Insurers usually offer low settlements, but we hold firm to getting the highest compensation for you. If we cannot reach an agreement, we may file a personal injury lawsuit. No matter what route you choose, we will represent you and protect your legal rights.
Call Our Bus Accident Lawyers in Knoxville Today.
If you have questions about a bus accident and need expert legal advice on filing an insurance claim or pursuing a personal injury lawsuit, contact the Law Offices of Ogle, Elrod & Baril, PLLC, today.
We work on a contingency fee basis. That means you do not pay unless we achieve a favorable outcome for you. Let us fight for your rights after a Knoxville bus accident. Call 865-546-1111 today. | 2023-11-21T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4286 |
Q:
predicting nearly constant data
How do you predict data that contains multiple levels of nearly constant data?
Simple linear models even with weights (exponential) did not cut it.
I experimented with some clustering and then robust linear regression but my problem is that the relationship between these levels of constant data is lost.
Here is the data:
structure(list(date = structure(c(32L, 10L, 11L, 14L, 5L, 6L,
1L, 2L, 12L, 9L, 19L, 13L, 4L, 17L, 15L, 3L, 18L, 7L, 8L, 21L,
16L, 22L, 28L, 29L, 30L, 26L, 27L, 31L, 20L, 23L, 24L, 25L), .Label = c("18.02.13",
"18.03.13", "18.11.13", "19.08.13", "19.11.12", "20.01.13", "20.01.14",
"20.02.14", "20.05.13", "20.08.12", "20.09.12", "21.04.13", "21.07.13",
"21.10.12", "21.10.13", "22.04.14", "22.09.13", "22.12.13", "23.06.13",
"25.01.15", "25.03.14", "25.05.14", "26.02.15", "26.03.15", "26.04.15",
"26.10.14", "26.11.14", "27.07.14", "27.08.14", "28.09.14", "28.12.14",
"29.03.10"), class = "factor"), amount = c(-4, -12.4, -9.9, -9.9,
-9.94, -14.29, -9.97, -9.9, -9.9, -9.9, -9.9, -9.9, -9.9, -9.9,
-9.9, -9.9, -9.9, -4, -4, -11.9, -11.9, -11.9, -11.9, -11.98,
-11.98, -11.9, -13.8, -11.64, -11.96, -11.9, -11.9, -11.9)), .Names = c("date",
"amount"), class = "data.frame", row.names = c(NA, -32L))
revisiting rollmedian
@Gaurav - you asked: Have you tried building a model with moving averages? as ARIMA didn't work - I did not try it. But I have now.
zoo::rollmedian(rollTS, 5)
Seems to get the pattern of the data. However I wonder now how to reasonably forecast it. Is this possible?
A:
Your data is a classic example of data where there is more noise than signal and therefore unpredictable, no matter what ever data mining /time series approach you use, it is going to give you poor predictions unless you know a priori by domain knowledge what $caused$ the level shifts and outliers. Also techniques like arima and exponential smoothing needs equally space time series which you do not have in your example. That said two reasonable approaches:
Model it deterministically, again this needs knowledge of outliers
Use last value for all future prediction ( this is simple exponential smoothing)
| 2024-01-31T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5766 |
[Analysis of risk factors for cerebrovascular complications after carotid endarterectomy].
Objective: To evaluate the related risk factors of cerebrovascular complications after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and to improve the efficacy of CEA in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Methods: The clinical data of 295 patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis who underwent CEA in the Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2013 to March 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: As the results of the single-factor analysis of logistics, severe lower limb artery stenosis (RR=5.667, P=0.017), systolic blood pressure before the carotid artery clamping (RR=6.659, P=0.010), diastolic blood pressure before the carotid artery clamping (RR=3.981, P=0.046), stump pressure (RR=5.359, P=0.021), diastolic blood pressure after surgery (RR=9.550, P=0.002), diastolic blood pressure of the first day after surgery (RR=7.932, P=0.005) were influencing factors of postoperative cerebrovascular complications after CEA. The results of multi-factor analysis of logistic regression indicated that diastolic blood pressure before the carotid artery clamping (RR=0.953, P=0.024) and stump pressure to basic systolic blood pressure index (SSI)>0.25 (RR=0.086, P=0.049) were independent risk factors for postoperative cerebrovascular complications after CEA. Conclusion: Systolic blood pressure before carotid artery clamping and SSI>0.25 are independent risk factors for postoperative cerebrovascular complications after CEA. Close follow-up and drug treatment for patients after CEA might be beneficial to reduce postoperative carotid artery restenosis. | 2024-07-26T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8222 |
An Ontario Landlord Story Part 2 “Dealing With the LTB and the Sheriff”
When she did not vacate the property, nor pay rent for December, I filed an L3 – Application to Terminate a Tenancy:Applicant gave Notice or Agreed to Terminate the Tenancy.I did not, on the advice of the LTB customer service person, file any additional issues at this time, as these were likely, he said, to prolong the process by requiring hearings.
This application was accepted and I received an eviction order within two days! For all the good it did us. When I spoke to the Sheriff’s Office it became clear that there would be no immediate resolution in spite of the order. The earliest they might possibly trouble themselves to come out and serve her with the notice of eviction was “sometime late January.”
I found this extremely problematic, and did a great deal of research online, only to discover that delays of weeks, or even months, are apparently quite common in Ontario.
The Sheriff has a monopoly on evictions, and eviction orders only say “on or after” … they don’t set any sort of guidelines for what “after” might mean. Phone calls to my MPP’s office, the Ontario Ombudsman, and the Ministry of the Attorney General which oversees this “service” had no impact.
In any case, on the day which the eviction order could be turned into the Sheriff’s Office I (stupidly!!!!) I did exactly that, paying $401 for the Sheriff to not do his job. When I arrived at home, I discovered that the tenants had stopped by to serve us with a notice of a hearing and a stay of the eviction order.
The hearing date given on that set of papers was a Monday, but in Mississauga – an interesting choice, given that the Barrie office is significantly closer – but since I did not teach on Mondays, I was fine with that.
Since we were having a hearing anyway, we decided to cover all of the issues and I paid another $170 to file an L1 re: nonpayment of rent, and an L3, notice to evict based on the second N5. I also included a note asking that, due to my teaching schedule, hearings not be scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays, and a copy of my timetable.
When I received my notice of hearings, they were scheduled for not one, but two consecutive Thursdays – and when I called to complain about this, I was told that the tenant had requested that the initial hearing be moved and that this was also scheduled, now, on a Thursday, although not either those on which mine were scheduled.
Apparently, no one at the LTB thought anything of forcing me to miss work not once, but on three consecutive Thursdays. If I was stupid enough to rent to deadbeats, clearly I deserved to also lose my job – although how they think that landlords will be able to continue to pay all the bills for the deadbeats without employment is beyond me.
They would not even consider rescheduling anything until I obtained written permission from the tenants!
This is a ridiculous requirement – the tenant certainly did not obtain my permission to move the initial hearing from a date on which I could attend without placing my job at risk to one which did exactly that – nor did she ever bother to notify me of the change.
Presumably she thought I would like to drive to Mississauga to find out that the date had been changed… | 2023-10-04T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7703 |
February 26, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON — In recognition of his "extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science, from atoms to the Universe,” the National Academy of Sciences is presenting its 2015 Public Welfare Medal to astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History. The medal is the Academy's most prestigious award, established in 1914 and presented annually to honor extraordinary use of science for the public good.
"Through just about every form of media available, Neil deGrasse Tyson has made millions of people around the world excited about science," said Susan Wessler, home secretary for the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the selection committee for the award. "Ultimately, the success of science depends on the public's understanding of its importance and value. Neil masterfully conveys why science matters -- not just to a few, but to all of us."
"At a time when science is often misunderstood or ignored, Neil deGrasse Tyson is truly its most visible and most recognizable advocate," said National Academy of Sciences President Ralph J. Cicerone. "By personably and skillfully explaining the significance and the thrills of scientific discoveries, Neil has captured the public's imagination like no other scientist alive today. We are pleased to present him our highest award."
A native New Yorker who attended public schools and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, Tyson earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia University. Tyson's public role began when he took over directorship of the Hayden Planetarium in 1995, where he played a key role in the design of the world-class Rose Center for Earth and Space. Tyson also hosted "NOVA Origins" on PBS and was executive producer and host of "NOVA scienceNOW" for several seasons.
Most recently, Tyson served as executive editor and host for "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," a 13-episode, Emmy-nominated prime-time series that aired on Fox Network and was broadcast in 181 countries in 45 languages via the National Geographic Channel. A remake of previous Public Welfare Medal recipient Carl Sagan's landmark 1980 television series, the new Cosmos originated from connections Tyson made with Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan, and Hollywood producer Seth MacFarlane through the National Academy of Sciences' Science & Entertainment Exchange. Tyson is also the host of StarTalk Radio, a commercial radio show and podcast devoted to "all things space," and a frequent guest on "The Daily Show," "CBS This Morning," and National Public Radio. In addition, Tyson recently completed recording the pilot season of the StarTalk television program. Based on the popular podcast, it will air on the National Geographic Channel beginning in April. He is also a popular social media presence and has more than 3 million followers on Twitter.
Tyson has also written 10 books including "Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier," "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet," and "Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries," a New York Times bestseller. He is a strong advocate for the U.S. space program and served on two presidential commissions on aerospace and space exploration.
In 2007, he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. Among his numerous awards and honors, Tyson is the recipient of 18 honorary doctorates and NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal, the agency's highest honor for nongovernment citizens.
The Public Welfare Medal will be presented to Neil deGrasse Tyson on April 26 during the Academy's 152nd annual meeting. More information, including a list of past recipients, is available at www.nasonline.org/public-welfare-medal.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and -- with the National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council -- provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
Contacts:
Molly Galvin, Senior Media Relations Officer
Chelsea Dickson, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
http://www.national-academies.org/newsroom
Twitter: @NAS_news and @theNASciences
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theNASciences
RSS feed: http://www.nationalacademies.org/rss/index.html
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalacademyofsciences/sets
# # # | 2023-11-09T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2768 |
Q:
Change AJAX processing icon and progress bar in Drupal7 using CSS
Can I change the throbber/ajax loading icon and progress bar in Drupal 7 by adding new pictures and overriding CSS system files?
A:
You can do it by overriding the CSS in your theme CSS file. Here is the rule that you've to override
.ajax-progress .throbber {
background: transparent url(../../misc/throbber.gif) no-repeat 0px -18px;
float: left; /* LTR */
height: 15px;
margin: 2px;
width: 15px;
}
You can just change the background and you will be able to change the processing icon.
Here is the another one that you should override
html.js input.form-autocomplete {
background-image: url(../../misc/throbber.gif);
background-position: 100% 2px; /* LTR */
background-repeat: no-repeat;
}
| 2024-06-21T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4774 |
Chidori’s Catchphrases Stickers Part 2
Chidori’s Catchphrases Stickers Part 2LINE Stickers | Chidori is back with another round of humorous LINE stickers! Based on content from their comedic act, watch as Nobu and Daigo turn back the clock with this hilarious lineup of stickers featuring their popular catchphrases! – https://www.line-stickers.com/ | 2024-06-24T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/1262 |
"What happened on September 11th is at least, theoretically, small stuff compared to what can happen.” Robert D. Kaplan
I was 16 when I witnessed the horror terrorism first hand. It was the blast I lost my father in.
When the long battle ended with the Tamil Tigers in 2009, I was relieved that what I witnessed would not be seen by my children.
I was wrong.
April 21st 2019 was when I had to cover my seven-year-old child’s eyes while my family was evacuating from the emergency exit of the Shangri La Hotel soon after the two suicide attacks which shook the entire building. The steps were soaked in blood. Lifeless bodies were carried out and many body parts blown off. Not many families made it out of the fire exit like us. My family is shocked and living in fear like many others today. I sympathize with the victims and their families who have lost loving family and friends.
Had I been 3 minutes earlier to the lift, I would not be writing this piece.
Since this day, questions raised by my six-year-old and seven-year-old are hard for me to answer. Why do people kill each other? How many bad people are there in the world? Why do people make bombs? It goes on. For my young son’s peace of mind and happiness, I painted a heroic story that life will all be better soon after a superhero saves us.
In my capacity as the Director General of the National Security think tank, I see this event as gross national security negligence.
The Easter Sunday attack stands apart from previous faces of terror. Nine extremists turned the entire nation to a state of fear by killing the innocent. The targets were Christians and foreign nationalities to get the maximum global attention.
Sri Lanka is a geo strategically blessed paradise island that lives with an 'existential threat’ (as my book further outlines). This is due to its internal disarray of politics and external geopolitics. Countries facing an existential threat for a long period of time tend to become a ‘national security state’ according to John J.Mearsheimer. Out of its 71 years of independence, Sri Lanka has fought a brutal terrorist war for almost 30 years. Today there is another phase of terrorism: violent extremism.
Certain liberal values introduced by the present government made our nation vulnerable and a soft target for terrorist to breed and function. What was seen by the West as an autocratic state under Rajapaksa was reset overnight, tagging Sri Lanka to a global liberal order. This was done at the expense of an ensured demilitarization and the complete dismantling and weakening of the country’s military apparatus.
It brought prosperity to individuals without understanding the setbacks of liberalism. The principal of liberalism was confused with nationalism. Some policy makers saw one against the other to push agendas forward.
Many extra regional nations came forward with certain agreements which had direct and indirect influences on our national security. Noncooperation with some powerful nations may lead to the assumption that certain powerful nations may have used a backdoor to enter the island using terror.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith explained at a press conference warning that “powerful nations could be behind these attacks”. It is an urgent area for Sri Lankan national security to invest in serious research and investigation. This lacuna is due to the lack of support by certain policy makers. A glance at the support extended to Sri Lanka’s national security think tank will reveal its rank on the State’s list of priorities. The ‘National Defence Policy’ is the leading document capturing all threats. It remains a classified document inside a cupboard for three years. None of the policy makers bothered to take this forward.
The National Security think tank (INSSSL) at its internal Ministry of Defence discussion held in 2017 March identified the threat of extremism that could trigger in Sri Lanka and documented in its monthly threat forecast written in March and October of 2017 and subsequently in January of 2019 after the discovery of 100 detonators and explosives in the West coast of the Island. How did such warnings go unheard?
This gross negligence was clearly due to the malfunction of processes within the government, perhaps due to political meddling within intelligence agencies and political division. The consequence is devastating and has dragged the entire nation to a “state of fear”, taking more than 350 innocent lives.
When the state cannot manage the consequence of an extremist act, extremism presents a clear threat to national security. Extremist groups can operate in emerging democracies, while also finding operational space in failed or failing states. Post war Sri Lanka was a soft target for extremist to creep in due to the political instability with two sets of instructions flowing in from the bipartisan government. I have indicated multiple times the grave danger to national security from the existing political instability of the country.
It was not even a month ago when President Trump announced, “we just took over 100% of the IS caliphate,” in a victorious speech seeing the end as the last bullet was fired in the IS held Syrian town of Baghouz, on the banks of the Euphrates River. Lina Khatib, an expert from Chatham House, UK who analyzed the victory of the U.S., British, and French-backed Kurdish and Arab coalition, said, "The group itself has not been eradicated,…The ideology of IS is still very much at large.” She states that IS will revert to its insurgent roots as it moves underground, using the territorial loss as a call to arms among its network of supporters.
Joseph Votel, the top American general in the Middle East, warned: "(The caliphate) still has leaders, still has fighters, it still has facilitators, it still has resources, so our continued military pressure is necessary to continue to go after that network.”
In the same manner Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, the international terrorist expert, analyzed how this spilled over to Sri Lankan attack. He stated, “With a vengeance, the returnees from Iraq and Syria and diehard supporters and sympathizers in their homelands responded to the call by the IS leadership to avenge Baghouz, the last IS stronghold. The indoctrinated personalities and cells attacked Buddhist shrines and broke Buddha images.”
At least 41,490 international citizens traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS, according to ICSR; this is at least 50 each month. A total of 41 Sri Lankan Muslims from two extended families travelled to Iraq and Syria. There were many individuals who migrated as refugees to Sri Lanka from Muslim nations in the last several years.
The members of the IS branch that staged the attacks in Sri Lanka believed in martyrdom. They were educated and mostly from upper middle-class families. This is a different scale and complexity of threat when compared to the LTTE threat. The extremist bombers were calm. One bomber even gently holds a child just before his suicide. This shows they were well trained for months and perhaps years.
Some see this as a retaliation to the Christchurch attack, which took place last month. The Christchurch footage was used for election campaigns in Turkey weeks after the attack. It was used by a political leader to win popular support, which will further divide the Christian and Muslim communities in the same way as President Trump’s Muslim ban did soon after his victory. The danger in such populist acts by politicians will further polarize and lead towards a clash among two great civilizations.
ISIS tentacles reached NTJ in Sri Lanka in 2017, among another group globally. The spillover from the Baghouz defeat affected Sri Lanka, the Island nation who was at the top of tourism, ready to participate for Belt and Road 2nd Forum and celebrate its 10 years of success in eradicating terrorism this May.
The Sri Lankan attack was the single largest killing in a day by a terrorist outfit in the Island’s history. Despite sophisticated security services the nation possessed during the three-decade battle, there were intelligence and security limitations. It was ‘a gross national security negligence’ that the entire nation fell victim to. The answer for this could be seen as intelligence information was withheld and not flowing into political decision makers. Such endemic security failures were in plain sight, even in the United States over the 9/11 attacks. The CIA found that available intelligence did not flow to political decision makers.
Despite multiple warnings from Indian intelligence before the attacks took place, the extremist cell NTJ was identified months and years before by the Islamic community leaders as a threat.
Steps to Strengthening Military Intelligence:
The Sri Lankan government will have to develop several immediate steps first to strengthen military intelligence and the handling of cross border intelligence sharing among other nations as this sort of terrorism require a multi-pronged, multi-jurisdictional approach. Secondly, it is necessary to protect our vulnerable communities who could be targeted through the spreading misinformation and disinformation in the social media, which could lead to communal riots. Religious leaders have a great role in promoting religious harmony in this environment.
Third, while operational intelligence on arresting the perpetrators will go on, the analysis of intelligence data will be an important step to understand the real root cause behind the attack. Fourth, a complete post audit of the security negligence should be done by the government to understand where the limitations had come from, and should be addressed immediately. The accountability of negligence has to be pointed out and those responsible should be charged or fired. Finally, external support from other nations should be taken only for intelligence sharing and building capacity to combat extremism, and not to sign any other security agreements that could have security implications in the long run.
In the coming months, the deradicalization of the radicalized youth will be another essential part we would need to invest in. The government and civil society will have a massive duty on managing the spreading of hatred and division among different ethnic and religious groups.
A collective effort from society will be necessary to defeat extremism.
Just as the manner in which the Sri Lankan Muslim society assisted to defeat the LTTE, they will assist to defeat extremism within the island. The simplest act of kindness and service from each one of us to reclaim unity will be an honor to respect the lives we lost in 4/21.
Sri Lanka will respond to terror with strength and hope- more unified than ever before.
(Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is Director General of the National Security Think Tank of Sri Lanka (INSSSL) under the Sri Lanka Defence Ministry, views expressed are authors own) | 2024-07-16T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8770 |
Hey, when your trying to replace Lady Gaga, you've got to do a lot of stuff. Sure was a lot of stunned faces. There still is hope though, we got a whole new crop coming up through Nickelodeon, Disney, etc.
She played Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel. I guess that character is gone, now comes the new and improved Miley Cyrus with a totally new character. That's show biz, nothing beats a dollar. $$$$ Lets not forget the media which is the promoter and profiteer. And you all thought that you were the scary ones. And the show must go on. | 2024-01-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2980 |
I have such a love/hate relationship with Ramen noodles. When we're broke with hardly any food, you couldn't get me to eat Ramen noodles if my life depended on it. When we go spend $300 on groceries and there's plenty to eat, all I want is the Ramen. Go figure..
Ramen noodles are actually one of my favorite things to eat. My boyfriend can't stand them, he thinks they are horrible and even hates the smell, so I can't make them for myself when he's around. If I get an evening alone where I'm only cooking for myself, I often go for Ramen noodles.
For about $10, you can buy a pound of dried pinto beans, a dozen flour tortillas, a dozen eggs and a pound of russet potatoes. Once you cook the beans, you can probably get 2 or 3 dinners and breakfasts from this. You can eat the beans whole one night, with fried potatoes and tortillas, mash up and refry some of the beans and make bean and potato burritos and make breakfast burritos with beans, scrambled eggs and potatoes.
For a few dollars more, you can add some kielbasa or smoked sausage to the fried potatoes for dinner and have enough left over to serve on the side with fried eggs for breakfast. | 2024-06-24T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9204 |
Now wait a second Jill, I thought you were
gonna take that job in Indiana. Tim told me it was all set.
Jill:
Yeah, well, y'know, that's what we decided.
But I haven't been able to make the phone call. It's a great opportunity, the
whole family's being real supportive, I, y'know, I just don't know what's holding me
back.
Wilson:
Well Jill, this has been your home for
twenty years. You'd have to leave your whole life behind, you'd have to say
goodbye to all your old friends, we'd have to say goodbye to you.
Jill:
So you're telling me to stay.
Wilson:
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Jill:
You're telling me to go.
Wilson:
No, no, no, no, no.
Jill:
Hello! Not helping.
Wilson:
Jill, this move is a very difficult
decision. I can't be the one to make it.
Jill:
When I was a little girl, we moved all the
time. My mom never questioned it; she'd just say "Whatever's good for your
father's good for all of us" and we'd pack our bags and follow him.
Wilson:
So basically for twenty years you've been
following Tim.
Jill:
Yeah, right to the emergency room. [Wilson
laughs] You see, that was the beauty of it. I married Tim, we moved into this
wonderful house, and I got to put down roots for the first time in my life and
I, I've, I've really cherished that.
Wilson:
Yes, but on the other hand, Tim is making a
huge change, he's willing to base his life around you. I really think that's
worth considering.
Jill:
What if we go to Indiana and it all falls
apart?
Wilson:
And what if it doesn't and you're a huge
success? You know, in the words of my older golfing partner, Lee Trevino,
"Never up, never in."
Jill:
So, I should go, shouldn't I?
Wilson:
Jill, there is no limit to what you can
accomplish but if you want me to stand here and sell my best friends on
leaving, I really cannot do that.
Jill:
Wilson, [Jill & Wilson hug] I'm really gonna
miss you.
Wilson:
So I take it you are going.
Jill:
Unless you think I should stay?
Wilson:
Jill!
Jill:
I'll make the call.
Cut to the "Tool Time" studio.
[Heidi introduces the show]
Heidi:
Does everybody know what time it
is?
Audience:
"Tool Time!"
Heidi:
That's right. [Heidi runs out into the
audience, where Jill, Brad & Mark are sitting] Binford Tools is proud to
present Tim "The Toolman" Taylor! [Heidi swings out her arms to introduce Tim,
slapping Brad across the forehead as she does. Tim & Al enter the set. Heidi
leaves]
Tim:
Yeah. Thank you, Heidi. Thank you everybody.
[There are some fire marshals sat at the back of the audience] Welcome to "Tool
Time." I am, and for the last time, Tim "The Toolman" Taylor, and of course you
all know my assistant Al "Be Doing Infomercials For A Living" Borland. [Al
salutes] This should be a nice show, er, it's our last show, and of course, we
all hope to be on to bigger and better things, er. As a matter of fact, Al
here's getting married this weekend. [The audience applauds]
Al:
We have a great last show for you today. [Tim &
Al go over to the bench, which is covered with various household
utensils]
Tim:
[Tim picks up an overloaded socket] Binford,
Binford wants us to intentionally overload a household outlet like
this.
Al:
Thereby starting a fire and burning the entire
set down.
Tim:
Instead, I'm gonna show you the right way to
do this. [Al starts taking the plugs out of the socket] Folks, just get a surge
protector. [Tim produces one from under the bench] Duh.
Al:
End of segment.
Tim & Al:
Goodnight everybody! [Tim & Al
salute]
Tim:
Oh, I know what you're thinking: c'mon, last "Tool
Time," just plugging in a toaster? C'mon, aren't you gonna light anything on
fire? Course we're gonna light something on fire, we're gonna burn this place
down, baby! [Mark is videoing the show. Jill has a camera]
Al:
With everybody that helped us build
it.
Tim:
These die-hard fans dropped whatever they
were doing to be on this last "Tool Time" with us.
Al:
Let's have a warm "Tool Time" welcome for
American's favorite all-tool band, the K&B boys, Rock, Dwayne, Pete and Juke!
[Heidi leads Rock, Dwayne, Pete & Juke onto the set with their tool instruments]
And on hand saw, the lovely Janeen! [Al rotates one of the tool racks to reveal
Janeen Rae Heller. Al kisses Janeen on the cheek]
Tim:
Oh boy, I'm really glad you guys can be here
on the last show.
Rock:
Great to be here, Timmy. [Rock shakes Tim's
hand] Y'know, it's hard to imagine a world without "Tool Time."
That would be me. One, two, one, two, three!
[The guys start playing music, with Pete on the container-drums, Rock on the
angle grinder and steel drum, Juke on the harmonica, Dwayne on the hammers and
anvil, Janeen on her saw, Tim on metal pipes, Al tapping on the blender, and
Heidi banging two wrenches together. They sing along]
Everybody:
Huh! Watch out, you might get what you're after,
Cool baby, strange but not a stranger,
I'm an ordinary guy,
Burnin' down the house!
And he's not alone. [Benny shows Tim all the
money he's taken in bets. Marty sits down next to Jeff]
Tim:
You guys are betting on a wedding? That's
sick! Put me down for a hundred. [Tim hands Benny the money] I say he gets
married, and I've got forty bucks [Tim hands Benny some more money] says
he's wearing a flannel thong.
Jeff:
Hey, I want some of that action. [Benny looks
at Jeff] I mean, you know, I-I-I want, I want to bet on it. [Jeff hands Benny
some money]
Cut to the kitchen.
[Jill is at the counter. The caterers arrive with the cake.
Morgan enters carrying a basket]
Morgan:
Hi.
Jill:
Hello. Oh, is this, er, a delivery for Al and
Trudy? [Jill takes the basket from him]
Morgan:
No. Delivery for Tim and Jill.
Jill:
What?
Morgan:
Morgan Wandell. [Morgan produces his card]
Binford V.P. and media production. And you are even prettier than the way Tim
described you.
Jill:
Really. How did he describe me?
Morgan:
O.K., he didn't. Look, I need to see Tim.
I've been trying to convince him to stay with "Tool Time." He keeps turning me
down.
Jill:
He hated what you did to his show.
Morgan:
No, no, no. That's all changed. That's the
last episode. We offered to make him the executive producer and we offered to
give him a big raise. But he won't budge; something about Indiana.
Jill:
He turned you down because of my job
offer?
Morgan:
I guess so. Must be hard for you to live
with that one on your shoulders.
Jill:
Look, I resent you trying to make me feel
guilty. Now if you don't mind, we're in the middle of a wedding. [Jill pushes
Morgan towards the door]
Morgan:
I-I--
Jill:
To which you are not invited.
Morgan:
Alright, but I'm gonna lose my
job.
Jill:
I'm terribly sorry. Would you please
go.
Morgan:
I'm Morgan Wandell.
Jill:
Yeah.
Morgan:
I'm Morgan Wandell. [Jill shuts the door in
Morgan's face]
Cut to the backyard.
[Brad goes over to Heidi]
Brad:
So how come your husband's not here? Problems
at home?
Heidi:
No. He's away on an assignment.
Brad:
Well, if you were my wife, I wouldn't leave
you alone.
Heidi:
Well, I'm not your wife and you still won't
leave me alone. [Brad walks away. Jill comes over and sits next to
Tim]
Jill:
[Jill kisses Tim] You are the most amazing
and wonderful man.
Tim:
Well, hold that thought. The wedding's
starting, and I've got a lot of money riding on it. [Brad & Mark sit down next
to Tim. Al & Cal walk over to the arch]
Brad:
[To Tim] They make a lovely couple.
Tim:
Well, they say when you live together for a
long time, you start looking like each other. [Trudy walks down the aisle]
Jill:
Oh, Trudy looks so beautiful.
Benny:
The minister's starting. All bets are
down.
Wilson:
[Wilson is the minister. The Bible obscurs
his face] Dearly beloved, we are gathered here for this joyous and deeply
moving occasion.
Tim:
[Tim hands Jill his handkerchief] Are you gonna
cry through this wedding just like you did through ours?
Jill:
[Crying] Yes, but this time I'm
happy.
Cut to the backyard, later in the
ceremony.
Trudy:
And I look forward to spending the rest of
my life with you, and to some day hear the pitter-patter of little Borland
feet.
Tim:
[To Jill] Do they make a steel-toed work
booty?
Wilson:
And now Al would like to recite the vows
that he wrote for Trudy.
Al:
My darling Trudy, what more could a man ask for
than to be with a magnificent woman like you. You are my rock, my soul mate and
my partner through this journey I like to call... [Al takes his notes out of
his pocket] life. Come my sweet princess and we shall walk hand in
hand.
Tim:
[To Jill] Directly into the Twilight
Zone.
Jill:
[To Tim. Laughing] Stop.
Wilson:
Cal, the rings please. [Cal gives Al the
rings] Trudy, do you take Al to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or
for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?
Trudy:
I do. [Al puts the ring on Trudy's
finger]
Wilson:
Al, do you take Trudy to be your lawfully
wedded wife, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do
you part?
Now, by power vested in me by the state
of Michigan, and the Church of the Celestial Moon, [Wilson points towards the
moon. Everybody turns to look] I now pronounce you husband and wife. Al you may
kiss the bride. [Al & Trudy kiss. Everybody applauds. Al & Trudy walk down the
aisle, shaking people's hands. Benny hands out the winnings]
Cut to the garage.
[Jill opens the hot rod door. Tim enters]
Tim:
Jill, we're in the middle of a wedding. What
do you want to talk about?
Giving up that promotion was the sweetest,
most selfless thing you've ever done.
Tim:
It's the least I could do for you, honey,
after all you've done for me. And, and you really deserve this
opportunity.
Jill:
Yeah, I know I do, but I don't want it. I
don't want to go to Indiana.
Tim:
This is exactly why I didn't let you know
about this. I knew you'd change your mind because of me.
Jill:
I don't want to leave here. [Jill climbs into
the passenger seat] And this is an opportunity that you have always wanted; to
executive produce "Tool Time." Look, if I can find a job like that in Indiana,
I can find one like that here.
Tim:
But not with Dr. Lee. You said yourself this
is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Jill:
Well-- [Mark & Brad enter the
garage]
Mark:
Where are you guys going?
Tim:
Hop in, I'll tell you all about it. [Mark &
Brad climb into the backseat of the car]
Brad:
Wait, we're not going to Indiana now, are
we?
Jill:
We're not going to Indiana at all.
Mark:
Alright.
Brad:
Ah, shoot. [Brad hands Mark some
money]
Tim:
Yes we are.
Brad:
Alright! [Brad takes the money back from
Mark]
Jill:
O.K., we're gonna think about it.
Tim:
Alright. [Tim takes the money from
Brad]
Cut to the backyard.
[Tim taps his glass to make a toast]
Tim:
Er, everybody, um, for the last ten years Al,
you've been my right hand man, and you've not only been a big part of my life,
in many cases you've saved it. Trudy, you're getting a hell of a guy.
Trudy:
I know.
Tim:
To a very special day. And if you're wearing a
certain kind of underwear, a very lucrative one. To Al and Trudy.
Everybody:
To Al and Trudy.
Jill:
Health and happiness.
Everybody:
Health and happiness.
Al:
Alright, I just want to say I, I want to thank
Tim and Jill for opening up their house to us, and, and, er, well, it, it, Tim,
we've just, we've gone through so much and I, well, I, I, I want to thank you
for, for giving me my start on "Tool Time." This has been a difficult year,
and, and you guys have been there for me every step of the way. And, and no
matter where you go or what you do, I, I just want you to know that you'll,
you'll always be my best friends. [Al raises his glass]
Tim:
Al, Al. [Tim nods towards Trudy]
Al:
Oh, oh, and Trudy, er, thank you for marrying
me.
Trudy:
You're the best.
Tim:
Trudy and Al.
Everybody:
Trudy and Al. [Al kisses Trudy]
Cut to the backyard, after the wedding.
[Jill finds Al's notes on the ground]
Jill:
Oh look, Al must have dropped his wedding
vows. We should put them in a special place.
Tim:
O.K., toss them in here. [Tim holds out the
trash can. Jill laughs]
Jill:
Look, you're wedding arch didn't fall
down.
Tim:
Do you remember the last time we were under
one of those? We had no money, we had no kids.
Jill:
No idea how our lives would turn
out.
Tim:
I think so far they've turned out pretty well.
[Tim joins Jill under the arch] If you had to go back and do it all over again,
would you do it?
Jill:
Yeah. Yeah I would. I mean, there's been
bumps along the road, I haven't always known where we were headed, there's
always a possibilty of a crash, but I wouldn't want to travel with anybody else
but you. [Tim & Jill kiss]
Tim:
As a matter of fact, I would change
things.
Jill:
Yeah? What would you change?
Tim:
I don't think I'd propose to you in the back
of a '68 Dodge Dart, two-seventy-three.
Jill:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, O.K., what kind of car would
you choose?
Tim:
That's not what I mean. If I had to do it
again, I'd pick a more romantic spot. First time I looked at you I knew I
wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Now twenty years later, I have
the same feelings. Except this numbness in my thumb I can't explain. Jill
Patterson, would you marry me?
Jill:
No.
Tim:
No?
Jill:
I'm already married to the perfect guy. [Tim
& Jill kiss] I know you don't want to go to Indiana.
Tim:
It's not about me; it's about you. Are you
willing to give up this opportunity?
Jill:
Yeah I am. I don't want to leave my life
here. Now I, I just, I can't imagine leaving this house. [Tim turns to look at
the house. Tim sizes up the house]
Tim:
Well, if we ever decide to move, maybe we
wouldn't have to leave the house.
Jill:
What does that mean?
Tim imagines moving the house on the back of a
lorry. Tim & Jill are sat in the cab.
Jill:
Are we gonna drive this thing the whole
way?
Tim:
No, don't be ridiculous. There's faster ways
to get there than by land.
Jill:
Like what?
Cut to the house being carried on the back of a
barge, being pulled by a tug boat.
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advertising or other purposes is strictly forbidden. | 2024-05-12T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8243 |
My Wines
My Cellar
While the harsh Wisconsin winters may not seem suitable for grape-growing, the climate and soil are surprisingly forgiving. In fact, grapes are already growing in the vineyards of Chateau St. Croix.
The vineyard is home to six varieties of hybrid cold hearty grapes: St. Croix, E.S. 6-16-30, Prairie Star, Sabrevois, Frontenac, Marquette and King of the North. The grapes have been delicately pla... Read more
While the harsh Wisconsin winters may not seem suitable for grape-growing, the climate and soil are surprisingly forgiving. In fact, grapes are already growing in the vineyards of Chateau St. Croix.
The vineyard is home to six varieties of hybrid cold hearty grapes: St. Croix, E.S. 6-16-30, Prairie Star, Sabrevois, Frontenac, Marquette and King of the North. The grapes have been delicately planted on a 2 1/2-acre parcel on the 55-acre grounds of the Chateau St. Croix.
Upon maturity, our crop should produce approximately 5 tons of grapes. As our winery grows, we hope to increase our vineyard to ten acres. We prune our vines several times a year and harvest the grapes in September. After we crush the grapes and start our wines.
As we value our precious environment, we have chosen an electricity-free fencing method to counter the bears and deer that could potentially harm our grapes. Read less
Do you love Chateau St Croix Winery & Vineyard? Follow them to show your support. Why? | 2023-12-08T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2222 |
Q:
Fetch all the branches in git and get Hashcode for all the branches
I am trying to get a command in git which can help me fetch list of all the branches or my code and also list down all the hashcode in front of same . As I want to delete all my stale branches and keep it safe for later retrieval.
To List all the branches following command is enough.
Git branch -r
to get the hashcode for a branch
git rev-parse <BranchName>
can I get one command where it list all branches and hashcode in front of it.
A:
git for-each-ref refs/remotes --format="%(objectname) %(refname:lstrip=2)"
git for-each-ref outputs information on all local refs.
refs/remotes is the pattern for remote tracking branches. Only the refs matching the pattern will be printed.
--format formats the output. Here %(objectname) refers to the commit hash. A following space is literally a space. %(refname) refers to the ref name. The full name of a remote tracking branch is like refs/remotes/origin/foo. :lstrip=2 suppresses the left 2 parts refs and remotes.
