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A novel synthesis of tin oxide thin films by the sol-gel process for optoelectronic applications
Maharajan, Marikkannan; Venkatachalapathy, Vishnukanthan; Asokan, Vijayshankar; Jeyanthinath, Mayandi; Pearce, Joshua M.
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Permanent lenkehttps://hdl.handle.net/1956/11358
MetadataVis full innførsel
A novel and simple chemical method based on sol-gel processing was proposed to deposit metastable orthorhombic tin oxide (SnOx) thin films on glass substrates at room temperature. The resultant samples are labeled according to the solvents used: ethanol (SnO-EtOH), isopropanol (SnO-IPA) and methanol (SnO-MeOH). The variations in the structural, morphological and optical properties of the thin films deposited using different solvents were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The XRD patterns confirm that all the films, irrespective of the solvents used for preparation, were polycrystalline in nature and contained a mixed phases of tin (II) oxide and tin (IV) oxide in a metastable orthorhombic crystal structure. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of Sn=O and Sn-O in all of the samples. PL spectra showed a violet emission band centered at 380 nm (3.25 eV) for all of the solvents. The UV-vis spectra indicated a maximum absorption band shown at 332 nm and the highest average transmittance around 97% was observed for the SnO-IPA and SnO-MeOH thin film samples. The AFM results show variations in the grain size with solvent. The structural and optical properties of the SnO thin films indicate that this method of fabricating tin oxide is promising and that future work is warranted to analyze the electrical properties of the films in order to determine the viability of these films for various transparent conducting oxide applications.


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I hadn't planned to write this blog entry. In my head my next post was going to be about making the decision to pursue a career in the fitness industry and how that decision has changed my life. I'll save that post for another day.
Between writing my last entry and today, lots has happened and I've learnt an awful lot. So, I'm going to empty my mind out onto the page in the hope that perhaps some of it will, one day, help someone else.
A few weeks ago, deep into my training block for my first full marathon – I started to feel unwell. Initially I presumed I was getting a cold, so I dosed up and carried on. Carried on working, carried on studying, carried on training and, carried on doing my most important job… Mummying.
Unfortunately, after three or four days it became apparent it wasn't just a cold and that actually, I might have to take a rest if I wanted to get better. I missed a couple of days training and tried to take it easy, but, to my immense frustration, I carried on getting worse and a severe chest infection was diagnosed.
I'm generally a positive person, but, when something is very important to you it's natural that you become incredibly protective of it. So after not running for 6 days, when the Doctor told me I would probably need to take at least another week off I cried and I panicked. I hated the loss of control and immediately started to think that all my hard work would be undone, that I'd lose my fitness and that my marathon goal time would now be an impossible dream.
But you know what? There isn't one single occasion where being negative has improved a rubbish situation. One of my favourite sayings is…'Just because you've been given a cactus, doesn't mean you have to sit on it'. And it's so true. So, I pulled myself out of the hole I'd retreated into, dug deep into the pit of my stomach, found some grit, stuck a smile back on my face and got on with it.
As the weekend approached and after a week of almost total sofa rest, I felt much better. I was entered in the Village Bakery half marathon in Wrexham on the Sunday and, on Friday, after a week of thinking that I wouldn't possibly be able to do it, I changed my mind.
Now I knew that I'd need to be really sensible and not race. But, the weather forecast looked good, it was only a short drive away and the medal was a beauty! So, after not running a step for a fortnight, I stuck my kit on and got out there. I'd missed so much training that it was just about time on my feet… I slowed my pace right down, walked a bit, took water at every station and never got out of breath.
Some people will think I was out of my mind to run a half a week after being so poorly, but I know my body, I knew I could do it… and I knew I needed to do it for my sanity. Actually, our bodies are capable of much much more than most people realise. All you need to do is convince your brain that you can do it – your body is there, ready to do its best for you.
I have learnt such a lot from these past few weeks – not only that I mustn't be afraid to rest when I need to but, more importantly, when something is scary and difficult, I mustn't be afraid to try. This body of mine is able to do great things, if I look after it and learn to quiet my mind when it tells me to give up.
Irrespective of where you are on your journey. Regardless of whether you're training to run a mile or a marathon. There will be times where your brain tries to make you believe that you can't do it… that you won't hit that pace, that you won't manage 10 minutes running without a break, that you won't finish those 26.2 miles…
In those moments, please remember this. That voice in your head, the one which is saying "you can't do this" – that is not your voice. You weren't born with that voice in your head. Someone else has put that voice there. So learn to talk louder. Do whatever you need to do to drown that voice out. You CAN do it.
Dig deep, find that grit buried under your diaphragm and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I believe in you… now start believing in yourself.

subset: commoncrawl


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Digital detox for kids
Between remote learning, video games and social media, it's common for kids to experience digital overstimulation. It's worth having an occasional digital detox day to help kids unwind with screen-free activities.
While it's easy to go electronics-free for a digital detox day, it's essential to have other activities lined up to engage kids. A trip to the park or beach are fun outdoor options, especially when sports or arts and crafts are involved. Popular indoor activities include puzzles, building projects and even hands-on experience in the kitchen.
How unplugging for a day may help kids
Benefits eye health
Spending long hours in front of screens due to school, video games or watching TV can wear on your eyes. According to the American Optometric Association, prolonged screen time may lead to digital eye strain, dry eyes, headaches or difficulty sleeping.
As a result, it's recommended to unplug from devices when possible to alleviate these symptoms. A digital detox can help set the stage for what the AOA refers to as healthier "visual hygiene." Ideally, kids and adults should take a 20-second break from screens every 20 minutes to view an object 20 feet away to minimize digital eye strain.
Boosts activity levels
A 24-hour digital detox challenge often inspires kids to get more active during the day. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that kids between ages 6 to 17 years should engage in an hour of "moderate-to-vigorous intense physical activity each day."
Without the hindrance or distractions of devices, kids may find it easier to enjoy sports and physical activities, whether it's swimming, running around a park or playing tag. Older kids, namely high school-aged kids, may prefer spending their digital detox day at the gym, track or basketball court.
Encourages family time
Digital detox isn't just for kids. Instead, it's something the entire household can participate in and benefit from doing.
If everyone unplugs for a day together, there's more time to bond and talk over board games, storytime, or home improvement projects. Or, the digital detox may present the ideal opportunity to enjoy an undistracted day trip, museum visit or outdoor excursion.
Indoor and outdoor options for a digital detox
Indoor activities
If the weather isn't suitable for outdoor fun, there are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy during a digital detox day. Kids with culinary curiosity may enjoy experimenting in the kitchen with family recipes or Raddish, a kid-friendly cooking kit that features cuisines and dishes from around the world.
Outdoor activities
The backyard, park or pool are fun places for kids to play device-free. Investing in a new outdoor toy or game to enjoy during detox day is worth considering, too. Throw Throw Burrito, for example, is a dodgeball-inspired card game for ages 7 and older that keeps kids on their toes as they duck from flying burritos.
Best toys and activities for 24-hour digital detox challenges
A Lego Creator set
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Townhouse Toy Store is a 554-piece building set that offers three project configurations. Suitable for ages 8 and older, well-received for its realistic details and vibrant bricks.
An all-ages board game
Every household member can play Apples to Apples Junior, a wacky word association game with outrageous comparisons. It comes with 1,000 cards and you can play with as many as eight players.
An outdoor exploration kit
Tap into kids' curiosity with Kids Xplore Nature Exploration Kit, which comes with binoculars, magnifying glass, nets and specimen containers. The kit helps kids learn map-reading skills and teaches kids the basics of nature-watching.
A set of dive toys
Step up pool-time fun with Intex Underwater Play Sticks, a set of five quick-sinking toys. They're made with soft, flexible silicone and have rounded edges for safe handling.
A giant block game
The TIMBER Giant Timber Wood Game can grow as high as 5 feet when players flex their block-stacking skills. An all-ages-friendly game, it's considered a favorite option for household-wide detox days spent outdoors.
A karaoke machine
This Bluetooth KaraoKing Karaoke Machine for Kids has plenty of high-tech features kids can enjoy while they belt out their favorite tunes. The machine, which has a built-in disco ball, connects with most devices for easy streaming.
A camping tent
If a camping excursion is in the cards, either in the backyard or somewhere local, the Coleman Cabin Tent is a wise investment for its 60-second setup. The tent has a spacious 8 feet by 7 feet interior and fits one queen-size air bed.
A Nerf blaster
Take a game of tag to the next level with the NERF Elite 2.0 Commander RD-6 Blaster. It's equipped with a rotating drum that blasts six darts up to 90 feet. As one of the more affordable NERF blasters, many people invest in several to enjoy all-out blaster battles.
A rock-painting kit
The Creativity for Kids Hide & Seek Rock Painting Kit comes with 10 rocks and eight colorful paints. Because the paint is weather-resistant, you can place the painted rocks around the yard.
An anime-drawing guide
The "The Master Guide to Drawing Anime" by Christopher Hart" teaches kids how to draw six popular anime figures, including vengeful bad guys. The book includes step-by-step demonstrations as well as templates and outfit guides. It's recommended for kids ages 14 and older.
A sewing machine
From fabric crafting to fashion design, sewing is a fun activity on digital detox days. The Singer Sewing Machine includes 97 stitch applications and is considered a beginner-friendly option.
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2021 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.


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Search Results
Have Ser Barris Lead Against Demons is an Inquisitor Path Mission in Dragon Age 3: Inquisition. You can initiate it via the War Map.
- Power & Time Cost: 90 min
- Requirements: Completed Save Val Colline from the Venatori.
- Notes: ??
- "Ser Barris has received a request for help from an old friend in Ansburg. Demons are crossing the veil and attacking people in the city. Dispatch Barris and templars to fight the demonic invasion. You may choose any specialist, but Cullen will complete this operation fastest."
|Next Mission: Investigate Man Accused of Abomination


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"Time for the Avenger to start Avenging. The Armor War begins in Iron Man #225"
Issue 225: Stark Wars
After Iron Man finishes a training session in order to impress a general, he returns to Stark Enterprises. Upon analyzing Force's armor, Tony discovers that the armor is based in part on his own designs, stolen before his current Iron Man armor was developed. He compiles a list of several armored criminals: Beetle, Shockwave, Doctor Doom, Stilt-Man, the Crimson Dynamo, Controller, Mauler, Professor Power, Titanium Man, the Raiders, and others. After finishing another training session, Iron Man teams up with Scott Lang to find out who stole his designs. Tony uncovers that the Spymaster was the one who sold Tony's designs to his rival Justin Hammer. Iron Man goes after the Stilt-Man, who is attempting to break into a high-rise office building. Stilt-Man is easily defeated when Iron Man chops off one of his legs, and he renders the armor inoperable with a "negator pack" which destroys Stark circuitry within. A short time later, Iron Man battles the Controller whom he knocks unconscious in front of a crowd and negates his armor. Then, unable to pursue legal means to reclaim his technology, Tony plans to take out every armored warrior who is suspected of having his designs.
The Raiders invade an Air Force plane, drawing Iron Man's attention. Iron Man defeats the Raiders using negator packs, disabling his stolen technology. Tony finds out one name is missing from Hammer's database due a glitch in the upload. Tony and Jim Rhodes run a search of other armor-using individuals, which prompts Tony to identify the government-sponsored Stingray as the best candidate, as other known armored heroes and villains are either not advanced enough or would not use others' designs. Tony's actions draw the West Coast Avengers' attention. Tony declines the Avengers' offer of assistance, saying that his problems are personal. Iron Man travels to the Hydro-Base, where he confronts Stingray and insists that he be allowed to test his armor for stolen circuitry. When Stingray refuses, Iron Man chases him throughout the ocean and releases electricity cybernetically to incapacitate him. He then unsuccessfully attempts to negate Stingray's armor; Stingray's armor really was not based on Stark's designs. Due to this incident, Tony is informed that the Government wants Iron Man to be shut down. Reluctantly, Tony announces that Iron Man's contract has been terminated. In other words: "He's fired!"
Issue 227: The Last Mandroid
Iron Man ruthlessly attacks the Beetle as he tries to steal exotic pieces of art. Beetle attempts to escape Iron Man's wrath, but is defeated and his armor negated. Iron Man returns to his base, where he has a talk with Hawkeye. Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. meets with Tony and demands that Iron Man be handed over to him for attacking a government agent (Stingray). Tony gives Fury Iron Man's file, having prepared a fake identity for Iron Man as 'Randall Pierce' in the event of such a scenario. Tony secretly intends to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Mandroid armors – which he also designed – to prevent their technology being replicated. He tells Fury that 'Pierce' has set up a hidden base in New York and suggests Fury dispatch the Mandroids to bring Iron Man in. Tony, as Iron Man, engages the Mandroids and disables all five, much to Fury's dismay. Tony fakes evidence to suggest that Iron Man knew about their plan because he planted a bug in their equipment. Later, Tony arranges to create a new shield for Captain America.
Issue 228: Who Guards the Guardsmen?
The Captain (Steve Rogers) thanks Tony for the new shield. Meanwhile, the villain Electro is defeated by the Guardsmen and is imprisoned at the Vault, though it was Rhodes who disguised himself as Electro to sneak into the Vault. Iron Man sneaks into the Vault to neutralize the Guardsmen- as with the Mandroids, he seeks to prevent others replicating their technology- but he is caught by two Guardsmen. Rhodes accidentally breaks out all the prisoners at the Vault after he tricks a Guardsman who spotted him earlier. While battling a Guardsman, Iron Man catches the attention of the Captain. Rogers agreed with Tony's motives, but Rogers calls his methods reckless and dangerous. While trying to save a Guardsman from dying, Iron Man violently knocks him out, rendering the Captain in a coma.
Issue 229: Red Snow
The West Coast Avengers arrives at Tony's home, where they try to make Tony explain himself. Tony tells them he found out about the armor being stolen after analysing Force's armor. The West Coast Avengers remained hesitant to tell Tony he's off the team after he leaves. The Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man meets with the president, who tells them to defend the people of Russia after revealing that Iron Man is going to Russia, but Titanium Man disagrees, saying that Iron Man is too dangerous for anybody to handle, preferring to remain in hiding. Tony invents a modified version of the Stealth armor to sneak into Russia undetected. Iron Man goes after Titanium Man, but he fought back. While Iron Man was distracted by the Crimson Dynamo, the Titanium Man's pilot dons the armor and leads a double assault on Iron Man. Iron Man defeats the Crimson Dynamo and negates his armor. Distracted, Iron Man is attacked and overwhelmed by Titanium Man. Iron Man tries to escape, but Titanium Man grabs him. Iron Man flies up to space to try to shake Titanium Man off of him. However, Titanium Man's armor overheated, setting him on fire. The Titanium Man armor explodes, killing the pilot. Enraged, the Russian soldiers try to attack Iron Man, but he escapes. Back at the West Coast Avengers Mansion, Hawkeye states that Iron Man is stripped of his membership as a West Coast Avenger.
Issue 230: The Day the Hero Died
Test pilot Jack Taggert demonstrates a flight simulator to the U.S. Government. Edwin Cord, Tony's rival, tells a general to jumpstart the plan that can defeat Iron Man once and for all. Later, Jack suits up as Firepower to demonstrate the armor's power. Later that day, Firepower lures Iron Man into a trap, Iron Man having identified Firepower as the result of the name missing from Hammer's list. Iron Man blasts Firepower, but he strikes back. Iron Man struggles to fight Firepower due to his superior weaponry. In the nick of time, Iron Man escapes Firepower's wrath with the help of Rhodes. Unfortunately, Iron Man leads a final assault on Firepower. In retaliation, Firepower launches a nuclear missile at Iron Man, seemingly killing Iron Man in the process.
It is revealed that Tony survived the explosion, but with severe injuries. Rhodes attempts to tell Tony to fight back as Iron Man, but Tony refused, saying that the world got their wish and feeling that it is too dangerous to create new armor. Elsewhere, the U.S. Government tries to tell Cord to hand over Firepower, but Cord declined, stating that he's not done with Firepower yet. Firepower destroys several of Stark related tech, which led Tony to believe that Firepower is behind all this. At the same time, Firepower destroys a truck full of Stark tech, surprising Tony. Firepower reveals to Tony that Cord wants revenge on both Tony and Iron Man for destroying Cord Conglomerate (as seen in Iron Man #145). Angry, Tony invents another version of the Iron Man armor to combat Firepower. Days later, Firepower attacks Stark Enterprises' San Francisco bureau only to face off against the "new" Iron Man. After a lengthy battle, Iron Man defeats Firepower, but during the fight, Iron Man damaged Firepower's backpack, which was carrying a neutron bomb. Iron Man disables the bomb, but Firepower claims he is nothing like the "other" Iron Man. Iron Man angrily tears him out of the Firepower suit. That night, reflecting that he will continue as Iron Man due to the dangers that only Iron Man can handle, Tony was glad he could get a good night's sleep, and he falls asleep, ending the story.