See git for-each-ref for more.
| 2023-09-28T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4383 |
Q:
Why zero at the beginning of int variable gives error?
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
struct information
{
string name;
string bloodgroup;
int mobno;
};
information person1={"Ali Hamza","O-",434233434};
information person2={"Akram Ali","B",034};
cout << endl << person1.name << endl;
cout << person1.bloodgroup << endl << person1.mobno<< endl;
cout << endl << person2.name << endl << person2.bloodgroup << endl << person2.mobno<<endl;
int num = 09;
cout << num;
return 0;
}
I wonder when I saw errors like invalid digit in octal constant 9 and 8.Also it print wrong value for the value of "mobno"(in structure) if zero is the first digit, but it give error when zero is used as first digit for num at the end of program.Is there someone who would explain it for me?
A:
Starting an integer literal with 0 in C/C++ means that you intend for it to be interpreted in octal or base-8.
So, for example, the number '034' is to be interpreted as 3*8^1 + 4*8^0 = 3*8 + 4*1 = 28. So it is equivalent to '28'.
The integer literal '09' is invalid as '9' is not a digit in octal.
| 2024-04-23T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7536 |
…or, to be precise, the Green Room diner at the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.
It was late afternoon on Friday 5 July 2019, the day before the city’s main Pride event. Earlier the same day, the National Theatre (NT) Twitter account had announced they were ready for the weekend and posted a photo of the theatre decked in the rainbow flag. Another rainbow flag hung behind the bar of the Green Room.
A group of people – mainly women – had spent the day protesting outside Stonewall’s Children and Young People conference, a few minutes’ walk away. At the end of the afternoon, they took pics of themselves outside the Hayward Gallery, in front of posters promoting some creepy exhibition. Then some of them went on to the Green Room, others went to a nearby food fair and got a bite to eat there, while a few others took the huge placards they’d held at the protest back to the vehicle they were using. They all eventually went on to meet up at the Green Room.
Those who’d gone straight to the Green Room had bought drinks and were sitting outside in the sunshine by the time the others arrived. Of the later arrivals, only a man in the group got served. It seems a member of staff took exception to the women, some of whom were wearing lesbian T-shirts. They were refused service.
According to the account left by one of the women on the NT’s Facebook page the following day:
The refusal followed a conversation with some of the lesbians in the group who were wearing T-shirts with the dictionary definition of lesbian. The conversation was initiated by the member of staff. Part of that conversation involved her asking if any of the women were involved in the “Get the L out” action at Pride last year. When the answer was ‘yes’ she walked off saying she didn’t want anything to do with us, or similar.
Another of the group, Anne Ruzylo, told this website:
The duty manager came and spoke to a few of us and said that there were trans staff coming on duty at the next shift change who could find our t-shirts upsetting and could be seen as hateful. I told him that we were here for something to eat and drink and we were being discriminated against. He told us we had to leave and returned the money to a couple who’d paid for a drink.
Naturally, when the story broke on social media – initially with the barest of details – it attracted a lot of bewilderment, outrage and accusations of lesbophobia. Could it possibly be true that they were refused service because of a T-shirt?
Of course, the very reason lesbians wear it is that they are standing up to lesbian erasure by the trans lobby, whose ideology dictates that when heterosexual men start claiming to be women, they become lesbians and are entitled to be in lesbian spaces. It’s even been known for them to expect lesbians to consider them as potential sexual partners. Seriously!
It’s not unknown for a woman wearing a definition T-shirt to be banned from a pub. But this is the National Theatre on the eve of the Pride refusing service to lesbians.
What the hell is going on?
The first comment from the NT on what had happened was made in response to a tweet from one of the group.
This gives the impression that members of the group were seriously misbehaving, that they were disturbing other customers by “demonstrating”, which suggests chanting, holding up placards, etc. as well as distributing campaign materials. That would be bad enough but… they were abusing staff and other visitors too??
Well, no. The NT tweet doesn’t actually say they were doing any of those things. They simply took some wording from the visit guidelines published on their website and asked that people respect them. By tweeting them in response to someone saying they’d just been refused service, they implied that those particular guidelines had been breached and this was the reason service was refused.
If anyone had in fact been engaged in those particular activities, the NT would surely have posted a rather different comment. Something like this, perhaps?
A group of visitors were refused service and asked to leave because they were disruptive and abusive to staff and customers.
I believe that the NT tweet was intended to deflect from allegations that Green Room staff had discriminated against people for being lesbians. It was a shamefully mendacious public comment to make but worse was to come.
From this recording, we learn that the bar was closed for service soon after 5 pm but staff continued to serve drinks away from the bar to anyone who wasn’t with the group. We also learn that no explanation was offered for the refusal of service. Nor, as we see from this video, could the security officers sent to eject this group of peaceful, sober and mostly middle-aged and older women, enlighten them as to why they were required to leave.
In the meantime, a Twitter storm was raging. Julian Vigo tweeted that she had phoned the NT to “politely express concern”.
I was first told by a woman that “we heard that these women were anti-trans” and when I asked how they “heard this” the woman had no idea. Then she said, “We have two members of staff who are lesbians who didn’t want to serve them”…So, when I asked if she was aware that these women were allowed to protest for the rights of lesbians and still have a drink in their establishment, she said that they didn’t want them there. I asked if the Green Room has a policy to act on hearsay or gossip, the woman claimed that they did not discriminate adding, “nobody wanted to serve these women”. When I asked how such decisions would be arrived at and why management would not override (or dismiss) those who act in such a discriminatory manner, she hung up on me.
What? No mention of demonstrations and distribution of campaign materials? No abuse of staff and visitors? No. Just some discrimination on the grounds of their opinions, which staff members interpret as “anti-trans”, even though there are plenty of trans people who acknowledge the truth of them.
Anyway, NT staff ended up calling the police. In this video, we see that the exchange between the group and a police officer is generally good-natured.
The most revealing exchange, however, is captured in this footage, where the police officer explains that he was told by the manager that someone in the group had said that “lesbians can’t have dicks”. This had offended some of the staff, who reported it to the manager. The manager’s decision was that everyone in the group was to be refused service and asked to leave. Whether this was even actually said by anyone in the group remains uncertain. I’ve heard from a couple of the women that they don’t think it was.
Later that evening the NT tweeted this remarkable statement:
“Impinges on their ability to feel supported and safe.”
Anyone unfamiliar with the ‘feelz’ culture, in which the right to hold opinions – set out by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights – is less important than the feelings of those who disagree with them, would be forgiven for thinking that these feminists were guilty of something more than wanting to have a peaceful drink in T-shirts bearing the dictionary definition of what they are.
Those of us who know this culture all too well will see this statement for what it is: deceitful.
But, believe it or not, it gets even worse.
The following day, an article appeared in the Observer section of the Guardian website written by Arts & Media correspondent, Vanessa Thorpe.
It quotes Lisa Burger, a chief executive of the NT, saying,
While investigations into the incident are ongoing, multiple witnesses corroborate that a group who attended the Green Room restaurant on Friday 5 July were ultimately asked to leave the premises as a result of a series of disturbances…These began with their refusal to put placards out of sight that featured messages which upset other customers and contravened our visiting policy, and culminated in abusive behaviour towards our staff. The clothing, gender or sexuality of the group was not a factor in the decision, which was reluctantly taken on the basis of the group’s behaviour and what was said.
And, in case it’s not obvious, here’s why that statement should be taken with a pinch of salt:
Firstly, there is no objective evidence for any of it and some weighty evidence against it.
Where are these placards they allegedly refused to put out of sight? As we can see from the Stonewall protest they’d been at, they were holding enormous boards and a few small home-made signs. All I see in all of the available footage is what looks like one small wooden pole, which might be attached to one of the home-made signs but we can’t see the sign because it’s upside down and under the table i.e. out of sight.
What does Burger mean by “disturbances”? We are not told. My guess would be asking for an explanation for the refusal to serve them and not leaving the instant the security officers asked them to but asking if they could finish their drinks (those who had them, obviously).
It is surely beyond doubt that, if they had really been causing anything that could reasonably be described as a disturbance, at least one member of staff and more than one customer would have recorded it on their smartphones because that is what people do in 2019! It is precisely because these people were being shabbily treated that members of the group got their phones out and started recording all this helpful footage, particularly that of the police officer giving the supposedly real reason they were being asked to leave.
Thirdly – and this is the most appalling and potentially defamatory allegation – what was this allegedly “abusive behavior” towards the staff? Were they shouted at? Sworn at? Called nasty names? Assaulted?
Of course not!
Remember, the man who was part of the group was served without question. The women were only refused service when they confirmed to a staff member that some had been part of last year’s lesbian protest at Pride and, possibly during the ensuing conversation, someone may or may not have shockingly proclaimed that lesbians are sans pénis. The staff member who took Julian Vigo’s phone call said nothing about any abusive behavior.
Finally, who are these “multiple witnesses” and what exactly did they supposedly corroborate? Is Burger saying that other customers testified that these women were causing a disturbance? Because, again, that is what it sounds like and that is what some people who read the Observer report now believe, even though we are not provided with a single specific quote from any of them, let alone any recording, while we do have footage of the women remaining remarkably calm, polite and good-humoured, even as they are being told they won’t be served.
The last thing we read in the Observer story is that Anne Ruzylo “has been approached by the Observer for comment.” Oh, really?
Not according to the evidence, courtesy of Twitter.
Apparently, there is a Twitter account using both Anne Ruzylo’s real name and her Twitter handle of @sargesalute but cunningly replacing the lower case L with a capital I. The profile bio reads ‘trans women are women’ in block caps. It should be patently obvious to even some pea-brained hack that this is not Anne’s real account but one of those malicious impersonations, yet Vanessa Thorpe tweeted at it, asking Anne to follow her so she could send her a private message. As it isn’t Anne’s real account, Anne didn’t see the request.
For the record, I believe this was a genuine mistake on Thorpe’s part and would have felt sorry for her, had she not gone ahead and filed her crappy story anyway.
The upshot of all this is that there are now many people who believe that Anne Ruzylo – a woman I know to be mild-mannered, good-humoured and thoroughly decent – and some 15+ other people were involved in obnoxious and abusive behavior towards others. (A couple of examples can be seen here and here.)
I don’t have words to express how angry, disgusted, appalled and despairing I am that people – I mean NT staff including Lisa Burger, the Observer’s Vanessa Thorpe and whichever editor is responsible for publishing her report – can behave like this.
And just to be clear by what I mean by “this”: Women were refused service solely on the grounds that NT staff disagreed with their views. The NT put out three weasely-worded statements that I believe were deliberately intended to suggest there was fire under the smoke and the Observer published a report of the NT Chief Exec’s words without the other side of the story, even though Anne and others who’d been present had been posting about what happened on social media.
Do they have an inkling of what it can do to someone to circulate falsehoods about them on social media? To have people believe those falsehoods and re-circulate them over and over? Because I do. And, in my heart of hearts, I think they do and I think they don’t bloody care! The very definition of bigotry is intolerance of other people’s opinions and I believe that the staff members at the NT are the real bigots in this story. What’s more, I believe they will be delighted at the thought that they are responsible for causing anger and distress to women who have the courage to stand up for women instead of pandering to male entitlement.
It is thanks to people like the NT staff that I have lost my faith in humanity.
Update: 09.07.19
Thanks to people who’ve taken the trouble to complain by email to feedback@nationaltheatre.org.uk
I am horrified to see that correspondents are receiving a standard response that not only doubles down on the fabricated version of events they put out on Friday but audaciously calls it a “fuller account”! How do they sleep at night?
This is it:
Thank you for your email. We absolutely understand your concern at the version of events that you have heard. We have multiple accounts from witnesses. They corroborate that a group who attended the Green Room restaurant on Friday 5 July were ultimately asked to leave the premises as a result of a series of disturbances. These began with their refusal to put placards out of sight that featured messages which upset other customers and contravened our visiting policy, and culminated in abusive behaviour towards our staff. The clothing, gender or sexuality of the group was not a factor in the decision, which was reluctantly taken on the basis of the group’s behaviour and what was said. The National Theatre must be an inclusive place for everyone, and that means asking visitors to conduct themselves in a way that respects that principle. I hope that this fuller account of what happened gives you reassurance that the National acted with due consideration in the circumstances. John Langley Director of External Relationships and Partnerships National Theatre, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX T: 020 7452 3280 (direct) 020 7452 3333 (switchboard) E: jlangley@nationaltheatre.org.uk W: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Published 08.07.19
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January 20, 2010
In the wake of the weird Christmas Day "underwear bomber" incident on Northwest Flight 253, former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, as if on cue, was all over the mainstream media touting whole-body scanners as the answer to America�s airline security problems. Since leaving public office in 2009, Chertoff had co-founded the Chertoff Group, a security and risk-management firm whose clients include a manufacturer of body-imaging screening machines. While some in the media noted this rather commonplace conflict of interest, ignored by all was a far more significant abuse of the American public�s trust.
In a CNN interview, Chertoff cited the Detroit incident as "a very vivid lesson in the value of that machinery." One lesson that he hasn�t drawn, however, was about the unreliability of the security firm which allowed the young Nigerian Muslim without a passport to "slip through" Amsterdam�s Schiphol Airport.
ICTS International N.V., the Dutch-based security firm, was established in 1982 by former members of Israel�s secret police, the Shin Bet, and El Al security. Menachem Atzmon, who holds the controlling shares in the firm, was convicted in 1996 for campaign finance fraud while co-treasurer of the Likud party. The other co-treasurer Ehud Olmert, who was acquitted of those charges, resigned as Israeli Prime Minister in 2008 amid multiple corruption charges.
Although the rapid worldwide expansion of ICTS was no doubt helped by the much vaunted reputation of Israeli aviation security, its record abroad is less reassuring. In December 2001, the so-called "shoe bomber" Richard Reid also slipped through ICTS security at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to board a flight to Miami. And it was an ICTS subsidiary, Huntleigh USA, that shared security duties at Boston�s Logan Airport, where two of the four hijacked planes originated on September 11, 2001.
Interestingly, Michael Chertoff has close family ties to Israeli aviation. His father, an American rabbi, married Livia Eisen, who was an air hostess for El Al in the 1950s. "There are reports that she was involved in Operation Magic Carpet, which brought Jews to Israel from Yemen," wrote Jonathan Cook in Israel and the Clash of Civilizations. "It therefore seems possible that Livia Eisen was an Israeli national, and one with possible links to the Mossad."
Somehow, nobody thought of asking Michael Chertoff whether his mother had ties to a foreign country�s intelligence service during the Senate confirmation hearing on his appointment as secretary of Homeland Security in 2005. Most likely taking their cue from Senators Charles Schumer and Joseph Lieberman, who endorsed their fellow Jewish Zionist for the DHS job, the AIPAC-conscious Senate approved Chertoff by a vote of 98-0.
Normally hypersensitive to even the most tenuous links to Islamic terrorism, Sens. Schumer and Lieberman were apparently unconcerned by Chertoff�s 1998 legal representation of Dr. Magdy Elamir. The FBI had filed a report charging Elamir with skimming money from an Islamic charity to support al-Qaeda and financially supporting the al-Salam mosque, which the "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel-Rahman used as a base of operations for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Moreover, there are suspicions that Chertoff, as head of the Justice Department�s criminal division, may have been behind the deportation for "immigration violations" of the 200 Israelis arrested in 2001 for "suspicious activities" both before and after 9/11. According to a DEA report, these Israeli "art students" had "recently served in the Israeli military, the majority in intelligence, electronic signal intercept, or explosive ordnance units." As Antiwar.com editor Justin Raimondo wryly put it in his essential book The Terror Enigma, "the probability that these are graduates of the Mossad School of Art (summa cum laude) is certainly high."
But then again, how could one possibly doubt the patriotism of the author of the USA PATRIOT Act? Whatever his other qualities, Chertoff must be a fast writer. The 342-page document was signed into law on October 26, 2001 � a mere 45 days after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Striking oil on 9/11
On October 11, 2001, exactly one month after 9/11, Senator Lieberman introduced S. 1534, a bill to establish a Department of Homeland Security. The bipartisan Department of National Homeland Security Act of 2001 was co-sponsored by Republican Senator Arlen Specter, who is, perhaps not coincidentally, also a Jewish Zionist.
The day after 9/11, Benjamin Netanyahu let slip that the deaths of almost 3,000 Americans was "very good" for Israel. In particular, the mass murder was very good for an emerging sector of the Israeli economy. In "Laboratory for a Fortressed World," Naomi Klein detailed the post-9/11 "explosion of Israel�s homeland security sector."
"Before 9/11 homeland security barely existed as an industry," Klein wrote in 2007. "By the end of this year, Israeli exports in the sector will reach $1.2 billion � an increase of 20 percent. The key products and services are high-tech fences, unmanned drones, biometric IDs, video and audio surveillance gear, air passenger profiling and prisoner interrogation systems � precisely the tools and technologies Israel has used to lock in the occupied territories."
And the Department of Homeland Security, the Lieberman-Specter brainchild then headed by Michael Chertoff, had become one of Israel�s most reliable markets.
"Israel has struck oil," as Klein so aptly put it. "The oil is the war on terror, the state of constant fear that creates a bottomless global demand for devices that watch, listen, contain and target 'suspects.�"
In order to exploit that resource to the full, Israel needed the likes of Chertoff, Lieberman, Schumer and Specter to hype the concept of "homeland security" in the United States. Americans, however, should have been asking a couple of pertinent questions. Which homeland? And whose security?
Maidhc � Cathail is a widely published writer based in Japan.
| 2024-01-05T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5086 |
Q:
How can I play Apple HLS live stream using html5 video tag
<video id="live" autoplay controls>
<source src="http://[WOWZA-IP]:1935/Live/mp4:[LIVESTREAMNAME]/playlist.m3u8" type="video/mp4" />
</video>
I am trying to play h264 encoded live stream using html5 video tag. Live stream is broadcasted by wowza media server and when visiting src link I get a valid playlist file. When trying to play the stream on android chrome browser, player does nothing and shows black screen.
Is this html5 video tag related issue or maybe broadcaster?
A:
These are the formats you can play using html5 source tags.
Think of a video format as a zip file which contains the encoded video stream and audio stream. The three formats you should care about for the web are (webm, mp4 and ogv):
.mp4 = H.264 + AAC
.ogg/.ogv = Theora + Vorbis
.webm = VP8 + Vorbis
A:
There is actually a good range of solutions for this. One solution would be to detect if HLS can be played:
document.createElement('video').canPlayType('application/vnd.apple.mpegURL') !== ''
However, this would not allow you to play HLS content on devices which do not support playback. At this moment, playback is only supported on Microsoft Edge, iOS Safari, OS X Safari and Android (however, I strongly advise against using HLS on Android due to limitations)
An other solution to play HLS across all platforms in HTML5 is to use an HTML5 HLS player such as THEOplayer. They managed to allow HLS to be played on all popular platforms and devices, including those without Media Source Extension support. Currently, the list of supported browsers and platforms includes: Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
A:
On Browsers supporting Media Source Extension you can use https://github.com/dailymotion/hls.js
| 2024-02-17T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9778 |
Q:
Sublime text autocompletion for Laravel
Are there any plugins available to get Laravel auto completion and Laravel Blade template beautification in Sublime Text 3?
I have googled it, didn't find the right one for Laravel auto complete and not even one plugin that beautify the Laravel blade template.
A:
There is dev4dev/blade-snippets. You can install it via Package Manager:
After installing you will be able to autocomplete Blade snippets by pressing Tab.
Some examples:
List of all snippets you can find in the project's repo: https://github.com/dev4dev/blade-snippets/tree/master/snippets
A:
First install Sublime Code Intel plugin and then install Laravel Ide Helper.
By default Sublime Code Intel will let you autocomplete the code you write in your project e.g. extra classes, laravel's namespaces, etc but by default it will not autocomplete laravel's facades that's why Laravel Ide Helper comes to the rescure.
| 2024-02-11T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2053 |
Famous Birthdays
Hayley Atwell
Hayley Atwell
ABOUTStar of the 2008 historical drama The Duchess who also played the title character's love interest in Captain America: The First Avenger. She portrayed Ella's mother in the 2015 film Cinderella and Peggy Carter in 2015's Ant-Man.BEFORE FAMEShe studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.TRIVIAHer American movie debut was in Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream.FAMILY LIFEHer parents divorced when she was two years old. In 2014, she began dating musician Evan Jones.ASSOCIATED WITHHer parents met and bonded in a London workshop of Dale Carnegie's titled "How to Win Friends and Influence People." | 2024-02-18T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9299 |
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And get the death penalty against you thrown out. Convicted cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal got the death penalty against him dropped. So, in Philadelphia, shoot a wounded cop while he's down in cold blood and you can blame it on a racist justice system, get enough Hollywood liberals behind you, and all will be OK. Only a matter of time before this lump of shit is released from jail the way things are going. Here's a link to the story:http://news.yahoo.com/da-dropping-de...160844118.html Way to piss on the grave of Daniel Faulkner.
I do not know enough about the legal issues in the case to say that he is innocent and should be set free. I've read lots of comments on both sides of the issue, but I wasn't on the jury and didn't see the evidence laid out for me in that way. I know Mumia had connections to the MOVE group, which doesn't exactly help his side of the argument, imo.
I'm always opposed to the death penalty, though. A life sentence should mean a life sentence-no early paroles for those convicted of 1st degree murder, and most who are convicted of 2nd degree murder.
I do not know enough about the legal issues in the case to say that he is innocent and should be set free. I've read lots of comments on both sides of the issue, but I wasn't on the jury and didn't see the evidence laid out for me in that way. I know Mumia had connections to the MOVE group, which doesn't exactly help his side of the argument, imo.
I'm always opposed to the death penalty, though. A life sentence should mean a life sentence-no early paroles for those convicted of 1st degree murder, and most who are convicted of 2nd degree murder.
I heard that when there is a death penalty case in trial, that prosecutors are able to selectively bias the jury by only allowing people who support the death penalty on the jury.
Only allowing people who support the death penalty is not a fair cross-representation of one's peers, so it is not actually a jury of peers. People who support the death penalty are also far more likely to convict a suspect, all things being considered equal.
It would be like having a trial for a drug conviction with the jury being entirely selected by NORML.
Originally Posted by Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations
It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.
Another thing I heard, is that this guy got his Death Penalty sentence changed not because those making the decision wanted to go easy on him, quite the opposite actually. There was a possibility that Jamal would have been given a new sentencing hearing on the grounds that the jury may have been given misleading instructions during his original trial.
If they pursued the death penalty, there may have needed to be a re-hearing on his sentencing based on jury misinformation, which would have opened up the possibility of new evidence and new witnesses on behalf of Jamal.
With the impending possibility of a new sentencing hearing, or even a new trial coming up, with new evidence for the defense, they instead decided to stop the whole thing.
I've still got to read more on this, but this is what I've been hearing today.
Originally Posted by Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations
It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. | 2023-08-25T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4962 |
An educational program enhances food label understanding of young adolescents.
While much research has focused on intake and eating behaviors of young adolescents, few studies have examined their knowledge of the Nutrition Facts label. The goals of this project were to assess the understanding of Nutrition Facts labels and the response of young adolescents to an educational program about Nutrition Facts labels. Thirty-four young adolescents participated by answering a short questionnaire and taking a pretest about Nutrition Facts labels and their food choices, which involved using actual Nutrition Facts labels from foods typically eaten by adolescents. Then the subjects participated in a short educational program on how to read the Nutrition Facts label. This was followed by a posttest. Initial knowledge of the basic use of the Nutrition Facts label was marginal, with only 6.65 (standard deviation=2.23) or approximately 55% of pretest questions answered correctly. However, the subjects' scores improved significantly to 8.32 (standard deviation=2.01) or approximately 70% correct on the posttest (P<0.0001, Fisher's exact test) after the educational session. In conclusion, young adolescents can learn how to read and understand the Nutrition Facts labels through educational sessions. | 2024-02-13T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3214 |
1957 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 1957 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships men's competition took place between June 20-22 Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Ohio. The high jump apron at Welcome Stadium was made of asphalt to the surprise of Olympic Champion Charles Dumas who brought long spikes. After a visit to a local shoe store, Dumas went on to win at 6'10¼"
Results
Men track events
Men field events
Women track events
Women field events
See also
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
References
T&FN results
results
Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Usa Outdoor Track And Field Championships, 1957
Category:Track and field in Ohio
Category:1957 in sports in Ohio
Category:Sports competitions in Ohio
Category:Track and field in Ohio
Category:Sports in Dayton, Ohio | 2024-04-12T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5481 |
How do U.S. political parties nominate a candidate for President? To win the nomination in one of the parties, the candidate collects pledges from a majority of the delegates to the parties’ National Conventions, currently held during the summer before November’s general election. There are three methods used presently to allocate delegates to presidential contenders: 1) the Caucus System, 2) the Primary System, or 3) a combination of the two. To determine their candidate, each state hold’s a political contest, referred to as a caucus or primary. The caucus method isorganized by the political parties, whereas, primaries are organized and overseen by the State government. The candidate who secures the highest number of delegates at the political convention wins the nomination and competes in the general election. How has history shaped this nomination process, and how did Freemasonry impact the evolution of that process?
The Caucus
As the older method of choosing delegates, the caucus system was utilized by all States in the Union until the 1832 election. The term “caucus” is derived from Latin origin, meaning, “a drinking vessel” and was used to describe informal local political clubs prior to the forming of the United States.
A caucus is defined as “a meeting of a political group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters.” In the nominating process, a caucus is a local meeting where registered members of a party gather to select a delegate that may represent them at the National Convention. In most states, the attendees at the precinct caucus vote for their preferred party candidate, which informs and directs a percentage of the State’s delegation at the National Party Convention. In 2016, approximately 123,500 Democratic voters in Colorado attended their local caucus on March 1st and voted to select a party candidate. In contrast, the Republican Party in Colorado decided to forgo voting for a candidate in their precinct caucuses and only selected delegates for their future convention. This means that of the 5.5 million citizens of Colorado, only 2.2 percent of the population voted to select a Presidential candidate for the 2016 general election.
In 2016, thirteen states (Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Maine, Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, and Wyoming) utilized the caucus system. In most states, only registered voters can participate in a caucus, and they are limited to the caucus of the party with which they are affiliated. Caucuses are typically used in combination with congressional district assemblies and a state convention to elect delegates to the national nominating convention for presidential elections.
The Primary
A primary is a state-run process of selecting candidates and delegates, where the results are used to determine the configuration of delegates at the national convention of each party. Unlike caucuses, primaries are conducted at regular polling stations, paid for by the state, and overseen by state election officials. Voters cast a secretballot for their preferred candidate, as compared to caucuses where the voting is done in a group forum usually by a show of hands or breaking into groups based on support. In 2016, thirty-seven U.S. states (New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Arizona, Wisconsin, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota) and the District of Columbia will conduct a primary election. Voter participation tends to be significantly higher in primaries. In 2016, more than 1.5 million citizens of the state of Missouri voted to nominate candidates for president. With approximately 6 million people living in Missouri, this equates to 25 percent of the population voting for a presidential candidate.
There are several types of primaries in the U.S. system: closed primary, semi-closed primary, open primary, and semi-open primary.
Closed primary: Participation is open only to a particular political party’s registered members. Independents or other party members cannot participate. Florida holds a closed primary.
Semi-closed primary: Participation is open to registered party members and unaffiliated voters. State election rules determine whether unaffiliated voters may make their choice. New Hampshire holds a semi-closed primary.
Open primary: Any registered voter may participate in any party primary. Illinois holds an open primary.
Semi-open primary: Any registered voter may participate in any party primary but when they identify themselves to election officials, they must request a party’s specific ballot. Ohio holds a semi-open primary.
Prior to the 1970s, most states utilized the caucus system to choose their delegates, but public outcry over corruption by political bosses led to substantial changes in the process for the 1972 election. The caucus system favored powerful leaders with pull in their delegation like famous party boss Mayor Daley of Chicago. In 1968, CBS reporter, Martin Plissner, stated, “If Daley instructs the Illinois delegates to vote for Ho Chi Minh, all but twenty votes will go to Ho Chi Minh without question.” In an effort to make the nomination process more inclusive and transparent, most states have moved to the primary system.
Political Party National Conventions
Every four years, a political party national convention is hosted, usually in the summer, by the major political parties who field nominees in the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November. The purpose of the national convention is to select the party’s nominee for President, adopt a policy platform, and adopt the rules for the party’s activities for the next election cycle. During the convention, a roll call of the votes is held, where each state delegation announces its vote totals. If no candidate secures a majority of delegates during the first vote, a “Brokered Convention” in invoked. In a brokered convention, most pledged delegates are released from their agreements to support a specific candidate and delegates are then able to switch their allegiance to a different candidate. The party nomination is then decided through a process of debate and rounds re-voting until a candidate is selected.
Before 1820, members of Congress would hold a caucus meeting and nominate candidates from their party. There were no primaries or national conventions, instead congressional party members gathered in a caucus meeting to decide the party’s candidate. The system was altered following the U.S. Presidential election of 1824, referred to as “The Corrupt Bargain,” when Andrew Jackson won the popular and electoral college vote, but the U.S. House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams to be President. Mr. Jackson decried the corruption stating, “I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office.”
Andrew Jackson, a Freemason and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee (1822-1824),was among the most strident critics of the caucus method of selecting candidates. In his 1828 presidential bid, Jackson ran with the vocalized intent of restoring the voice of the people to the election process. As a man of the people, Andrew Jackson argued that the caucus system was elitist and undemocratic, as only a small percentage of the population was engaged in the process. Jackson pledged that he would open up the system to increase the political power of the electorate, and he proposed to eliminate the Electoral College and institute a direct popular election of the president. Jackson argued, ” Our government is founded upon the intelligence of the people. I for one do not despair of the republic. I have great confidence in the virtue of the great majority of the people, and I cannot fear the result.” The election of 1828 was described as a “triumph of democratic politics,” in which more than 1.1 million men participated compared to only 300,000 in 1824.
Andrew Jackson was elected U.S. President in 1828 and was re-elected in 1832. In 1832, national conventions were held by the political parties, including the Anti-Masonic Party which held its convention in Baltimore, Maryland on September 26, 1831 to select William Wirt as their Presidential candidate. President Andrew Jackson, candidate of the Democratic Party, won re-election against Henry Clay the candidate of the National Republican Party, and William Wirt the candidate of the Anti-Masonic Party. Jackson won with 219 of the 286 electoral votes cast in the national election.
Can we communicate effectively without understanding the origin and history of our common language? The American Lexicon includes many terms that Americans utilize often without knowing where the phrase originated. The English word “lexicon” is derived from Greek words “lexis,” translated as “speech,” and “legein” translated as “to say.”
Defined as “the words used in a language or by a person or group of people,” lexicon encapsulates a multitude of words and phrases, including “Google” which most people now attribute to the search engine without realizing that the company’s name is a clever spelling of the mathematical term Googol. Coined by U.S. mathematician Edward Kasner in the late 1930s, “Googol“ is a noun meaning, “a number that is equal to 1 followed by 100 zeros.”
Freemasons are encouraged to study the Liberal Arts and Sciences: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. Grammar teaches us the system and structure of a language, including word meaning, punctuation, verb tense, and sentence structure. Proper understanding of the art of grammar provides a strong foundation for studying and mastering rhetoric, or the art of persuasion. Rhetoric can understood as the ability to communicate effectively through the establishment of common ground between speaker and listener. Is the study of etymology an integral component in mastering the arts of grammar and rhetoric?
The study of etymology provides an enhanced ability to understand and communicate, thus improving our grammatical and rhetorical skills. By studying grammar through the lens of etymology, one begins to see patterns and gain understanding about the development of the English language. Comprehending the history of words and phrases helps to establish rhetorical ethos allowing for appeals to the audience’s beliefs, history, morals, or ideals. Studying etymology, including a phrase’s history, original meaning, and present usage, can provide clarification of meaning that can be otherwise lost or misconstrued by the passage of time.
The American Lexicon: Ground Zero
After September 11, 2001, the term “Ground Zero” was permanently affixed to the tragedy at the World Trade Center. Few people realize that the term was originally coined by the physicists of the Manhattan Project at the U.S. Atomic Bomb testing site in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Known under the code name Trinity, the test was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon conducted by the United States Army on July 16, 1945. The phrase, however, did not enter the American Lexicon until the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In a June 1946 report, the phrase “Ground Zero” was used to describe the spot on the ground directly underneath the aerial detonation of the atomic bombs: the spot in the air was called “air zero” and the spot on the ground was called “ground zero.” Following World War II, the report received tremendous attention from the press and the public. Becoming part of the lexicon, the general public used the term in reference to a nuclear bomb during the years of the Cold War.
In the latter part of 20th Century, “Ground Zero” was symbolically expanded to mean the “center of an explosion” or the site of activity where an explosion has occurred. American Language Expert, Ben Zimmer, explained that during this period the phrase, “developed a kind of metaphorical meaning. Some people used it to mean, basically, the same thing as square one. So, back to ground zero, back to the original place.”
When the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993, the press referred to the site as “Ground Zero,” and so it was already attributed to the World Trade Towers prior to 9/11. An ABC News Correspondent, John Miller was the first person to use the term in 2001. As a former deputy police commissioner of New York City, he was on scene reporting by 1:25 p.m. that day. Interviewing police officers he stated, “these are the stories of people who were there at ground zero when the first building fell.” The phrase was repeated in the evening broadcasts on the 11th, and it quickly became part of the American Lexicon used to describe the site of bombings in New York City.
The American Lexicon: The Bikini
Popularized by the actress Annette Funicello in the 1963 film “ Beach Party,” the ladies’ swimsuit known as the “Bikini” is well known in America. Although today the Bikini is ubiquitous within American culture, many people are unaware that the bikini also derives its name from a nuclear explosion. In the 1940s, Louis Réard, a French aspiring fashion designer, entrepreneur, and mechanical engineer, noticed that women on the beaches of St. Tropez were rolling up the edges of their swimsuits to get a better tan. Mr. Réard was inspired to design and produce a swimsuit with less fabric which exposed the wearer’s navel for the first time. His bikini consisted of four triangles made from 30 square inches of fabric.
Holding a press conference to unveil his work, Louis Réard introduced his design to the media and public on July 5, 1946, in Paris at Piscine Molitor, a public pool in Paris. Réard named his creation the “bikini,” inspired by the explosion of an atomic bomb by the U.S. Military at the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean five days earlier. The first nuclear weapon tests since Trinity in New Mexico, the United States tested two nuclear weapons at the Bikini Atoll under the name Operation Crossroads. The purpose of the tests was to investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on warships, and Operation Crossroads was the first nuclear test to be publicly announced and attended by a live audience including a large press corps. A fleet of 95 target ships was assembled in Bikini Lagoon and hit with two detonations of Fat Man plutonium implosion-type nuclear weapons, each yielding 23 kilotons of TNT. With a large press corps in attendance, the nuclear testing at the Bikini Atoll was a huge international press event with obvious impacts on popular culture and the international lexicon.
Réard reportedly termed his swimsuit the “bikini” because he believed its revealing style would create reactions among people similar to those created by the explosion of a nuclear bomb. His belief proved accurate as the “bikini” shocked the press and public because it was the first to reveal the woman’s navel. Less than a month after the swimsuit was unveiled to the public, the U.S. military conducted the second atomic test of Operation Crossroads at the Bikini Atoll and named the bomb Helen of Bikini, which was detonated 90 feet underwater on July 25, 1946.
Whether the U.S. Military named the bomb in reference to Réard’s creation is unclear. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that Greek women wore two-piece swimsuits, resembling the “bikini,” for athletic purposes, as depicted on Greek urns and paintings dating back to 1400 B.C. Regardless, the American public was shocked by the navel-revealing “bikini” and the swimsuit was not worn by the general public until the 1960s.
The American Lexicon: Meeting on the Level
Freemasonry was founded on the principal of the equality of all of mankind, symbolically illustrated by the builder’s tool of a level. Although the phrase, “Meeting on the Level,” is less commonly heard in today’s vernacular, it was once a staple of the American Lexicon. Today, Americans are more likely to use the expression, “meeting on a level playing field,” which denotes a situation where neither party has an advantage over the other.
In sports where the game operates on a playing field, such as Football, one team would have an unfair advantage if the field sloped in one direction. In order to make things equal or level regardless of any defects in a playing field, it is customary in American sports for teams to swap ends of the playing field at half-time.