text: Expand Radar For Nate March 17, 2009 Fat hippos like to deflate tires. Carry one of these around with you man! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA Bikes on The Pro's Closet Lynskey Live Wire Mountain Bike - 2021, LargeReeb Dikyelous Mountain Bike - 2015, LargeEsker Cycles Japhy Mountain Bike - 2021, Medium Related 7 Radar Radar Roundup: Manitou Mastodon, Tomii Stem Caps, CnGS Mugs Return, Pit Viper Flip Up, Cool Breeze Party Pace Cycling Cap, The Good Days, and ANOTHER Trophy Cup Flick? 9 Radar Radar Roundup: Globe Teaser, ZARA Cyling?, Aeffect R, and Explore Gets Colorful 4 Radar Radar Roundup: ATB Challenge 01, Tumbleweed Goods, ORNOT Jerseys, Paris Gao-Dakar VTT, and Is Riding Giving You Pain? 11 Radar Radar Roundup: MASH Steel Road Bike, Swift Hold Fast, Purple Cages, High Above, and the History of CRUST • Radar Radar Roundup: Bikepacking Roots BIPOC Scholarship, Lael on Bikes or Death: Asterisk, and Where Roads End – A Slow Journey on the North Coast 500 6 Radar Radar Roundup: Engin Port Royal, 7Mesh Spring, Albion Cranksets, Atlantis Pre-Order, and Crust at Mid South


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Bowhunting: Bow First Aid in the Field
Here are some quick in-field fixes to save your hunt.
Nowadays most, but not all, in-field meltdowns are string-related. With a little preparation, you should be capable of handling most potentially hunt-busting emergencies.
1. Oh, Snap
Sadly, strings break—often without warning. Order a spare one from your local dealer, have the shop serve in a peep, and stow it in your pack alongside a Bowmaster Portable Bow Press ($50; prototechind.com) for on-the-spot repairs.
2. Serve It Up
String servings receive plenty of unintended abuse. While not catastrophic, loose servings negatively affect your accuracy by varying the arrow's nocking point. Minuscule changes here are multiplied exponentially downrange, leading to heartbreaking misses.If you notice a loose serving, wrap a small length of braided fishing line or dental floss in the gap. Filling in the void tightens the serving and can save a hunt.
3. Feel Loopy
String loops are the best thing to hit the archery market in decades. They minimize string wear but also wear out quickly themselves. Anyone who has broken one in the field knows that sinking feeling when you realize your hunt is over.To save fraying loops, hit them quickly with a butane lighter to discourage further fraying. This is just a stopgap measure until a fresh loop can be lashed on.
4. Proper Pins
Fiber-optic material is bright, but it's also very brittle. Once your bow is sighted-in for the season, mark each pin position. Should a pin unexpectedly break, re-arrange the remaining pins to fill in for the damaged one using these reference marks.


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Successful brands often have something in common: They exceed customer expectations. If you ask me, it's this era's most important metric — many customers want to trust you and feel valued.
Most businesses know that. They have people working on customer experience (CX). They have CX data coming in. And for almost every brand, it's a digital-first world now. Brands can't win on customer experience unless their approach keeps pace with the new ways people research, compare, buy and share their experiences.
With so much complexity, it can seem impossible to keep up. It's not. I find that successful brands have usually identified the guiding principles that allow them to stand out from competitors and deliver great CX year after year:
• They listen to customers everywhere. Nothing gets left to guesswork or chance.
• They prioritize actions. They don't chase after every red flag.
• They make CX an organization-wide concern. It's not relegated to one department or siloed across several.
What's so perfect about these guiding principles is that they enable success even when conditions change — when new customer needs arise, journeys change and new players enter the market. You're prepared because you're listening, sharing the right data, making informed decisions, identifying the signals among the noise and innovating on CX, not playing catch-up.
The digital revolution, which empowered customers, has created the insights revolution. At Verint, we offer solutions in customer experience and engagement and have seen firsthand how the insights revolution has changed the foundational elements of today's CX strategies.
The following building blocks make up the fuel that allows companies to meet those touchstone objectives. Let's review them.
1. Deliver On Digital
In a survey of 12,500 customers, which we conducted for the "Verint ForeSee Digital Experience Index (DXI) and NPS Rankings — Q4 2018" report, we found that 58% of customer journeys start in digital. Your websites and apps are where they get a first and lasting impression of your brand. It's where they expect to have easy access to product details, customer support and account information. And your digital customers likely expect speed, security and personalization.
Marketers must use modern measurement and tracking methods, including opt-in and intercept data collection, session replay, behavioral heat maps and usability expertise. Improve your analysis, too, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help pinpoint wins, shortcomings and corrective actions — navigation, search, login, checkout, etc.
2. Listen To Customers At Scale
Whatever measure you're using — Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer satisfaction (CSAT) or something else — you have to scale your customer listening program beyond surveys and direct feedback. There's a big world of unstructured data out there, and it holds vital insights you need to improve customer experiences.
Your customers are talking — to contact center employees, on social media and via live online chats and chatbots. Our company, in partnership with Opinium Research, conducted interviews with 36,014 consumers for our 2018 "Defining the Human Age: A Reflection on Customer Service in 2030" report. In our research, we found that "When the inquiry is urgent, the desire for human contact increases, with 44% turning to the phone and 25% doing so in person."
As part of a voice of the customer (VoC) program, use speech and text analytics capabilities to listen to customers at scale and mine interactions for emotion, satisfaction and competitive intelligence.
3. Operationalize And Automate
With competitors one click away, you need to respond quickly to correct poor customer experience. You have multiple teams on the CX frontlines, and each needs the right information at the right time in order to act intelligently. Acting on yesterday's data, or data that's unfocused or imprecise, worsens the problem.
Synthesize your VoC data from multiple inputs, and then automate alerts and insights to quickly get the information where it needs to go, such as to your location employees, contact center agents or digital touch point teams. Automated, real-time and AI-powered insights — delivered via email, text message (SMS) or in-app alerts — help reduce manual analysis, human bias and response time.
4. Prioritize And Act
Reliable cause-and-effect insight is rare, and it's one of your most powerful decision-making tools. When you know what actions will yield real benefits, decision-making isn't a guessing game. If data shows that a website redesign will yield almost no business improvement but expanding the capabilities of your mobile app could boost upsell opportunities or reduce call center volume, the course of action is obvious.
Correlative insight like statistical, regression or multivariate analysis isn't enough. Use a predictive, causal data model to know that when you do X, Y will happen. Link CX improvements to business outcomes, such as likelihood to purchase, return and recommend. With a consistent model, you can prioritize at the touch point level and across the customer journey.
5. Develop A Connected View
Businesses need to stay tuned in to digital-first preferences while meeting customers where they are. Consider the omnichannel approach many customers take today. According to one study, reported on by Retail Dive, "29% said they shop online to browse for items, 25% said they shop on mobile to browse, 42% said they shop in-store to purchase, and 10% said they shop via voice to conduct research."
Point solutions are like individual snapshots: You don't see the big picture. Use an omnichannel VoC platform to open your perspective, providing a holistic, interconnected view of your customers across channels, devices and locations. It also enables you to create common key performance indicators (KPIs), right-size corrective actions, democratize data across the organization and overcome internal silos.
Insights: The Foundation Of Success
Businesses achieve success by obsessing over delivering excellent customer experiences. How will your organization deliver the best experiences against today's rapid pace of change? By obsessing over the right elements and collecting the right data, analyzing it intelligently and sharing it widely. Those are the VoC program elements that will thrill customers and create organizational efficiencies. And they will create a foundation for success to carry your business forward for years to come.
Click to go to the full article:


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Jasmine C. Jackson (RBSI 2016) is a senior political science major at Jackson State University where she is a Dean's List scholar. Her research interests focus on how political issues impact minority communities and the effect these issues have on societal placement. In 2015, Jasmine had the privilege of working with Dr. Geoff Ward at the University of California at Irvine on research that examined historical racial violence. Additionally, she attended the 2016 APSA Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University. Jasmine has presented at various conferences including the 2016 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, the Pi Sigma Alpha student conference, the 2016 Southern Political Science Association conference, and the University of Michigan's Emerging Scholars Conference. See all current MFP bios.
The 2017 APSA Spring Minority Fellowship Program for first and second year graduate students deadline for applications is March 31, 2017. Submit your application here.
About the APSA Minority Fellowship Program
The Minority Fellows Program (MFP) is a fellowship competition for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds applying to or in the early stages of doctoral programs in political science. The MFP was established in 1969 (originally as the Black Graduate Fellowship) to increase the number of minority scholars in the discipline. Each year, APSA awards up to 12 funded fellowships in the amount of $4,000. Learn more here.