In American Politics, the concept of a level playing field is often referenced in Presidential speeches regarding individuals’ access to education, employment, and health-care. On September 2, 2004, Former U.S. President George W. Bush used the phrase stating, “To create jobs, we will expand trade and level the playing field to sell American goods and services across the globe.” Similarly, President Barack Obama often discusses the importance of a “level playing field.” In a speech given on January 30, 2009, he expressed, “We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests, because we know that you cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement.”
What is the purpose of religion? To be certain, the teachings of morality are fundamental to all of the world’s major religions. Each religion teaches a form of the Golden rule: do unto others as you would have done to you. In Judaism, followers are instructed, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary” (Talmud, Shabbat 3id).
Is the purpose of religion also to teach wisdom and enlighten the followers of that faith? Most religions provide exoteric or fundamental teachings, as well as, a path of esoteric study for those who seek it. Perhaps it could be said that once a fundamental understanding of the tenants of a religion is obtained, a door swings open providing the seeker a deeper level of wisdom and understanding. In Christianity, the Apostle Paul writes, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Corinthians 3: 1-2). Similar to all world religions, the dichotomy of basic and advanced study exists within the religion Islam, where Sufism serves as the esoteric branch of the religion.
What is Sufism?
Sufism is the esoteric school of Islam, which was founded for the pursuit of spiritual truth as a definite goal to attain. The word Sufi is Persian in origin, meaning “Wisdom.” From the original root word, many derivations can be traced into other languages, including the Greek, “Sophia.” Students of Sufism seek knowledge in order to understand reality as it truly is which they believe will ultimately allow the individual to achieve Ma’arefat: divine gnosis. Thus, perfect self-understanding will lead to the understanding of God, as the Prophet Mohammed stated, “Whoever knows oneself, knows one’s Lord.”
As with many forms of mysticism, the exact origins of Sufism are unknown, some evidence suggests that it dated back to ancient Egypt. According to the Muslim tradition, the descriptive term ‘Sufi’ was decided at a council of 45 mystics in 623 C.E.: the second year of the Islamic calendar and the Order was officially founded in 657 C.E.
The Teachings of Sufism
Sufism is rooted in the teachings of the Koran, the Holy Book of the Muslims. The central message of Islam is the declaration of faith, referred to as the Shahada which states: “There is no god but God [Allah] and Muhammad is the Messenger of God [Allah].” From the esoteric perspective of the Sufi, this statement can be understood as “there is no reality except Reality.” Within Islamic esotericism, knowledge is made accessible depending on the integrity and cognitive abilities of the individual. This measured unveiling of spiritual truths is called Hikmat at-Tadrij: the “Wisdom of Gradualness.”
To a Sufi, there exists no gulf of separation between the Creator and His Creation. The perception of fundamental unity, however, is masked to most of humanity due to the limitations of the material and physical tools that mankind possesses. Sufism provides a pathway that can be followed through purification and meditation in order to perceive what is already a reality. When the heart is purified, the God is reflected in the mirror of the heart, transporting man from his carnal state to the true human being.
Poetry and Ritual of Sufism
One of the beautiful aspects of Sufism is the poetry written by its followers. Two of the most famous Sufi poets are Jalaluddin Rumi and Hafiz of Shiraz. Jalaluddin Rumi was a 12th century saint and mystic who provided the inspiration for the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, which practices the Sufi ritual of revolution in order to be in harmony with all things in nature offering praise to God.
You’ve no idea how hard I’ve looked for a gift to bring You.
Nothing seemed right.
What’s the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean.
Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient.
It’s no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these.
So, I’ve brought you a mirror.
Look at yourself and remember me.
– Rumi
Hafiz of Shiraz also lived in the 12th century and is considered the greatest lyric poet of Persia, whose poetic form has been described as taking unparalleled heights of subtlety and beauty.
Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe Me.”
Look what happens
with a love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.
-Hafiz
Sufism and Freemasonry
How does Sufism relate to Freemasonry? Freemasonry is not a religion, rather, it teaches its members to respect all religions and faiths. Religious tolerance is an important tenet of Masonry because members of the Fraternity belong to all major faiths. It is not uncommon to find Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists all belonging to the same Masonic obedience and happily working together to assist humanity and to glorify God.
At its core, Freemasonry is a search for truth: a guiding principle the fraternity shares with Sufism. The Sufi Hadith wrote, “Our cause is the truth of truth. It is the exoteric, the esoteric of the exoteric and the esoteric of the esoteric. It is the secret of the secret; it is the secret of that which remains wrapped in secret.” In our modern world, confusion, ignorance, and falsehood blind humanity to the true nature of reality: the universal oneness of the All.
Like Masonry, Sufism requires the individual to be initiated, after a period of time where he or she has been subjected to various trials. In Sufism, these trials are aimed at provoking what is referred to as “Awakening of the Sufi” or the “Awakening of a Friend.” The Sufi Scholar Omar Ali Shah explains that the esoteric school is based on the “doctrine which seeks to remove the veil from the eye of the heart to see what is real.” Thus, initiates of both organizations are prepared in their hearts to serve and enlighten.
Six million people beneath your feet. Meticulously arranged and organized. Hundreds and hundreds of years of history. The Paris Catacombs are famous for being one of the most ominous and interesting sites below the city’s streets. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Catacombs and experiencing its allure, and I found myself curious about the nuances of the former mining tunnels.
Into the Past
The Catacombs of Paris came out of necessity. The Les Innocents cemetery was rancid and overflowing. The cemetery, which since the mid-12th century had been Paris’s primary burial site, was a home to remains dating back hundreds of years. To account for all the city’s dead, the church began to place the bones of the deceased within the cemetery walls. Galleries, they were called. It became a mass grave.
Things became complicated when the basement of the church began to collapse under the weight of the cemetery. This was in the late 18th century. Consider the amount of bodies that must have been amassed by then, as burials with the Les Innocents cemetery did not stop despite the overwhelming conditions. Mines and other subterranean areas within the city were put up for consideration as the situation became more and more desperate.
Thus began the moving of millions of bones into tunnels beneath the surface of the city. The transfer took two years. The cemetery at Les Innocents was not the only burial ground emptied, it was only the largest and most problematic. Bones from at least five cemeteries were exhumed and moved.
The Catacombs Today
When you walk through the Catacombs of Paris, you are experiencing the bones of revolutionaries and soldiers. The bones of the elite, of the peasants and workers. The bones of the sick and the bones of the deprived. All of them together, connected. Where else might you see such a gathering? A true city, and community, of the dead.
The arrangement of bones is fascinating. In the early 19th century, an effort was headed by the Paris Mine Inspection Service to transform the catacombs from a mere collection of the deceased into a mausoleum of sorts. Walls of femurs and skulls were constructed to contain the bones. Various patterns were used to compliment the dead. Traditional cemetery trappings were added to various sections of the tunnels, too: these included arches and inscriptions, as well as displays and memorials. It is truly a wonder seeing bones transformed into such beauty.
Since its renovation, the Catacombs have been open to the public. People have been witnessing the site for nearly two hundred years. Though it has been closed a few times due to vandalism, the Catacombs have endured through revolution, upheaval, and war. Of late, it has become an extremely popular tourist site, with lines stretching far away from its entrance in Montparnasse.
Through My Eyes
My experience in the Catacombs was hair-raising. Never before had I witnessed so much history in one compact space. “Stop! This is the Empire of the Dead” reads the entrance. And an empire it is, truly. There I was, walking through the lives of six million people. The empty eye sockets of skull atop skull staring me down. As an American, I almost felt out of place, like I was interrupting something profound. But there was nothing, only silence. The air in the cavern chilled me to my bones.
The attention to detail is astounding, almost haunting, as one display contained a heart shaped out of skulls, another a small diorama of buildings and other structures. Clever and beautiful, and quite utilitarian. You almost forget that you are underground, that there is an entire city bustling above your head. It almost humbles Paris: not only is it unique above the ground, but below as well. In a very different way, of course. It is quite literally a testament to the depth of such a city.
You may say that there are bones beneath every settlement, below every forest, every plain, every step, wherever you walk, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of stacks and patterns of visible history: bodies of bones, an empire of the dead.
Posthumous Remorse
When you will sleep, O dusky beauty mine, Beneath a monument fashioned of black marble, When you will have for bedroom and mansion Only a rain-swept vault and a hollow grave,
When the slab of stone, oppressing your frightened breast And your flanks now supple with charming nonchalance, Will keep your heart from beating, from wishing, And your feet from running their adventurous course,
The tomb, confidant of my infinite dreams (For the tomb will always understand the poet) Through those long nights from which all sleep is banned, will say:
“What does it profit you, imperfect courtesan, Not to have known why the dead weep?” — And like remorse the worm will gnaw your skin.
Among the cities of the United States, Washington D.C. rises above all others in its unique and complex design. Disregarding a strict grid plan that was common during the time, the architects of our Nation’s Capitol had a grand vision developed upon an elaborate pattern of diagonal avenues and traffic circles. The city is a representation of unity as it symbolically brought together the union of the thirteen colonies struggling for independence.
L’Enfant’s Design
The District of Columbia was the unique design to Pierre Charles L’Enfant: a frenchman who came to America to fight against the British in the Revolutionary War and became George Washington’s trusted confidant. Like Washington, L’Enfant was a Freemason, initiated into Holland Lodge No. 8 in New York City in 1789.
Established in 1790 as an Act of Congress, Washington D.C. was established and authorized as the federal district. With an eye towards unifying the thirteen colonies, D.C. was located along the Potomac River between the northern and southern states. L’Enfant designed the city from a blank canvas: putting to a paper his vision of a grand capital of wide avenues, public squares, and inspiring buildings. The designer’s centerpiece was a great public walk, known today as the National Mall, from Capitol Hill to the Potomac River. Historians note the egalitarian nature of L’Enfant’s design signalling to the world that all citizens were to have equal access to the Nation’s Capitol.
Washington D.C.: “As Above, so Below”
Washington D.C. has been mapped as an earthly reflection of the celestial canopy above, designed with over thirty different zodiacs matching the constellations in the sky. In the National Academy of Sciences, twelve of the zodiacs are displayed in relief on the metal doors of the building. The Federal Reserve Board Building adds an additional two zodiacs designed in glass which glow with light. The Library of Congress Building displays another five zodiacs, as do many other important buildings in Washington D.C.
Crucial to L’Enfant’s Design was Pennsylvania Avenue which stretched a mile west from the Capitol to the White House, which coincidently is oriented to the rising and movement across the sky of the star Sirius. Using Dupont and Logan circles as northern points, one can trace various interlocking streets to form a star, including the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Latrobe, Architect of the U.S. Capitol Building
Although the cornerstone laying ceremony was held in 1793, the construction began in earnest on the U.S. Capitol when President Thomas Jefferson appointed Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Director of Public Works and set him to work as Architect of the U.S. Capitol. Latrobe was initiated in the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2, London in 1788. When he came to the United States, he affiliated with Lodge No. 54 in Richmond, Virginia. By 1814, the Capitol was almost complete when the British burned the structure as well as many of the other public buildings in D.C. From 1815 to 1817, Latrobe was engaged in rebuilding the Capitol, which rose like a Phoenix from the ashes on its original site. U.S. Historian Talbot Hamlin wrote, “Aesthetically the entire structure is essentially Latrobe’s. . . . In this great building, then, Latrobe set the basic tone and established a standard for government building which was to persist for generations.”
Timeline of the Construction of Washington D.C.
1783: The U.S. Constitution includes a provision for the construction of a federal city to be the permanent seat of the US federal government.
1790: The Residence Act implemented the Constitution. Washington gives to Pierre-Charles L’Enfant the mission of designing and laying out the new capital on a virgin diamond-shape land.
1803: Construction began on the U.S. Capitol Building, with Latrobe as Architect.
1847: The Smithsonian Institution is established by Congress.
1848: Construction of the Washington Monument began, which was not completed until 1884.
1901: The McMillan Plan revived the L’Enfant Plan, with the implementation of the National Mall. A shared goal of L’Enfant and McMillan Plans was to let air and light reach the pedestrian level, an egalitarian design for all Americans.
1922: The Lincoln Memorial is built. In the first decades of the 20th century, some lands were reclaimed from the Potomac River, in order to expand L’Enfant Plan by building waterfront parks and new monuments.
Freemasonic Influence
Freemasons have laid a cornerstone in most, if not all, of the major buildings in Washington, D.C. On September 18, 1793, President George Washington conducted the laying of the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. The newspaper of the day reported: “On Wednesday, one of the grandest Masonic processions took place, for the purpose of laying the corner-stone of the Capitol of the United States, which, perhaps, was ever exhibited on the like important occasion. About ten o’clock Lodge No. 9 was visited by that congregation so graceful to the craft, Lodge No. 22, of Virginia, with all their officers and regalia; and directly afterward appeared on the southern bank of the Grand River Potomack one of the finest companies of volunteer artillery that has been lately seen, parading to receive the President of the United States… The President of the United States and his attendant brethren ascended from the cavazion to the east of the corner-stone and there the Grand Master, pro tem., elevated on a triple rostrum, delivered an oration fitting the occasion, which was received with brotherly love and commendation.”
Perhaps, it should be of no surprise that Freemasonry, an organization constructed around the symbolic power of metaphor connecting architecture and art, should have had such a significant impact on the planning and building of the District of Columbia. It is estimated that approximately 28 of the 40 signers of the U.S. Constitution were Freemasons, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Ultimately, Washington D.C. encapsulates many a secret which is no secret revealed through the Masonic influences on the architecture, sculptures, and the overall design of our nation’s Capital, awaiting only the open eyes of an individual ready for such a revelation.
Described as “an Enlightenment allegory, veiled in Masonic ritual,” The Magic Flute was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final opera. A prolific composer, Mozart’s portfolio of works included over six hundred pieces of symphonic, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Of all his compositions, The Magic Flute receives a distinctive status due to its critical acclaim and public intrigue over the Opera’s esoteric themes. The fact that Mozart and his collaborator Emanuel Schikaneder were both Freemasons has only added to the mystery surrounding his enigmatic masterpiece.
Premiering on September 30, 1791 at Schikaneder’s Theatre in Vienna, The Magic Flute tells the tale of a prince compelled to complete a series of Herculean tasks, including vanquishing a wicked queen, assisted by the Princess Pamina. Mozart conducted the orchestra until his illness and death in December of 1791. Experienced through the eyes of the hero, the viewer shares in his enlightenment as Tamino gains knowledge and insight. At the beginning of the Opera, the prince believes without questioning what he sees and hears, however, through the journey, he matures in perception and understanding as he is eventually united with Pamina as members of Sarastro’s order.
Synopsis of The Magic Flute
Set in ancient Egypt, Prince Tamino is lost and pursued by a serpent. Collapsing from exhaustion, Tamino is saved by three ladies inthe service of the Queen of the night, who kill the serpent. When Tamino awakens, he meets a bird catcher named Papageno, who resembles a bird himself being covered with plumage. When Papageno boasts that he strangled the serpent, the three ladies reappear and punish Papageno for lying to the Prince. The women place a padlock over Papageno’s mouth.
After he learns that the women killed the serpent, the Prince expresses his appreciation for their actions in saving his life. The women give him a picture of Pamina, the beautiful daughter of the Queen of the Night, who they say has been kidnapped by the evil magician Sarastro. Tamino instantly falls in love with Pamina. The Queen appears and entreats Tamino to rescue Pamina promising that he can marry Pamina if he is successful. He agrees to the quest, and the women give Tamino a magic flute that can change men’s hearts. Removing the padlock from Papageno, the women present him with silver bells to be used for protection. Papageno and Tamino set forth on their quest, guided by three boys.
In Sarastro’s Palace, Pamina is guarded by a villain named Monostatos, who is attempting to seduce her. Sent ahead by Tamino, Papageno arrives and terrifies Monostatos into fleeing. Papageno then announces to Pamina that her mother has sent Tamino to rescue her. Pamina rejoices to hear that Tamino is in love with her.
Lead by the three boys, Prince Tamino arrives at a temple. He finds three doors, but he is denied entrance to the doors of Nature and Reason. When he tries the third door, the Gate of Wisdom, a priest appears and explains that Sarastro is good and the Queen is the evil figure. After the priest leaves, Tamino plays his magic flute in hopes of summoning Pamina and Papageno and ward off wild beasts.
The tones of his magical instrument are returned with the sound of Papageno’s bells, causing Tamino to leave the scene. Papageno appears with Pamina and they are apprehended by Monostatos and his servants. Papageno plays his magic bells, and the villains are enchanted to release Pamina and Papageno.
Hearing the approach of Sarastro, Papageno is frightened and asks Pamina what they should say. She replies, “The truth! The truth! Even if it were a crime.” Sarastro and his followers arrive and Sarastro conducts a judicial proceeding. During the trial, Pamina confesses that she was trying to escape because Monostatos had demanded her love. Forgiving her, Sarastro informs Pamina she is free of Monostatos , but he will not allow her to leave. Arriving with Tamino as captive, Monostatos enters and tries to convince Sarastro that Tamino deserves retribution. Sarastro denies Monostatos’ claims and sentences him to receive 77 strokes of the bastinado. Tamino and Papageno are taken into the Temple of Trial to be purified, and the First Act ends with a chorus:
“Brethren! Initiates of the Temple of Wisdom; Servants of Isis and Osiris! Tamino, who is waiting at the Northern Gate of the Temple, is yearning to be free of the veil of the night, he wants to behold the sanctuary of Light.”
Act II
A council of priests, including Sarastro, deliberate and determine that Tamino shall be allowed to have Pamina if he succeeds in passing through the Temple of Ordeal. The council does not want Pamina to be returned to her mother, the Queen of the Night, who they believe has infected the world with superstition. Subsequently, Sarastro prays to the gods Isis and Osiris, askings for the protection of Tamino and Pamina by requesting that the Gods take the two into their heavenly dwelling place should they meet death in the course of their trials.
Back at the Temple of the Ordeal, Tamino is cautioned that this is his last chance to turn back. He responds that he will undergo every trial to win his Pamina. The priest also asks Papageno if he will concede to every trial, but he replies that he is uninterested in obtaining wisdom. The priest responds that Papageno may receive a woman, Papagena, if he undergoes the trials. Papageno agrees to also undergo the trials. Tamino and Papageno are instructed that their first trial is that they must remain silent under the temptation of women.
Three ladies appear and tempt them to speak. Tamino and Papageno remain firm, although Tamino must constantly restrain Papageno commanding him to be “Still!” Papageno confronts one of the priests demanding to know why he must undergo tests if Sarastro already has a woman that wants to be his wife. The priest responds that it is the only way.
In a garden, Monostatos approaches and gazes upon a sleeping Pamina with rapture. The Queen of the Night appears and tells Pamina that she must kill Sarastro if she wishes to remain her daughter. She gives Pamina a dagger with which to kill Sarastro. Observing the conversation, Monostatos tries to force Pamina to love him by telling her that he will reveal the exchange. Sarastro appears and rebukes Monostatos, while reassuring Pamina.
Approached by Pamina, Tamino and Papageno continue in their ordeal mandated silence. Papageno can no longer hold his tongue, but Tamino remains firm. Since Tamino refuses to answer, Pamina believes he no longer loves her and is heartbroken.Yearning for his woman, Papageno plays his magic bells. At the first ordeal, an old woman approached Papageno declaring herself his bride. Reappearing, she has transformed herself into the young and pretty Papagena. The priests send her away with thunder and lightning. Frightened, She vanishes and Papageno is miserable. Shattered by Tamino’s rejection, Pamina attempts to commit suicide but is stopped by the three boys.
Counseled by two men in armor, Tamino is given advice and instruction. Sarastro and Pamina appear, and Tamino is allowed to speak with her and assures Pamina of his love. Pamina and Tamino are allowed to undertake their final ordeals together, fire and water. Pamina leads him through the ordeals, and they triumph with the help of the magic flute.
Contemplating suicide, Papageno is distraught wishing for Papagena. Three Boys appear and remind him to use his magic bells, which indeed summon Papagena. The two are united, stuttering at first in astonishment. Seeking to destroy the temple, Monsanto’s and the Queen of the Night reappear, but they are magically cast out into eternal night. Sarastro bids the young lovers welcome at the entrance of the Temple and unites them. The members of the Temple praise Tamino and Pamina for their success in enduring their trials and give thanks to the Gods.
Masonic Symbolism in The Magic Flute
At the age of twenty-eight, Mozart joined a Masonic Lodge in the autumn of 1784 and spent a total of seven years as a Mason. Many of his compositions during this period demonstrate his dedication to Masonry, including his final masterpiece, The Magic Flute. The Opera celebrates several integral Masonic themes: the importance of morality, the destruction of ignorance through enlightenment, and the virtues of knowledge, justice, wisdom, and truth. Moreover, the Opera includes the evocation of the four elements of earth, air, water and fire and the requirement of silence.
The number three is repeated throughout the story and in the music of opera: three women in service to the Queen of the Night, three boys, three doors to the Temple, three loud chords at the beginning of the Overture, the three flats of E-flat Major key throughout much of the score.
“He who treads the road full of care,
Is purified by fire, water, air and earth.
If he can overcome the fear of death,
he soars heavenwards away from earth!”
Viewed within a historical and political context of the Age of Enlightenment, the Opera’s Queen of the Night was seen to represent the Austrian empress Maria Theresa who vehemently opposed Freemasonry. Her antagonist, Sarastro, symbolized an enlightened sovereign who ruled according to the principles of reason and wisdom. Providing an allegory to the ideal progress of humanity towards enlightenment, Tamino journeys from chaos as represented by the serpent through the religious superstition of the Queenof the Night, and eventually arrives at rational enlightenment at the Temples of Sarastro.
The Magic Flute demonstrates an enlightened portrayal of gender equality through Pamina’s invitation to join Sarastro’s order by undergoing her own initiation. Scholar Julian Rushton argues in the publication, New Grove Opera, that “the implication that women should become initiates is the opera’s title to true Enlightenment.” In the second act, the Two Men in Armor counsel Tamino and address Pamina’s fate stating, “A womanwho is not afraid of night and death, is worthy, and will be initiated.” Musicologist H. C. Robbins-Landon has postulated that the Opera demonstrated Mozart’s wish “to reform the St. John Masonry to which he belonged by asking that women be included in the Craft’s membership.”
Most Americans recognize Benjamin Franklin as one our Nation’s most influential Founding Fathers, but many do not realize that he was also a Freemason. In 1731, he joined the Masonic Lodge of St. John in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1732, Franklin helped to create the bylaws of his Lodge. By 1734 his hard work and dedication led him to the highest rank within the organization: Grand Master. That year, Franklin also published the first Masonic book printed in America, The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, which was produced in Philadelphia. Devoted to Freemasonry, Franklin remained an active member for over sixty years until his death in 1790 at age 84. In 1776, he was sent to Paris to serve as America’s diplomat to France. In France, he joined and became the Grand Master of the Nine Sisters Lodge in Paris.
Franklin’s Early Life
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin was the fifteenth of seventeen children of his father, Josiah Franklin, and his mother, Abiah Folger, who was Josiah’s second wife. Like all his siblings, Benjamin was raised as a Christian. He attended the Boston Latin School until he decided to pursue a career as a journalist. Ending his formal education, he went to work as an apprentice printer for his brother, James Franklin: the creator of the first independent newspaper in the American colonies. At the age of twenty-four, Benjamin was hired by the Pennsylvania Gazette, where he was able to both publish and write editorials for the local community. One of Benjamin’s defining characteristics was his seemingly insatiable desire for knowledge. He was driven by a love of learning that ultimately led him to become one of the best writers, statesmen, and scientists of his day.
Franklin’s Role as a Founding Father
A political expert, Benjamin Franklin, was recognized for his great wisdom and ingenuity by other influential Freemasons of his day, including Paul Revere, John Hancock, John Paul Jones, and George Washington. Franklin felt personally responsible for his role in shaping America’s future and devoted much of his life to U.S. politics. At the time of his birth the future United States. existed solely as a small and dependent British colony. Assisting in the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence at the age of seventy, Franklin took great responsibly in leading the colony through the Continental Congress. He also signed the Treaty of Paris and the U.S. Constitution. Franklin was a visionary who worked with dedication to create a more perfect society in America: an intellectual and humane civilization.
Devoted Scientist and Inventor
A celebrated inventor, he created many things including: the lightning rod, the glass armonica, bifocal glasses, a flexible catheter, and the Franklin stove. His renowned work with electricity earned him the Copley Medal from the Royal Society. In 1743, Franklin created the scientific-based American Philosophical Society, which was instituted to help scientists discuss their experiments and discoveries. Describing the society, Franklin writes, “The One Society be formed of Virtuosi or ingenious Men residing in the several Colonies, to be called The American Philosophical Society, who are to maintain a constant Correspondence.”
Franklin’s Faith in Freemasonry
Franklin held deep respect for the institution of Freemasonry and Freemasons. He explained his trust of Freemasons to his skeptical mother in a letter: “I assured her that they are in general a very harmless sort of people, and have no principles or practices that are inconsistent with religion and good manners.” He respected his Brothers for their peaceful ways, strong morals, and dedication to self-betterment.
Benjamin Franklin possessed a strong faith in God, “the Great Father,” and worked towards a universal Brotherhood of all mankind. He wrote, “Scripture assures me, that at the last Day, we shall not be examin’d what we thought, but what we did; and our Recommendation will not be that we said Lord, Lord, But that we did Good to our Fellow Creatures.”
Timeline of Ben Franklin’s Life
1706: Born on January 6, in Boston, MA.
1718: Apprenticed as a printer to his brother James Franklin
1724: Moved to London and worked in a London Printshop until 1726
1731: Became a Freemason joining St. John’s Lodge in Philadelphia
1732: Published his first Poor Richard’s Almanac
1734: Elected Grand Master of Pennsylvania
1737: Became Postmaster for Philadelphia
1743: Created the American Philosophical Society
1751: Elected to Pennsylvania Assembly; Published Experiments and Observations on Electricity
1753: Named Deputy Postmaster-General for North America
1754: Proposed a plan for Union of the Colonies
1756: Elected to Royal Society
1763: Sent to London representing Pennsylvania; Became unofficial spokesman for the Colonies
1766: Testified against the Stamp Act before the British House of Commons
In today’s technology focused culture, we are often rendered deaf to the Nature’s grand call to adventure. Why endure discomfort and unknown risk when we can comfortably sit on our couches and watch someone else’s adventure on television? My response: Why not? We all deserve to be the hero in our own great adventure story. Down deep, each of us has a hidden explorer awaiting an opportunity to face the unknown and emerge victorious. When the call comes, how will you answer?
The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
The early years of the twentieth century were known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and the South Pole represented the planet’s final unknown frontier. In the published maps of the day, the Antarctic interior was a blank canvas upon which inspired nations and ambitious men alike sought to make their mark. In 1914, an explorer named Ernest Shackleton answered his greatest call to adventure. He ambitiously set out to lead the first expedition across Antarctica starting from the coast of the Weddell Sea, traversing the South Pole and ending up at the Ross Sea.
Having been a part of two previous expeditions to the continent, Shackleton possessed experience and knowledge of polar climes. He was the rare sort of man who learned from his past mistakes and systematically sought to apply those lessons to his future endeavors. Knowing the psychological strain that the men would be forced to endure in Arctic conditions, Shackleton required a crew that shared his idealistic vision and tenacious spirit – men like those in one of Shackleton’s favorite poems who longed to mark “the map’s void spaces.”
Methodical in his planning, Shackleton created a list qualities he was searching for that included: optimism, patience, imagination (combined with idealism), and courage. Shackleton reportedly then placed an advertisement in the London Times which read:
How many of us would respond to such an advertisement? Who would volunteer to sail through frigid seas to walk across an uncharted frozen abyss? Reportedly, thousands of men sought a spot on Ernest Shackleton’s crew and 28 were chosen. The Endurance is legendary, in the records of polar exploration, despite the fact that the expedition’s initial objectives were never reached.
The Expedition
In August 1914, the ship set sail for Antarctica by way of South Georgia Island, a whaling settlement off the coast of South America. Heading south, the wooden ship immediately encountered problems navigating through unusually thick packs of ice that created an ever moving labyrinth of destruction. By January of 1915, the crew aboard the Endurance was able to see the Antarctic mainland, but fiercely cold temperatures and polar winds trapped the vessel in ice.
Locked in place, the crew had no choice but to wait until the warmer temperature of spring could free the vessel. Shackleton demonstrated great leadership skills in keeping all crew members occupied in strict routines to mitigate the collective fears and anxiety of the men on board. Months passed and morale continued to sink as the ship remained cinched despite the warmer temperatures of summer. The sheer pressure of the ice was weakening the boat causing the emission of auditory signals that the boat’s collapse was imminent. Creaks and groans were interspersed with sharp explosions, reported by the crew to sound like gunshots and heavy fireworks. Tom McLeod responded in fear, “Do you hear that? We’ll none of us get back to our homes again.”
Yet, as the wood was violently twisted and pinched, Ernest Shackleton remained astonishingly calm, displaying remarkable self-control, optimism, and almost casual indifference to the impending doom.
Facing the failure of his mission, he rejected defeat by adapting his mission and setting his sights on a new objective. He wrote, “If the one goal had disappeared, we’ll have another one. And so if I can’t cross the continent, I am going to bring all my men back alive.”
After ordering the men off the sinking ship, Shackleton marched his crew out onto the ice with the barest of supplies to make camp. By April 1916, the ice began to break up and the men navigated in three row boats to the rocky, deserted refuge of Elephant Island. Knowing that inaction meant that all would perish there, Shackleton decided to attempt one of the most daring open-boat voyages in recorded history.
In a small row boat, Shackleton and five of his crew managed somehow to navigate 800 miles to South Georgia through hurricane force winds and raging seas utilizing only a sextant, a handheld tool that provides direction via celestial positioning. Imprecise readings would have meant the waves, winds, and current would have led the small craft into the open ocean and certain death. Due to the unparalleled navigating skills of Frank Worsley, the crew made it South Georgia, but they landed on the uninhabited side of the island. With almost no equipment, Shackleton and the men cross 30 miles of uncharted mountains in 36 hours. Reaching whaling station, Shackleton enlisted the help of the crew of the Yelco, a Chilean Steamer. Traveling back to Elephant island, he rescues the remaining men on August 30, 1916. “I have done it,” he wrote to his wife, Emily. “Not a life lost, and we have been through Hell.” Displaying the utmost devotion and responsibility for his team, his men returned his commitment with fierce loyalty and uncompromising faith in his ability to bring them home safely.
The Call of Freemasonry
In our modern day, we may never face a life and death survival gauntlet like the men of the Endurance. We face more subtle foes of moral relativism, obsessive consumerism, and weak social networks created by distance and reliance on technology. Yet, we still must endeavor to create meaning and find purpose in our chaotic world. Through self-improvement and service to humanity, we can chart our own course to happiness and fulfillment.
Freemasonry calls us to embark on a profound adventure in a realm unexplored and uncharted by most modern individuals: to know oneself. Through hard work and perseverance, Masonry provides us with the tools for the highest degree of moral, intellectual, and spiritual development for all Mankind. Moreover, it teaches us the skills of leadership and reminds us the importance of caring for our fellow man. Supported by the bonds of Brotherhood, we can accomplish great feats of daring in our own inner quest. An admirer of the poetry of Robert Service, Ernest Shackleton included the poem, “Call of the Wild” in his journal writings during the Endurance Expedition. We are all called to such an adventure: a challenge to explore and conquer the deep recesses of the unknown.
Call of the Wild (Excerpt)
Have you gazed on naked grandeur
where there’s nothing else to gaze on,
Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore,
Big mountains heaved to heaven,
which the blinding sunsets blazon,
Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar?
Have you swept the visioned valley
with the green stream streaking through it,
Searched the Vastness for a something you have lost?
Have you strung your soul to silence?
Then for God’s sake go and do it;
Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost.
Let us probe the silent places,
let us seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know.
There’s a whisper on the night-wind,
there’s a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling, calling. . . let us go.
-Robert Service
Sir Ernest Shackleton [February 15, 1874 – January 5, 1922] was initiated into Navy Lodge No. 2612 of the United Grand Lodge of England on 9 July 1901. Shackleton attended the first regular meeting of Guild of Freemen Lodge No. 3525 in 1911 and was passed to the second degree by that lodge on 2 November 1911. He was raised to the degree of Master Mason at Guild of Freemen Lodge on 30 May 1913. | 2024-04-22T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3645 |
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I try to fix this problem and found that if we use filter: alpha(opacity=0); for set opacity of png image , this Makes that load of web page stop until load this image and then continue .I delete all css code such as filter: alpha(opacity=0); of my css files and retest but don't solved .
How to fix this?
gtmetrix link:
https://gtmetrix.com/reports/www.travelenter.com/O0zZGkzL
A:
I used number code such as
-ms-filter: "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(Opacity=50)"; in my css file for png image that after delete this codes my problem solved.
| 2023-08-25T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4567 |
Q:
MCMC-Draws from different MCMC- chains
I have questions about the usage of draws from a MCMC.
I estimate a hierarchical bayesian Multinomial Logit model (using bayesm in R). I am interested in the ratio of two coefficients 1 and 2, say b1/b2.
1. Is it better to calculate the mean of draws for each coefficient separately and then the ratio (mean(b1)/mean(b2)) or to calculate the ratio b1/b2 for each draw and then the mean of the ratios (mean(b1/b2 in draw 1; b1/b2 in draw 2 ...))? I assume, that the second idea is better?
2. An equivalent of "significance test" can be obtained for a coefficient by calculating mean and sd of the draws and then (mean(b1-Draws)/sd(b1-Draws). What can I do to test, if the ratio b1/b2 > 0? Can I simply calculate the ratio for each draw and take a look at the relative number larger than 0 (e.g. 97% of the ratios b1/b2 of my draws are >0 is equivalent to a p-value of 0,03)?
3. I also have to compare the ratio of the coefficients in two different experimental groups A and B. The Hypotheses is, that b1A/b2A > b1B/b2B. One idea is to estimate only one model and use group membership as a concomitant variable in the model.
However, can I also estimate separate models for both groups and compare the draws (Calculate b1A/b2A for each draw in group 1; calculate b1B/b2B for each draw in group 2; look for each draw, if b1A/b2A > b2A/b2B)?
Thank you for any help!
Stefan
A:
The ratio of the means is not the mean of the ratios.
$$ \dfrac{\sum_j x_j}{\sum_j y_j} = \sum_j w_j \dfrac{x_j}{y_j},$$
where $w_j = \dfrac{y_j}{\sum_j y_j}$. The correct way in this case is to calculate the ratio of the means of each coefficient, which converges to the ratio of the coefficients by the law of large numbers.
Calculate the ratios $r_j=b_1^{(j)}/b_2^{(j)}$. Using the sample of ratios, approximate the probability $P(b_1/b_2>0)$. This is the posterior probability of your hypothesis. This can be done by approximating the distribution of the ratios using a kernel density estimator and the by integrating this over $(0,\infty)$. A second method consists of dividing the number of positive ratios by the total number of ratios, as you did. THIS IS NOT A P-VALUE, p-values have nothing to do with Bayesian statistics. You have to understand what posterior probabilities mean. Try to read a book on the fundamentals of this theory.
For your last problem, calculate the sample of ratios for each group, say $r_A$ and $r_B$. Then, approximate $P(r_A>r_B) = P(r_B<r_A)$ as indicated in the following answer:
https://stats.stackexchange.com/a/30148
| 2024-02-04T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6741 |
Detroit Independent School District
Detroit Independent School District is a public school district based in Detroit in Red River County, Texas (USA). It is located about one hundred miles northeast of Dallas, near the Oklahoma border.
In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.
Schools
Head Start Center (Head Start-PreK)
Detroit Elementary School (Grades K-5)
Detroit Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Detroit High School (Grades 9-12)
TEA Ratings
Detroit High School and Middle School are both rated by the TEA (Texas Education Agency) as an Academically Acceptable campus, while the elementary school is rated as a Recognized Campus. 1 In 2009, the overall passing rate for the TAKS test for students in grade 11 was 67%.2 The state average was 75%.3
District Data
Detroit ISD currently has a total enrollment of 229 students, 144 of which are economically disadvantaged.4
Attendance rate: 96%
The average salary for teachers is $30,618, while the average starting salary is $26,640.4
Diversity of student body: White - 80.9%, African American - 15.1%, Hispanic 2.7%, Other - 1.3%.4
The school annual conducts the Student Armed Services Aptitude Battery (SASVAB) test and has one 2010 graduate in the Army Reserve.