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My recent work on student engagement – including our NextThought Power of Connections course and a number of recent presentations – has resulted in frequent requests for recommended resources on the topic. So to make this information more broadly accessible, I decided to post a collection of excellent resources here and to update it regularly.
To provide you with more context – in my presentations on student engagement I emphasize the importance of relevance, agency, and community. This moves us as teachers beyond delivering mere data points into packaging course information in ways that will motivate the students to have a personal interest in the subject matter. And this is what we mean when we refer to "student engagement." Student engagement encourages learners to actively steer their growing knowledge and to take ownership of its direction. And, finally, student engagement fosters and promotes new connections with other learners, mentors, and new communities.
Resources on Promoting Student Engagement
Golden Rules for Engaging Students in Learning Activities – This is a good overview of basic principles that can be applied to any teaching and learning environment. This post also contains a solid bibliography.
Creating Powerful Learning Experiences: Big XII TLC Keynote – Here is an encapsulation of my thoughts on student engagement and how we can transform learning by fostering it in our courses. It includes numerous examples of activities and design approaches for encouraging student engagement.
The 6 Key Drivers of Student Engagement – This is an excerpt from the book Every Child, Every Day: A Digital Conversion Model for Student Achievement, written by a middle school principal. In this article, we get a clear and practical synthesis of how to cultivate student engagement in any learning environment.
What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Student Engagement? – Laura Gibbs is a trailblazer in online learning and her courses focus heavily on student creation. In this post, she discusses her course design philosophy and some of the activities she incorporates into her teaching.
Learning's first principle – the most important thing i learned this year – In this post, Dave Cormier discusses the importance of student motivation in learning and asks, "How do we encourage people to care?"
Harmonizing Learning and Education – Michael Feldstein summarizes the discussion around Dave Cormier's posts on student motivation, and extends the argument with data from the 2014 Gallup Purdue Index Report
Engaging Undergraduate Students in Course Design and Instruction – Jen Ebbeler, Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Texas, discusses how to involve students more directly and purposefully in course design and learning.
Graduation & What It Means To "Model with Mathematics" – Dan Meyer, a master of "modeling" in mathematics, talks about the importance of real-world relevance in our teaching. His approach and model can be applied to any discipline.
Creating Engaging Assignments – Looking for some good case studies for creating student engagement? Here are three from instructors at Bluffton University in Ohio.
Embracing Constraints for Creativity & Innovation – This post explores some of the innovation-through-constraint techniques shared in the 2006 book, The Houdini Solution.
Designing for Connection: Helping Our Students Get Lost – One way to facilitate learner agency in our courses is by allowing students to chart their own learning paths. Frequently, this means letting them get "lost" and discovering their own connections for discovery.
The Promise of Connected Learning – This white paper provides an overview of the pedagogical roots and theory of Connected Learning, and outlines the model's importance in a networked world.
I think you'll find these articles not only enjoyable to read but extremely helpful when creating your own ways of engaging your students in what you're teaching. And stay tuned – I'll be updating the list as I discover more useful resources.
- Image Emerge with intelligence and creativity by Stefano Chiarelli is licensed under


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be-MINE PIT has overcome a new hurdle on the road to its opening: a consortium led by Building Group Jansen will be constructing the international mining museum in Beringen.
Will you be our new colleague or you know someone with the right profile? Jansen the Building Company is hiring! Click through and see the vacancies.
Group Jansen offers total packages for the following specific market segment offices: health & clean care, retail, leisure and tunnels. Above is given a detailed overview of all sectors in which Group Jansen is active.
Group Jansen is active in various fields. You can contact us for a complete contract and/or renovation, or we provide the general interior finishing of your project. In the meanwhile, we may call ourselves specialists in the building of cleanrooms and operation areas.


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Melrose Organic Full Flavour Coconut Oil is a pure, virgin, coconut oil that is cold-pressed at the source from sustainable coconut plantations in the Philippines. It has a creamy coconut flavour and aroma.
Melrose Organic Full Flavour Coconut Oil is:
- Australian owned and made
- Certified Organic
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Kosher
Coconut Oil is an excellent source of natural energy for both the body, as its rich in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Easily digestible, it also contains Lauric acid, and is chemical and hexane-free.
Suggested Use:
Ideal for all types of cooking, including baking where it can be used as a substitute for butter.
When to use this oil?
Cooking at low temperatures. Smoke point - low. Can be heated to approximately 170°C.
Store at room temperature.
Earth Heartbeat
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My husband tells me that my gazpachos are "great but exotic". The gazpachos he had throughout his life were made with the traditional ingredients like tomatoes, peppers or garlic. I was not sure if he would like this so I made just enough for two. Well the contents of his glass disappeared within a minute or two and he asked if there was any more! Proof that "exotic" is not such a bad thing! Serve this cold and you will be surprised how it really helps to "beat the heat"!
Serves 2
2 medium cucumbers
1 plain yogurt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 chopped chive
1/2 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 fresh mint leaves
Wash the cucumbers. Peel them and remove the seeds. Chop them and place them in a blender along with the rest of the ingredients.
Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. If it is too thick, just add a bit of water. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve very cold, (with an ice cube, if desired) and garnished with a mint leaf on top.
Enjoy! Xxxx Natascha
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Universal Robots, G+D Aligns to 'Cobotize' Indian Banking Sector
Universal Robots collaborates with G+D (Giesecke + Devrient), the market leaders in Bank Note Processing in India
Universal Robots, G+D (Giesecke + Devrient) announces collaboration to collectively develop robots which safely works alongside humans, and more as a 'helping hand' or 'portable tool' which traditional industrial robots cannot comply with.
After deploying their cobots in automotive industry, FMCG, Electronics, Education and R&D Centres, Universal Robots established their presence in the banking sector. G+D (Giesecke + Devrient), the market leaders in Bank Note Processing in India for over two decades have collaborated with Universal Robots in 2015 and deployed the UR3 for pick and place processes in the currency chests.
Speaking on the occasion, Vivek Shankar, Deputy Managing Director, G+D India Pvt. Ltd. said, "In 2015, we chose robots from Universal Robots because these robots turned out to be the 'best suitable technology.' The UR3 which was a compact, small robot fit in the space we were looking for. It was fast and accurate as it could be programmed to do what was exactly needed. The user has to feed the machine just once and the robotic system does everything else for them. The UR3, because of its size, could reach all pockets of the machine to pick the cash, put it in for banding and then on the conveyer belt for bundling."
Pradeep David, General Manager, Universal Robots, South Asia said, "The collaborative robot is a powerful innovation in the industrial manufacturing sector, enabling automated production with unprecedented flexibility. Our collaborative robot arms automate and streamline repetitive industrial processes. This approach will enable production departments to assign their staff members more creative jobs that provide them with new challenges that add value to the company and at the same time increase the efficiency and productivity. We are proud to be associated with G+D (Giesecke + Devrient) since 2015. Universal Robots has now ventured into the banking sector and inclusion of collaborative robots in the banking sector will prove to be game-changing. We would like to thank our channel partner Encon Systems for their dedication and strong engineering skills in the development of this unique project."
G+D (Giesecke + Devrient) offers security technologies, both in the physical and digital spheres, with their Headquarters in Munich, Germany. They have been closely associated with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) since 2005.
The emerging trend in 2015 was the increasing interest of commercial banks to automate cash centers. Seeking a solution that could be scaled down to handle medium-sized cash centers, Giesecke + Devrient (G+D) turned to Universal Robots to deploy the UR3 proved to be a holistic solution which increased efficiency, optimized processes, and enhanced security – all in a constrained space.
The processing capacity is 10 – 12 bank notes per second, which means that it processes 30,000 bank notes per hour.
Universal Robots along with G+D (Giesecke + Devrient) organized a press conference on 17th May 2018 at The Oberoi, New Delhi sharing an extensive dialogue on this new breakthrough.