References
External links
Detroit ISD
Sources
1https://web.archive.org/web/20130219165640/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/cgi/sas/broker
2https://web.archive.org/web/20110723120419/http://detroitisd.esc8.net/DOCS/DistData/AEIS2009.pdf
3https://web.archive.org/web/20110220003439/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/reporting/results/swresults/taks/2009/g11.pdf
4http://www.schools-data.com/schools/DETROIT-EL-DETROIT.html
Category:School districts in Red River County, Texas
Category:School districts in Texas | 2024-03-05T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9466 |
WASHINGTON - President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, dug in Tuesday, each declaring the other's position untenable in the ongoing fight to reopen the government and remove the threat of the first U.S. default.
The entrenchment comes as Washington entered the eighth day of a partial shutdown and with little more than one week to act to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit by the Oct. 17 deadline.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at its lowest level in six weeks on Tuesday.
Obama said at a White House news conference that he was "not budging" on his position that congressional Republicans raise the nation's borrowing authority without preconditions, and to allow a vote on a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government.
"Members of Congress - and the House Republicans in particular - don't get to demand ransom in exchange for doing their jobs, and two of their very basic jobs are passing a budget and making sure that America's paying its bills," Obama said.
"What the president said today was, if there is unconditional surrender by Republicans, he'll sit down and talk to us. That's not the way our government works," Boehner responded in a brief news conference.
The two parties are divided on timing for talks.
Obama and congressional Democrats are open to longer-term budget negotiations, but only after Republicans approve a stopgap funding bill and allow a required congressional vote to raise the debt limit.
The debt limit does not authorize new spending but allows the U.S. to pay for obligations Congress has already approved.
Republicans are seeking an agreement to begin a new round of budget talks before they agree to vote on either. Boehner noted that previous debt limit increases - including one in 2011 under Obama - have been coupled with deficit-reduction legislation.
The GOP-led House voted 224-197.
If Democrats agree, Republicans would consider short-term budget measures to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling until a longer-term agreement was secured.
Obama rejected the legislation and issued a veto threat. "I don't know that we need to set up a new committee for a process like that to move forward," Obama said, noting that the House and Senate Budget Committees have the power to negotiate a budget resolution without forming a new panel. However, Senate Republicans have rejected Democratic efforts to begin formal budget negotiations 20 times since March, in part because they have sought a standalone debate on the debt ceiling.
Senate Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday to suspend the debt ceiling until Dec. 31, 2014, past the midterm elections, and with no budgetary preconditions. The legislation will face a key procedural test vote later this week. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will also testify in the Senate on Thursday about the economic ramifications of default.
Until then, the two sides' strategies both rest on the belief that the other party will blink first. "The long and short of it is, there is going to be a negotiation here," Boehner said. "I want that conversation to occur now."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed confidence that Democrats will eventually get the votes to raise the debt ceiling. "I can't believe Republicans are willing to risk default," he said.
Obama said his administration is "exploring all contingencies" if Congress fails to meet the deadline. "So obviously, you know, worst-case scenario, there are things that we will try to do - but I will repeat, I don't think any option is good," he said. | 2023-10-11T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6724 |
"No American should tolerate these types of intrusions into the bedrock of our democracy."
According to a letter obtained by BuzzFeed News, high-profile intelligence experts are endorsing a bipartisan commission to investigate Russian hacking and "protect our democracy." The signers to support the legislation include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, and former acting director of the CIA Michael Morrell, reported BuzzFeed. “This inquiry should occur immediately. Anything less than a swift investigation will leave us vulnerable to another attack and, possibly worse, permit and normalize future interference,” reads the letter signed by 15 national security experts.
The Russian hacking came to light when the U.S. intelligence community announced that hackers affiliated with senior Russian officials interfered with the election to help Trump by hacking the Democratic National Convention and releasing emails. The letter endorses legislation to form a bipartisan commission to investigate the hacks, introduced by Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings and Eric Swalwell. The commission would create a 12-member panel made up of foreign policy, intelligence and election experts to examine attempts by the Russian government to influence the election, reported Roll Call. As it stands, no Republican has signed on to support the legislation.
When addressing investigations of Russian hacking, Trump said he wants to "move on to bigger and better things." However, ignoring the advice of high-ranking security experts could prove difficult.
"No American should tolerate these types of intrusions into the bedrock of our democracy. Our elections should always belong to us. When foreign interference occurs, both major political parties should unite and declare they will not tolerate it," the letter continues. "As such, it is inconceivable that we not seek to understand all aspects of what happened, including the mechanism by which the electronic hacks took place, the manner in which information collected was provided to those who released it to the public, the motives behind these efforts to influence our election, ways we can prevent future electoral interference, and how we should respond to future attacks." | 2023-10-15T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7030 |
Earning the Eagle Scout award is “quite an achievement,” says Stephen Colbert. But more than that, writes The Late Show host, earning Eagle is “the first steppingstone toward having your own TV show.”
That’s how “Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A.” begins a hilariously awesome congratulatory letter to a newly minted Eagle Scout.
The letter provides plenty of laughs — plus a glimpse at Colbert’s feelings about Scouting. Read it below. At the bottom you’ll find the mailing address for the show — a place to send your own fan mail to this famous fan of Scouting.
Share your letter
Have you gotten an Eagle letter from someone famous? Email it to me. | 2023-09-10T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/1824 |
Filesystem volume name: ext2test
Last mounted on: <not available>
Filesystem magic number: 0xEF53
Filesystem revision #: 0 (original)
Filesystem features: (none)
Default mount options: (none)
Filesystem state: clean
Errors behavior: Unknown (continue)
Filesystem OS type: Linux
Inode count: 56
Block count: 68
Reserved block count: 3
Free blocks: 36
Free inodes: 5
First block: 1
Block size: 1024
Fragment size: 1024
Blocks per group: 72
Fragments per group: 72
Inodes per group: 56
Inode blocks per group: 7
Filesystem created: Sat Jan 1 00:00:00 2000
Last mount time: n/a
Last write time: Sat Jan 1 00:00:00 2000
Mount count: 0
Maximum mount count: 20
Last checked: Sat Jan 1 00:00:00 2000
Check interval: 0 (<none>)
Reserved blocks uid: 0 (user root)
Reserved blocks gid: 0 (group root)
Group 0: (Blocks 1-67)
Primary superblock at 1, Group descriptors at 2-2
Block bitmap at 3 (+2)
Inode bitmap at 4 (+3)
Inode table at 5-11 (+4)
36 free blocks, 5 free inodes, 18 directories
Free blocks: 32-67
Free inodes: 52-56
| 2023-10-06T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7095 |
Place of Birth
Creators
Contents
History
Oblivion was an entity born from Kyle Rayner's anger. When Kyle's girlfriend Alex DeWitt got murdered, Kyle unconsciously expelled all his feelings of rage from himself, which took form as Oblivion, a being of energy that eventually manifested itself in the form of one of Kyle's childhood nightmares.
Although Oblivion wreaked havoc all over the galaxy and defeated the JLA,[1], Kyle managed to trap back him inside himself.[2] | 2023-12-19T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4447 |
Preconception nutritional intake and lifestyle factors: first results of an explorative study.
To describe nutritional intake and lifestyle factors in women planning pregnancy. A semi-quantitative, 1-month food frequency questionnaire and a questionnaire on health practices and personal views were filled out at home and verified by telephone interview. One hundred and one women agreed to participate and data of 69 women were eligible for evaluation. Women planning pregnancy (n=46) consumed significantly more saturated fats and proteins, less carbohydrates and higher median intakes of Vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, selenium, magnesium and iron than controls (n=23; P<0.05). However, the percentage of women planning pregnancy with intakes below recommended dietary allowances was 74% for iron, 59% for selenium, 48% for Vitamin A and 91% for copper. Ninety-six percent and 20% of them reported alcohol use and smoking, respectively. Nutritional intake of women in the preconception period appears to be inadequate. Efforts to increase awareness of a healthy diet and lifestyle before and throughout pregnancy should be continued. | 2024-04-04T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8089 |
class Nq < Formula
desc "Unix command-line queue utility"
homepage "https://github.com/chneukirchen/nq"
url "https://github.com/chneukirchen/nq/archive/v0.3.1.tar.gz"
sha256 "8897a747843fe246a6f8a43e181ae79ef286122a596214480781a02ef4ea304b"
license "CC0-1.0"
head "https://github.com/chneukirchen/nq.git"
bottle do
cellar :any_skip_relocation
sha256 "95011ee6d48728704ee95480374c545d3c2bcea8f4482cecd9b8dbbab9a2407b" => :catalina
sha256 "b5b3f7b76cc79a5bc6d4a55e4fb3e018b08052dc7faa173300b1ddf2e16e6bee" => :mojave
sha256 "a6d18f2d7f1fafd661a5d145599969707efe71969ccc6ac34593f3f60c59081a" => :high_sierra
sha256 "0e8d6557f7713be4c1e5074ea909d36cd12e2e17d85a1c0a1141ac64f06953d3" => :sierra
sha256 "67374f5db8a35f877a16e0fdbd313276fb269db81ce49e7654fb61fa865417cd" => :el_capitan
sha256 "6275d5e82b0031b90db56ceb085221afdf23b1fd21744848281bcd6cc07b6212" => :x86_64_linux
end
def install
system "make", "all", "PREFIX=#{prefix}"
system "make", "install", "PREFIX=#{prefix}"
end
test do
system "#{bin}/nq", "touch", "TEST"
assert_match /exited with status 0/, shell_output("#{bin}/fq -a")
assert_predicate testpath/"TEST", :exist?
end
end
| 2024-04-10T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3492 |
Japan Asks S. Korea to Stop Dokdo Defense Drills
Japan has asked South Korea to stop its military exercise to defend Dokdo islets in the East Sea, hours after the exercise began on Sunday.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said it strongly protested against the exercise and requested a halt to the drill, calling it "unacceptable and very regrettable."
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official reportedly telephoned the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo to lodge a strong protest on Sunday.
According to local media, the Japanese official made the protest referring to Dokdo as its Japanese name, Takeshima, saying that the islets are clearly Japanese territory historically and under international law.
The ministry said the Japanese Embassy made a similar protest to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
South Korea began a two-day military exercise on Sunday to better defend its easternmost Dokdo islets, which involves the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, as well as the Marine Corps and the Korea Coast Guard, including their troops, naval warships and aircraft. | 2024-04-25T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/1954 |
Berroco Comfort Chunky Yarn - 5781 Olive Video Reviews
Berroco Comfort Chunky is the same easy care, ultra-soft blend of Super Fine Acrylic and Super Fine Nylon as the rest of the Comfort range but with more oomph! Projects will fly off the needles with this lofty incarnation | 2023-08-26T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3097 |
Histone acetylation and deacetylation are key epigenetic modifications or heritable alterations of gene expression without changes in DNA sequence. Deregulation of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, showing either tumor-promoting or suppressive function, has been demonstrated in many cancers. The HDAC inhibitors currently in clinical trials have disappointing results in solid tumors, likely due to their broad specificity, toxicity and net effect of tumor-promoting and suppressive functions of HDACs. Therefore, there remains a need to identify new drug targets that are specific to the activity of HDACs with anti-tumor effects. Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is one of the most common and lethal pediatric cancers of soft tissue and is pathologically characterized by myogenic differentiation arrest. Most children with metastatic or recurrent ERMS will die from their cancer despite intensive chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, illustrating the pressing need for innovative therapy. Our data characterizing the effects of pan HDAC inhibitors in vitro and in vivo demonstrate anti-tumor phenotypes such as increased tumor cell differentiation and reduced self-renewal potential. The biological function specific to each HDAC in ERMS remains unknown. Using the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspersed short palindrome repeats)/Cas9 genome engineering technology, we have targeted class I and class II HDAC genes in an ERMS cell line and demonstrated either tumor promoting or suppressive roles of selected HDACs in ERMS. The goals of the proposed study are to determine the role of HDAC genes in human ERMS tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo by characterizing loss-of-function phenotypes, generated by the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspersed short palindrome repeats)/Cas9 genome engineering technology and to determine the mechanisms by which selected HDACs exert their tumor suppressive or promoting function. Key genes and pathways epigenetically regulated by selected HDACs will be identified through an integrated approach of Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (ChIP-seq) and expression profiling studies. Potential interacting co-factor(s) of selected HDACs will also be identified by co- immunoprecipitation and characterized by loss-of-function studies. The innovation of the study is demonstrated by systemic targeting of the HDAC genes by the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, as delineation of functions specific to each HDAC gene by this genome editing technology has not been accomplished in any cancer. In addition, Our proposed approach integrating ChIP, expression profiling and candidate interacting gene studies to delineate functions specific to selected HDACs in modulating tumor cell phenotypes of ERMS has not been done previously. Results from this study will have high clinical and translational impact because insights gained from this study on functions of HDACs will provide mechanistic insights into disease pathogenesis for ERMS and other cancers linked to deregulated HDAC activity. In addition, potential new drug targets specific to the activity of selected HDACs identified from the study will improve treatment of ERMS patients with advanced or relapsed disease. | 2024-05-09T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5259 |
Basicranial flexion, facial reduction and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
Although dysfunction is the major condition affecting the bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ), it has defied previous attempts to explain, predict, or prevent its clinical manifestations. A hypothesis is developed that there is an anatomical predisposition to TMJ dysfunction which should be sought in the phylogenetic flexing of the hominid basicranium. It is argued that the glenoid fossa, caught between an ever-increasing brain size and more ventrally oriented facial apparatus, has become deepened and hence labile to dysfunction. | 2023-09-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5134 |
Puny's Lemon Pie Recipe
Tried it? Rate this Recipe:
This recipe for Puny's Lemon Pie, by Chris Jones, is from The Stephen Family Cookbook 2005,
one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We help
families or individuals create heirloom cookbook treasures.
Directions:
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk and stir until smooth. Add the lemonade and the lemon juice and mix well. Spoon the lemon filling into the prepared crust and chill until set, at least 4 hours. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Serve the pie with the whipped cream on top.
*Recipes and photos entered into the Family Cookbook Project are provided by the submitting contributors. All rights are retained by the contributor. Please contact us if you believe copyright violations have occurred. | 2024-05-08T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8587 |
Prolonged QRS duration in lead V2 and risk of life-threatening ventricular Arrhythmia in patients with Brugada syndrome.
Brugada syndrome is an inherited disorder that predisposes some patients to sudden cardiac death. It is not well established which Brugada syndrome patients are at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias. We investigated whether standard 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) can identify such patients. The subjects were 35 men with Brugada syndrome (mean age, 50.1 ± 12.4 years). Documented ventricular fibrillation or aborted sudden cardiac arrests were judged to be related to the Brugada syndrome. Ten patients (mean age, 49.6 ± 14.9 years) were symptomatic, and 25 (mean age, 50.3 ± 11.5 years) were asymptomatic. We determined the PR interval, QRS duration, and QT interval from baseline 12-lead ECG leads II and V2 as well as the J point elevation amplitude of lead V2. The QRS interval was measured from QRS onset to the J point in leads II and V2. The only significant difference between the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients was the QRS duration measured from lead V2. The mean QRS interval was 129.0 ± 23.9 ms in symptomatic patients versus 108.3 ± 15.9 ms in asymptomatic patients (P = 0.012). A QRS interval in lead V2 ≥ 120 ms was found to be a possible predictor of a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and/or syncope (P = 0.012). Prolonged QRS duration as measured on a standard 12-lead ECG is associated with ventricular arrhythmia and could serve as a simple noninvasive marker of vulnerability to life-threatening cardiac events in patients with Brugada syndrome. | 2023-09-15T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6495 |
She was working so hard.... So dedicated to her kids.... Working 50+ hours a week, to provide for her family. Emotionally and physically, Sheri was a maxed-out mom.
But then her own mother was diagnosed with a grave illness; one that required serious care. Nobody else in the family was in a position to step up and Sheri couldn’t let her mother suffer alone. So she made the sacrifice and added “caregiver” to her list of responsibilities – but it was too much... | 2023-12-22T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/6507 |
This is a monthly digest of interesting information that is being added to Allergy Advisor. While we add a great deal of information every month, here we highlight some of the more interesting articles.
Want to subscribe to our reminder service?
The usefulness of casein-specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies in cow's milk allergic children.
The functional connection between oral allergy syndrome and united airways disease assessed by oral challenge.
The ability of adults and children to visually identify peanuts and tree nuts.
Wheat anaphylaxis or wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis caused by use of a soap product which contains hydrolyzed wheat proteins. -a report of 12 cases-
Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis that was difficult to evoke by a provocation test.
Paradigm shift in the management of milk and egg allergy: baked milk and egg diet.
Profilin as an aeroallergen by means of conjunctival allergen challenge with purified date palm profilin.
Advances in allergic skin disease, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects in 2011.
Significance of ovomucoid- and ovalbumin-specific IgE/IgG(4) ratios in egg allergy.
Abstracts shared in January 2012 Advisor Digest Newsletter
The usefulness of casein-specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies in cow's milk allergic children.
IgE antibodies to milk, IgE and IgG4 antibodies to casein, alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin in cow's milk allergic (CMA) and non-allergic (non-CMA) children were studied for their clinical usefulness. Eighty-three children with suspected milk allergy (aged 0.8-15.8 years), diagnosed as CMA (n=61) or non-CMA (n=22) based on an open milk challenge or convincing clinical history were studied. Serum specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies were measured. For the sIgG4 analysis, additional children were included (all non-milk sensitized). The CMA group had significantly higher levels of milk-, casein- and beta-lactoglobulin-sIgE antibodies as compared to the non-CMA group. Serum specific casein showed the best discriminating performance 6.6 kUA/L corresponding to 100% specificity. All but one of the CMA children aged >5 years had casein-sIgE levels >6.6 kUA/L. The non-CMA group had significantly higher sIgG4 levels against all three milk allergens compared to the CMA group. This was most pronounced for casein-sIgG4 in non-CMA children without history of previous milk allergy. Therefore high levels of casein-sIgE antibodies are strongly associated with milk allergy in children and might be associated with prolonged allergy. Elevated casein-sIgG4 levels in milk-sensitized individuals on normal diet indicate a modified Th2 response. However, the protective role of IgG4 antibodies in milk allergy is unclear.
Allergic and immunologic reactions to food additives.
"For centuries, food additives have been used for flavouring, colouring and extension of the useful shelf life of food, as well as the promotion of food safety. During the last 20 years, the studies implicating the additives contained in foods and medicine as a causative factor of allergic reactions have been proliferated considerably. In this review, we aimed to overview all of the food additives which were approved to consume in EU and find out how common and serious allergic reactions come into existence following the consuming of food additives."
Development of a standardized low-dose double-blind placebo-controlled challenge vehicle for the EuroPrevall project.
Standardized materials and protocols are essential for comparing DBPCFC results for multicentre studies such as EuroPrevall. This required the development and piloting of a standardized vehicle and low-dose protocol for confirming food allergy and determination of minimum eliciting doses (MEDs). A low-dose DBPCFC protocol was developed, with eight titrated protein doses from 3 mug to 1 g. This was delivered using a simple, microbiologically stable food base incorporating allergenic food ingredients manufactured at three sites and centrally distributed to clinical centres. Allergen blinding was assessed by a professional sensory testing panel using a triangle test. Homogeneity and allergen content were confirmed by ELISA and clinical efficacy was assessed in a pilot study, using celeriac and hazelnut as exemplars. Celeriac and hazelnut ingredients were sufficiently blinded in the dessert. The dessert meals were successfully piloted with hazelnut in allergy clinics in Spain, the Netherlands and Italy and with celeriac and hazelnut in Zurich. The challenges elicited a range of subjective and objective reactions ranging in severity from mild itching of the oral mucosa to bronchospasm.
Component-resolved diagnosis of vespid venom-allergic individuals: phospholipases and antigen 5s are necessary to identify Vespula or Polistes sensitization.
Cross-reactivity between hymenoptera species varies according to the different allergenic components of the venom. The true source of sensitization must therefore be established. In the Mediterranean region, Polistes dominulus and Vespula spp. are clinically relevant cohabitating wasps. A panel of major vespid venom allergens was used to investigate whether serum-specific IgE (sIgE) could be used to distinguish sensitization to either vespid. Fifty-nine individuals with allergic reactions to vespid stings and positive ImmunoCAP and/or intradermal tests to vespid venoms were studied. sIgE against recombinant and natural venom components from each wasp species was determined. sIgE against recombinant antigen 5s sensitization to be detected in 52% of the patients tested (13/25). The sensitivity increased to 80% (20/25), when using natural antigen 5s, and to 100% with the complete panel of purified natural components, because the sIgE was positive to either the antigen 5s (Pol d 5/Ves v 5) or to the phospholipases (Pol d 1/Ves v 1) of the two vespids, or to both components at the same time. In 69% of cases, it was possible to define the most probable sensitizing insect, and in the rest, possible double sensitization could not be excluded. Vespula hyaluronidase was shown to have no additional value as regards the specificity of the assay. Therefore the major allergens of P. dominulus' and Vespula vulgaris' venom, namely phoshpholipases and antigen 5s, are required to discriminate the probable sensitizing species in vespid-allergic patients.
The functional connection between oral allergy syndrome and united airways disease assessed by oral challenge.
The airways and the upper digestive tract have a common embryonic origin. In sensitized subjects they can respond to allergens with an immediate reaction (asthma, rhinitis, or oral allergy syndrome [OAS]). This study investigated the possible functional connection between respiratory and upper digestive tract by means of specific oral allergen challenges. Patients sensitized to birch and apple were subdivided into group A (n = 12; asthma + rhinitis caused by birch and OAS caused by apple); group B (n = 10; OAS caused by apple without asthma/rhinitis); group C (n = 8; asthma and rhinitis caused by birch without OAS). Oral provocation test with apple was performed out of the pollen season. The study concludes that in the case of birch-apple syndrome, eating apple does not functionally or clinically affect the respiratory tract.
The ability of adults and children to visually identify peanuts and tree nuts.
One-thousand one-hundred five subjects completed the study. The mean number of peanuts and tree nuts identified by all subjects was 8.4 (44.2%) out of a possible 19. The mean for children ages 6 to 18 was 4.6 (24.2%), compared with 11.1 (58.4%) for adults older than 18. The most commonly identified items were peanut in the shell and without the shell. The least identified was hazelnut (filbert) in the shell and without the shell. Overall, both children and adults are unreliable at visually identifying most nuts.
Wheat anaphylaxis or wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis caused by use of a soap product which contains hydrolyzed wheat proteins. -a report of 12 cases-
Hydrolyzed wheat protein in facial soap can induce wheat allergy including wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA). This article (in Japanese) describes the clinical characteristics of 12 patients with this disorder. All the patients were female. The mean age was 36.0+/- 9.9 years. All had had no prior symptoms of wheat allergy: they gradually developed wheat anaphylaxis or WDEIA on average of 2 years after they started to use the soap product which contains hydrolyzed wheat proteins. Most patients suffered immediate contact allergic reactions after or at the time of washing their face with the soap product. 10 of 12 patients showed a low level of IgE to CAP-recombinant omega-5-gliadin. The authors conclude that the epicutaneous sensitization to hydrolyzed wheat proteins in the soap product had occurred.
Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis that was difficult to evoke by a provocation test.
An 8-year-old boy repeatedly experienced dyspnea and urticaria while exercising following eating wheat- and soybean-based food products. He was assumed to have experienced a food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylactic reaction. Examination using various combinations of food products (wheat and soybeans), medicine (aspirin), and exercise was performed but failed to elicit any symptoms. Although the food products was eliminated from the examination, dyspnea caused by exercising after ingesting only wheat products was observed again. A provocation test using wheat products was conducted, but symptoms were observed only on increasing the amount of ingested food and the momentum of exercise. The possibility that wheat is a more potent inducing factor than aspirin in increasing the momentum of exercise and amount of ingestion in food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis is suggested.
Paradigm shift in the management of milk and egg allergy: baked milk and egg diet.
Heat treatment of several foods, including all types of cooking, has been mainly used to minimize the number of viable microbes, reduce pathogenicity, and destroy the undesirable enzymes, maintaining food quality. In addition, food processing improves sensory, nutritional, and physical properties of the foods, due to food protein denaturation. Heat-induced alterations of food proteins can attenuate allergenicity. In this article, the authors review the important role of thermal processing on milk and egg proteins, which comprise the commonest food allergies in infancy and early childhood
Profilin as an aeroallergen by means of conjunctival allergen challenge with purified date palm profilin.
The aim of this study was to find out whether or not profilin can cause symptoms in sensitized individuals which would be compatible with its role as an airborne allergen. Conjunctival allergen challenges were performed with date palm profilin in a series of consecutive pollen-allergic patients with rhino-conjunctivitis, divided in two groups: profilin sensitized (n = 17) and not sensitized (n = 14), who served as controls. None of the patients from the not profilin-sensitized group had a positive result in conjunctival allergen challenges. In contrast, 65% of profilin sensitized patients had a positive conjunctival allergen challenge and were considered allergic to profilin. A significant statistical association between being profilin allergic and being profilin sensitized (p < 0.005) was demonstrated. Therefore profilin seems to work as an aeroallergen in a significant proportion of profilin-sensitized patients.
Advances in allergic skin disease, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects in 2011.
"This review highlights some of the research advances in anaphylaxis; hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects; and allergic skin diseases that were reported in the Journal in 2011. Food allergy appears to be increasing in prevalence and carries a strong economic burden. Risk factors can include dietary ones, such as deficiency of vitamin D and timing of complementary foods, and genetic factors, such as filaggrin loss-of-function mutations. Novel mechanisms underlying food allergy include the role of invariant natural killer T cells and influences of dietary components, such as isoflavones. Among numerous preclinical and clinical treatment studies, promising observations include the efficacy of sublingual and oral immunotherapy, a Chinese herbal remedy showing promising in vitro results, the potential immunotherapeutic effects of having children ingest foods with baked-in milk if they tolerate it, and the use of anti-IgE with or without concomitant immunotherapy. Studies of allergic skin diseases, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity to drugs and insect venom are elucidating cellular mechanisms, improved diagnostics, and potential targets for future treatment. The role of skin barrier abnormalities, as well as the modulatory effects of the innate and adaptive immune responses, are major areas of investigation."
Significance of ovomucoid- and ovalbumin-specific IgE/IgG(4) ratios in egg allergy.
The specific IgE/IgG(4) ratio might add value to the measurement of absolute amounts of IgE for assessing the ongoing status of egg reactivity. One hundred seven egg-allergic children were challenged to baked egg. The outcomes of the challenges were related to the level of specific IgE and IgG(4) to OVM and OVA, component IgE/IgG(4) ratios, and mediator release in a functional assay based on the rat basophil leukemia cell line. Baked egg-reactive children had significantly higher OVA and OVM ratios of IgE/IgG(4) and mediator release in the rat basophil leukemia-based assay than did tolerant children (P < .05 for both). The areas under the curve for a logistic regression model including specific IgE and IgG(4) to OVA and OVM were significantly greater compared with the areas under the curve for egg white-specific IgE and OVM-specific IgE. The balance between IgE and IgG(4) to OVA and OVM has functional consequences. A model that includes the interactions between IgE and IgG(4) to OVA and OVM accurately predicts reactivity to baked egg and warrants further investigation. | 2024-02-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5327 |
Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel low temperature-induced gene, blti2, from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).
The Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) was used to isolate large numbers of low temperature-induced genes from the cold-treated winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Dongbori). One hundred and sixty blti (barley low temperature-induced) cDNA clones were obtained. Northern blot analyses showed that several blti clones were differentially expressed by treatment of low temperature, NaCl, dehydration and ABA. One of the clones, blti2, was induced from 3 to 72 h after cold treatment while its transcript was detected only at 12 h after ABA treatment, indicating that the expression of blti2 by low temperature was regulated by an ABA-independent pathway. The full-length cDNA sequences were 944 nucleotides long and the open reading frame consisted of 492 nucleotides encoding 164 amino acids. Nucleotide sequences showed no sequence homology with the previously reported low temperature-responsive (LTR) barley genes, and the deduced amino acid sequences revealed that the blti2 contains three membrane-spanning regions. These results suggest that blti2 is a novel transmembrane protein induced by low temperature. | 2024-01-03T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2039 |
269 Pa. Superior Ct. 150 (1979)
409 A.2d 108
COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania
v.
Charles A. BROWN, Appellant.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Submitted March 23, 1979.
Filed August 31, 1979.
Petition for Allowance of Appeal Denied December 18, 1979.
*151 John A. Packel, Assistant Public Defender, Chief, Appeals Division, Philadelphia, for appellant.
Eric B. Henson, Assistant District Attorney, Philadelphia, for Commonwealth, appellee.
*152 Before PRICE, SPAETH and LIPEZ, JJ.
SPAETH, Judge:
This is an appeal from judgments of sentence entered on convictions of two counts of forgery, The Crimes Code, Act of Dec. 6, 1972, P.L. 1484, No. 334, § 1, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4101, two counts of unlawful use of credit cards, The Crimes Code, supra, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4106 (Supp. 1978-79), and one count of theft of property lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake, The Crimes Code, supra, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 3924.
At trial appellant stipulated to the facts, as follows. On January 25, 1977, he entered a maternity shop and purchased a dress, using a BankAmericard credit card in the name of Marvin Shaw. He signed a credit card sales receipt for the price of $31.98, using the name Marvin Shaw, and left the store with the dress. At a nearby store on the same day he attempted to purchase goods worth $22.64, again signing the receipt as Marvin Shaw, but was arrested before he left the store. Shaw had been notified that his credit card had been mailed to him, but he never received it, and so had never signed it; he did not give anyone permission to use it.
Appellant argues that he should not have been prosecuted for forgery because the offense of unlawful use of credit cards is a more specific version of forgery.
In Commonwealth v. Buzak, 197 Pa.Super. 514, 517, 179 A.2d 248, 250 (1962), we held:
It is the policy of the law not to permit prosecutions under the general provisions of a penal code when there are special penal provisions available: Commonwealth v. Brown, 346 Pa. 192, 199, 29 A.2d 793, 796-797; Commonwealth v. Litman, 187 Pa.Super. 537, 543, 144 A.2d 592, 595 (1958).
Thus, in Commonwealth v. Brown, supra, the Court held that the offense of making a false statement on a nomination paper under the Election Code was a more specific version of the general offense of perjury, so that the defendant could not be prosecuted for perjury. The Court approved a test that when
*153 the same facts which would constitute an offense under one act also constituted an offense under the second act and [] the first act being specific and the second act general, the first governs, where the facts bring the offense within it.
Id., 346 Pa. at 200, 29 A.2d at 797.
Similarly, in Commonwealth v. Litman, supra, this court reversed a conviction for false pretenses because of a special provision making it criminal to obtain money by false pretense from Blue Shield. The test we applied was "whether each provision requires proof of an additional fact which the other does not." Id., 187 Pa.Super. at 543, 144 A.2d at 595. Examining the provisions in question, we found that both the general and special provisions required proof of (1) a false representation, (2) reliance upon that representation, and (3) the procuring of a benefit by the defendant with intent to defraud. See also, Commonwealth v. Bellis, 252 Pa.Super. 15, 380 A.2d 1258 (1977), aff'd in part and rev'd in part on other grounds, 484 Pa. 486, 399 A.2d 397 (1979) (bribery statutes cited by defendant held not more specific versions of general commercial bribery statute, for each required different item of proof); Commonwealth v. Buzak, supra (false statement to obtain benefit under Unemployment Compensation Law a more specific version of crime of false pretenses, each requiring proof of same elements).
Here, the indictment charged that the items forged were the credit card sales receipts (not the signature on the credit card itself). The pertinent general provision against forgery is subsection (a)(2) of 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4101:
(a) Offense defined. A person is guilty of forgery if, with intent to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the actor:
(1) alters any writing of another without his authority;
(2) makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize that act, or to have *154 been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; or
(3) utters any writing which he knows to be forged in a manner specified in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subsection.
The pertinent special provision against the unlawful use of credit cards is subsection (a)(1) of 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4106:
(a) Offense defined. A person commits an offense if he:
(1) uses a credit card for the purpose of obtaining property or services with knowledge that:
(i) the card is stolen, forged or fictitious;
(ii) the card belongs to another person who has not authorized its use;
(iii) the card has been revoked or canceled; or
(iv) for any other reason his use of the card is unauthorized by the issuer or the person to whom issued; or
(2) makes, sells, gives, or otherwise transfers to another, or offers or advertises, or aids and abets any other person to use a credit card with the knowledge or reason to believe that it will be used to obtain property or services without payment of the lawful charges therefor; or
(3) publishes a credit card or code of an existing, canceled, revoked, expired, or nonexistent credit card, or the numbering or coding which is employed in the issuance of credit cards, with knowledge or reason to believe that it will be used to avoid the payment for any property or services.
Comparison of these provisions will show that the offense of unlawful use of credit cards may be but is not always a more specific version of the offense of forgery.[1]
*155 As regards mens rea, there is no substantial difference between the offense of unlawful use of credit cards and the offense of forgery. A difference may arise, however, as regards actus reus.
Suppose one hands a credit card to the sales clerk. Proof of this will satisfy the actus reus requirement of both the offense of unlawful use of credit cards ("uses a credit card), and of the offense of forgery ("makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing"). In such a case, "the facts [would] bring the offense", Commonwealth v. Brown, supra, 346 Pa. at 200, 29 A.2d at 797, within both the specific provision (the provision against unlawful use of credit cards) and the general provision (the provision against forgery).
Next suppose, however, that one only displays, instead of handing, the credit card to the sales clerk. Proof of this display will satisfy the actus reus requirement of the offense of unlawful use of credit cards, but not of the offense of forgery.
If, therefore, it had been the Commonwealth's theory that appellant was guilty of forgery because he transferred Marvin Shaw's credit card, appellant would be right: The Commonwealth should not have prosecuted him for the general offense of forgery but only for the special offense of unlawful use of credit cards. However, it was the Commonwealth's theory that appellant was guilty of forgery because he signed Mr. Shaw's name on the credit card sales receipts. These signatures represented two forgeries. Prosecution of appellant for the forgeries was not precluded because before he signed the sales receipts, appellant also used Mr. Shaw's credit card.[2] So far as appellant's use of the credit card was *156 concerned, the Commonwealth did not prosecute him for forgery, but only for unlawful use of the credit card.
Appellant argues that his use of the credit card was inseparable from his forgeries, because the forgeries represented a necessary step in the successful use of the credit card. Brief for appellant at 9. However, § 4106 does not require that the use of a credit card be "successful," but only that it be "for the purpose of obtaining property or services."[3] As the legislature has defined the offenses, the use of the credit card and the forgery of the sales slip were distinct acts, not one single act.
"The `same transaction' test is valid only when `transaction' means a single act. When the `transaction' consists of two or more criminal acts, the fact that the two are `successive' does not require the conclusion that they have merged. * * * Consummation or execution of the intent to steal or to commit some other felony is not necessary to complete the crime of burglary or the crime of `breaking and entering' etc.["]
Commonwealth ex rel. Comer v. Claudy, 174 Pa.Super. 494, 497, 102 A.2d 227, 229 (1954) (emphasis in original) (discussing the merger, for sentencing purposes, of crimes of burglary and larceny).[4]
The judgments of sentence are affirmed.
NOTES
[1] This result has been reached in most other jurisdictions that have considered the question. See, e.g., State v. Ulmer, 21 Ariz.App. 378, 519 P.2d 867 (1974); People v. James, 178 Colo. 401, 497 P.2d 1256 (1972); Hutchins v. State, 483 P.2d 519 (Wyo. 1971); State v. Dumont, 471 P.2d 847 (Or. 1970); McDuffy v. State, 6 Md.App. 537, 252 A.2d 270 (1969); McCrory v. State, 210 So.2d 877 (Miss. 1968); Vannerson v. State, 403 S.W.2d 791 (Tex.Cr.App. 1966); Clonts v. State, 42 Ala.App. 287, 161 So.2d 155 (1964); Shriver v. Graham, 366 P.2d 774 (Okl. 1961); People v. Shaw, 27 Mich.App. 325, 183 N.W.2d 390 (1970). In California it has been held otherwise, see n. 2 infra.
[2] See, McDuffy v. State, supra.
The essence of the crime under § 142 [false pretenses] is unauthorized use of a credit card, not the signing of a false document. . . The law is clear that a single transaction can be an offense against two statutes if each statute requires proof of a fact which the other does not. [citations]
A false pretense does not require a false signature on a document and a forgery does not require the use of a credit card or an actual reliance on the false document.
6 Md.App. at 540, 252 A.2d at 272.
[3] People v. Swann, 213 Cal.App.2d 447, 28 Cal.Rptr. 830 (1963), in which it was held that the use of a credit card encompassed the execution of the credit slip, appears to have been legislatively overruled. See 24 A.L.R.3d 996, n. 15.1.
[4] There is obviously some room for confusion between the concept argued in this case and the concept of the merger of a lesser included offense. (Indeed, appellant's post verdict motions stated that the offense of unlawful use of credit cards was a lesser included offense of forgery, although the argument at trial shows that counsel had in mind the concept of a more specific version of a general offense.) However, the concept of a more specific offense is based on principles of statutory construction, Commonwealth v. Brown, supra, while the concept of merger is based on the principle that where one transaction violates two statutes, differing merely in degree, only one penalty may be imposed after conviction. Commonwealth ex rel. Shaddock v. Ashe, 340 Pa. 286, 17 A.2d 190 (1941). The concept of a more specific offense bars trial and conviction on the more general offense. Commonwealth v. Buzak, supra. The concept of merger does not bar two convictions, but only two sentences. Commonwealth v. Lowry, 260 Pa.Super. 454, 394 A.2d 1015 (1978). Furthermore, it may be said that the concept of a more specific offense contemplates the same kind of harm to the victim as the general offense, see Commonwealth v. Litman, supra; Commonwealth v. Buzak, supra, but that the harm be carried out by a more particular technique. On the other hand, the concept of lesser included offense focuses on the harm done; a greater offense includes a lesser one in that the harm done includes but surpasses the harm of the lesser included offense. See Commonwealth ex rel. Shaddock v. Ashe, supra ("[W]here the distinct crimes set forth grew out of the same transaction, differing merely in degree, only one penalty can be imposed after conviction. . . ." 340 Pa. at 228, 17 A.2d at 190 (emphasis supplied)). Compare, Commonwealth v. Brown, 259 Pa.Super. 502, 393 A.2d 938 (1978) (offense of obstructing officer merges into assault and battery of officer); Commonwealth v. Belgrave, 258 Pa.Super. 40, 391 A.2d 662 (1978) (unlawful restraint merges with false imprisonment; recklessly endangering merges with simple assault); Commonwealth v. Reidenbaugh, 266 Pa.Super. 315, 404 A.2d 697 (1978) (corrupting morals of a minor merges with statutory rape). The confusion between the two concepts is augmented by the similarity of the tests, the test for merger being whether the one crime necessarily involves the other, Commonwealth v. McCusker, 363 Pa. 450, 70 A.2d 273 (1950).
| 2024-06-09T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4997 |
[Strategy of drug development for hormone-dependent tumor].
It is established that estrogen and androgen facilitate the proliferation of breast and prostate cancers. Hormonal therapy for these tumors using agents which inhibit hormone synthesis (inhibitors of aromatase and lyase) or bind hormone receptor have been used. However, some patients become resistant gradually during the hormonal therapy. Furthermore, QOL of patients was impaired by the side effects associated with the therapy, such as decreases in bone density, libido, and potency. The osteoporosis is a potential concern with the prolonged use of antiestrogen. The beneficial effect of estrogen receptor antagonist, tamoxifen on breast cancer has been established, but this agent may increase the proliferation of endometrium, which may increase the incidence of uterine cancer. Tamoxifen is a partial agonist, leading to the increase in transcriptional activity. Recently, ICI-164.384 is reported to be a pure antagonist and effective in tamoxifen-refractory tumor. Hopefully, pure antiandrogen will be available in the near future. There are reports suggesting that several specific and tissue-specific factors are involved in transcriptional activity of sex steroid hormone receptors. It is likely that these factors are novel targets for drugs which have a high potency and organ-or tissue-selective antagonist of sex steroid hormone for the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers. | 2024-03-19T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7991 |
Theoretical analysis and experimental evaluation of headspace in-drop derivatisation single-drop microextraction using aldehydes as model analytes.
In-drop derivatisation single-drop microextraction approach can constitute, to a certain degree, a low-cost reasonable alternative to the well-known on-fibre solid-phase microextraction. The headspace mode integrates extraction, preconcentration and derivatisation into a single step from the headspace of a sample. In this study, two low-molecular-weight aldehydes are derivatised in a hanging drop containing 2,4,6-trichlorophenylhydrazine, in a headspace single-drop microextraction configuration system. The single organic drop, dispersed in gas phase, is well covered in this study as a locale of the main reaction. The measurement of diffusion and kinetic parameters and their relationship were designed to reveal, for the first time, inherent mechanistic aspects in such an analytical system. The two-film theory of mass transfer is used to discuss the mechanism along with the calculation of characteristic times and specific rates of absorption. All these, together with certain experimental data may ascertain whether the overall process is reaction rate dependent or limited by mass transfer in the gas phase, at the air-water and air-organic interface or in the organic phase. The descriptors of mass transfer and chemical reaction in a single drop are critically reviewed and reconsidered and the practical aspects for the analysis of volatile organic compounds are highlighted. Relative standard deviations for both aldehydes were 3.4% (n=5) and 4.9% (n=5) for 1 microM of hexanal and 0.3 microM of formaldehyde, respectively. Detection limits for aqueous samples were 0.1 and 0.03 microM for formaldehyde and hexanal, respectively. | 2024-03-10T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/2628 |
#import "Globals.h"
/*!
@class OptionsUtility
@abstract Displays the options for the current tool.
@discussion N/A
<br><br>
<b>License:</b> GNU General Public License<br>
<b>Copyright:</b> Copyright (c) 2002 Mark Pazolli
*/
@interface OptionsUtility : NSObject {
// The options view
IBOutlet id view;
// The last options view set
id lastView;
// The document which is the focus of this utility
__weak IBOutlet id document;
// The view to show when no document is active
IBOutlet id blankView;
// The various options objects
IBOutlet id lassoOptions;
IBOutlet id polygonLassoOptions;
IBOutlet id positionOptions;
IBOutlet id zoomOptions;
IBOutlet id pencilOptions;
IBOutlet id brushOptions;
IBOutlet id bucketOptions;
IBOutlet id textOptions;
IBOutlet id eyedropOptions;
IBOutlet id rectSelectOptions;
IBOutlet id ellipseSelectOptions;
IBOutlet id eraserOptions;
IBOutlet id smudgeOptions;
IBOutlet id gradientOptions;
IBOutlet id wandOptions;
IBOutlet id cloneOptions;
IBOutlet id cropOptions;
IBOutlet id effectOptions;
IBOutlet id horizontalLine;
// The toolbox utility object
__weak IBOutlet id toolboxUtility;
// The currently active tool - not a reliable indication (see code)
int currentTool;
}
/*!
@method init
@discussion Initializes an instance of this class.
@result Returns instance upon success (or NULL otherwise).
*/
- (id)init;
/*!
@method awakeFromNib
@discussion Configures the utility's interface.
*/
- (void)awakeFromNib;
/*!
@method activate
@discussion Activates this utility with its document.
*/
- (void)activate;
/*!
@method deactivate
@discussion Deactivates this utility.
*/
- (void)deactivate;
/*!
@method shutdown
@discussion Saves current options upon shutdown.
*/
- (void)shutdown;
/*!
@method currentOptions
@discussion Returns the currently active options object.
@result Returns the currently active options object (NULL if none).
*/
- (id)currentOptions;
/*!
@method getOptions:
@discussion Returns the options object associated with a given tool.
@param whichTool
The tool type whose options object you are seeking (see
SeaTools).
@result Returns the options object associated with the given index.
*/
- (id)getOptions:(int)whichTool;
/*!
@method update
@discussion Updates the utility and the active options object.
*/
- (void)update;
/*!
@method show:
@discussion Shows the options bar.
@param sender
Ignored.
*/
- (IBAction)show:(id)sender;
/*!
@method hide:
@discussion Hides the options bar.
@param sender
Ignored.
*/
- (IBAction)hide:(id)sender;
/*!
@method toggle:
@discussion Toggles the visibility of the options bar.
@param sender
Ignored.
*/
- (IBAction)toggle:(id)sender;
/*!
@method viewNeedsDisplay
@discussion Informs the view it needs display.
*/
- (void)viewNeedsDisplay;
/*!
@method visible
@discussion Returns whether or not the utility's window is visible.
@result Returns YES if the utility's window is visible, NO otherwise.
*/
- (BOOL)visible;
@end
| 2023-12-23T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9908 |
HOMELESS
08.29.14
Half of All Syrians Have Been Displaced
Reuters
Nearly half of all 6.5 million Syrians are displaced as a result of having “been forced to abandon their homes and flee for their lives,” according to a new United Nations report. The report also notes that there are 3 million Syrian refugees registered in other countries, which is 1 million more than the previous year. The host governments of these countries estimate that thousands more Syrians live within their borders, but haven’t formally registered. “The Syrian crisis has become the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of refugees and the countries hosting them,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. | 2023-09-15T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5923 |
TAG: bob
This is by far the best way to serve a can of Pringles. Inside of most large rockets is a supply of hydrogen and oxygen. When the mix of the two is just right, it creates an explosion with a huge amount of energy. In rockets, this energy get the rocket into space. In […]
This impressive reaction is sometimes called, “The Barking Dog.” Watch the video and you’ll see why. It combines a very flammable chemical called Carbon Di-sulfate and the gas Nitrous Oxide. Nitrous Oxide is often used in race cars to give the car a sudden burst of oxygen energy. As the fire travels down the […]
If you’re reading this, it means you are officially checking out the new sciencebob.com. Sciencebob.com has been around since 1997 and gets millions of visitors every year. Now its got a whole new look, new videos, and it features downloadable and printable versions of your favorite experiments and science fair ideas. And, even better the […]
Eggshell Geode Crystals This project comes to us from Melissa Howard who is a Mom, Blogger, and photographer. This project nicely demonstrates how real-life geodes are formed in igneous and sedimentary rock. It also demonstrates super-saturated solutions and shows a nice variety of crystal shapes and formations. YOU WILL NEED: clean eggshells water a variety […]
This Science/4th of July themed Rube Goldberg Machine chain reaction device took 2 weeks of building and testing. The hardest part (aside from getting it to consistently work) was nailing in over 1,000 nails for the marble drop section. You can’t go wrong in a demonstration that uses chemical reactions, high voltage electricity, an Einstein […] | 2024-03-14T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9021 |
Q:
Multi-WAN gigabit Router
(Yes, I’ve seen this question which is very similar, however my specs include the word gigabit. Also the only current answer to that question was written by someone that didn’t understand the meaning of “dual-WAN” and made an incorrect assumption about its meaning.)
I’m looking for a gigabit multi-WAN (or dual-WAN) Router for use in an automatic failover application. I have a problematic cable connection which fails several times a month. With my current level of home automation I can simply no longer accept that failure.
The cable modem is already a separate device (i.e. not an all-in-one combo device). I have also already purchased a Netgear LB2120 4G cellular modem, which was supposed to also handle the failover routing (oddly the cable company blocks the device as a failover router, I can use it as a modem behind another router tho). LB2120 also has no means of external configuration. At the moment switching internet connections is as manual as walking in and swapping plugs, which doesn’t work if I’m not home.
I’ve also already tried purchasing, and recently returned to vendor, TP-Link TL-ER5120 v3 which should have solved the problem, but doesn’t because it has an odd firmware bug which seems to block ports on the local network. (Specifically in testing port 3389–I suspect many others). There is a bizarre long email chain with TP-link support where the initial entry level support associate validates my claim “in the lab”. She passes the case to “senior level support” who consistently argues there is no problem found, and continues “coaching” me on setup. There are several really odd things that make me suspect about the “senior” techs understanding of his job, he insists: Static IP (not DHCP reservation) must be used, he also insists the client end (not the server end) be assigned the static IP, and finally he admits he is not using 5120 v3 but an older 6120 model that is “very similar” to mine. He consistently tells me I don’t understand what to do, that I’m not following his instructions (even though I tried it his way and sent screenshots proving that I did). There is also now another user in the TP-link public forum same complaint
Requirements include:
Gigabit router, Multi or dual
WAN with load balance/failover configurable options.
DHCP server, with reservations
Port Forwarding (i.e. opening an external port pointing to a specific internal IP and port).
No WiFi required (I already have a wired dual band AP in a centrally located position that provides excellent WiFi coverage).
not Enterprise level pricing (I can find this router many times over for $900+, however hardly any under $200, and only about one under $100).
~50 clients connected between a mix of wired and WiFi (but any gigabit router should handle that).
configureable remote access (I shouldn’t actually need, but the fact the the Netgear LB-2120 has none exposes the potential need)
So to further reiterate, this router must have the ability to handle at least two internet (WAN) connections, one primary and one failover.
Edit 2020-05-30: (this question has gotten a lot of attention just lately). As indicated in the comments to the marked answer, two year ago I purchased the Ubiquiti ER-X. I was very happy with the choice, however 2 years later, I’ve just recently upgraded to the ER-12. The three elements that factored into the upgrade. 1) primary internet was upgraded to 1000Mbps (the ER-X didn’t perform well, even with hwnat enabled). 2) the router was running a VPN which was rarely used but slow for streaming video 3) the added hardwire ethernet jacks allowed me to eliminate a switch. Configuration and scripts transferred almost without modifications.
A:
What you need is a product from one of the enterprise-level (or enterprise-like...) manufacturers. All of them have this in one form or the other, and they are usually not expansive at all (though most of them lack wireless, it is not required by you.)
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter is probably the most known one of this genre. Then there's (as pointed out by @Jan Dorniak in the comments) MicroTik, and also UTT and other smaller brands.
But you need to be aware that all of these devices - given their enterprise-like status - while they are highly customizable and configurable, it is usually not as simple as the (dumb...) Asus or TP-Link and the likes, so there might be some learning curve to get to know them and be able to configure everything.
Ubiquiti has the perfectly capable EdgeRouter X for as low as $55. But if you are willing to pay up you can get the much more powerful (specs, but not necessarily needed) Edgerouter 8 Port Router for about $300. And in the middle there's the EdgeRouter POE if you can benefit of some PoE ports.
Here's a help article (and see links in the bottom) on how to configure the failover on Ubiquiti: https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205145990
And, as mentioned, you can also look at UTT, for instance the UTT ER518 for just $54.
| 2023-08-09T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/4020 |
All districts have electricity
25 January 2005
Caribbean Utilities Company has managed to restore power to the curb in all
five districts on Grand Cayman.
This means that once consumers are ready for power they can be
reenergized.
Of CUC’s 21,600 customers before the storm, about 18,000 have been
reconnected said CUC’s Chief Executive Officer Richard Hew.
The restoration was aided by Fortis, MasTec, Inc and Caribbean Electric
Utility Service Corporation.
CUC workers put in 28,923 overtime hours to restore the island.
Material replaced in the process included six concrete poles, 500 wooden
poles, 152 miles of cable and 700 transformers.
“Our initial target was to restore power within 90 days. We beat that target
by two weeks,” Mr. Hew said.
There is still a lot of work to be done that may not be evident to consumers.
“We have to repair the power plant, the submarine cable, the work on the
Harquail By–Pass; we have commissioned a new substation for West Bay.
Consumers will likely see a rate increase Mr. Hew said. But it should not
cause people to panic.
“There will not be a final determination of the amount until the Company’s
year end, which is 30 April,” he said.
“We will go through the process, which is outlined in the license. We will
have talk to Government,” Mr. Hew said.
Mr. Hew said lessons learned during Hurricane Gilbert were invaluable.
Gilbert was a Category 3 storm that grazed Cayman in 1988.
The surprises during Ivan were problems with supplies and shipping along with
the loss of company vehicles.
“We learnt from the Gilbert experience that concrete poles held up better and
indoor substations and the submarine cable were needed for transmission and
distribution.
“There were not many surprises on the wind damage during Ivan. We came within
the risk assessment for a Category 5 hurricane. In fact, the risk projection had
us losing a few more poles than we did,” he said.
“We had prepared for the flood as all of our new engines were built 10 to 12
feet above sea level. There was some flooding in the basements, which damaged
some of the auxiliary equipment. The older engine rooms, though, that were built
before Gilbert were at grade level and sustained some damage from flooding,” he
said.
CUC now realises the need to store company vehicles on higher ground.
“We lost quite a few of our light vehicles [28] during Hurricane Ivan.
Shipping was a major issue because we assumed that a very high level of priority
would be placed on our equipment; just to get electricity back is an essential
service. But that did not pan out,” Mr. Hew said.
“We had to charter four ships and six 727 planes to bring in supplies. The
ships paid for the trip back with scrap metal that we sent back,” he
said.
“We had to think outside the box. We could not rely on the normal channels.
If we ran into a stumbling block, we did not sit back and wait three or four
weeks for material or equipment. I should credit Ron Parchment, Purchasing
Material Manager.
“We learnt from this experience that there are companies out there who can
supply us in normal times as well. Overall, with what we were faced with, I
think the team here did a great job,” he said.
“Plans are in the works to raise the equipment a foot or two and we have
decided that all transmission poles will be concrete,” Mr. Hew said.
ABB Sweden will commence on repairs needed for submarine cable in
February.
The North Side portion of the submarine cable was damaged during Hurricane
Ivan.
A portion of the cable, which was laid in 2001 and is responsible for a
transmission loop to West Bay and North Side, was damaged by a vessel that went
down on top of the cable.
“Because the water was not very deep the boat hammered down on the cable for
several hours. While the boat did not cut right through the cable, it did
compromise the insulation of the cable,” he explained.
“It will be an expensive project to repair. ABB Sweden will have to float the
cable and cut a section out. Then we the will have to splice in a new section,”
he said.
“The fault is only appearing in one phase and we are hoping that once they
open it they will only have to splice in that section,” he said.
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Q:
Spacetime Torsion, the Spin tensor, and intrinsic spin in Einstein-Cartan theory
In Einstein-Cartan gravity, the action is the usual Einstein-Hilbert action but now the Torsion tensor is allowed to vary as well (in usual GR, it is just set to zero).
Variation with respect to the metric gives:
$$R_{ab}-\frac{1}{2}R g_{ab}=\kappa P_{ab} \quad (1)$$
where $P_{ab}$ is the canonical stress energy tensor. Variation with respect to the torsion tensor ${T^{ab}}_c$ gives:
$${T_{ab}}^c + {g_a}^c{T_{bd}}^d - {g_b}^c {T_{ad}}^d = \kappa {\sigma_{ab}}^c \quad (2)$$
where ${\sigma_{ab}}^c$ is the Spin Tensor.
By contracting that equation, I can see that if the spin tensor is zero, the Torsion tensor is identically zero:
$${T_{ab}}^c + {g_a}^c{T_{bd}}^d - {g_b}^c {T_{ad}}^d = \kappa {\sigma_{ab}}^c = 0$$
$$ {g^b}_c({T_{ab}}^c + {g_a}^c{T_{bd}}^d - {g_b}^c {T_{ad}}^d) = 0$$
$$ {T_{ab}}^b + {g_a}^b{T_{bd}}^d - {g_b}^b {T_{ad}}^d = 0$$
$$ {T_{ab}}^b + {T_{ad}}^d - 4 {T_{ad}}^d = 0$$
$$ {T_{ad}}^d = 0$$
$${T_{ab}}^c + {g_a}^c{T_{bd}}^d - {g_b}^c {T_{ad}}^d = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad {T_{ab}}^c =0$$
My understanding is that:
The spin tensor and the stress energy tensor, are defined entirely in terms of whatever matter Lagrangian we add to the theory. Therefore, from above, the equations in vacuum are exactly the same as normal GR (so solving for outside matter, only the boundary conditions with the matter could be different).
Assuming my understanding up to here is correct, my line of questioning is:
How is the Spin tensor (and hence Torsion) related to the concept of material with intrinsic spin?
Hopefully answered by 1, but if the matter has zero intrinsic spin, yet we have an extended "spinning" body, is the spin tensor still zero (as I'd consider that orbital angular momentum then)?
Does this mean Einstein-Cartan predictions are identical to normal Einstein GR if (and only if) the instrinsic spin of any particles and fields in the theory are zero?
A:
Please let me first refer you to the following review by I. L. Shapiro, which contains a lot of theoretical and phenomenological information on spacetime torsion. The answer will be mainly based on this review.
In the basic Einstein-Cartan theory, in which the antisymmetric part of
the connection is taken as independent additional degrees of freedom, the torsion is non-dynamical: (apart from a surface term which does not contribute to the equations of motion).
In the following, only minimal coupling to gravity will be considered (in which the flat metric tensor is replaced by the full metric tensor and the derivatives are replaced by covariant derivatives). There is a huge number of suggestions for nonminimal couplings in most of which the torsion becomes dynamical.
The torsion contribution to the gravitational part of the Lagrangian is quadratic in the torsion components, please see Shapiro equation: (2.15), where the additional terms to the torsion can be more economically expressed using the contorsion tensor whose components are linear combinations of the torsion tensor:
$$ K_{\alpha\beta\gamma} = T_{\alpha\beta\gamma} -T_{\beta\alpha\gamma}-T_{\gamma\alpha\beta}$$
A scalar field minimal coupling to gravity, does not require covariant
derivatives because the covariant derivative of a scalar is identical to its ordinary derivative, thus the scalar field Lagrangian does not depend on the torsion, therefore in the case of a scalar field coupled to gravity, the torsion remains sourceless, and the its equations of motion imply its vanishing.
When the Dirac field coupled to gravity with torsion, the Lagrangian can be written in the following form
$$\mathcal{L} = e^{\mu}_a\bar{\psi}\gamma^a (\partial_{\mu} -\frac{i}{2}\omega_{\mu}^{cd}\sigma_{cd} )\psi + e_{\mu a} K_{\alpha\beta\gamma} \epsilon^{\mu\alpha\beta\gamma} \bar{\psi}\gamma^a \gamma_5 \psi$$
($e$ are the vielbeins and $\omega$, the torsionless part of the spin connection, they both do not depend on the torsion).
Taking the variation with respect to the contorsion components, we obtain an algebric equation of motion for the contorsion tensor:
$$ K^{\alpha\beta\gamma} = \frac{\kappa}{4}e_{\mu a} \epsilon^{\mu\alpha\beta\gamma} \bar{\psi}\gamma^a \gamma_5 \psi$$
($\kappa = 8 \pi G$). The last term in the Lagrangian is just of the form:
$$\mathcal{L_K} = K_{\alpha\beta\gamma} \sigma^{\alpha\beta\gamma}$$
Where $\sigma^{\alpha\beta\gamma}$ is the intrinsic spin part of the Noether current corresponding to the local Lorentz symmetry:
$$M^{\alpha\beta\gamma} = x^{\alpha}\Theta^{\beta\gamma}-x^{\beta}\Theta^{\alpha\gamma}+\sigma^{\alpha\beta\gamma}$$
$\Theta$ is the stress energy tensor. This example shows that for the Dirac field, the torsion source is the spin tensor.
As can be observed, the torsion couples axially to the Dirac field. This type of coupling is known to produce anomalies. A careful analysis shows that in the baryonic sector, the same anomaly cancellation criteria of the standard model lead to the cancellation of the axial anomalies due to torsion as well but not in the leptonic sector. This is one of the difficulties of this theory. One possible solution is to absorb the torsion contribution into the definition of the axial current. In contrary to the gauge and photon fields, where this contribution is not gauge invariant, since the torsion field is not a gauge field, this redefinition seems possible. This seems also consistent with the Atiyah-Singer index theorem which states that the anomaly density must be equal the Pontryagin class which is a topological invariant, while torsion can be introduced without altering the topology.
There is another difficulty related to the torsion coupling coming from the fact that the torsion couples only to the intrinsic part of the fields:
In the case of gauge fields such as the Maxwell field. The intrinsic spin is not gauge invariant and only the sum of the spin and the orbital angular momentum is gauge invariant. Thus, although the minimal coupling leads to a coupling of the torsion to the intrinsic spin, the gauge invariance is lost. The following recent article by Fresneda, Baldiotti and Pereira reviews some of the suggestions to overcome this problem.
| 2023-08-22T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5421 |
[Peripheral neurologic complications following percutaneous transaxillary aortography].
Today percutaneous transaxillary aortography is indicated cautiously because of severe neurological permanent injury. The nervous lesion is superficially caused by catheter manipulation or postangiographic hematomas resp. an aneurysma spurium. The symptomless time interval of hours or days proves the cause of hematoma. In the early stage an overlay of the damage causes is possible. The sensible and motorial deficit can be decisively influenced by an early exoneration of the neurovascular septum. | 2023-11-28T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8861 |
Officers secure the scene of a shooting Saturday outside a Safeway store in Tucson. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a third-term Democrat, was critically wounded.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D- Ariz.)
Handout via AFP/Getty Images
CRITICAL INJURY
By Brennan Smith, The Arizona Republic
TUCSON A 74-year-old retired Army colonel who helped disarm and subdue the gunman who went on the shooting rampage here credits his military training for his ability to respond quickly.
Bill Badger said in an interview at University Medical Center that he was wounded and disoriented in Saturday's shooting but still managed to assist three others in holding the suspect down until police arrived.
Badger said that when he first heard shots ring out, he thought he was hearing the pop of firecrackers meant to harass Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whom he had hoped to meet. He said he saw no gun but could see the gunman's hand extended as he began firing on the crowd.
"By the time I looked over there and saw him, he'd already shot the congresswoman, the 9-year-old girl and the judge," Badger said, referring to Christina-Taylor Green and U.S. District Judge John Roll, who were among six killed. Giffords, Badger and 11 others were wounded by gunfire.
Badger said the gunman then took aim at people sitting in a line of chairs waiting to see the congresswoman. Badger said he dropped to the ground to avoid the fire but felt something graze the back of his head.
"I dropped down all the way to the ground, and I lowered my head about 6 inches. I felt this burning, stinging sensation right in the back of my head," he said.
Then the shooting stopped. The gunman had run out of ammunition. Badger said he was disoriented but saw another man hit the gunman over the head with a chair. Badger said he then grabbed the shooter's left wrist and forced him to the ground with the help of several others.
Meanwhile, a woman knocked a second clip of ammunition out of the gunman's hand. Badger said he got the shooter in a choke hold while another man forced his knee into the suspect's neck.
"The guy's face was in the cement, and every time he would move, I would tighten my grip on his throat and this individual would push harder with his knee and all he (the gunman) said was, 'Ow, ow, ow, ow,' " Badger said.
Badger, a military pilot for 26 years, said they held the suspect down for around five minutes until help arrived.
Badger said he had no idea how badly his head was bleeding.
"I didn't know the blood was coming from me because I saw all the blood on the sidewalk, the walkway from the store, on him (the gunman) and all over the back of my hand and my arm," Badger said.
After the shooter was handcuffed, Badger called his wife.
"I said 'I've been shot, but I'm OK, and I took the guy down, but I want you to come over right away,' " Badger said. He was taken to a local hospital where tests showed no brain damage.
Badger said he gives more credit to the people who helped him Saturday than to himself: "No, I don't consider myself a hero. I did what anybody would do. I think my military background made me react, and the timing was essential."
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479 F.2d 830
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee,v.Smith F. BRANDOM, Jr., Appellant.
No. 71-1499.
United States Court of Appeals,Eighth Circuit.
Submitted Sept. 11, 1972.Decided March 12, 1973.Rehearing Denied July 23, 1973.
David W. Russell, Kansas City, Mo., for appellant.
Anthony P. Nugent, Jr., Asst. U. S. Atty., Kansas City, Mo., for appellee.
Before MATTHES, Chief Judge, and LAY and HEANEY, Circuit Judges.
HEANEY, Circuit Judge.
1
The principal question1 on appeal is whether the trial judge impermissibly commented on the evidence in his charge to the jury, thus, in effect, directing a verdict. We hold that it did so, and reverse the defendant's conviction.
2
The defendant was convicted on Counts I, II, III and XI of the indictment which charged him with violating the mail fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1341.2 The evidence showed that the defendant operated the Midwest Mutual Casualty Company and its management company, Gibraltar Management Corporation. The essence of the charge was that the defendant had fraudulently misrepresented the financial status of the insurance company so that it could continue doing business for the defendant's benefit, despite its failure to maintain the assets required by state law. The first three counts charged that the defendant had mailed fraudulent financial reports to the State of Missouri Division of Insurance. Count XI charged that he had caused the Division of Insurance to mail fraudulent information concerning the financial status of the company to an individual who had made inquiries.
3
The trial judge correctly instructed the jury that the following essential elements of the offense must be established:
4
"First, the defendant's act or acts of having devised and having intended to devise a scheme or artifice to defraud and to obtain money and property from Gibraltar Management Corporation, and Midwest Mutual Casualty Company and its policyholders and claimants by means of the false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises as submitted to you in this charge; and
5
"Second, the defendant's act or acts of using or causing the use of the mails as submitted to you; and
6
"Third, the defendant's wilful and knowing doing of said act or acts with intent to execute the scheme or artifice to defraud, as submitted to you."
7
However, at the close of his instructions, the court made the following comments to the jury with respect to the defendant's intent to defraud and execute the scheme to defraud:
8
"Let's take the cross-checks which occurred at the end of each month in respect to the particular statements which are involved in Counts One, Two, Three and Eleven. It seems to me that this evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that under an arrangement which was dictated by the defendant, and recorded by the witness Doris Howard, about drawing a check on Gibraltar account at the end of the month payable to Midwest, and holding it up until a check was thrown back from Midwest to Gibraltar on the first of the month, or the first business day following the close of the last month, that this arrangement was designed to and did misrepresent the financial condition of Midwest Casualty Company on the books of the company and on the statements submitted to the Insurance Department.
9
"In the first place, I read you the paragraph in the management contract which provided that the management fees would not be due and payable to Gibraltar from the premiums written during the month until sometime on or before the 15th day of the month following that in which the business was written. And you have heard the evidence which, in my judgment is clear, and shows beyond a reasonable doubt that Gibraltar was in fact in violation of that contract drawing premiums before they were due on estimates in amounts which were quite substantially higher than when they became due. And this would adversely affect the financial position of Midwest if it were honestly reported in the financial statement.
10
"And to show you why I believe the evidence establishes this beyond a reasonable doubt, I am going to refer to the fact that the arrangement, as shown by the document in evidence that Mrs. Howard identified with her manuscript on it that she was told this procedure by the defendant, to follow it, there was a specific direction that the Gibraltar check which was drawn on the 31st and which was supposed to put back this overdraw and for which there was no money in the bank, was not to be deposited until the first when Midwest had given it back another check which created a new overdraw on the management fees and for which Midwest had money in the bank.
11
"The net result of this transaction is that Midwest was itself paying back, restoring to Gibraltar, the overdraw which it pretended to have paid off by drawing a check and dating it on the 31st of the month and then holding it up and not depositing it in the bank. "A good way to test that in your mind is to just assume that Midwest had drawn a check on the 31st, since the end of the month is said to be a normal accounting period, and was so used by Gibraltar for the amount that it drew on the first. It would have reduced Midwest's cash balance by that amount on the 31st. So in this way, a check which was never deposited, which was not intended to be deposited on the 31st of a month, was misrepresented in the statements as cash, a deposit in transit, when as a matter of fact it had not been deposited under the understanding and was not deposited until the first of the month. And I am sure that the evidence shows this beyond a reasonable doubt." (Emphasis added.)
12
The trial court may express its opinion on the guilt of the accused only where all facts are admitted by the accused and only a question of law remains. United States v. Murdock, 290 U.S. 389, 54 S.Ct. 223, 78 L.Ed. 381 (1933); Billeci v. United States, 87 U. S.App.D.C. 274, 184 F.2d 394 (1950). See, United States v. Spica, 413 F.2d 129, 133 (8th Cir. 1969). Where the question of intent to commit the offense charged is disputed, an expression of opinion on the guilt of the accused is reversible error. United States v. Murdock, supra; United States v. Musgrave, 444 F.2d 755, 763 (5th Cir. 1971); United States v. Smith, 399 F.2d 896, 899 (6th Cir. 1968).
13
In the present case, the trial judge instructed the jury that the evidence showed "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant had "dictated" an arrangement which "was designed to and did misrepresent the financial condition of Midwest Casualty Company on the books of the company and on the statements submitted to the Insurance Department." This statement made it clear to the jury that, in the trial judge's opinion, the government had produced proof beyond a reasonable doubt of two of the three essential elements of the offense-that the defendant had acted with specific intent to defraud, and that he had, with intent to execute his scheme to defraud, submitted reports to the Division of Insurance. Yet, the issue of intent was disputed by the defendant in cross-examination, through defense witnesses and in his argument to the jury. In our view, the trial judge's comments were equivalent to a partial directed verdict and expression of guilt.
14
The government urges, however, that in this case, the trial judge's comments are not reversible under Murdock because the trial judge did not actually use the term "guilt" in stating its opinion.3 We find this distinction to be without merit. Where the essential element of intent is in dispute, the defendant is just as effectively prejudiced whether the court states, as in Murdock, that the defendant is "guilty," or if it states, as here, that the government has established the disputed element of intent beyond a reasonable doubt. See, McBride v. United States, 314 F.2d 75 (10th Cir. 1963); Bennett v. United States, 252 F.2d 97, 99 (10th Cir. 1958); Davis v. United States, 227 F.2d 568 (10th Cir. 1955). Cf., United States v. Ornstein, 355 F.2d 222, 224 (6th Cir. 1966).
15
In McBride v. United States, supra, the defendant was also charged with mail fraud. He argued that there was no intent to defraud. At the close of that trial, the judge also commented on the evidence. He did not state that he believed the defendant to be "guilty," but made it clear that he believed that fraudulent intent had been established.4 The Court of Appeals reversed, relying on United States v. Murdock, supra, and stated:
16
"* * * The comments must * * * be taken as a statement of the court that the accused was guilty, and this was not warranted under the circumstances. * * *"
17
McBride v. United States, supra, 314 F. 2d at 77.
18
While we believe that the trial judge's statement of opinion with regard to the element of intent constitutes reversible error under United States v. Murdock, supra, we believe his other comments provide additional reasons for reversing this case.5 As Judge Stephenson recently said:
19
"* * * The trial court commands the attention and respect of the jury. Great care must be exercised so as to avoid the appearance of advocacy for a particular party. * * *"
20
Scruggs v. United States, 450 F.2d 359, 363 (8th Cir. 1971), cert. denied, Chambers v. United States, 405 U.S. 1071, 92 S.Ct. 1521, 31 L.Ed.2d 804 (1972). Accord, United States v. Dunmore, 446 F. 2d 1214, 1218 (8th Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 1041, 92 S.Ct. 726, 30 L. Ed.2d 734 (1972).
The Supreme Court has recognized:
21
"* * * The influence of the trial judge on the jury 'is necessarily and properly of great weight' and 'his lightest word or intimation is received with deference, and may prove controlling'. * * *"
22
Quercia v. United States, 289 U.S. 466, 470, 53 S.Ct. 698, 699, 77 L.Ed. 1321 (1933).
23
In Weare v. United States, 1 F.2d 617, 618 (8th Cir. 1924), rev'd, 276 U.S. 599, 48 S.Ct. 321, 72 L.Ed. 724 (1928), we stated:
24
"The instructions, however, should not be argumentative. The court cannot direct a verdict of guilty in criminal cases, even if the facts are undisputed. * * * It should not be permitted to do indirectly what it cannot do directly, and by its instructions to in effect argue the jury into a verdict of guilty." (Citation omitted.)
25
The trial judge's analysis of the evidence was, by its terms, an argument for his view of the evidence. See, Hardy v. United States, 118 U.S.App.D.C. 253, 335 F.2d 288 (1964). Throughout his comments, he made argumentative statements which emphasized his belief that a fraudulent intent had been proven. Furthermore, while the trial judge summarized the evidence favorable to the government, it failed to do the same with respect to the evidence submitted by the defendant. This was error, United States v. Dunmore, supra, 446 F.2d at 1218; Boatright v. United States, 105 F.2d 737, 739 (8th Cir. 1939), even though the evidence supporting the defendant was insubstantial.6 The only mention of evidence produced by the defendant was a negative one:
26
"Mr. Burgee's testimony [the defendant's accountant], in some respects, left a great deal wanting, in my mind. He assumed some things were loans from Able that were shown on the books to be not loans. He also tried a cut-off date for his computation to show how much of the agents' collections had been realized at the time Gibraltar made this statement. And even then, his own evidence, making those assumptions, showed that at the time the $150,000.00 was completely paid, that there was a large part of those agents' collections which went into the payments. And I think you should scrutinize that transaction very carefully."