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Market Your Business Along With Your Website As A Result Of Search Engine Marketing.
Seo is actually a complicated subject, but usually do not allow that to intimidate you. Just go over the following text for seo to assist your site thrive.
Break up long articles into shorter parts.
com/embed/h0IsOE9wr9A" frameborder="0″ allowfullscreen>
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A better rank is yours for taking because of these guidelines. You don't must rely on luck, and look engines won't discriminate between people. Make the effort and convey your website to the top of your results page!………


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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating allegations of sexual assaults at a Veterans Affairs hospital in West Virginia.
The VA inspector-general issued a statement this week saying the office is working with federal law enforcement to look into multiple assaults at the Beckley VA Medical Center.
Hospital spokeswoman Sara Yoke says an "individual" was fired in response to the allegations but she didn't release the person's identity or job title.
The investigation comes as federal prosecutors are conducting a sweeping criminal investigation of the deaths of up to 11 patients at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
Attorneys say two of those deaths have been ruled homicides, with both veterans dying from wrongful insulin injections.
The VA is the government's second-largest department, responsible for 9 million military veterans.
This story has been edited to correct the hospital's location to Beckley, not Charleston.


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There are few companies who can provide You drawings and visualisation for Your future BMX track. G3D is one of them. All You need to have is topographical plan, idea of what kind and class of track do You want, maybe some wishes for obstacle sequences, and that's all. For affordable amount You'll get back realistic visualisation of track, 3d model, drawings of plan and profiles. Additionally You might want to have fly-through, \"riding arrow\" video, composition of track into real photo or video. All that is also possible.
Thanks to our partners who are supporting, helping WOB in many different ways, sharing info about the project.
Brands are recommended as thanks for their previous help and cooperation with Worldofbmx.com.


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Do you want to be the first to learn about the most important updates in the industry? Will blockchain be a game-changer? How could blockchain upend the world of finance? If you're looking for answers, you've come to the right place.
7-9 March 2018 | Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam


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Dr. Mosavi-Jarrahi received his Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Texas in 1996. Upon graduation, He began his post-doctoral research at the University of Texas Health Science Center. In 1998, he joined the Cancer Institute in Tehran, Iran, working as a research associate and at the same time he received a joint appointment as an assistant professor at the Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran, Iran. In 2011, he joined the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), Simon Fraser University as an adjunct professor of epidemiology. He has published more than 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals and received several grants from different funding agencies such as Terry Fox Foundation (international), World Health Organization. He is a founding member of the Iranian Epidemiological Association and served as its first general secretary for two terms. He is a member of several scientific journals' editorial board. In July 2016, he was appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of the Asia Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. In April 2018, Dr. Mosavi jarrah was appointed as the President of Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention (APOCP) for a duration of two years.
Professor David Roder joined The University of South Australia in 2011 as Professor of Cancer Epidemiology within the Sansom Institute for Health Research. His previous role was with the Cancer Council South Australia where he headed the research section. He has been a specialist epidemiology consultant to: the NSW Cancer Institute (since 2004); the former National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (since 2005); and Cancer Australia (since 2007). As well as international consultancies with WHO in Mongolia, Malaysia and Indonesia, and consultant to the Malaysian and New Zealand Governments.
Professor Roder presently Chairs the National Cervical Cancer Safety Monitoring Committee, the Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia Advisory Committee, the Clinical Quality Registry Advisory Committee of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the Cross-jurisdictional Steering Committee of the WA Data Linkage System, and has been a member of the National Quality and Management Committee of BreastScreen Australia since 1995.
He has authored approximately 200 peer-reviewed research publications and has been an invited presenter of scientific papers and/or chaired sessions at international scientific meetings in Australia, NZ, the UK, USA, Africa, NZ, Mongolia, Japan and a number of South East Asian countries. His influence in the area of health was recognised in 2000 with the Member of the Order of Australia award for contributions to cancer epidemiology, cancer registration and research.
He is a medical doctor specializing radition oncology with intrest in Preventive Oncology. He has obtained Fellowship from NCI/NIH in cancer control and molecular prevention in cancer.
Dr Yip is currently a consultant breast surgeon in the Subang Jaya Medical Centre in Malaysia, and holds appointments as Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur and Visiting Consultant to the Dept of Surgery, University of Malaya. She is also the lead clinician for the breast cancer research programme in the Cancer Research Malaysia (formerly known as Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation) which is a charity based cancer research organization. Dr Yip graduated from the University of Malaya with an MBBS degree in 1981, and started surgical training after her housemanship. After obtaining the FRCS (Glasgow) in 1985, she went on to pursue a career in academic surgery in the Dept of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, where sheretired in Sept 2012 as a professor.
Keun-Young Yoo studied medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine (1978). He received his MPH at SNU School of Public Health in 1981, and was awarded a PhD at SNU in 1985. Since 1986, he has been committed to cancer epidemiology research and has served as a faculty member in the Department of Preventive Medicine at SNU. He was a visiting researcher at the DEPH at Yale University in 1989-1990, and a visiting scientist at Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya in 1990-1991 by the WHO. His major interest is in female cancer epidemiology, risk factor analysis, genetic susceptibility and preventive measures. In 1992, he conducted a multi-center collaborative study to establish a community-based the prospective cohort (KMCC), that is the first genomic cohort in Korea and one of the distinguished cohorts with biologic specimen bank in the world. He has continued to contribute to the newly constructed Korean genome cohort studies as the PI. He has served as the president of the Korean Genome Epidemiology Society since 2005. He led the Asian Cohort Consortium to establish a cohort of at least one million healthy people through partnership with other cohorts since 2005. As the Secretary General of the Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention since 2006, he is devoted to enhance cancer control strategies in developing countries through transfer knowledge, capacity building, and exchanging cancer control activities in the region. He was the President of the National Cancer Center of Korea from 2006-2008, and led the National Cancer Control Program in Korea.
Born in Hiroshima City in 1947, Dr. Tajima graduated from the Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, Osaka University in 1972. He then served as a doctor-in-training in the Surgery Department, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu City, and later as a resident at the Pathological Department, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital. Following these, he became a researcher at the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention of the same cancer center. In 1986, he completed a master's course in the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in the USA. After returning Japan, he served as Manager and Vice director at the Aichi Cancer Center. In 2006, he became Director of the Center, a position he continues to hold. Dr. Tajima is also Professor Emeritus at the Third Military Medical University and Huaxi School of Public Health, Sichuan University, China. More about prof. Tajoma..
Dr. Niveen Abu-Rmeileh is an Associate Professor of Statistical Epidemiology and the Director of the Institute of Community and Public Health at Birzeit University. Dr. Abu-Rmeileh holds a BSc in Medical Technology , a Master in Public Health and a PhD in Statistical Epidemiology from University of Glasgow. She teaches a variety of courses on quantitative research methods, health statistics and population studies. Her research interest is focused on the three broad categories: epidemiology of chronic diseases, reproductive health, and building psychometrics. More about Dr. Nivin Abu-Rmeileh click here..
Dr. Shahab Uddin is a Senior Scientist and Head of Molecular Pathophysiology, at Transnational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. He graduated with BSc. Degree in Chemistry from the Aligarh Muslim University, India in 1982. He then received his MSc, MPhil and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry from Aligarh Muslim University, India in 1984, 1986 and 1988 respectively. After completing his graduate degree, he joined the Ohio State University, Columbus, USA for postdoctoral training for two years (1989-1991). He worked in the area molecular biology of DNA. He joined Loyola University of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and worked from April1991-1995 under Molecular Biology Training Program. He received extensive training in the molecular biology of brain hormone as well signaling mechanism of interferon in leukemia. In 1996, he joined the University of Illinois at Chicago initially as Instructor and then as Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. He continued working in the area of interferon signaling. He joined the University of Chicago as Research Associate Professor and worked till 2003. In 2003, he joined King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, KSA, as a Scientist initially (2003-2005) and subsequently promoted to Senior Scientist (2005) and deputy director of Human Cancer Genomic Program. Dr. Shahab contributed to the establishment of Human Cancer Genomic Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre for translational research. Currently, he is working as Senior Scientist and Head of Molecular Pathophysiology section in interim Translational Research Institute at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
The primary research interest of Dr. Shahab is to identify dysregulated signaling molecular that are involved in survival and proliferation of malignant cells. These molecular targets, once identified, will be helpful in the prognostic marker for detection of the onset of malignancy. On the other hand, these molecules will also serve as an attractive target for targeted therapy for the treatment and management of cancer cells.
Dr. Shahab Uddin published over 190 peer-reviewed articles in high impact factor journal such as Journal of Biological Chemistry, PNAS, Blood, Cancer Research, Journal of Immunology, and Clinical Cancer Research. He has trained numerous postdoctoral fellows, Medical fellows, and graduate students. He has supervised numerous scientists, technicians, and students of different levels. He has served numerous scientific and administrative committees. He has been consciously reviewing manuscripts and grants proposals of international journal and agencies respectively.
Professor Jeff Dunn AO is the Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Council Queensland. He currently holds Professorial appointments with the University of Southern Queensland Institute for Resilient Regions and the Griffith University School of Medicine and University of Queensland's School of Social Science. He has a central focus on the social and behavioural aspects of cancer control, spanning across the continuum of research, prevention, early detection, supportive care and quality of life. He is actively involved in research in this field and has dedicated his career to the development of novel supportive care strategies that underpin cancer prevention and improve community awareness of the disease. More about prof. Dunn..
Prof. Adib is a frequent consultant for public agencies and international organizations on issues of public health, social development, environmental issues, human rights and research policies in Lebanon and the Middle-East. Since May 2012, Dr. Adib has been providing technical support to a newly established Division of Non-communicable Diseases at the WHO-EMRO in Cairo, Egypt. Prof. Adib has served as manager of PH operations in various settings for national and international agencies in the USA and the Middle-East. More information about Prof. Adib …
Dr. Gultekin is a Gynae Oncologist, an associated Professor and lately a government official, who is actively involved in several leading cancer organizations, such as a council member of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as well as a board member of the Middle East Cancer Consortium, Black Sea Countries Coalition on Breast and Cervical Carcinoma, Women Against Cervical Cancers (WACC), Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention and Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA).
Furthermore, Dr. Gultekin has conducted several Pan-European oncology trials and is engaged in collaboration projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC), American Cancer Society (ACS) and American Society of Clinical Oncologist (ASCO).
As a member of the Turkish Society of Gynaecological Oncology, Dr. Gultekin officially represents the society on foreign affairs and urged the recognition of gynaecological oncology as a subspecialty in Turkey.
Mehrnoosh Doroudchi received her Masters Degree as the top student among her peers in Medical Microbiology from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in 1994. She was awarded her PhD in Immunology at SUMS in 1999 and She immediately started her work as an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology in School of Medicine, SUMS, where she committed her research to biomarkers in cancer research and inflammation. She joined the Laboratory of professor R.P. Sekaly in University of Montreal, Canada in a research fellowship program between 2005-2008 where she researched memory T cells. Since her return to the Department of Immunology as an associate professor, she has devoted her laboratory to research on T cells in inflammatory diseases and cancer as well as continuing study on biomarkers. As one of the trustee members of Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, Mehrnoosh Doroudchi has made contributions in Cancer Biomarker research through multiple publications in high ranked journals in the field. She has supervised numerous Masters, Ph.D. and Medical specialty theses in the field of cancer in Iran to enhance education on the subject among graduates of medical school in Shiraz, Iran. She has also been serving as an associate editor in the Iranian Journal of Immunology since 2004.
Prof. Makvandi is the head of virology of deprtment in Ahwaz University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz Iran. In addition he serve as the chief of virology laboratory for diagnosis of measles, rubella and influenza viruses in the south region of Iran, comission from the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education since 1990 .
Professor Abdeladim Moumen is the head of R&D projects in the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MAScIR). He is leading R&D groups developing innovative molecular diagnostic medical kits using Molecular biology based techniques. He was behind the development and the validation of the first Moroccan molecular diagnostic kits aiming at the detection and quantification of the molecular markers of several cancer and viral diseases such as leukaemia, breast cancer, prostate cancers and hepatitis C and B infections. In addition to the molecular kits, Pr Moumen is also heading other biotechnology projects related to enzymes and vaccines production using molecular biology.
Before joining MAScIR, Pr Moumen was a research laboratory Director and an Associate Professor of Molecular and cellular Biology at the University of London. He has obtained his PhD at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in 2002. Pr Moumen has more than 13 years experience in performing, managing and directing research within several internationally recognised institutions (Pasteur Institute, Welcome trust-Gurdon institute, Cambridge University, and London University) and in diverse branches of medical biology such as Genetics, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Virology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology. His research competencies are highlighted by the high quality of scientific articles that he has published in highly recognised scienctific journals with high impact factors such as Cell, and Cancer Cell journals and the many research grants that he has obtained from several prestigious organism such as MRC, AICR and Wellcome trust. Furthermore, his experience in the above cited fields has been recognised worldwide as he has been invited to give seminars in many congress and within several key research institutions and to act as a reviewer for many scientific manuscripts as well as grant applications from prestigious journals (Cell, Nature, Molecular Cell..) and research funding organisms (Wellcome trust, MRC….) and as an editorial board member in many scientific journals. In 2009, the quality of his research has been recognised by the Moroccan government as he was awarded the Grand Prix for invention and research in science and technology. Recently he was awarded the first prize in the uncharted category of the African entrepreneurship award organised by the BMCE bank of Africa awarded to the best innovative project in Africa
Prof Ravi Mehrotra is a Member of the Scientific Council of WHO-IARC. He holds an Adjunct Professorship of Epidemiology at the Emory, Brunel and York Universities. Earlier he has been the CEO of the ICMR_ICRC and also directed the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research as well as the WHO-FCTC Global Hub on Smokeless Tobacco. In addition to Armed Forces Medical College and Allahabad Univ., he has trained at the Royal College of Pathology, Johns Hopkins and Pennsylvania Universities.
Professor Abdulbari Bener is Professor of Public Health at the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, and Istanbul Medipol University, International School of Medicine. He was Professor of Public Health in the Department of Public Health at the Weill Cornell Medical College for a period January 2006- August 2014. Professor Bener was Asst. Medical Director and Head of the Medical Statistics & Epidemiology Department at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar during August 2002- July 2014. Add to this, He is an advisor to World Health Organization and Adjunct Professor & Coordinator for the postgraduate and master public health programs (MPH) of the School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, University of Manchester. He has held academic positions in public health, epidemiology, and statistics at universities in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and England. He has been an author or coauthor of more than 550 published journal articles. He is acting as an Editor, Associate Editor, Advisor Editor and Asst. Editor for over 20 Journals and Referee for over 60 Journals. He has contributed to more than 19 book chapters and supervised theses of 50 postgraduate students (MSc, MPH, MPhil and PhD).
Dr Abu-Helalah is currently the Middle East, North Africa & Central Asia, Regions Director for Global Academy for Health Sciences, Ohio, USA and Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine AlFaisal University, KSA.
Dr Abu-Helalah completed his medical degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) 2001. He moved in 2002 to the United Kingdom (UK) where completed a master degree in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Dundee in 2004 and a PhD in epidemiology and preventive medicine from the University of London in 2009. While he was in the UK, he worked as a Research Fellow in epidemiology and preventive Medicine at the St Bartholomew's Hospital, London-UK, in 2007/2008.
In 2009, he joined King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan as a Senior Officer for the cancer control program. In 2011, he joined the National Guard Health affairs as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. In February 2012, he returned to work in Jordan at the Faculty of Medicine, Mutah University. In February 2016, he received an early promotion to be an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. He was selected in 2013 as the regional director for the Global Center for Public Health and Disease Control. In 1 June 2016, he move to the Global Academy for Health Sciences, Ohio, USA as the Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia regions Director. Since 1 September 2017, he joined AlFaisal University, KSA as an Adjunct Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. He also works as a consultant and technical expert for several regional and international organizations.
Dr Abu-Helalah has special expertise and interest in chronic diseases control and prevention particularly cancer, diabetes, thyroid disorders, cardiovascular diseases, medical research, and smoking cessation. he has had more than 30 publications in these fields in peer-reviewed journals and directed many scientific meetings in these fields.
On 9 April 2014, Dr Abu-Helalah was honoured by HRH Prince of Eastern Region, KSA, Prince Saud Bin Nayef, as the "Winner of the First place in the Prince of Easter Region Award for the Best Cancer Research in the Arab World" in the first round of this prize.
Dr. Omran S. Habib is Professor of epidemiology and health care at Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq. He has been teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate students and doing scientific research plus actively being involved in public health consultancy. He has served as a member of several national and international organizations such as Council of Community Medicine and Family Medicine (Iraq), Iraqi Cancer Board (2008-2015), Iraqi Medical association since 1977, Iraqi Union of teachers since 1977, the editorial board of the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer prevention. He has punished numerous research papers and books throughout his career.
His area of research is focused tightly on role play of cell signaling pathways in different cancers and how different pathways can be therapeutically exploited. He has published 150+ articles in International Journals. He has published over 25 book chapters. He has considerable editorial experience, having edited 2 books for Springer in addition to serving as guest editor for 'Seminars in Cancer Biology', 'Biomedical Research International' and 'Cellular and Molecular Biology'. He was recipient of research productivity award (RPA) by PCST in 2017 and 2018. He was ranked in top 10 scientists in under-40 category in Biological Sciences in 2018. He was ranked in Top 10 scientists in Overall category of RPA in Biological Sciences in 2018.
Dr. Asif is a Clinician Scientist with special interests in the field of Tumour Immunology. After completing his medical training, he completed the degree of Ph.D. at the University of Glasgow, UK in the field of viral-associated carcinogenesis. Dr. Asif also achieved the Humboldt Fellowship to undertake his postdoctoral training in Germany. During his postdoctoral training, Dr. Asif investigated the role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and associated players in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.
In addition to his academic and medical responsibilities, Dr. Asif is heading a cancer research group where his team is actively investigating tumour microenvironment and potential markers of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance. Dr. Asif has also working to establish cancer registration in Pakistan.
DR. Kesarwani has been interested in tumor immunity, especially in cancer immunotherapy. One of his major project involved understanding how tumors utilize constant stimulation of antitumor T cells to induce cell death. They recently identified that T effector cell induces programmed necrosis of T cells. Inhabiting such unconventional form of cell death helps improve persistence of anti-tumor T cells and enhanced tumor control. They also found that antioxidants and cell surface thiols help increase T cell memory population. Moreover, they also found that mTOR inhibition has the results in increased cell surface thiols as well as antioxidant capacity, which gives them an edge over untreated effector T cells which have lower cell surface thiols and lower antioxidant capacity. He has also undertaken various other projects associated with understanding and increasing efficacy of immunotherapy.
Dr. Constance Saw is a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with post-doctoral training in drug delivery systems and chemoprevention. She has intensive research experience in the area of the pharmacodynamics of gene expression, signaling and metabolism of natural and synthetic cancer chemopreventive compounds/neutraceuticals in food and plant sources. After a few years of working as a pharmacist in National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Constance decided to make a conscious effort to shift her research and training focus to the bio-medical area and took up a Ph.D. course. Her wish was to work on basic research that could be translated into clinical practice to improve the treatment/quality of life of cancer patients.
Dr. Pratheeshkumar Poyil is an Associate Scientist at Human Cancer Genomics research, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Before joining at KFSH&RC, he was a Research Associate in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA for a period of 2011- 2016. He received his PhD degree in Tumor Immunology from Mahatma Gandhi University in 2011. He has been an author or co-author of more than 58 published research articles including reviews and book chapters; these articles have received 1448 citations with an H-index of 23 (Google Scholar, up to December 25, 2017). Add to this, he is an active reviewer of more than 20 international research journals. He is a member of editorial boards of International Journals and served as guest editor for 4 special journal issues in his research area. He is a highly motivated and innovative molecular biologist expertise in development and execution of translational biology, genetic and biochemistry-based research methods. His research interest includes the elucidation of cancer chemo-resistance mechanisms; identification of novel therapeutic targets in breast, papillary thyroid, colon and ovarian cancers and their targeting with small molecule inhibitors.
Prof. Ali Montazeri is an leading Iranian public health scientist at the Health Metrics Research Center of the Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research. Montazeri received his PhD from University of Glasgow; his thesis concerned the quality of life in lung cancer patients. Montazeri published a major paper in 2004 that found that knowledge of cancer diagnosis does not change how a person fills out a questionnaire about his or her quality of life. he has contributted to many scietific papers in the field of quality of life metrics and social sciences. He also published papers in 2002, 2003, and 2015 about the epidemiology of breast cancer and breast cancer preventive behaviors such as breast self-examination.
Dr Bhat is currently working as a research scientist at Dept. of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Qatar. He completed his PhD from one of the premier institutes (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS) in India. During Ph.D., he carried his reaserch on "Development of peptide based vaccine for Malraia, HIV and plague using immunoadjuvants and novel delivery vehicles". After his Ph.D., he moved to Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, TN, the USA for a postdoctoral fellowship. During his eight years of postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt, he has gained broad experience in the field of cancer biology. His focus of the research was on the role and regulation of tight junction proteins (Claudins) in colorectal cancer and the role of bile acid-induced APE1/Ref1 in esophageal adenocarcinoma. He has published in well-reputed journals like Nature Communications, GUT, Oncogene, Cancer Research, Molecular Cancer and many more enlisted in his CV. He has attended many international meetings, conferences, symposia to present his research results. He has been awarded from Immunology society and American Association of Cancer research. He has also been awarded as an outstanding researcher for the year 2018 and 2019 from Sidra Medicine. He is an active member of many immunological and cancer societies. He is also serving in the editorial board and review committee of many journals.
Dr. Farzad Taghizadeh-Hesary is a board-certified of Radiation Oncology from Iran. He achieved his MD degree from Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) in 2015 with an Exceptional-talent degree from the Ministry of Health. Subsequently, he passed the specialist course in Radiation Oncology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) between 2015 and 2019 and achieved fourth place in the Radiation Oncology Board examination. He has authored approximately 20 peer-reviewed research publications and has reviewed approximately 100 manuscripts for ISI and Scopus indexed journals. Now, he is the Academic Editor of "Medicine ®" and Associate editor of the "Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention". Farzad and his group research on basic concepts of oncology. Their current project is the effect of mitochondria on cancer biogenesis and treatment.