27
Moreover, the prejudice to the defendant from these erroneous comments was not cured by the trial judge's instructions to the jury that they were the sole judge of the facts, and that they must determine whether there was an intent to defraud beyond a reasonable doubt.7 United States v. Smith, supra, 399 F.2d at 899; McBride v. United States, supra; Davis v. United States, supra. A similar instruction was given by the trial judge in the Murdock case. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court reversed. This Court has recognized that "a mere withdrawal of words and a direction to the jury that the question is for them, is not always sufficient." Rudd v. United States, 173 F. 912 (8th Cir. 1909). See, United States v. Dunmore, supra, 446 F.2d at 1217 n. 2; Cook v. United States, 18 F.2d 50 (8th Cir. 1927). Furthermore, in giving the alleged curative instruction, the trial judge emphasized his authority by pointing out his long legal experience and indicating that he was more likely than the jury to understand the "crucial" or "primary" matters on which he commented.
28
We regret the necessity of reversing this judgment on the grounds that the experienced, able and fair-minded judge exceeded permissible comment on the evidence. The case against the defendant was a strong one, but the court's statement that the defendant's fraudulent intent had been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, along with his comments on the evidence, substantially interfered with the defendant's right to trial by jury, and require that the defendant be given a new trial. See, United States v. Hayward, 136 U.S.App.D.C. 300, 420 F. 2d 142, 145 (1969); United States v. Porter, 386 F.2d 270, 276 (6th Cir. 1967); United States v. Ornstein, supra; Davis v. United States, supra, 227 F.2d at 570; United States v. Link, 202 F.2d 592, 595 (3rd Cir. 1953); Rudd v. United States, supra.8
29
Reversed and remanded.
30
LAY, Circuit Judge (concurring).
31
Although I concur fully with the analysis and holding of Judge Heaney, in view of the dissent filed I feel constrained to make an additional comment.
32
The cases are legion outlining the role of the trial judge when making comments to the jury. As Judge Matthes summarizes in his dissent, "if a judge deems it desirable for the sake of achieving a just result to comment upon the evidence solely for the purpose of aiding and guiding the jury in arriving at a just and fair verdict he is privileged to do so; but he must be careful not to intrude upon the province of the jury to make an unfettered and uninfluenced determination of fact matters submitted for their consideration." (My emphasis.)
33
When does a trial judge cross the line? If the district judge did not invade permissible boundaries here, then we might as well forget the rhetorical warnings and simply instruct lawyers that in the future this court will not entertain error relating to prejudicial judicial comment. If, as is asserted here, the evidence is so overwhelming, why must any trial judge advise a jury that in his opinion the essential elements of the criminal offense have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt?
34
I sense comments such as this are fomented because of a lingering doubt by some jurists that jurors as a whole are not really intelligent enough to come to the right conclusion. This lingering doubt has been the basis down through the years for the continuing invidious attack against the jury system. How wrong this is. Judges have no gifted insight or peculiar competence in determining facts; their view as to what is right and just must always be equated with that of the common man. In this area of the law the benevolent judgment of a judge deserves no higher consideration on the scale of justice than any other man. The danger of such comment is that it places the defendant at an unfair disadvantage since it allows the presiding judge to testify as a professional witness and in a manner no other witness would ever be allowed to do.
35
When a judge informs a jury that in his opinion the essential elements of a crime have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, he instructs the jury that the defendant is guilty. To attempt to hold otherwise is to shadow box with reality. When this is done, the judge serves as a fact finder. Yet as a fact finder he possesses the same human frailties, biases and prejudices as the ordinary juror. In fact, he falls far short of the valued expertise of the jury, for the priceless value of the composite jury is its ability to equate conduct in terms of community values and common affairs of life. A single judge cannot possess a similar sense of community values.
36
We should not forget, as Justice Strong noted almost a century ago in Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U.S. 303, 308-309, 25 L.Ed. 664 (1879): "The very idea of a jury is a body of men composed of the peers or equals of the person whose rights it is selected or summoned to determine; that is, of his neighbors, fellows, associates, persons having the same legal status in society as that which he holds." This postulate is destroyed if the judge assumes the thirteenth chair in the jury box.
37
In a criminal proceeding, whenever any trial judge comments on the evidence in such an unfair manner so as to tell the jury, directly or indirectly, that a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, it is my judgment that, regardless of the strength of the evidence, the defendant has been denied a fair trial and due process requires a reversal of the conviction.
38
MATTHES, Chief Judge (concurring in part-dissenting in part).
39
The rejection of appellant's contentions of error set forth in the margin of the majority opinion, footnote 1, has my full approval.
40
But, for reasons stated below, I respectfully disagree with the holding that the district judge impermissibly commented upon the evidence in his charge to the jury, and I therefore dissent from the reversal and remand.
41
We are considering an appeal from a judgment of conviction following a protracted jury trial which commenced on February 11, 1971, and terminated by the return of verdicts on March 3, 1971. This case is typical of many prosecutions for violating the mail fraud statute, in that the scheme and artifice to defraud was so designed as to require the manipulation and juggling of the bank accounts, certain assets and the records of the two companies involved, namely, Midwest Mutual and Gibraltar Management Company. This manipulation over a span of more than four years placed the Government in the position where it was required to introduce into evidence voluminous documents and the testimony of many witnesses in order to sustain and carry the burden of proving the appellant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There were 18 Government witnesses and three testified on behalf of the appellant (appellant did not testify). In this setting, the court's charge was, of necessity, quite lengthy. It required 43 typewritten pages of the trial transcript to reproduce the court's charge.
42
From this brief background, we turn to the question in controversy.
43
We need cite no authority for the settled principle that the charge must be viewed and considered in its entirety and as a whole. It is also a cardinal principle of federal jurisdiction that the trial judge in a criminal case is more than a mere moderator. He is charged with the heavy responsibility of so conducting the trial that justice is rendered. To that end, the judge may assist the jury in arriving at a just conclusion by explaining and commenting upon the evidence and by expressing his opinion upon the facts, provided, of course, he makes it clear that all factual questions are left to the jury for determination.
44
Nearly a century ago, the Supreme Court of the United States stated:
45
"In the courts of the United States, as in those of England, from which our practice was derived, the judge, in submitting a case to the jury, may, at his discretion, whenever he thinks it necessary to assist them in arriving at a just conclusion, comment upon the evidence, call their attention to parts of it which he thinks important, and express his opinion upon the facts; and the expression of such an opinion, when no rule of law is incorrectly stated, and all matters of fact are ultimately submitted to the determination of the jury, cannot be reviewed on writ of error." (Emphasis supplied.)
46
Vicksburg & Meridian R. R. Co. v. Putnam, 118 U.S. 545, 553, 7 S.Ct. 1, 2, 30 L.Ed. 257 (1886), cited with approval in Ray v. United States, 367 F.2d 258, 262 (8th Cir. 1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 913, 87 S.Ct. 863, 17 L.Ed.2d 785 (1967). This principle was adhered to by the Supreme Court in Quercia v. United States, 289 U.S. 466, 469, 53 S. Ct. 698, 77 L.Ed. 1321 (1933), and again in United States v. Murdock, 290 U.S. 389, 394, 54 S.Ct. 223, 78 L.Ed. 381 (1933). Cases decided by the federal courts of appeals standing for the same principle are legion. It is sufficient for the purpose of this dissent to cite only Hartzell v. United States, 72 F.2d 569 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 293 U.S. 621, 55 S.Ct. 216, 79 L.Ed. 708 (1934), and Franano v. United States, 310 F.2d 533 (8th Cir. 1962), cert. denied, 373 U.S. 940, 83 S.Ct. 1545, 10 L.Ed.2d 694 (1963).
47
In the Franano case, which I authored on behalf of a unanimous court, I delineated the function of a trial judge in presiding over a criminal case and cited many authorities to support my conclusions. I adhere to everything written in the Franano opinion, and would pursue the same course in disposing of this appeal.
48
In the final analysis, as I see the situation, every case must rest upon its own bottom. I find no quarrel with the proposition that a trial judge should exercise care and discretion in expressing an opinion and should never identify his position so as to appear partial. In brief, and to the point, if a judge deems it desirable for the sake of achieving a just result to comment upon the evidence solely for the purpose of aiding and guiding the jury in arriving at a just and fair verdict he is privileged to do so; but he must be careful not to intrude upon the province of the jury to make an unfettered and uninfluenced determination of fact matters submitted for their consideration.
49
The comments which the majority condemns here are quite different in my view than the charge that was found fatally defective in Quercia v. United States, supra and United States v. Murdock, supra. In Quercia, the court stated:
50
" 'And now I am going to tell you what I think of the defendant's testimony. You may have noticed, Mr. Foreman [of the jury] and gentlemen, that he wiped his hands during his testimony. It is rather a curious thing, but that is almost always an indication of lying. Why it should be so we don't know, but that is the fact. I think that every single word that man said, except when he agreed with the Government's testimony, was a lie.' "
51
289 U.S. at 468, 53 S.Ct. at 698. In Murdock, the condemned charge was submitted in this language:
52
"The court feels from the evidence in this case that the Government has sustained the burden cast upon it by the law and has proved that this defendant is guilty in manner and form as charged beyond a reasonable doubt."
53
290 U.S. at 393, 54 S.Ct. at 225.
54
In Hartzell v. United States, supra, the trial judge gave this instruction:
55
"Now, with that caution I will say to you, gentlemen, that I have listened to all this evidence as intently as you have I think, and in the opinion of the court the government has established the facts which ought to convince reasonable men beyond a reasonable doubt, and taking the evidence as a whole I think the government has established the allegations of these several counts that remain in the indictment."
56
72 F.2d at 586.
57
It seems to me that the Hartzell instruction was far more poisonous than that portion of Chief Judge Becker's comments which the majority condemns as impermissible and prejudicial. Yet, in the Hartzell case, also involving a mail fraud prosecution, this court held that the court's comment was not prejudicial.
58
After careful consideration of Judge Becker's charge in its entirety I have reached the conclusion that Judge Becker's assailed comments were not so impermissible as to constitute prejudicial error. At the outset of Judge Becker's charge, he informed the jury of the presumption of innocence and that it was necessary for the Government to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In fact no less than four times was the jury told that before they could convict, the Government was required to produce evidence which convinced the jury the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Nowhere in the instructions, including the comments which are complained of, did Judge Becker even remotely suggest that he felt that the Government had proved the appellant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and he cautioned the jury to decide the case on the basis of the evidence.
59
As I view this record, there was negligible conflict in the evidence concerning three of the devices, commented upon by the judge, which were successfully used by the appellant in perpetrating the fraudulent scheme which eventually resulted in the financial collapse of the companies involved: (1) the check kiting procedure; (2) the improper and unlawful pledging of the United States Treasury bills owned by Midwest to secure Gibraltar loans; and (3) the diversion of a substantial amount of premium remittances (between $50,000 and $127,000) for the purpose of deceiving the Missouri Division of Insurance. Since the matters were proved beyond doubt, I am not willing to fault the judge for telling the jury that they were.
60
Certainly, I recognize the appellant was entitled to a fair trial, but not a perfect one. I am convinced that the able and seasoned trial judge exercised restraint and caution throughout the trial and in submitting the case to the jury. The evidence of guilt was strong and convincing. Consequently, I cannot bring myself to believe that Judge Becker's comments, which are the sole ground for sending the case back for another long trial, improperly influenced the jury. I would affirm.
1
The defendant argues that it was error to admit evidence of acts committed beyond the period prescribed by the statute of limitations. This argument is without merit. United States v. Andreas, 458 F.2d 491 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 848, 93 S.Ct. 54, 34 L.Ed.2d 89 (1972); United States v. Blosser, 440 F.2d 697, 699 (10th Cir. 1971); United States v. Gross, 416 F.2d 1205, 1210 (8th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 1013, 90 S.Ct. 1245, 25 L.Ed.2d 427 (1970)
The defendant argues that the trial judge did not adequately instruct with respect to the evidence of the defendant's actions prior to the statute of limitations, and that he did not adequately instruct with respect to those actions which constituted violations of state law. This argument is without merit. The instructions taken as a whole were quite sufficient in these respects.
The defendant argues that the proof of mailing was insufficient. The evidence as to mailing, particularly with respect to Counts I and XI, was clear. With respect to Count I, there was evidence of a practice of mailing in the defendant's office, and the envelope containing the defendant's financial report was produced. The envelope contained a prepaid postage mark and certified mail tags. With respect to Count XI, there was evidence of an unvaried practice of mailing at the Department of Insurance, and there was testimony by the individual who had mailed the letter and by the recipient that it had been mailed. With respect to Counts III and IV, the evidence was not so strong but was, nonetheless, sufficient. Compare, United States v. Brickey, 426 F.2d 680, 684 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 828, 91 S.Ct. 55, 27 L.Ed.2d 57 (1970); Winel v. United States, 365 F.2d 646, 648 (8th Cir. 1966). But see, United States v. Baker, 50 F.2d 122 (2nd Cir. 1931). In oral argument before this Court, the defendant appeared to suggest that the only fundamental issue in the case was that of the defendant's intent.
Finally, the defendant contends that the evidence was insufficient to show that his insurance company was insolvent, or that he had fraudulently misrepresented the company's financial status. These contentions are also without merit.
2
None of the other counts of the indictment went to the jury
3
The only element on which the trial judge did not offer his opinion was whether the mails were in fact used. However, as we indicated in n. 1, supra, the evidence on mailing was clear
The government relies on Hartzell v. United States, 72 F.2d 569 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 293 U.S. 621, 55 S.Ct. 216, 79 L.Ed. 708 (1934). In Hartzell, however, the Court found that an exceptional situation under United States v. Murdock, 290 U.S. 389, 54 S.Ct. 223, 78 L.Ed. 381 (1933), existed in that a violation of the statute, with which the defendant was charged, existed on the basis of the undisputed facts.
In United States v. DePugh, 434 F.2d 548, 554 (8th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 401 U.S. 978, 91 S.Ct. 1208, 28 L.Ed.2d 328 (1971), the defendant was convicted of bail jumping. This Court sustained the conviction even though the trial judge had instructed the jury:
"And as I told you, under the law I think it would be a fair finding that the government has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he deliberately left Norborne, Missouri, absented himself from there where-the only address the government had for him, and did not return to the Western District of Missouri for further proceedings in this case."
In DePugh, unlike the present case, the Court of Appeals specifically found that the trial judge had fairly summarized the evidence and had not assumed the role of an advocate.
4
In McBride v. United States, 314 F.2d 75, 76 (10th Cir. 1963), the trial court had instructed the jury:
" 'Now at this point I should like to say, as the third member or thirteenth member of the jury, that this is a rather simple case.
" 'The facts are clear in my mind that this little corporation was organized but for one purpose, and that is to use the mails and to defraud people, little people, out of money.
" 'I believe from the evidence that Mr. Rogers had no intention at any time to be in good faith in his work, in the organization of the company, the use of the mails, sending salesmen out to go out and prey upon people who were in desperate need of some financial help.
" 'Now we get down to later; this accused was employed or engaged. I can't help but believe that he knew of all the lack of good faith in the business that he joined up with. I can't help but believe that he went about Texas and Louisiana and Mississippi, he knew that he was doing wrong. He is bound to have known it.
" 'Now I don't know. He says that he did it in good faith and that he was employed and that he worked as an employee, that he reported these things in order that somebody might, the company might make these loans. I can't help but believe that the accused here knew well when he started out that he was going to make a commission and whether or not he ever saw these poor people again or not it made little or no difference to him.
" 'My views are that it's pretty serious business when we permit the people to use our mails and take advantage of our people.
" 'Now what I have said to you is simply my views and you must disregard it. I have nothing to say except that I can make remarks as I have; but you must disregard what I have said about this case.
" 'You are the sole jurors in this case. You must pass upon this evidence yourself, so I am asking you to disregard what I have said to you with reference to my views. Disregard it completely. Do not consider that I have ever said anything to you.' "
5
The trial judge commented:
"Now, the third and crucial-not crucial, but third and one of the primary issues in the case-is the alleged diversion of $127,000 worth of alleged premium remittances to Midwest to the bank account of the Gibraltar Management Corporation in Kansas City, and the alleged use of that money to pretend to make a contribution to surplus. "I don't want to say exactly in what amount the proceeds of that $127,000 worth of checks from agents and from Able Investment Company were premium collections, and the exact amount that was used in a pretense to make a contribution to capital. But the evidence in my judgment shows beyond a reasonable doubt that somewhere between fifty-odd thousand dollars, as I think is properly inferable from the defendant's evidence or ninety-something thousand dollars, and possibly the $127,000 of Midwest's money was used by Gibraltar in a pretense of making a contribution. In other words, the evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the Insurance Department was deceived into believing that somewhere between fifty-some odd thousand dollars and $127,000.00 was contributed to surplus of Midwest when it was a matter of fact the proceeds of checks belonging to Midwest which were surreptitiously carried physically from St. Louis to Kansas City, and the checks were cuased [sic] to be endorsed by a minor employee named Lukers on behalf of Midwest to Gibraltar Management Corporation, and were put in Gibraltar Management Corporation's accounts. * * * "I know sometimes the hand is quicker than the eye, but this time it is pretty slow, and it would be a peculiar lack of perception and vision to be able to not see through this.
"You will remember that up to this time in March, those premiums had gone through directly to Midwest and been deposited in Midwest's account. No one had claimed that they should go through Gibraltar's account in the first instance and the checks were made payable by Able and others to Midwest Mutual Casualty for these remittances. Then the crisis of March cameup [sic] when the Insurance Superintendent demanded $150,000.00 contribution to surplus of Midwest Mutual Casualty Company, and despite the provisions of the contract, and despite the repeated overdrafts which were maintained through the cross-check matter, under Gibraltar's management fee account, the whole practice was changed. The checks were endorsed directly to Gibraltar Management Corporation and never entered on Midwest Mutual Casualty Company's account. I believe the evidence shows this beyond a reasonable doubt.
"And to further cover up the transaction, they weren't even deposited in any St. Louis account. Someone packed them up and carried them up to Kansas City where they were put in the Gibraltar Management account." (Emphasis added.)
6
Shafer, the attorney who had represented Midwest Mutual Casualty Company, testified. He stated that though he was familiar with certain aspects of the alleged scheme, he had not advised the defendant that they were unlawful. He stated that he believed the "cross-checks" were not unlawful because the defendant had no criminal intent. He stated, with regard to the "cross-checks," that:
"These were done at Mr. Brandom's instructions for two reasons. One, he wanted there to be no question with the Internal Revenue Service as to whether or not Gibraltar was or was not entitled to a fee, and no question as to whether or not they had taken or had not taken fees, because you have the problem of constructive receipt of income.
"His second purpose was that he wanted at no time for there to be any question as to whether or not Gibraltar might have waived a portion of its fee, thus at the end of the month they would crosscheck in order to establish the amount of the gross, I believe, the net fee would be taken then."
7
The trial judge prefaced his comments with the following remarks:
"Now, that is the formal charge but I want to give you another instruction and then I want to make some comments about this case which, from my experience as a trial lawyer of 29 years and nine years on this Court, I hope will be of some help to you, but I first want to instruct as to the weight they have.
"The law of the United States permits the judge to comment to the jury on the evidence in the case. Such comments are only expressions of the judge's opinion as to the facts; and the jury may disregard them entirely, since the jurors are the sole judges of the facts. "In other words, what I am about to say to you now you need not follow and constitutes only my opinion about some of the crucial issues in this very complicated case.
"There has been a great deal of argument about loss reserves and about whether the company was insolvent, about whether at a particular time one person or another was responsible for the entries on the books, whether or not information in Gibraltar's books was hidden or concealed from the Insurance Department, and whether or not in the long run Midwest Mutual actually lost anything or whether the money was put back and restitution was made. And you should give consideration to these things. But I think there are some primary issues in this case on which the evidence is quite clear and I want to tell you what I believe the evidence has shown on these particular items which are, in my judgment, some of the most important in the case.
"On the issues I don't discuss, I don't feel that my comments would be of any help to you. You probably know as much or more than I do about it."
8
Nothing we say in this opinion should be read as restricting the trial judge's right to impartially comment on the evidence in the federal courts. The proposed Federal Rules of Evidence state:
"Rule 105.
"SUMMING UP AND COMMENT BY JUDGE
"After the close of the evidence and arguments of counsel, the judge may fairly and impartially sum up the evidence and comment to the jury upon the weight of the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses, if he also instructs the jury that they are to determine for themselves the weight of the evidence and the credit to be given to the witnesses and that they are not bound by the judge's summation or comment.
"Advisory Committee's Note
"The rule states the present rule in the federal courts. Capital Traction Co. v. Hof, 174 U.S. 1, 13-14, 19 S.Ct. 580, 43 L.Ed. 873 (1899). The judge must, of course, confine his remarks to what is disclosed by the evidence. He cannot convey to the jury his purely personal reaction to credibility or to the merits of the case; he can be neither argumentative nor an advocate. Quercia v. United States, 289 U.S. 466, 469, 53 S.Ct. 698, 77 L.Ed. 1321 (1933); Billeci v. United States, 87 U.S.App. D.C. 274, 184 F.2d 394, 402, 24 A.L.R. 2d 881 (1950). For further discussion see the series of articles by Wright, The Invasion of Jury: Temperature of the War, 27 Tem.L.Q. 137 (1953), Instructions to the Jury: Summary Without Comment, 1954 Wash.U.L.Q. 177, Adequacy of Instructions to the Jury, 53 Mich.L.Rev. 505, 813 (1955); A.L.I. Model Code of Evidence, Comment to Rule 8; Maguire, Weinstein, et al., Cases and Materials on Evidence 737-740 (5th ed. 1965); Vanderbilt, Minimum Standards of Judicial Administration 224-229 (1949)."
Rules of Evidence for United States Courts and Magistrates (effective July 1, 1973), 56 F.R.D. 183, 199.
Commentators have warned that the right to comment should be exercised with great caution. See, E. Devitt & C. Blackmar, Federal Jury Practice & Instructions, Secs. 8.04, 10.04 (1970); Smith Jury Instructions in Seminars for Newly Appointed United States District Judges, 128 (Committee on Pre-Trial Procedure Judicial Conference of the United States, 1953). We think that the ABA Standards, Trial by Jury (Tentative Draft, May 1968) Sec. 4.7, provide some sound standards for the trial judge who does feel a commentary is necessary in a particular case:
"4.7 Summary of and comment on evidence.
"(a) The court, at the time it instructs the jury, may summarize and comment on the evidence, provided the jury is clearly and unequivocally instructed that it is the exclusive judge of the facts, that it is to determine the weight of the evidence and the credibility of witnesses, and that it is not bound by the comments of the court.
"(b) The summary and comment permitted in subsection (a) is governed by the following principles:
"(i) The court may analyze the evidence, draw the attention of the jury to important portions of the evidence, and fairly and accurately summarize the contentions of both the prosecution and the defense.
"(ii) The court may not suggest a verdict of guilty or not guilty, nor may the court directly express an opinion on the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
"(iii) The court may not present any item of evidence as a proven or undisputed fact unless the matter has been affirmatively conceded or is the subject of judicial notice.
"(iv) The court may state the law and comment on matters in evidence bearing on the credibility of any witness, but may not directly express an opinion that certain testimony is worthy or unworthy of belief."
The tentative draft of the ABA Standards, Trial by Jury were submitted to the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association along with the recommendation of the Council of the Section of Criminal Law that Sec. 4.7 be omitted. The commentary accompanying this recommendation stated in part:
"Some who opposed the standard have done so on traditional grounds (as set forth at p. 125 of the original report), e. g., the danger of abuse and the difficulty in drawing the line between proper and improper comment. Others in opposition were primarily motivated, however, by recent developments which would make such comment particularly hazardous in cases where the defendant does not take the stand, and by the fact that permitting it only when the defendant does take the stand might pose other problems with respect to the defendant's right to testify which outweigh the value of such comment."
See, Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 85 S.Ct. 1229, 14 L.Ed.2d 106 (1965); ABA Standards, Trial by Jury, 4, 5 (Supplement, Sept. 1968). The House of Delegates deleted Sec. 4.7 from the approved draft.
| 2024-04-11T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3020 |
676 F.2d 694
Perduev.Schweiker
81-1557
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Fourth Circuit
3/5/82
1
S.D.W.Va.
REVERSED
| 2024-06-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8506 |
Q:
Field operator in Schrödinger picture
In Schrödinger picture operators do not depend on time explicitly. Consider a free scalar field with Lagrangian density
$${\cal L} ~=~ \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\mu} \phi\partial^{\mu}\phi-\frac{m^2}{2}\phi^2,$$
where $\phi=\phi(t,x,y,z)$. In quantum field theory we take it as an operator. Is this operator Schrödinger or Heisenberg one? How can we express free field Lagrangian in both pictures?
A:
When the field $\phi$ is being written as a function of spacetime, with explicit dependence on time, then this field is said to be written in the Heisenberg picture. You can see how this is consistent with the terminology used in non-relativistic quantum mechanics by recalling that (See e.g. Peskin and Schroeder eq. 2.43)
$$
\phi(t,\mathbf x) = e^{i H(t-t_0)}\phi(\mathbf x, t_0)e^{-iH(t-t0)}.
$$
This shows that we can choose some time slice, say at time $t_0$, in Minkowski space at which be define our usual Shrodinger picture operators (the canonical degrees of freedom of the field theory) and at later times, these operator degrees of freedom are related to those at time $t_0$ via the usual Hamiltonian, unitary time evolution above.
In order to use notation that is more in line with that used in non-relativistic quantum mechanics (e.g. see Sakurai p. 82 bottom), you might be inclined to define
$$
\phi^{(S)}(\mathbf x) = \phi(\mathbf x, 0), \qquad \phi^{(H)}(\mathbf x)(t)
$$
in which case the above time evolution relation would take the familiar form
$$
\phi^{(H)}(\mathbf x)(t) = e^{iHt}\phi^{(S)}(\mathbf x)e^{-iHt}
$$
but this would be somewhat non-standard notation in field theory as far as I am aware.
| 2023-10-15T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3806 |
---
abstract: 'For the development of charged particle detectors based on straw tubes operating in vacuum, a special measurement technique is required for the evaluation of their mechanical properties. A summary of the known equations that govern straw behavior under internal pressure is provided, and a new experimental method of a strained pressurized straw tube study is presented in this paper. The Poisson’s ratio of the straw wall, which defines the stability conditions of a built-in tube, is measured for the NA62 spectrometer straw, and its minimum pre-tension is estimated.'
author:
- |
L. Glonti, T. Enik, V. Kekelidze, A. Kolesnikov, D. Madigozhin[^1],\
N. Molokanova, S. Movchan, Yu. Potrebenikov, S. Shkarovskiy\
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980, Dubna, Russia
bibliography:
- 'pressure.bib'
title: Longitudinal tension and mechanical stability of a pressurized straw tube
---
keywords: straw tracker, straw tube, vacuum, pressure
PACS\[2010\] 29.40.Cs 29.40.Gx
Introduction
============
During the past few decades, a series of experiments in high-energy physics have been designed to investigate very rare decay modes of kaon (see, for example, [@NA62TD; @Buonaura:2016gho]). In particular, the purpose of NA62 experiment at CERN SPS [@NA62TD] is to measure $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar \nu$ decay branching ratio of the order of $10^{-10}$ with an uncertainty of 10%. It will be a test of the Standard Model and a probe to possible new physics. This is a challenging task, requiring an unprecedented precision of $\pi^+$ momentum measurement in order to reject the dominating background using the evaluation of event missing mass. This require a precise measurement of the momentum and position of the charged particle.
A minimal material budget requirement in such experiments stimulates the development of gaseous particle detectors based on straw tubes containing gas under atmospheric pressure and operating in vacuum. These tubes maintain an internal overpressure of 1 atm, but higher overpressure may be desirable for a slower drift of electrons in the gas.
From the mechanics of a column, it is known that, if a compressive axial load is applied to a clamped thin-walled tube without overpressure, the load critical value $F_{crit}$ for buckling is [@Timoshenko1961; @Catinaccio2010] $$F_{crit} = 4 \pi^2 E J/L^2.
\label{fcrit}$$ where $R$ is the straw radius, $L$ is its length, and $h$ is the thickness of the tube wall. Further, $E$ is the Young’s modulus and $J = \int \int y^2 dx dy = \pi R^3 h$ is a second moment of the cross-section of the tube wall . $EJ$ is known as the object flexural rigidity. For an NA62 straw tube $F_{crit} \approx 0.5 N$, which is a small value.
It should be considered that a large straw deviation may appear when this limit is approached [@Catinaccio2010]. A shift of a few millimeters of the tube axis with respect to the anode wire may cause an electric discharge and detector malfunction. Only axial tension guarantees the buckling prevention for a long straw tube, and it has been demonstrated earlier [@Catinaccio2010; @Wertelaers2010] that an internal overpressure changes this necessary minimum tension.
Moreover, pre-tension is required to maintain the curvature caused by gravity to be small for a straw placed horizontally. For the given straw geometry and overpressure, the only parameter for the curvature control is the preliminary stretching force applied to the straw.
Therefore, estimation of the minimum pre-tension of the straw is necessary for any design of a straw tracker operating in vacuum. However, the calculations based on the published material properties of the straw wall are not sufficiently precise, because these properties depend on the batch of material. Therefore, an experimental procedure for the evaluation of material properties of a straw under operating conditions may be very useful.
The main purpose of this article is to present a new experimental method to estimate the minimum preliminary stretching force required to prevent the pressurized straw buckling and to limit its gravitational curvature.
Mechanics of a pressurized straw tube
=====================================
The pressurized tube problem is not new in the industry, but it is not well-known in high-energy physics instrumentation. Therefore, we provide a summary of the known equations driving the behavior of straw tubes under internal pressure.
Only two stress directions are essential for the problem of a strained straw under internal pressure: the axial direction along the straw axis ($\parallel$) and the circumferential direction ($\perp$) tangent to the cylindrical surface of the straw in the plane normal to the axis. For a thin-walled tube ($h \ll R$), it can be demonstrated that straw circumferential (hoop) stress caused by the inner overpressure $P$ is always $\sigma_\perp = \frac{PR}{h}$ [@Gere2004]. The axial stress $\sigma_\parallel$ depends on the conditions at the straw ends.
Pressurized tube with free closed ends
--------------------------------------
We will begin with the simple formulae derived in the isotropy approximation, when the material properties do not depend on the considered direction. If the internal pressure acts not only on the cylindrical shell of the tube but also on the free ends closed by airtight end plugs, a simple relation can be derived between the hoop stress $\sigma_\perp$ and the free closed tube axial stress $\sigma^{free}_\parallel = \frac{P \pi R^2}{2\pi R h} = \frac{PR}{2h} = \sigma_\perp /2$ (see [@Gere2004] for cylindrical pressure vessel).
Hoop stress leads to the transverse strain of the material of the straw wall defining the direct contribution to the relative radius increasing $\epsilon^d_\perp = \sigma_\perp / E = \frac{PR}{Eh}$. For the typical straw tube $\epsilon^d_\perp \ll 1$; thus, this value may be used as a small parameter to determine the order of the considered contribution to a strain. The direct contribution to the axial relative elongation $\epsilon_\parallel = \frac{\Delta L}{L}$ for the free closed tube has the same first order: $\epsilon^d_\parallel = \sigma^{free}_\parallel / E = \frac{PR}{2Eh}$.
The Poisson effect leads to the shortening of the straw wall in the direction perpendicular to the corresponding direct strain. The Poisson ratio $\mu$ is defined as the ratio of the perpendicular relative shortening to the corresponding direct relative elongation. Thus, we have the first approximation for a free closed tube. $$\begin{aligned}
\label{strainlfree}
\frac{\Delta L}{L} = \epsilon_\parallel = \epsilon^d_\parallel - \mu \epsilon^d_\perp = \frac{PR}{2hE}(1-2\mu) \\
\frac{\Delta R}{R} = \epsilon_\perp = \epsilon^d_\perp - \mu \epsilon^d_\parallel = \frac{PR}{2hE}(2-\mu).
\label{straintfree}\end{aligned}$$ In the paper [@Peshekhonov], the equation (\[strainlfree\]) has been observed to be sufficiently precise to the best of our knowledge of the material properties. The hoop strain formula (\[straintfree\]) has been derived for the pressure vessel in [@Shells].
In an experimental set-up employing straws in vacuum, straw ends are usually built into the rigid frame (built-in tube) [@NA62TD]. For this case, the formulae (\[strainlfree\], \[straintfree\]) in general are incorrect, since the pressure force applied to the built-in end is balanced by the rigid frame rather than by the axial tension of the wall.
However, there is a special case wherein a built-in tube and a free closed tube are equivalent. Further, it can be used to obtain the simplest estimation of the minimum preliminary tension required to prevent straw buckling in vacuum [@DeCarloLivio]. If a free closed pressurized straw is glued into a rigid frame that exactly fits the straw length enlarged by the overpressure (\[strainlfree\]), the frame does not apply any axial load to the built-in straw. If the frame requires a longer straw, an overall axial tension is applied to the straw ends ensuring the stability of the tube against buckling. Furthermore, no change occurs in the state of the straw wall if we connect the inner straw volume with the gas supply mounted in the frame.
Therefore, in order to prevent buckling, we require a minimum straw pre-tension ensuring the elongation (\[strainlfree\]) prior to the vacuum creation around the tube. The stress caused by straw preliminary tension $T_0^{min}$ should be at least $\frac{T_0^{min}}{2\pi Rh} = E \epsilon_\parallel = \frac{PR}{2h}(1-2\mu)$, and the minimum pre-tension for buckling prevention is $$T_0^{min} = P \pi R^2 (1-2\mu).
\label{mintension}$$
Pressurized tube with built-in ends
-----------------------------------
We will assume the different material properties in the axial and circumferential directions (orthotropic approximation), which is quite usual for a straw wall material. For example, NA62 straws are made of Hostaphan^^ polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The film manufacturer reports the different values of transverse (transverse direction, TD) and longitudinal (machine direction, MD) Young’s moduli [@Hostaphan] (see Table \[strawprop\]). Therefore, the direct contribution to the relative radius change of straw becomes $\epsilon^d_\perp = \sigma_\perp/E_\perp = PR/(E_\perp h)$.
Owing to the Poisson effect, the hoop strain causes an axial strain of the opposite sign, and thus, the straw becomes shorter if the ends are not built-in. This imaginary relative change of the length is $\epsilon^\mu_\parallel = -\mu_\perp \epsilon^d_\perp$, where $\mu_\perp$ is the transverse (circumferential for the tube) Poisson’s ratio. However, the straw ends are fixed, which indicates an appearance of the compensatory tension force $\Delta T$ and the corresponding axial stress $\Delta T/(2\pi Rh)$, which returns the straw to its initial length: $$\frac{\Delta T}{2\pi Rh} = - E_\parallel \epsilon^\mu_\parallel = \mu_\perp P\frac{R}{h} \frac{E_\parallel}{E_\perp}.$$
From Maxwell’s reciprocity theorem, the known relation $\mu_\parallel = \mu_\perp \frac{E_\parallel}{E_\perp}$ can be derived, where $\mu_\parallel$ is the axial Poisson’s ratio [@Catinaccio2010]. Thus, the wall axial tension is $$T = T_0 + \Delta T = T_0 + 2 \mu_\parallel P \pi R^2 .
\label{tformula}$$
The total force applied by a gas-filled straw in vacuum on the detector frame can be considered as an “effective tension” $T_P = T - P\pi R^2$, if the effect of external atmospheric pressure applied to the frame is calculated by ignoring all holes made for the gas supply into the straws. For this effective tension, we obtain $$T_P = T_0 - (1 - 2\mu_\parallel) P \pi R^2.
\label{tpformula}$$ Poisson’s ratio $\mu$ for plastics is usually less than 0.5. Thus, the vacuum around a straw leading to its inner overpressure diminishes $T_P$ with respect to the straw pre-tension $T_0$ in spite of the increase in true straw tension $T$ (\[tformula\]).
Lateral effect of internal pressure
-----------------------------------
We will evaluate the summary force applied by internal pressure to the wall of a curved tube. Ignoring the flexural rigidity, consider a short element of a slightly curved tube (Figure \[fig:transforce\]), limited by its two cross-sections normal to the curved axis. The absolute longitudinal tension force $|T_{AB}|=|T_{CD}|=|T|$ is a constant in this approximation, but the directions of $T_{AB}$ and $T_{CD}$ forces are defined by different slopes at the element ends.
The area of the arched side of the wall (upper side in Figure \[fig:transforce\]) is larger than the area of the concave part. Consequently, a non-zero summary pressure force $F_W$ applied to the wall appears, which is directed toward the arched side of the wall. Thus, the internal overpressure always attempts to increase the existing curvature of the tube.
The evaluation of summary pressure effect has been performed earlier in a few ways: an imaginary ideal piston at the boundary of the pressurized tube segment [@Haringx1952], the consideration of the forces applied to separated fluid contained within a tube element [@Palmer1974], and a direct integration of the pressure forces [@Catinaccio2010].