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As you may know my "day job" is working on riders issues here in Northern Ireland and those coming from the European Union, normally referred to "Rider's Rights".
So while putting About Ye Design together I came across issues regarding – "Photographer's Rights".
These issues mainly concern:
Needing permission to photograph someone in public.
Needing permission to photograph property.
Taking pictures of children.
Where you can and cannot take pictures – National Security – Harassment – Invasion of Privacy.
Taking pictures of police officers – here in Northern Ireland this is especially relevant – and their powers as regards to the above.
And your responsibilities.
I can't find anything if there is any specific – laws – rules – regulation – guidance for Northern Ireland.
However this LINK pdf 167kb will take you to a document guide written by Linda Macpherson LL.B, Dip. L.P., LL.M hosted and discussed HERE
Other useful information is available on Urban 75 website – Click Here
"There's nothing stopping you taking pictures of people in public places within reason, but if you start shoving your zoom lens up their nostrils or taking action shots of their every step, there's a chance you might get a clip around the ear from your aggrieved subject or possibly face a legal charge of harassment or breach of the peace."
In 2011 the UK Government issued guidance to the private security industry after photographers mounted a nationwide campaign to stop guards acting overzealously.
Read the guidance in full here as a pdf
Sound advice from the police in an interview with – Practical Photography Magazine – YouTube
There was I thinking it was simple just to point and shoot………………………….
Trevor Baird
Information correct at time of publication


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The Sacramento Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who robbed a local store clerk at gunpoint.
On Friday, August 6, 2010, at 1:43 p.m., the suspect entered a local mail shipping store located in the 3100 block of Folsom Boulevard and robbed the store clerk at gunpoint. The suspect took cash and fled.
The suspect is described as a male Black adult (unknown age). He is about, 6'2" in height, thin, with black curly hair. He was wearing a grey suit with a salmon colored dress shirt, black gloves and a black motorcycle helmet (full-face).
Detectives are releasing the surveillance video in hopes that someone will recognize the suspect and come forward with information needed to identify him.
The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this crime to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Follow the Sacramento Police Department on Social Media
Sacramento Police Media Relations · (916) 808-0808 · firstname.lastname@example.com
The Mission of the Sacramento Police Department is to work in partnership with the Community to
protect life and property, solve neighborhood problems, and enhance the quality of life in our City.