However, we can directly evaluate the pressure effect $F_W$ without integration. For the given $P$, the summary force $F_W$ depends only on the shape of the tube segment. Imagine an absolutely rigid shell consisting of a curved tube wall with additional transverse plugs closing the cross sections AB and CD tightly. A resultant force applied by inner overpressure to a closed rigid shell is always zero. Therefore, the total pressure force applied to the curved wall is equal, but with the opposite sign, to the vector sum of the pressure forces $P\pi R^2$ applied to the end plugs, which are perpendicular to the curved axis of the tube at the ends (see Figure \[fig:transforce\]). One of these forces is directed against $T_{AB}$, and the other against $T_{CD}$, which effectively diminishes the straw tension by the pressure-related force $P\pi R^2$.
Thus, the lateral dynamics of a curved tube element are defined by the effective tension $T_P = T - P\pi R^2 = T_0 - (1 - 2\mu_\parallel) P \pi R^2$, which replaces the true tension $T$ in all the formulae describing a straw bending [@Palmer1974; @Catinaccio2010; @Wertelaers2010].
It is important to understand the physical difference between the effective tension $T_P$ defining the straw bending phenomena and the tube wall tension $T$ in the tensile strength formulae. Straw wall stress is normally increased owing to the internal overpressure, whereas the pressurized straw as an elastic body is effectively relaxed under the same conditions, and this relaxation is described by the pressure-dependent effective tension $T_P$ behavior.
For $T_P < 0$, a summary transverse force pushes a curved straw element toward its arched side, and without flexural rigidity, the curvature increases until the tension (increased owing to the curved tube elongation) becomes equal to the pressure force everywhere along the tube: $T = P\pi R^2$.
From $T_P > 0$ and (\[tpformula\]), we obtain the minimum longitudinal straw pre-tension $T_0$ to prevent buckling [@Catinaccio2010] $$T_0^{min} = (1-2\mu_\parallel)P\pi R^2.
\label{buckling}$$ The same limit is defined by (\[mintension\]) derived in a different way.
Equilibrium of a horizontal straw
---------------------------------
For a horizontally placed straw, we should ensure that the maximum vertical deviation (sagitta $Sag$) caused by gravitation is small. Consider a horizontal straw with built-in ends subject to vertically distributed gravitational load $q$ and an internal overpressure $P$. We choose the origin of the axial coordinate $x$ at the center of the straw. The axis of a straw lateral deviation $y$ is directed downwards, thus $y(0)=Sag$. The linear gravitational load is $q = g \rho$, where $\rho$ is the linear density of the straw and $g$ is the gravitational acceleration.
The straw equilibrium equation for this case was derived in [@Catinaccio2010; @Wertelaers2010]: $$\frac{dF}{dx} = - EJ\frac{d^4 y}{dx^4} + T_P \frac{d^2y}{dx^2} + q = 0,
\label{equilibrium}$$ where $\frac{dF}{dx}$ is a resulting force per unit of length, which is zero for the case of static equilibrium.
Straw ends in the NA62 spectrometer are glued into the frame (clamped). Therefore, the boundary conditions are $\frac{dy}{dx}(\pm \frac{L}{2}) = 0$ and $y(\pm \frac{L}{2})=0$. The symmetric solution ($y(x)=y(-x)$) for this static case is $$%y_s(x) = \frac{q}{2 T_P} ( \frac{L^2}{4} - x^2 - \frac{L(1 + e^{-kL} -e^{k(x-L/2)} - e^{-k(x+L/2)})}{k(1-e^{-kL})} ), \label{static}
y_s(x) = \frac{q}{2 T_P} ( \frac{L^2}{4} - x^2 +\frac{L}{k} \cdot \frac{cosh(kx)-cosh(kL/2)}{sinh(kL/2)} ), \label{static}$$ where $k=\sqrt{\frac{T_P}{EJ}}$ (see [@Wertelaers2010]). Sagitta $y_s(0)$ is increased by the internal overpressure owing to the decrease in $T_P$ (\[tpformula\]).
Low-frequency oscillations
--------------------------
The interesting consequence of the pressure lateral effect is a straw vibration pressure dependence caused by the behavior of $T_P$ used instead of string tension for straw transverse dynamics. For the case of oscillations, we should set $\frac{dF}{dx} = \rho \frac{d^2y}{dt^2}$ instead of zero in (\[equilibrium\]). We will determine the solution in the form of $y(x,t) = y_s(x)+y_f(x,t)$, where $y_s(x)$ is a solution of the static equation (\[equilibrium\]). It leads to the wave equation $$\rho \frac{d^2 y_f}{dt^2} = - EJ\frac{d^4 y_f}{dx^4} + T_P \frac{d^2y_f}{dx^2}
\label{wave}$$ set up by Lord Rayleigh [@Rayleigh1894].
We will determine the symmetric solution with fixed ends ($y_f(\pm \frac{L}{2})=0$) and with “pinned” boundary conditions ($\frac{d^2y_f}{dx^2}(\pm \frac{L}{2}) = 0$). Such a simple solution is sufficient for the qualitative understanding of straw oscillations. These boundary conditions are satisfied for $y_f(x,t) = cos((1+2n)\pi x/L)e^{i 2 \pi f t}$ with any integer $n$. For $n=0$, the equation (\[wave\]) results in $(2 \pi f)^2 \rho = (\pi/L)^2 (EJ (\pi/L)^2 + T_P)$, and thus the lowest frequency of the straw vibration is [@Fletcher1964] $$f = \frac{1}{2L}\sqrt{ \frac{EJ (\pi/L)^2 + T_P}{\rho}}.
\label{frequency}$$ Notably, the flexural rigidity of the straw results in an addition of $EJ (\pi/L)^2$ to the effective tension in (\[frequency\]). The frequency is decreased by the overpressure owing to the behavior of $T_P$ (\[tpformula\]).
Radius correction
-----------------
$T_P$ depends on the straw radius $R$ considered so far as a constant value. However, $R$ depends on $P$, whereas the radius of the built-in end plug remains unchanged. It leads to the formation of a radius transition zone on the tube wall near the straw end. However, the axial component of the pressure force applied to the transition zone is subtracted from the axial wall tension applied to the end plug. Therefore, for $T_P$ calculation, we can consider the radius of the end plug to be equal to the pressure-dependent straw radius $R$.
The direct contribution of overpressure to the relative change of radius is $\frac{\sigma_\perp }{E_\perp} = \frac{PR}{E_\perp h}$, but if we consider the additional tension applied to the built-in ends, this term becomes $(1 - \mu_\parallel \mu_\perp)\frac{PR}{E_\perp h}$. Moreover, the applied pre-tension $T_0$ diminishes the straw radius owing to the Poisson’s effect. Therefore, we have $$R = R_0 (1 + (1 - \mu_\parallel \mu_\perp)\frac{PR_0}{E_\perp h} - \frac{\mu_\parallel T_0}{E_\parallel 2\pi R_0 h}),
\label{radius}$$ where $R_0$ is the initial radius of the straw. For $T_P$ calculations, if $T_0 \approx 1$ kgf, the radius change (\[radius\]) leads to the next-order correction in terms of the small parameter $\frac{PR}{Eh}$.
Poisson’s ratio measurement
===========================
It can be observed from (\[buckling\]) that the straw buckling limit for a given overpressure is defined by the tube radius $R$ and the Poisson’s ratio $\mu_\parallel$. The Poisson’s ratio is typically not provided in the PET film specifications. The published independent measurements of $\mu$ are not related to the specific batch of material used in the straw tubes production for the given detector. Moreover, the straw production process may change some foil properties. Therefore, the $\mu_\parallel$ measurement procedure applicable to a welded straw is required in order to evaluate the minimum straw pre-tension for the specific detector design.
Straw specimens
---------------
Two straw specimens have been tested (see Table \[strawprop\]). The tubes are made of PET Hostaphan^^ foils using longitudinal welding [@NA62TD]. The parameters of the foils can be found in the manufacturer specifications [@Hostaphan].
Property 9.8-mm straw 18-mm straw
---------------------------- -------------- -------------
Diameter, mm 9.8(1) 18.0(1)
Length, m 2.10(1) 1.90(1)
Material density, g/cm$^3$ 1.4(1) 1.4(1)
Wall thickness, $\mu$m 36(1) 54.4(8)
Tube linear density, g/m 1.55(12) 4.31(6)
$E_\parallel$, N/mm$^2$ 4500(500) 4000(500)
$E_\perp$, N/mm$^2$ 5000(500) 5500(500)
: Properties of the tested straws
\[strawprop\]
The first specimen (9.8-mm straw) is obtained from a party of approximately 7000 straws produced at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) for NA62 spectrometer [@NA62TD]. This 9.8-mm straw is coated inside the tube with two thin metal layers ($0.05 \mu m$ of Cu and $0.02 \mu m$ of Au) in order to provide electrical conductivity on the cathode and to improve the impermeability of the straw tube. The wall material volume density [@Hostaphan] is used to estimate the linear density of the 9.8-mm straw. The contributions of metal layers and the air mass inside the tube to linear density are negligible.
The second specimen (18-mm straw) is made of a thicker Hostaphan^^ film. In this case, the linear density of the tube has been measured by weighing, since the wall thickness is not strictly defined in the manufacturer specifications.
Test bench for studies of a strained straw under pressure
---------------------------------------------------------
A special test bench (see Figure \[fig:testbench\]) has been manufactured in order to study the properties of a built-in straw with an initial pre-tension and an inner overpressure applied subsequently. The longitudinal force applied to the straw end $T_P = T - P \pi R^2$ is measured using a tensometer $Tm$ based on a single-point aluminum load cell (Tedea-Huntleigh, model 1022) [@tensometer].
A straw specimen is closed on the tensometer side by the end plug $e1$ with the end cap $C$ using glue for rigid sealing. The end cap $C$ is connected to the tensometer $Tm$ using two flexible joints and a rigid rod. The other straw end contains a plug $e2$ with a gas supply channel. This straw end is glued into the solid support, which may be moved along the rigid basement $B$ and fixed at a specific place in order to create a preliminary straw tension prior to the test. Subsequently, the pressure supply is opened, and the changing pressure values $P$ are recorded together with the corresponding results of the tensometer measurement $T_P$ (see points in Figure \[fig:vspred2\] and Figure \[fig:coplot\]A).
Straw oscillations are studied using the optical coupler O [@NA62TD], which emits constant intensity infrared radiation and registers the radiation reflected from the straw wall. When the straw oscillations are mechanically excited, the registered radiation intensity is modulated by the changing distance to the straw wall. The obtained signal is amplified and sent to the oscilloscope with a fast Fourier transform function. The lowest frequency peak position is registered as the lowest frequency of the straw (points in Figure \[fig:coplot\]B).
The end cap $C$ is slightly shifted down owing to its weight of $10-20$ gf. However, for the horizontal force $T_P > 300$ gf (assuming the cap weight of $25$ gf), the vertical shift of the cup is less than $4\ mm$. It leads to the relative elongation of 2-m straw $\approx 10^{-4}$, which is much less than the minimum straw elongation caused by the tested preliminary tension ($10^{-3}$). Thus, the straw ends may be considered to be fixed during the test.
Effective tension and Poisson’s ratio measurement
-------------------------------------------------
It is known that any material becomes nonlinear for a large stress, whereas the linear properties of the material are defined for zero-stress limit. However, on the built test bench, precision measurement becomes problematic for a low effective tension $T_P$. Therefore, we must consider the possible nonlinearity in such a way that the resulting $\mu_\parallel$ could be easily extracted for $T \to 0$.
Accordingly, we postulate a weak linear dependence of Poisson’s ratio as a function of axial stress. For the fits of our experimental results, we use the tension-dependent value $$\nu = \mu_\parallel - \frac{kT}{2\pi R h}
\label{nuform}$$ instead of only $\mu_\parallel$. Apart from the material nonlinearity, the coefficient $k$ also absorbs the effect of the set-up deformation under tension and the next-order effects ignored in the formulae. Expression (\[nuform\]) provides a physically motivated interpolation and extrapolation of the measurement results, whereas in order to compare the resulting Poisson’s ratio with the other measurements, we can consider the measured $\mu_\parallel$ and ignore the stress-dependent term.
$T$ and $R$ variables in (\[nuform\]) depend on the Poisson’s ratio value. Therefore, we implement an iterative procedure starting with a tension $T=T_0$, nominal straw radius $R=R_0$, and the starting Poisson’s ratio value of $\nu = \mu_\parallel$. In each iteration, new $T,\nu,R$ values were calculated, and three iterations were sufficient for the precise calculation.
Two free parameters ($\mu_\parallel$ and $k$) describe the measured tensions and pressures satisfactorily. Figure \[fig:vspred2\] and Figure \[fig:coplot\]A show the measured effective tensions for the NA62 straw along with the result of their fit with the formula $$T_P = T_0 - (1-2\nu) P \pi R^2.
\label{tpfitform}$$ The MINUIT [@James:1975dr] package and ROOT [@Brun:1997pa] interface were used to obtain the resulting parameter values and their fit errors.
-------------------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------- ------------- --------------------------- ----------------- -------------
$k$, $\frac{\mu m^2}{gf}$ $\mu_\parallel$ $\mu_\perp$ $k$, $\frac{\mu m^2}{gf}$ $\mu_\parallel$ $\mu_\perp$
Central value 3.98 0.3055 0.3394 -2.89 0.2960 0.4070
Radius correction 0.43 0.0005 0.0006 0.92 0.0005 0.0007
Radius value 0.14 0.0083 0.0092 0.59 0.0039 0.0054
$T_P$ scale 0.06 0.0099 0.0110 1.24 0.0088 0.0121
$P$ scale 0.27 0.0094 0.0104 1.03 0.0084 0.0116
$\delta \frac{E_\perp}{E_\parallel}$ 0 0 0.0306 0 0 0.0296
Systematic error 0.53 0.0160 0.0353 1.95 0.0128 0.0344
Statistical error 0.18 0.0005 0.0006 14.35 0.0150 0.0206
Total error 0.56 0.0160 0.0353 14.48 0.0197 0.0401
-------------------------------------- --------------------------- ----------------- ------------- --------------------------- ----------------- -------------
: Poisson’s ratio measurement results
\[fitresults\]
The fit to all the measured $T_P$ values for the given straw is performed with a common set of free parameters and the same assumed measurement error. The error ($\pm 3.6$ gf for the 9.8-mm straw and $\pm 20.47$ gf for the 18-mm straw) is defined in such a way that the resulting $\chi^2 / ndf =1$, in order to estimate the parameter statistical uncertainties.
The fit results and systematic uncertainty contributions are shown in Table \[fitresults\]. The coefficients of correlation between $\mu_\parallel$ and $k$ are 0.991 for the 9.8-mm straw and 1.000 for the 18-mm straw. Thus, for the second specimen, the presence of the non-zero term $k$ is not confirmed.
The radius correction effect is considered, but it is also completely included in the systematic errors as a “Radius correction” contribution. The Gaussian width of the NA62 straw diameter distribution is approximately 0.03 mm, and the systematic shift of its central value from the nominal number has the same size [@NA62TD]. Thus, considering a conservative value of the possible diameter systematic uncertainty of 0.1 mm for the tested specimens, we have obtained the “Radius value” contribution to the systematic error shown in Table \[fitresults\]. Moreover, the effects of a systematic scale shift of 5% on both the measured effective tension and measured pressure are considered as independent contributions (“$T_P$ scale” and “$P$ scale”) to the systematic errors.
Considering the manufacturer’s information about Young’s moduli (see Table \[strawprop\]), the $\mu_\perp$ central values shown in Table \[fitresults\] have been extracted as $\mu_\perp = \mu_\parallel \frac{E_\perp}{E_\parallel}$. Their uncertainties depend on the error of the modules ratio, which may be approximately estimated from the significant digits of the provided values as $\delta \frac{E_\perp}{E_\parallel} \approx 0.1$.
Typically, the reported Poisson’s ratio values for the oriented PET films are 0.37-0.44 [@PET], and thus, the obtained $\mu_\perp$ values are consistent with them. However, the resulting $\mu_\parallel$ is approximately $0.3$, which may be a specific property of Hostaphan^^ foil or the consequence of the production of straw tube using longitudinal welding [@NA62TD].
Oscillation frequency measurements
==================================
The oscillation frequency measurement was the last test of the straw tensions performed on the assembled NA62 spectrometer modules [@NA62TD]. The same test has been repeated on the present test bench for a qualitative verification of the pressure effect.
The length of the tube on the test bench is defined by the position of the movable support and the end cup $C$ position. Unfortunately, when a straw tension is applied to the end cup fixed on the short rod with flexible joints, an effective oscillator is formed with a frequency close to the measured frequency of straw. Therefore, using this test bench, only a qualitative understanding of straw oscillations can be obtained using the simple frequency formula (\[frequency\]).
The results of the lowest frequency measurements are shown in Figure \[fig:coplot\]B along with the corresponding calculation results based on (\[frequency\]). The error bars show the frequency uncertainty of 1 Hz defined by the width of the observed spectrum peaks.
The prediction (\[frequency\]) for the 9.8-mm straw satisfactorily describes the measurement results in the vicinity of NA62 design parameters ($T_0 = 1500$ gf, $P = 1$ at). However, the overall discrepancy reaches 2 Hz, which is more than the measurement precision. Nevertheless, the obtained qualitative description of the straw vibration confirms that the lowest frequency of the straw is significantly diminished by the internal overpressure in spite of the increase in straw wall stress according to (\[tformula\]).
Minimum straw pre-tension evaluation
====================================
We can use the obtained Poisson’s ratio to evaluate the minimum straw pre-tension $T_0$ in the straw-based NA62 spectrometer operating in vacuum [@NA62TD].
There are two requirements for $T_0$. The buckling limit $T_P > 0$ (where $T_P$ is calculated from (\[tpfitform\]) for $P = 1$ at) is defined by the Poisson’s ratio and the straw radius. The flexural rigidity contribution (\[fcrit\]) to the buckling prevention is small for the long NA62 straw and may be included into the safety margin. Moreover, the experimental design requirements define the gravitational deviation (sagitta) limit for a horizontal straw. Sagitta $Sag = y_s(0)$ calculated from (\[static\]) depends on the effective tension, flexural rigidity, and straw length.
The sagitta requirement $Sag < 100$ $\mu$m of NA62 [@NA62TD] cannot be satisfied using a reasonable pre-tension for the complete 2.1-m straw. Hence, special supporting spacers dividing each straw into three equal parts are implemented in the NA62 spectrometer [@NA62TD]. These spacers fix a straw only in one of the lateral directions, and thus, they do not change the small buckling critical load value (\[fcrit\]) ignored in this study.
Straw symmetry near each spacer ensures that the boundary conditions of (\[static\]) are satisfied. Hence, we use this solution with $L=0.7$ m in order to calculate the sagitta.
The results of the sagitta calculation and buckling limit estimations are shown in Figure \[fig:sagitta\]A for the 9.8-mm straw in the NA62 spectrometer. The corresponding results for the 18-mm straw, assuming the same straw length of 70 cm, are shown in Figure \[fig:sagitta\]B for comparison.
Apart from the most probable sagitta values and buckling limits, the worst cases are also shown in Figure \[fig:sagitta\]. The worst case for each straw corresponds to $\nu$ (\[nuform\]) central value diminished by the tripled total uncertainty evaluated for each $T_0$ from the measured $\mu_\parallel$ and $k$ considering their correlation. All other parameters for this worst-case scenario are considered at their uncertainty limits leading to the largest sagitta and the easiest buckling.
It can be observed from Figure \[fig:sagitta\] that, for the NA62 spectrometer, a straw pre-tension value above 900 gf guarantees $Sag < 100$ $\mu$m (NA62 requirement), whereas the worst case of the buckling limit is below 400 gf. Thus, both the NA62 nominal straw pre-tension of $1.5$ kgf and the factual minimum pre-tension ($\approx 1.2$ kgf) [@NA62TD] have a good safety margin.
However, if the 18-mm straw is used in the same detector design, the minimum $T_0$ would be defined by the increased buckling limit above $1.15$ kgf with a small safety margin, whereas the gravitational sagitta will be always below 100 $\mu$m for the pre-tension above the buckling limit.
Conclusions {#conclusions .unnumbered}
===========
A new technique for the study of mechanical properties of straw tubes subjected to inner pressure and longitudinal tension has been tested using a specially built test bench. It includes the measurement of Poisson’s ratio of a straw wall, which defines the buckling limit of a straw with a given radius under a definite inner overpressure.
The axial Poisson’s ratio $\mu_\parallel$ for Hostaphan^^ foil is measured for two specimens under the conditions close to those of a detector operating in vacuum. The lateral Poisson’s ratio $\mu_\perp$ is evaluated using the elasticity moduli in two directions provided by the foil producer. The spectra measurements of straw oscillations qualitatively confirm the effective tension predictions based on the measured $\mu_\parallel$.
The minimum pre-tension requirement for the NA62 spectrometer is re-evaluated based on the measurement results. The obtained limit confirms the detector design pre-tension with a safety margin of approximately 600 gf. The tested technique can be used for the development of future straw trackers.
[^1]: Corresponding author. Email address: madigo@mail.cern.ch
| 2024-06-28T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5773 |
Q:
Collapse a view on scroll up (iOS)
I have a ViewController, which has a tableView, and has two views on top of the table view. I need to collapse a view (outlined in red in the image), when the user scrolls up, and move another view (orange button), up with the table. I'm planning on using the scrollViewDidScroll delegate method to detect the offset of the table, and handle the collapsing with that.
How do I go about implementing this?
//Custom delegate method, which returns offset of scrollViewDidScroll
func didScrollScrollView(offset: CGFloat){
print(offset)
//I have the offset, which is -30 on load. How do I implement collapsing of the view highlighted in red?
}
A:
you need to access the frame of the view or better its heightConstraint.
If you have a reference to the heightConstrain you can do:
var previousOffset: CGFloat = -30
func didScrollScrollView(offset: CGFloat){
let diff = previousOffset - offset
previousOffset = offset
var newHeight = heightConstraint.constant + diff
if newHeight < 0 {
newHeight = 0
} else if newHeight > 60 { // or whatever
newHeight = 60
}
heightConstraint.constant = newHeight
}
If you don't use Autolayout you need to update the frames manualy.
Also set clipsSubviews=true (clippedToBounds) in interface builder or in code
| 2024-04-29T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5043 |
We need robots to have morals. Could Shakespeare and Austen help? | John Mullan
Using great literature to teach ethics to machines is a dangerous game, says professor of English literature John Mullan
When he wrote the stories in I, Robot in the 1940s, Isaac Asimov imagined a world in which robots do all humanitys tedious or unpleasant jobs for them, but where their powers have to be restrained. They are programmed to obey three laws. A robot may not injure another human being, even through inaction; a robot must obey a human being (except to contradict the previous law); a robot must protect itself (unless this contradicts either of the previous laws). Unfortunately, scientists soon create a robot (Herbie) that understands the concept of mental injury. Like a character in a Thomas Hardy novel or an Ibsen play, the robot soon finds itself in a situation where truthfully answering a question put to it by the humans it serves will cause hurt but so will not answering the question. A logical impasse. The robot screams piercingly and collapses into a huddled heap of motionless metal.
As we enter what many are predicting will be a new age of robotics, artificial intelligence researchers have started thinking about how to make a better version of Herbie. How might robots receive an education in ethical complexity how might they acquire what we might call consciences? Experts are trying to teach artificial intelligences to think and act morally. What are the examples that can be fed to robots to teach them the right kind of behaviour?
A number of innovators in the field of AI have come to believe that these examples are to be found in stories. Scientists at the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing a system for teaching robots to learn from fictional characters. With what is presumably a mordant sense of irony, they call their system Quixote. Don Quixote, of course, was the honourable but deluded Spanish gentleman who came to believe that the world was exactly as depicted in the chivalric romances that he loved reading. With disastrous if comical consequences.
If an artificial intelligence is to draw lessons from many of the stories with which we like to divert ourselves, there are some tough practical problems for the programmers to circumvent. Much fiction and drama will dizzyingly mislead poor robots about the world in which they have to make their decisions. Our favourite stories abound in ghosts, demons, wizards, monsters and every kind of talking animal. Human beings travel through time and fly through the air and get into or out of trouble by the use of magic. Most cultures myths and legends do indeed encode some of the most elemental human conflicts and predicaments that an electronic intelligence may need to understand, but they are populated with supernatural beings and would tend to teach the surely dangerous principle that there is always life after death.
Perhaps we can exclude such narrative material from robot reading lists, and be sure to ban Gullivers Travels (talking horses are better than humans) and Alices Adventures in Wonderland and any kind of magical realism. Yet even our less fantastic tales are potentially misleading. Quixote apparently encourages robots to behave like the admirable characters in the stories they are fed. But of course a literary work may be morally instructive without having a single character that you would ever want to imitate. Where is the person you would want a robot to use as a role model in Middlemarch or Othello or The Iliad? Where there is a clear protagonist, Quixote apparently learns that it will be rewarded when it acts like him or her. Steer clear, then, of many of the classics of the late 20th century: The Talented Mr Ripley (the protagonist is a resourceful and amoral killer) and John Updikes Rabbit novels (the protagonist is a lascivious and greedy philistine) and Lolita (no comment needed).
According to the AI scientist Mark Reidl: The thought processes of the robot are those that are repeated the most often across many stories and many authors. For him, published stories can provide robots with the lessons that human beings learn slowly over decades. Literature gives a computerised intelligence surrogate memories on which to base future decisions.
The scientists faith that a cultures narratives provide a repository of human values would be cheering, if the values were not so often thwarted or doomed. Even the most idealistic robot tutors may want to keep their charges away from King Lear or Jude the Obscure. Theatre directors were so convinced of the lack of moral direction of the former that until the mid-19th century the play was often performed with a rewritten happy ending, in which Cordelia survives and gets to marry Edgar. Victorian critics were so antagonistic to the moral nihilism of the latter that Thomas Hardy decided toabandon novel writing altogether when he saw the response.
Those narratives that do come with a strong sense of right and wrong may be even more confusing. The novels of Charles Dickens, and many of his Victorian peers, will demonstrate that all efforts possible should be undertaken to dissuade any young woman from sex before marriage, her fate if fallen being death, prostitution or emigration to Australia. Then what about books that end well? Tricky too. Arobot steeped in the greatest comedies from the last five centuries of European literature will certainly believe that marriage is the happiest end of all human endeavours. It will also get the idea that men and women can readily disguise themselves as someone else and that those who follow their hearts usually get a large cash reward to boot.
Some great literary works at least teach practical lessons, if not moral ones. The most common is: do not trust what people tell you. From the very glibness with which Goneril and Regan produce their testimonies of love, it is clear to any perceptive reader that they care for Lear not one jot. How does a robot reader get this? Or learn that, as is evident in Jane Austens novels, certain kinds of smoothness or plausibility (particularly in young men) should always be distrusted? And can it ever be made clear to an artificial intelligence that everything Mr Collins says reveals him to be a pompous twerp?
So maybe the robots should be given simpler set texts. What about Aesops Fables? Or the parables of the New Testament? Or the stories of Enid Blyton? The first may work if computer brains can grasp the conceit of animal characters. The second will be fine if the robots believe in God. The third, one fears, may introduce some dubious moral judgments. Among sub-literary genres, perhaps only the traditional detective story has a reliable moral arc, even if it will give our robot an utterly misanthropic view of human behaviour.
Do the best books make us better? I have my own slightly gloomy testimony to offer. As an English literature academic, I can report that those of us paid to spend their careers reading and then rereading the greatest literary narratives in the language are not obviously morally better, socially more skilled or psychologically more adept than our fellow citizens. If we were robots, we would be blundering robots. Perhaps it is wisest just to stick with Isaac Asimovs simple but elegant rules. | 2023-10-24T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7106 |
Africa News January 12, 2014 at 10:15AM
VENTURES AFRICA – The third edition of the CAF African Nations Championship has kicked off in South Africa, as teams go head to head to pick up the title of being Africa’s best. Although the competion is contested by teams fielding only Africa-based players, the tournament has been commended as a platform to showcase the continent best home-based players.
Apart from providing a platform to perform, shine and secure lucrative deals – there is always the odd scout at these events- CAF will also reward participating teams as a total prize money of $3.2 million is up for grabs.
The eventual winners will pocket $750,000 while the losing finalists will go home with $400,000 alongside their silver medals. The two losing semi-finalists will receive $240,000 each while the four losing quarter finalists will receive $175,000 each. The eliminated nations in group stage will also be rewarded as teams who finish third in the groups will receive $125,000 just as fourth placed teams will record $100,000 each in winnings
All of these are in addition to the $10,000 given to each team for the home matches during the zonal qualifiers. | 2023-09-17T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5720 |
Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for St. Albert.
Mr. Speaker, first of all I congratulate the government for demonstrating, in actions, a contempt and display of arrogance through the $1 billion Liberal gun registry that we in the official opposition could never put into words. There is the out of control spending, the blatant disregard for Parliament, so blatant that even members of the government party are pulling at their leashes because of the abuse the party puts on them, the abuse of the Commons using the Senate for a money bill, and the times that closure has been used. The list goes on and on.
Now I know why the government has been slowly disbanding our military. It fears the soldiers will join the protestors when the revolution finally comes, which brings us to the purpose of the Liberals' gun control policy, which is to disarm law-abiding citizens.
I shake my head in disbelief at the parliamentary proceedings before us today. The government is driven to trample on the rights of ordinary Canadians. There are no cost savings in BIll C-10A.
The government has admitted that the gun registry is not about cost. If it were, it would not be planning to throw another $1 billion, $2 billion, or $3 billion-plus down the same hole that it threw the first $1 billion. This is not a gun control issue; it is a government out of control issue.
Bill C-10A is being proposed as a partial fix to the severely flawed Bill C-68. The problems with the gun registry are beyond fixing. The gun registry must be scrapped. Try as the Liberals might, this issue is not going to go away.
In February I hosted a gun rally at a town hall meeting. It was to give information to the public on the gun registry. With minimal advertising and scarcely a week's notice, word spread quickly in a rural riding that relies on personal contact to spread the message. I stood in awe as the huge Renfrew armouries filled with people from Arnprior, Calabogie, Hardwood Lake, Quadville, Wilno, Griffith, Barry's Bay, Foymount, Eganville, Douglas, Renfrew, Pembroke, Beachburg, Palmer's Rapids, Cormac, Combermere, Dacre, Killaloe, Westmeath, Golden Lake, Madawaska and every place in between.
Hunters represented their camps, which means they went back to the 12, 15 or 20 members of their group to report on the meeting. Just that one meeting represented thousands and thousands of Canadians. With the hon. members for Yorkton--Melville and Blackstrap in attendance, we witnessed grassroots democracy as the crowd swelled. Angry citizens were upset with the tired and out of control Liberal government that insists on treating law-abiding citizens as criminals.
Speaker after speaker got up to vent their frustrations with a government that attacks rural Canadians and our way of life. Rural people are smart. We see right through shallow people and we will not forget. The Sam Slick, fast talking Liberal city slickers may be able to fool the docile urban herds about the government's gun registry, but rural Canada is not buying their story.
Guess what? Urban Canadians are waking up. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the national identity cards with which the government plans to register all citizens. It will be interesting to see the shoe on the other foot. Only then will they realize what rural Canadians have had to put up with regarding the gun registry.
I do not feel sorry for the justice minister. If he had dealt with the mess left to him by the first two ministers in a forthright manner, Canadians might be forgiving. It used to be that the justice portfolio was considered to be the glamour portfolio. Now the justice portfolio is the kiss of death. Just ask the health minister and in particular the industry minister what it has done to their political careers.
Speaking of dashed political careers, ask the former MP for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke what his docile, slavering defence of Bill C-68 got him. Defeat. Defeat will come to the rest of the Liberal caucus on this issue too. Rural people are smart and we do not forget.
The industry minister has given rise to a new political phrase that should be added to the dictionary in its next revision. It is called gun registry math. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, the definition of gun registry math is where a government program is stated to cost one amount when in fact it costs 500 times more. When the term gun registry math is used, it will apply any time the government makes a promise on the cost of a particular program. When looking up the meaning of gun registry math, people are advised to look under the section government screw-ups.
Our town hall meeting asked me to take a message to the Liberal government in Ottawa. It asked me to deliver it loud and clear: scrap the gun registry.
Government members in rural ridings in Ontario, such as Haliburton—Victoria—Brock, Parry Sound—Muskoka, Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, Nipissing, Leeds—Grenville and Prince Edward—Hastings should take note that their constituents called me about the rally. Those who were not able to attend begged me to arrange a town hall meeting in their ridings because their own members refused to speak out against the gun registry. They assured me that anywhere I went across rural Ontario, and this is particularly true in northern Ontario, huge crowds similar to the one we had in Renfrew would come out to protest the Liberal gun registry.
Constituents will be watching the gun registry amendment vote very carefully. A no show for the vote will not cut it either.
The Minister of Justice and his colleagues want to push the fantasy that opposition to the gun registry is being driven by the official opposition. Nothing could be further from the truth. Opposition to the Liberal gun registry is being driven by the people.
If I am not speaking against Bill C-68, I receive hundreds of calls urging me to speak up on it again. On no other issue do I receive more encouragement to fight the government than on the issue of the $1 billion wasted on the gun registry. We are listening to Canadians.
Recently the Solicitor General visited my riding to attend a party function. He was warmly greeted on a frosty valley night by a spontaneous demonstration. The protesters outnumbered the party supporters 10 to 1. They let him know how they felt about him, his party and his leader: scrap the registry.
The Solicitor General even had the nerve to tell some of the demonstrators that he agreed with them on the registry, that it was a colossal waste of money, but he refused to say what he would actually do about it.
Honour and integrity mean saying the same thing in public that one whispers in private. If the government truly feels it has the support for the registry, it should prove it by allowing a free vote. Let the power of logic rather than the threat of the whip determine the outcome. Above all, do not bully the members on how to vote.
Members of the government party are many things but they are not tools of the opposition. Why is it so hard for the government to believe that its own members' opposition to the registry is genuine and heartfelt? Members of Parliament were elected to take a stand on the issues of the day and I look forward to the vote.
While the government House leader will bluster and push the gun registry amendments, I hope he realizes that the people of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell hate the government's gun registry as much as rural Canadians in the rest of Ontario and Canada do.
I am truly surprised that the Prime Minister has taken such an ideological stance on this issue. In the past he has been quite adept at stealing Canadian Alliance policies when it suited his purpose, as adept as he has been at stealing the woolly headed ideas of the NDP. A pragmatic politician would have dropped the registry long ago.
I have to thank everyone who has called, written, come to the rallies and otherwise let their opposition be known to the Liberal gun registry. We will continue our opposition. We will have as many rallies as it takes to scrap the gun registry.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the constituents of the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke care deeply about tough and effective gun control. I am also sure her constituents would want to ensure that screening of applicants for guns, providing safety training, offering an online registry to help the police do their jobs, efforts to combat gun smuggling, provide stiff sentences for those who commit crimes using guns, efforts to promote safe storage of firearms and individual accountability for gun ownership are promoted through the program.
However, what the Canadian Alliance is suggesting in its motion is that every penny of money that goes toward the gun control program, not just for the registry but funds that go toward licensing and the screening of gun applicants who may have a history of violent crime or a history of domestic violence, the Canadian Alliance wants to cut off all that funding as well. That is what the Alliance Party is suggesting to Parliament.
Members are agreeing that we should take away the tools from the police to screen gun applicants who may have a history of violence. I say that is an outrageous attack on public safety in this country. That would be the effect of the Canadian Alliance motion. It ignores the pleas of groups like the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, the Canadian Police Association, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Medical Association and many others.
My question for the hon. member is the following. Why is it that the Canadian Alliance later today is seriously suggesting that we take away every penny of money that the police would have to ensure that those who apply to use lethal weapons do not have a history of violent crimes or domestic violence? Why that abandonment of her constituents and the constituents of Canadian Alliance members?
Don BoudriaLiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, there were consultations a few moments ago with all parties in the House and I believe if you were to seek it you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:
That, notwithstanding any standing or special order or usual practice, immediately after the division on government order, Ways and Means Proceedings No. 6, a minister of the crown may proceed with the introduction and first reading of the bill based thereon immediately thereafter.
Someone has asked why. This is to permit all members, particularly opposition members, to see the bill one day earlier, because we are debating it on Thursday, and it would permit them to see it today as opposed to tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, the member who asked the question helps the government perpetuate the myth that gun control did not exist prior to the Firearms Act. The people of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, the people in the Canadian Alliance, the people who oppose the gun registry do want the safe storage and safe use of firearms.
Prior to Bill C-68, and then the Firearms Act, laws were already in place to screen people who were purchasing firearms. Rules were in place for the safe storage and use of firearms.
What people are against is the waste of money on a useless database of people, which the police cannot use because it is 90% wrong. It does not even include the vast number of people who actually own firearms.
In fact, the gun registry, if anything, requires people who have not answered the questions correctly or who the government just does not want to have registered to turn in their firearms. It is not helping from a safety standpoint whatsoever. It is just having the people give up.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the course of the debate today we have had a tendency to sometimes get emotional, myself included. I want to ask this particular member a very specific question.
It is easy to sometimes oversimplify the issues. I will read back to her what she said on September 21, 2000, when she addressed a sportsman's club in Pembroke. She said “Are we going to go like lambs to the gas chamber?”
She talked about integrity and honour. Does she really want to say to Canadians that this is the greatest atrocity that has ever happened to mankind, or will she admit that perhaps she went over the top and will take this opportunity to apologize and distance herself from those remarks that she made?
Mr. Speaker, the gun registry does nothing to stop the criminal element whatsoever. People from the member's riding of Leeds--Grenville are calling our office because they cannot get any help whatsoever in terms of dealing with this. I look forward to going to his riding and hosting a rally just like we had in Renfrew--Nipissing--Pembroke so democracy can be brought to his riding as well.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority that is located in my riding of Niagara Centre. Its mandate is to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources.
With the assistance of the federal government, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has, and continues to, restore the ecological health of the watersheds in the Niagara region, that being only one of the many rehabilitation projects it has undertaken.
Mr. Speaker, New Brunswick residents are ready to act on climate change. Fifty-nine per cent, nearly two-thirds of respondents to a recent poll, said that they would be likely to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle in the next two years.
The Government of Canada, as part of its commitment to achieving its emission reduction targets under the Kyoto protocol, is helping these and other Canadians by working with the auto industry to make vehicles 25% more fuel efficient by 2010.
Even if a new vehicle is not in the picture, there are lots of ways to reduce emissions from transportation: drive less, use public transit, walk or bike whenever possible, when driving do not idle. It takes more fuel to idle for 10 seconds than it does to stop and start a car. Always check the tire pressure.
There are simple actions to reduce emissions and help Canadians reach our Kyoto targets.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate two professors at the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Dr. Alastair Cribb, professor of Clinical pharmacology and Dr. Laurie McDuffee, professor of equine surgery, are the latest recipients of a federal government investment in health research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Between the two individuals, these professors received over $758,000 to fund their research projects.
Dr. McDuffee will use this money to continue her research in a cell based strategy to promote proper bone healing in horses. The outcome of her research will, hopefully, be applicable to human beings as well.
Dr. Cribb, who is also a Canadian research chair, will investigate why certain animals and people have adverse reactions to various drugs and chemicals. He hopes to help discover how safer drugs can be developed in addition to assessing the risk of chemical exposure. Much like his colleague, the results of this research will also be a benefit to human beings.
The recent support of the CIHR, coupled with the money set aside for the veterinary colleges in last week's budget, means that the Atlantic Veterinary College will be able to move forward with this kind of top notch, highly valuable research.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my constituent, Peggy Engen, who this past Sunday was presented with the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award. This award recognizes the contributions of Canadians such as Peggy who give so much of their time to their fellow citizens through volunteer work.
Peggy has devoted over 50 years of service to the community of Tuxedo Park. She and her late husband coached several hockey, baseball and lacrosse teams. Peggy remains an active participant in the Tuxedo Park Community Association where she has volunteered in many capacities. Today she is serving her third term as president of the association.
Peggy has also helped to establish a youth shelter and has lent her support to several group homes for people with disabilities. Her sense of caring and community involvement have helped make Tuxedo Park an outstanding community in which to live.
Congratulations to Peggy for giving so much of her time and energy to her community. Her courageous leadership and unselfish service is an inspiration to all of us.
Mr. Speaker, this past Friday, March 21, I had the honour to host the Seventh Annual International Women's Day Breakfast in Burlington. Over 200 people, including some 20 high school students, joined me in celebrating the contributions and accomplishments of women in Canada and around the world.
Our guest speaker, a woman of incredible courage and strength, Elizabeth Grandbois, inspired everyone. Diagnosed with ALS in 1997, Elizabeth has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about this terminal neuromuscular disease which affects some 1,000 Canadians each and every year. Elizabeth's Concerts of Hope have raised over $750,000 for research and support for those who are afflicted.
Elizabeth's story reminded all of us that courage and unrelenting determination can bring hope to others. Each of us can make a difference.
Mr. Speaker, all of the Mauricie is deliriously happy, particularly its hockey fans, because the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes won their fourth university hockey championship this past weekend in Fredericton.
Coach Jacques Laporte was able to instill in his team an extraordinary competitive drive that no doubt made it possible for each member of the team to give his all.
What more can be said about the merits of goalie Éric Desjardins, who was selected best player of the championships, which pitted them against our Nova Scotian friends from St. Francis Xavier University?
Or about Alexandre Tremblay, last season's top player in Canada?
Throughout the season, assistant trainers Sylvain Beauchesne, Olivier Denis and Dominique Ducharme all worked tirelessly to get the best performance from each and every team member.
Bravo, Les Patriotes, and long may you reign. Your team is fully deserving of its name.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak of some of the high points of the Semaine de la Francophonie in Saint-Boniface.
On March 13, the Minister of Heritage and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs chose Collège Louis-Riel as the venue for announcing the first component of the Action Plan for Official Languages: education.
On March 18 and 19, I had the privilege of welcoming to Saint-Boniface His Excellency Boutros Boutros-Ghali, accompanied by the Secretary of State for the Francophonie and the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Their tour included a meal at Fort Gibraltar and visits to Maison Gabrielle-Roy and the Maison des artistes francophones de l'ouest, and culminated with inauguration of the Ronald J. Duhamel scholarship at the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate two prize winners from Saint-Boniface who were honoured at the Montfort awards gala. Charles Laflèche of Momentum Healthware was the winner of the “Communications/New Technologies” award for his enterprising spirit. The warmth of welcome of the Festival du Voyageur was recognized in the “Rapprochement” category.
At the gala for small and medium businesses, Franco-Manitoba was ably represented by four notable finalists: Émeuville, les Fermes Vielfaure, JOGO Canada and Momentum Healthware.
I am proud to say that Saint-Boniface is doing its share on behalf of the Canadian francophonie.
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Police Association and the Police Association of Ontario represent thousands of front line police officers across Canada. They should be congratulated for their admirable leadership role in advancing public safety by calling on the federal government to institute a national sex offender registry, to reform the youth justice system, to toughen up our laws against organized crime and to reform our parole system.
The Canadian Alliance hopes that the police associations will also stand with the opposition in supporting today's motion calling on the federal government to determine the total costs of the firearms program, to provide a comprehensive cost benefit analysis for the program and to reduce funding to that program until this analysis has been completed.
Regardless of where Canadians stand on this important issue, it is important that all of us hold the Liberal government accountable for its spending of taxpayers' money.
Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday, amid all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Canadians once again proved we could compete with the best in the entertainment industry. Canadians featured prominently in several significant categories, including Nia Vardalos' nomination for best screenplay for the hugely successful, filmed in Toronto, My Big Fat Greek Wedding .
Canadian winners include parts of the team from the acclaimed picture Chicago , again filmed in Toronto. The academy gave nods to Chicago 's Gordon Sim for set decoration and David Lee for his audio work.
For me, the big win was Michael Donovan and his team at Salter Street in Halifax. This amazing company produced this year's best picture documentary, the critical and box office smash Bowling for Columbine .
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to highlight the participation of one of my constituents, Wilfred Lebouthillier of Tracadie-Sheila, in the Star Académie contest on TVA television. Since he was named to the team of finalists, his great talent as a singer and his stage presence have not gone unnoticed.
Wilfred is a terrific example of the fact that there is huge potential in New Brunswick and that with determination, dreams can come true. So, congratulations to Wilfred on his interpretation of Jean Batailleur by Zachary Richard.
May he take advantage of each moment at the academy and know that we cannot wait for his return in Acadia.
We are all very proud of him and want him to know that the riding of Acadie-Bathurst and New Brunswick are behind him all the way.
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's ice cream industry is suffering due to inaction by the federal government. In just seven years, this industry has seen its production drop by 86%.
Mass imports of a cream substitute, butter oil and sugar to be specific, from the United States and New Zealand, have dealt this industry a hard blow. And it is Quebec's dairy producers who are being hurt the most.
The chair of the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec, Jean Grégoire, estimates that Quebec farmers specializing in milk production are losing $300 million per year, due to this butter oil and sugar mixture.
In light of this situation, the federal government must amend the regulations so that this mixture is subject to tariffs as requested by members of the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec. | 2023-08-17T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7903 |
ES 2014-2015 Girls' Basketball All-Stars
Perhaps as much as any other season we have covered over the past 20 years, the selections to The Evening Sun's annual girls' basketball all-star team virtually selected themselves.
Step on to any court in which the 10 girls were playing, and within a few minutes, one would quickly surmise, "that girl is a heck of a player."
The best thing about this group is that we'll probably see most if not all of these faces next year. Seven of the 10 choices to this year's all-star team are underclassmen, and just four of the players are making a return appearance to the club.
Our incumbents are Sherburne-Earlville juniors Lilly Berg and Savannah Irwin, the number one and two scorers in Chenango County this year, and the Marauders' number one and number three all-time leading scorers. Greene junior Katie Carey, the area's number three scorer, and the other repeat selection is Bainbridge-Guilford senior Morgan Bullis, a three-year all-star and this year's Midstate Athletic Conference player of the year.
"She was selected as the MVP for a reason: She was the best player on the best team in our league," said Greene girls' basketball coach Dave Gorton, the MAC's girls' basketball coordinator, of Bullis.
Norwich earned four of our coveted 10 spots, and all four are first-time selections to this club. On that list are senior Carin Kuhn, junior Shelby Benjamin, and sophomores Meghan Komendarek and Makenzie Maynard.
Other first-time selections are Unadilla Valley three-point sniper, senior Breanna Christian, and B-G's Megan Palmatier, the only freshman named to this squad.
Two of the seven clubs we covered extensively this season earned trips to Section IV championship games – B-G and Norwich – so it is no surprise those two clubs garnered more than half of our all-star picks.
The future remains bright for those two schools, and with so many underclassmen returning overall, 2015-2016 could be even better than this past season.
As always, the all-star picks are selected by The Evening Sun sports department along with recommendations from area varsity coaches. Honorable mention selections and season statistics also appear in today's sports pages.
Morgan Bullis, sr. B-G 5-8
The most valuable player in the Midstate Athletic Conference not only led her team to a league championship, but nearly the school's second Section IV Class C title. A non-factor on offense as a freshman, Bullis could always rebound, and averaged a double-double this season (12.2 points, 11.9 rebounds) despite size that was not much more than a shooting guard. "She's one of those rare players with great leaping ability," said Greene coach Dave Gorton. "She is a very underrated, unselfish player, who actually brought the ball up for her team when it was pressed." Said head coach Bob Conway: “She was such a dynamic rebounder. I'm not sure if people realize what rebounds did for us. Morgan gave us so many more opportunities, and she limited other teams' opportunities. She will be hard to replace.” | 2023-10-01T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/7971 |
Low molecular weight constituents of male mouse urine mediate the pregnancy block effect and convey information about the identity of the mating male.
Mouse urine contains a complex mixture of chemosignals including a variety of small volatile molecules that are bound to major urinary proteins. In addition to signalling maleness, male urine also conveys information about individuality, which allows recently mated female mice to distinguish the urinary chemosignals of the mating male from those of an unfamiliar male. The highly polymorphic nature of the major urinary proteins makes them a likely candidate for conveying individuality information in the context of the pregnancy block effect. This was investigated by comparing the pregnancy-blocking effectiveness of a high molecular weight urinary fraction, containing major urinary proteins, with that of a low molecular weight fraction containing volatile ligands. Not only was the high molecular weight fraction ineffective in blocking pregnancy, but it also appeared to be less important in signalling individuality than the low molecular fraction. The high molecular weight fraction was ineffective in inducing expression of the immediate early gene product egr-1 in the accessory olfactory bulb. In contrast, the low molecular weight fraction induced egr-1 expression in the mitral/tufted neurons in the anterior subregion of the accessory olfactory bulb, suggesting that they activate the V1R class of vomeronasal receptor neuron. | 2023-11-25T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5525 |
611 F.Supp.2d 1339 (2009)
Jane DOE No. 5, Plaintiff,
v.
Jeffrey EPSTEIN, Defendant.
Case No. 08-80381-CIV.
United States District Court, S.D. Florida.
February 12, 2009.
*1340 Adam D. Horowitz, Jeffrey Marc Herman, Stuart S. Mermelstein, Herman & Mermelstein, P.A., Miami, FL, for Plaintiffs.
Michael Ross Tein, Lewis Tein, Coconut Grove, FL, Robert Deweese Critton, Jr., Michael James Pike, Jack Alan Goldberger, Atterbury Goldberger & Weiss, P.A., Burman Critton Luttier & Coleman, West Palm Beach, FL, for Defendants.
OPINION AND ORDER ON MOTION TO DISMISS AND MOTION FOR MORE DEFINITE STATEMENT
KENNETH A. MARRA, District Judge.
THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Defendant Jeffrey Epstein ("Defendant")'s Motion to Dismiss and Motion for More Definite Statement, Directed to Plaintiff's Amended Complaint (DE 52), filed October 6, 2008. Plaintiff Jane Doe No. 5 ("Plaintiff") filed a response to the motion (DE 55) and Defendant filed a Reply (DE 56). The Court has carefully reviewed the motion, response, and reply, and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.
Background
On April 14, 2008, Plaintiff filed her Complaint against Defendant (DE 1), which was replaced on September 22, 2008 by an Amended Complaint (DE 47). Plaintiff brings suit alleging Count ISexual Assault and Battery; Count IIIntentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; and Count IIICoercion and Enticement to Sexual Activity in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422.
The facts, as alleged in the Amended Complaint, are as follows: At all relevant *1341 times, Defendant was an adult male. Am. Compl. ¶ 7. Defendant engaged in a plan and scheme in which he gained access to primarily economically disadvantaged minor girls in his home, sexually assaulted these girls, and then gave them money. Am. Compl. ¶ 8. In or about 2002-2003, Plaintiff, then approximately 15-16 years old, became one of Defendant's victims. Am. Compl. ¶ 8. Defendant carried out his scheme and assaulted girls in Florida, New York, and his private island in St. Thomas. Am. Compl. ¶ 9.
Defendant's scheme involved the use of young girls to recruit underage girls. Am. Compl. ¶ 10. Under Defendant's plan, underage girls were recruited ostensibly to give a wealthy man a massage for monetary compensation in his Palm Beach mansion. Id. The young girls would be contacted when Defendant was planning to be at his Palm Beach residence or soon after he arrived. Id. Robson generally sought out economically disadvantaged underage girls from western Palm Beach County who would be enticed by the money being offeredgenerally $200 to $300 per "massage" sessionand who were perceived as less likely to complain to authorities or have credibility if allegations of improper conduct were made. Id. This was an important element of Epstein's plan. Id.
Defendant's plan and scheme reflected a particular pattern and method. Am. Compl. ¶ 11. Upon arrival at Defendant's mansion, the underage victim would be brought to the kitchen entrance, where she would be introduced to Sarah Kellen, Defendant's assistant. Id. Kellen would then bring the girl up a flight of stairs to a bedroom that contained a massage table in addition to other furnishings, and a bathroom. Id. The victim would then find herself alone in the room with Defendant, who would be wearing only a towel. Id. Defendant would then remove his towel, lay down naked on the massage table, and direct the girl to remove her clothes. Id. Defendant would then perform one or more lewd, lascivious and sexual acts, including masturbation and touching the girl's vagina. Id.
Consistent with the foregoing plan, when Plaintiff was approximately 15-16 years old, she was recruited to give Defendant a massage for monetary compensation. Am. Compl. ¶ 12. Plaintiff and another girl were brought to Defendant's mansion in Palm Beach, to the kitchen entrance. Id. Once there, they were introduced to Kellen, who led them up the stairs to the room with the massage table. Id. In this room, Defendant told Plaintiff and the other girl to remove their clothes and to give him a massage. Id. Plaintiff and the other girl removed their clothes except for their panties and bras, and complied with Defendant's instructions. Id. While on the massage table, Defendant masturbated himself and touched both girls on their vaginas with his hand and with a vibrator. Id.
After Defendant had completed the sexual assault, both girls were then able to get dressed, leave the room and go back down the stairs. Am. Compl. ¶ 13. Defendant gave both girls money for this "massage." Id.
As a result of this encounter with Defendant, Plaintiff experienced confusion, shame, humiliation, and embarrassment, and has suffered severe psychological and emotional injuries. Am. Compl. ¶ 14.
Under Count ISexual Assault and Battery, the Amended Complaint alleges as follows: Defendant acted with intent to cause an offensive contact with Plaintiff, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact, and Plaintiff was thereby put in such imminent apprehension. Am. Compl. ¶ 16. Defendant made an intentional, unlawful offer of offensive sexual contact toward Plaintiff, creating a reasonable fear of imminent *1342 peril. Am. Compl. ¶ 17. Defendant intentionally inflicted harmful or offensive contact on the person of Plaintiff, with the intent to cause such contact or the apprehension that such contact is imminent. Am. Compl. ¶ 18. Defendant tortiously committed a sexual assault and battery on Plaintiff. Am. Compl. ¶ 19. Defendant's acts were intentional, unlawful, offensive and harmful. Id. Defendant's plan and scheme in which he committed such acts upon Plaintiff were done willfully and maliciously. Am. Compl. ¶ 20. As a direct and proximate result of Defendant's assault on Plaintiff, she has suffered and will continue to suffer severe and permanent traumatic injuries, including mental, psychological and emotional damages. Am. Compl. ¶ 21.
Under Count II, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, the Amended Complaint alleges as follows:
Defendant's conduct was intentional or reckless. Am. Compl. ¶ 23. Defendant's conduct with a minor was extreme and outrageous, going beyond all bounds of decency. Am. Compl. ¶ 24. Defendant committed willful acts of child sexual abuse on Plaintiff. Am. Compl. ¶ 25. These acts resulted in mental or sexual injury to Plaintiff, that caused or were likely to cause Plaintiff's mental or emotional health to be significantly impaired. Am. Compl. ¶ 25. Defendant's conduct caused severe emotional distress to Plaintiff. Am. Compl. ¶ 26. Defendant knew or had reason to know that his intentional and outrageous conduct would cause emotional distress and damage to Plaintiff, or Defendant acted with reckless disregard of the high probability of causing severe emotional distress to Plaintiff. Id. As a direct and proximate result of Defendant's intentional or reckless conduct, Plaintiff has suffered and will continue to suffer severe mental anguish and pain. Am. Compl. ¶ 27.
Under Count III, Coercion and Enticement to Sexual Activity in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422, the Amended Complaint alleges as follows:
Defendant used a facility or means of interstate commerce to knowingly persuade, induce or entice Plaintiff, when she was under the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense. Am. Compl. ¶ 29. As a result of Defendant's violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422, Plaintiff has suffered personal injury, including mental, psychological and emotional damages. Am. Compl. ¶ 31.
Defendant argues in his motion that Counts I and III of the Amended Complaint must be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). Alternatively, Defendant seeks a more definite statement of Counts I and III. Lastly, Defendant argues that the reference in Count III to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 should be stricken as immaterial.
Plaintiff responds that the Court should deny the motion because the pleadings at issue contain a short and plain statement of the claims showing that Plaintiff is entitled to relief in accordance with Fed. R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2). Plaintiff contends that the specific facts sought by Defendant may properly be the subject of discovery, but are not necessary for purposes of pleading.
Standard of Review
In deciding a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a court must accept all factual allegations in a complaint as true and take them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 2200, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007). To satisfy the pleading requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, a complaint must contain a short and plain statement showing an entitlement *1343 to relief, and the statement must "give the defendant fair notice of what the plaintiff's claim is and the grounds upon which it rests." Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 512, 122 S.Ct. 992, 152 L.Ed.2d 1 (2002) (citing Fed.R.Civ.P. 8); see also Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1964, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007); Dura Pharm., Inc. v. Broudo, 544 U.S. 336, 346, 125 S.Ct. 1627, 161 L.Ed.2d 577 (2005). This is a liberal pleading requirement, one that does not require a plaintiff to plead with particularity every element of a cause of action. Roe v. Aware Woman Ctr. for Choice, Inc., 253 F.3d 678, 683 (11th Cir.2001). Instead, the complaint need only "contain either direct or inferential allegations respecting all the material elements necessary to sustain a recovery under some viable legal theory." Id. (internal citation and quotation omitted). "A complaint need not specify in detail the precise theory giving rise to recovery. All that is required is that the defendant be on notice as to the claim being asserted against him and the grounds on which it rests." Sams v. United Food and Comm'l Workers Int'l Union, 866 F.2d 1380, 1384 (11th Cir.1989).
"While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, [] a plaintiff's obligation to provide the `grounds' of his `entitlement to relief' requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do." Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 127 S.Ct. at 1964-65 (citations omitted). "Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level on the assumption that all of the complaint's allegations are true." Id. at 1965. Plaintiff must plead enough facts to state a plausible basis for the claim. Id.
Discussion
Counts I alleges a claim for sexual assault and battery. Defendant concedes that Plaintiff has properly pled a claim for battery, but contends that Plaintiff's assault claim fails. (Mot. 5). Under Florida law, it is customary to refer to the term "assault and battery" as if it were a legal unit, or a single concept; however, assault and battery are separate and distinct legal concepts, assault being the beginning of an act which, if consummated, constitutes battery. 3A Fla. Jur.2d Assault § 1. "`The essential element of an assault is the violence offered, and not actual physical contact.'" McDonald v. Ford, 223 So.2d 553, 555 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1969), quoting 3 Fla. Jur., Assault and Battery, § 3. Assault is defined as an intentional, unlawful offer of corporal injury to another by force, or force unlawfully directed toward another under such circumstances as to create a fear of imminent peril, coupled with the apparent present ability to effectuate the attempt. Lay v. Kremer, 411 So.2d 1347, 1349 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982).
Defendant does not contend that Plaintiff failed to allege the above-listed elements of the tort of assault. Instead, Defendant argues that, under the standard of pleading established in Twombly, Plaintiff has failed to set forth sufficient factual allegations to support the pleading. Defendant's argument, in essence, is that in a post-Twombly pleading, a heightened fact pleading of specifics is required. However, Twombly did not alter the standard for dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) in the typical case. As the Court explained in CBT Flint Partners, LLC v. Goodmail Systems, Inc:
In my view, Twombly did not radically alter the elementary rules of civil procedure that have governed litigation in the federal courts for the past seventy years. The Court's forced retirement of *1344 Conley v. Gibson's "no set of facts" language does not change the fundamental command of Rule 8 as to what a valid complaint must look like. Indeed, the Court made clear that it was not imposing a heightened pleading standard. Twombly, 127 S.Ct. at 1974 ("[W]e do not require heightened fact pleading of specifics, but only enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face."). As a general matter, I am loath to assume that the Supreme Court circumvented the normal channels for amending the Federal Rules. Swierkiewicz v. Sorema, 534 U.S. 506, 515, 122 S.Ct. 992, 152 L.Ed.2d 1 (2002) ("A requirement of greater specificity for particular claims is a result that must be obtained by the process of amending the Federal Rules, and not by judicial interpretation.") (quotations omitted). Second, to the extent that Twombly might be plausibly read to alter the requirements for the sufficiency of a complaint, there should be a strong presumption in favor of narrowly confining the decision to its facts. Cohens v. Virginia, 19 U.S. 264, 6 Wheat. 264, 5 L.Ed. 257 (1821) ("It is a maxim not to be disregarded, that general expressions, in every opinion, are to be taken in connection with the case in which those expressions are used."). The Court's "new standard" was merely a specific way to articulate a solution to what it perceived to be a specific pleading problem, in a specific area of law that inflicted a high cost upon antitrust defendants. It was not a broad based new license for federal courts to ramp up pleading requirements.
CBT Flint Partners, LLC v. Goodmail Systems, Inc., 529 F.Supp.2d 1376, 1379 (N.D.Ga.2007).
In this case, Defendant contends that the pleadings fail to allege the specific facts of "what was done to [Plaintiff];" and "what Epstein said and did, if anything, to create fear and apprehension in Plaintiff." (Mot. 5). As to these issues, the Amended Complaint alleges as follows: In an upstairs room of Defendant's mansion, Defendant told Plaintiff to remove her clothes and to give him a massage. Am. Compl. ¶ 12. Defendant acted with intent to cause an offensive contact with Plaintiff, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact, and Plaintiff was thereby put in such imminent apprehension. Am. Compl. ¶ 16. Defendant made an intentional, unlawful offer of offensive sexual contact toward Plaintiff, creating a reasonable fear of imminent peril. Am. Compl. ¶ 17. While on the massage table, Plaintiff masturbated himself and touched both girls on their vaginas with his hand and with a vibrator. Id. Defendant intentionally inflicted harmful or offensive contact on the person of Plaintiff, with the intent to cause such contact or the apprehension that such contact is imminent. Am. Compl. ¶ 18. Defendant tortiously committed a sexual assault and battery on Plaintiff. Am. Compl. ¶ 19. Defendant's acts were intentional, unlawful, offensive and harmful. Id.
Plaintiff need not set forth more specific facts to support its allegations to satisfy the notice pleading standard under Rule 8, which requires only that a complaint must set forth a short and plain statement of the facts upon which the claim is based that is sufficient to give the defendant fair notice of what the plaintiff's claims are and the grounds upon which they rest. The parties will be afforded a liberal opportunity for discovery "to disclose more precisely the basis of both claim and defense and to define more narrowly the disputed facts and issues." Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 48, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957). Defendant's motion to dismiss or for a more definite statement is DENIED as to Count I.
*1345 Counts III[1] alleges a claim for coercion and enticement to sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422. That statute states, in pertinent part,
(b) Whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life.
18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).[2]
The Amended Complaint alleges: "Epstein used a facility or means of interstate commerce to knowingly persuade, induce or entice Jane Doe, when she was under the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense." Am. Compl. ¶ 29.
First, the Amended Complaint sufficiently alleges the element of using a facility or means of interstate commerce. See ¶ 29. More specifics are properly the subject of discovery.
Second, Defendant argues that the Amended Complaint fails to set forth underlying factual allegations as to the requisite elements that Defendant knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, or coerced Plaintiff, when she was under the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense. Specifically, Defendant claims that Plaintiff fails to allege with what criminal offense Defendant could have been charged. See 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The Amended Complaint states a cause of action for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422. However, Defendant's position that Plaintiff must state what part of "to engage in prostitution or sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense" upon which is relying Plaintiff is well-taken.
Rule 12(e) permits a party to move for a "more definite statement of a pleading to which a responsive pleading is allowed but which is so vague or ambiguous that the party cannot reasonably prepare a response." Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(e). As explained by another court, "[t]he claim of the plaintiff in his complaint is sufficiently definite to enable the defendant to know with what it is charged, and it is reasonably able therefrom to respond whether it did the thing charged." Dennis v. Begley Drug Co. of Tennessee, Inc., 53 F.R.D. 608, 609 (E.D.Tenn.1971). As it is written, ¶ 29 is ambiguous as to whether Plaintiff claims prostitution or another criminal offense (and if so, what offense) with which Defendant could have been charged.[3] The Court *1346 finds that Defendant is entitled to a more definite statement as to ¶ 29 in order to provide Defendant with sufficient notice to frame a responsive pleading.
Conclusion
For the reasons stated herein, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss and Motion for More Definite Statement, Directed to Plaintiff's Amended Complaint (DE 52) is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART as follows:
1. Defendant's motion to dismiss or for a more definite statement as to Count I is DENIED.
2. Defendant's motion to dismiss or for a more definite statement as to Count III is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART. Defendant's motion to dismiss is denied; however, Plaintiff must file another complaint, which includes a more definite statement as to Count III Coercion and Enticement to Sexual Activity in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422, as explained in this Order.
3. Defendant's motion to strike the citation to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 in the Amended Complaint is GRANTED and that citation is hereby STRICKEN.
NOTES
[1] Plaintiff mistakenly cites 28 U.S.C. § 2255 in the wherefore clause of Count III, regarding damages sought. Plaintiff acknowledges that this was a typographical error and the correct cite is to 18 U.S.C. § 2255. Defendant's motion to strike the citation to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 in the Amended Complaint is GRANTED. That citation is hereby STRICKEN and substituted with 18 U.S.C. § 2255.
[2] The allegations in the Amended Complaint closely track the language of § 2422(b), making it clear that this is the subsection upon which Plaintiff is relying.
[3] In its opposition, Plaintiff improperly seeks to rely upon a July 10, 2008 letter from A. Marie Villafana, Assistant U.S. Attorney to Plaintiff's counsel. This letter was not referenced in nor attached to the Amended Complaint. It is axiomatic that, at the motion to dismiss stage, the Court must consider well-pled allegations of the complaint as true and must limit its examination to the four corners of the complaint. Grossman v. Nationsbank, N.A., 225 F.3d 1228, 1231 (11th Cir.2000). Thus, the Court will not consider the letter in ruling on the instant motion.
| 2024-02-15T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/5900 |
I was Proxime Accessit this year at an NCEA school in Central Auckland.
Losing out on Dux was never really important to me. After all, winning would only result in my name being put up in the hall for kids to emptily stare at.
But while I had completed Level 3 English and a Scholarship exam in Year 12, and studied difficult subjects like Physics or Calculus, the Dux recipient had exempted herself from any Math, Science, Scholarship exams or extra subjects. Our quantity and quality of attainment, all subjects being equal, were near-identical, but my miniscule credit deficit was all that mattered.
I couldn’t help but wonder: why did my school not consider my more demanding curriculum?
My school’s administration dismissed the concept of subject difficulty as merely an ‘artificial construct’, and claimed such an attitude was ‘consistent’ among the vast majority of NCEA schools. But subject hierarchies are by no means unprecedented. In the United States, rigour of coursework is a standard factor universities look at, and students have ‘weighted’ grade point averages to reflect the difficulty of their classes. Some New Zealand schools, such as King’s College, in fact, also weight their courses in ranking students’ performances.
I had thus initially thought, upon almost sparking ‘DuxGate’, that my school’s priorities were all warped, but I was wrong. The vast majority of our schools do not weight subjects, simply because New Zealand’s university acceptance framework doesn’t. Nearly all high school subjects, whether Calculus, Printmaking, Media or Home Economics, are ‘University Approved’ – and in our universities’ admission cycles, ‘University Approved’ subjects all have equal weight (this excludes Engineering courses and certain University of Auckland courses). Therefore, schools promote studying anything at all as an identical means to success, and the Dux, or ‘most successful’, reflects this mindset.
It is easy to see why the NZQA and universities have adopted this approach. Everyone has different strengths and skillsets that contribute to a complete world. More ‘University Approved’ subjects enable further study in more fields.
But assigning acting, building or painting a similar academic status as Calculus, Science or History completely misses the mark. You can be illiterate and innumerate, yet an outstanding painter or actor, and excel in a multitude of relevant standards. Moreover in countries like the UK, where exams, unlike here, aren’t graded on a curve, math and science students, for example, regularly underperform due to tougher exams. There will always be exceptions, but the overall trends in student achievement suggest that subject difficulty is not at all an ‘artificial construct’ irrelated to achievement.
As well as that, chances are more ‘difficult’ subjects will get you further in life – the five highest-paying college majors in the US were all some form of engineering, while the lowest-paying were social work, theology and ECE – subjects where emotional, not academic intelligence, is the key to success. In New Zealand, performing arts has been the lowest-paid college degree for years. By no coincidence, disparities of difficulty and future success, between classically academic subjects (Sciences, Law) and other fields correlate significantly.
Knowing this, it is great that we value everyone’s potential, but shouldn’t we, in determining our top academic performers, recognize certain pathways as more challenging and likely to be rewarding? We should be encouraging our young people to embark on the most fulfilling, but also fruitful, careers possible, but NCEA’s system, which seems to have rubbed off on to universities, does not encourage that at all. Students studying easier and tougher subjects compete on forcibly equal footing, and the latter are unjustly rendered inferior. Furthermore, even if all data supporting disparities is negated, surely any school that bills its Dux as the ‘top academic achiever’ (like mine) has a duty to emphasize, well, academic subjects – subjects that, by common consensus, can be constantly improved upon through further study.
An additional major shortcoming of our system is that according to university criteria, only your best five subjects are ever relevant. I lost Dux despite studying six subjects, one more than my competition, because not all were counted. My passed NCEA Scholarship exam was also completely ignored. And most perplexedly, at that same awards ceremony, a Year 12 girl who had decided to study all Level 3 subjects, yet still performed to an outstanding standard, lost the Year 12 Merit Cup to someone with a marginally higher GPA, but with all his credits at Level 2 – a full curriculum level lower.
This all begs another question: why is it appropriate to outright ignore certain student achievement? Accomplishments beyond the needed framework, though irrelevant to university admissions, are no less impressive or valuable to one’s intellectual growth, and should not be any less worthy of recognition. We must be careful we aren’t failing our next generation by teaching them to only value the bare minimum for success (what happened to ‘the sky’s the limit’?). It almost seems like we don’t have faith in our education system if we encourage students to put in as little effort as necessary.
Now, you could undoubtedly call me a bad sport. Though I feel one aspect of good sportsmanship almost never mentioned is questioning decisions you perceive as incorrect. Challenging dubious outcomes, after all, is simply in pursuit of fair play. I have realized from this (albeit non-sporting) exercise that I cannot assign my award legitimacy. The young woman who beat me was spectacular at her classes, rightfully deserving all her prizes in Drama, Media and so on. But forgoing Math and Science in favour of less academic subjects and being declared the best, all-round, academic achiever adds up all wrong.
There are no benchmarks in NCEA beyond achievement at your chosen level – it is so reluctant to assign greater value to certain endeavours that performing an entire curriculum level above expectations won’t impact your relative success. I’m not suggesting that the state immediately starts ranking subjects, but we need to consider whether this egalitarian narrative is misleading our students. Different course choices may lead to unequal outcomes in life, but all need not be turned on its head. NCEA’s sentiments towards absolute course equality are as unrealistic as they are heartwarming, and something needs to change.
Until then, I shall advise my sister, who finished Year 11 with the Girls’ Merit Cup under her belt, to load up on her Photography, P.E. and Polynesian Dance if she wishes to continue being a top scholar. | 2024-01-31T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/3617 |
#TobeytoLHS
My mom teaches special ed at my old high school. This is one of her students named Brandon who is dying of Muscular Dystrophy. Brandon is HUGE Spiderman fan and loves Tobey McGuire. Please help this image go viral to allow him to meet Tobey and fulfill one of his last wishes! It would mean the world to him! | 2024-01-20T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/9496 |
Q:
Autocomplete issue: Content is not displaying
Content is not displaying is autocomplate list as you can see in screenshot below.
I am getting this response.
[{"emp_number":1,"fname":"Arslan","lname":"Hassan"},{"emp_number":2,"fname":"Muneeb","lname":"Janjua"
},{"emp_number":3,"fname":"hr","lname":"user"},{"emp_number":4,"fname":"test","lname":""} .......... REMOVED TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER HERE .......]
My JS Code:
$( "#search-emp" ).autocomplete(
{
source: function (request, response)
{
var form_data = {
ajax : '1',
name : $("#search-emp").val(),
actioncall : 'search-emp'
};
$.ajax({
//contentType: "application/json",
type: "POST",
dataType: 'json',
url: "_ajax.php",
data: form_data,
success: function( data )
{
response( data );
}
});
},
minLength:3,
select:function(evt, ui)
{
alert(ui.item.emp_number);
}
});
I want to display fname and lname on selected into input field.
A:
The problem it's because jQuery autocomplete wants to have 2 fields named label and value. The content from label will be displayed in the autocomplete.
Because your server return other name for the keys you have 2 options:
Change the server to return a json like:
[{"emp_number":1,"fname":"Arslan","lname":"Hassan", "label":"Arslan Hassan", "value": "Arslan Hassan"},....]
Or on the success callback from ajax create an array with this fields (label and value) and pass this array to response() callback.
You can find more informations here: http://api.jqueryui.com/autocomplete/#option-source
| 2023-09-12T01:27:04.277712 | https://example.com/article/8359 |