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Hebrews 13:8 – "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." NASB
When I ask the question, "Why Not Now?" I sometimes get push-back from people saying, "Well, Jesus did miracles and the 1st Century Church had miracles but once the Bible was completed all that ceased." They usually quote 1 Corinthians 13:10 as their proof-text to validate their contention.
I agree that the Bible is complete and is the Inspired Word of God. It is, in that sense, Perfect! There will not be more Bible given. Jesus was, truly, "the Perfect One" and the only person 'born of woman' who lived a sinless and perfect life qualifying Himself to be the propitiation for our sins. He satisfied the demands of divine justice and the requirement of perfection to become our substitute and 'buy us back' from the domain of darkness.
Some have argued that Jesus did what He did as God, therefore, we cannot expect to do what He did. That flies in the face of His own words in John 14:12 where He specifically said, that believers would do the works He was doing and even greater works because. Because of what? Because He was going to the Father. Remember His directive to the disciples and the followers as He ascended to heaven? He said, "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until…" Until what? Until you are endued with Power which was the coming of the Holy Spirit. He confirms that in John 14 and introduces the idea that we can be "as He is in this present world." That is confirmed by John in 1 John 4:17.
Therefore, if Jesus said we could do what He did and even greater works then "Why Not Now?" If Jesus said, that we have authority over all the power of the enemy then, "Why Not Now?" If as the apostles and biblical writers declared, we can be as He is in this present world then, "Why Not Now?"
1 Corinthians 13:10 says, "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part will be done away." The ESV renders it, "When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." There will be a time when the gifts of prophecy, healings, knowledge, wisdom, tongues, etc. will cease. Is that now? I believe not because it also says that 'knowledge would cease' and we know that knowledge has not ceased even though sometimes I wonder in dealing with people.
I believe that the Perfect is a reference to the Glorified State when All Things Are Completed and God sets up His eternal Kingdom. You may disagree and that's your choice. However, if Jesus is the same as He once was and still saves today and if we are to do the works He did and greater works, and He healed the sick, delivered the bound, and gave guidance to the troubled, "Why Not Now?"
I call to mind the words of John in 1 John 3:2-3, "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." NASB.
Jesus is God and God does not change. Isaiah 59:1 declares, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear." NASB. Numbers 23:19, reminds us of God's incredible declaration of Himself, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" NASB. Isaiah 55:11 declares the incredible promises and revelation of God and His power, "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." NASB
I stand on 1 John 5:14-15, "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." NASB. Likewise, Jesus' Promise in John 14:14 is indelibly imprinted on my heart and mind, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
I fully believe that Jesus has never changed. I believe that He still has the same power He once had. I believe that believers, in the Power of the Holy Spirit and on the Authority of the Word of God are still "more than conquerors" through Jesus (Romans 8:37). I believe that the Atonement is still fully in effect today, all of it!
Yes, I pray prayers that do not seem to be answered for healing and provision for myself and others from time to time. Does that mean miracles have ceased? Not in my view. It could mean many things including me being guilty of asking amiss or not believing in my heart, or my timing parameters and schedule are not God's. I won't stop praying for healing, deliverance, salvation, provision, guidance, direction, and for "the Kingdom to come and the Will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven." My lack of seeing does not indicate the absence of availability. The problem is not on God's side, nor in His unwillingness.
I cannot explain why on some things, but I still believe that the Bible is the Inspired Word of God and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, I keep seeking Him and keep asking, "Why Not Now?"
I hope that I have challenged you to press into His presence a little more. This devotional has convicted me more than I can detail, and I am more committed than ever to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness." I want the Atmosphere of Heaven in the present and want to allow the Spirit of God to develop the Culture of the Kingdom in me and my surroundings.
God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day He has made and given us to enjoy!


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After launching the OnePlus 5 earlier this year, OnePlus is back with an end-of-year upgrade for the device. The OnePlus 5T takes a winning formula—high-end specs with a low price tag and a metal body—and reworks the front of the phone to dedicate as much space as possible to the screen. This device has a new screen, a new button layout, a new fingerprint reader, and a new camera setup. It almost feels like a totally new device.
We liked the OnePlus 5 from earlier in the year, but, with the more modern design, OnePlus has fixed OnePlus 5's biggest downside. The result is something that is extremely compelling—a $500 phone that makes you question exactly why you'd give $800 to those other OEMs when this has nearly everything the more expensive phones have.
Design and build quality
There is so much to like about the OnePlus 5T hardware. The big addition is the new slim-bezel front design. The OnePlus 5 shipped with a 5.5-inch screen, but thanks to the smaller bezels on the 5T, OnePlus can now cram a 6-inch display into a body that—give or take a few millimeters—is about the same size as the 5.5-inch phone. The bigger display in the same size body makes the OnePlus 5T feel like a major upgrade over the previous device. This new release looks more modern and makes better use of the front space. The change puts the OnePlus 5T's phone design on par with those $800 flagships.
|SPECS AT A GLANCE: OnePlus 5T
|2160×1080 6.01" (401ppi) AMOLED
|Android 7.1.1 (Oxygen OS)
|Eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Four 2.35GHz Kryo 280 Performance cores and four 1.90GHz Kryo 280 Efficiency cores)
|6GB or 8GB
|Adreno 540
|64GB or 128GB
|802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC
|GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/8
FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/ 20/25/26/28/29/30/66
TDD-LTE: Bands 38/39/40/41
TD-SCDMA: Bands 34/39
|USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
|Rear: 16MP main camera, 20MP low light camera
Front: 16MP
|156.1 x 75 x 7.3mm
|162g (5.7 oz)
|"Dash" charging, three-position physical notification mode switch, fingerprint sensor, notification LED, Dual SIM slots
With the bigger display comes a slightly bigger price tag: the OnePlus 5T is $20 more than the OnePlus 5. OnePlus seems to bump up the price of its phone every year. The company started offering a flagship-class phone with the OnePlus One, which was only $300. The price creeped up to $329 with the OnePlus 2, then $399 with the OnePlus 3, then $439 with the OnePlus 3T. The $499 price is the highest ever, but flagships from the major OEMs have also jumped up in price for 2017. With the high-end of phones now priced at about $800 to $1,000, the 5T still feels like a bargain.
The display
The display is a 6-inch, 2160×1080 AMOLED panel with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It's still a "1080p" display, but this is a bit taller than the usual 16:9 aspect ratio. The display is built by Samsung, which is basically the only company that makes high-quality OLED panels for smartphones. The display looks great even in low lighting, and it doesn't have any of the weird artifacts present in the LG-made OLED panels that have been popping up lately.
The OnePlus 5T's 401 pixels per inch (PPI) isn't as outrageously dense as the 570 PPI Galaxy S8+ display, but that many pixels really seems like overkill for regular smartphone usage. 500+ PPI is great if you're strapping the phone into a VR headset, but for doing normal smartphone things, the display here is beautiful. Plus, at "only" 1080p, you should have slightly better battery life.
In the upgrade from the 5 to the 5T, OnePlus has also fixed a strange scrolling effect that occurred in some devices; the community dubbed this "jelly scrolling." OnePlus made an engineering decision to mount the OnePlus 5 display upside down and then flip the display orientation in software. This led to a funky, intermittent scrolling behavior that would somehow make UI components squish and stretch as you scrolled the screen. This year, the screen is mounted the right way, and the scrolling should be normal again.
To make room for the larger display, OnePlus is finally changing from capacitive navigation buttons that live below the screen to on-screen buttons drawn by the software. OnePlus' old hardware buttons could have their functionality swapped around, but that also meant the buttons were totally unlabeled, which often got confusing. You can still swap the software buttons around, but now the labels move, too.
Switching to a slim bezel design means moving the fingerprint reader, so now you get a big, round fingerprint sensor on the back just like on a Google or LG phone. The sensor is center-mounted about 3/4 of the way up the back of the phone, putting it in a great spot to easily hit with your index finger. It's made out of ceramic, and I found it to be fast and accurate. The back still looks too much like an iPhone 7 Plus knockoff for our liking, although that is diminished somewhat with the relocation of the fingerprint sensor.
The phone has an aluminum unibody, and the back is made completely out of anodized aluminum, save for the antenna bands on the top and bottom of the phone. A metal back is increasingly becoming a rarity as easier RF engineering and wireless charging pushes more and more manufacturers toward making all-glass phones. With nearly all the $800-$1,000 phones (save for the Pixel 2) switching to a fragile glass back, the OnePlus 5T's metal body is one of the best you can buy at any price. The one downside is that you don't get wireless charging, but that still always seems slow, finicky, and obsolete now that we have the reversible USB-C plug with super-fast wireless charging.
And speaking of charging, the OnePlus 5T still comes with OnePlus' "Dash" charging. This is actually pretty neat: the heat-generating power management circuitry that normally lives in the phone is also duplicated in the power brick. When you're using a "Dash" charger, the power management circuitry in the phone turns off, and the charging setup does power conversion in the power brick. This means the brick gets hot instead of the phone, allowing the phone to charge optimally. This also really helps if you're trying to use the phone while it's charging, since a hot phone equals a slow phone. And remember: the power management is duplicated in the power brick so that if you don't have a dash charger, a normal one will still work.
On the audio front there's a single, bottom-firing speaker that actually sounds pretty good. It's loud, clear, and better than you'd expect it to be. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Still, there are a few items on the phone that fall in the "indifferent" category. OnePlus is again including its three-way hardware silence switch. You can slide between "silent," "do not disturb," (which is just Android's "Priority" mode, where you can choose which apps or people can make noise in this mode), and "Off." The switch does feel very well made, though, with a nice knurling pattern and a solid click action.
OnePlus also developed its own version of "Face unlock," a feature Android has had since 2011. Obviously this is aimed at the iPhone X, which ships with a fancy 3D face recognition system, but OnePlus is only using the front facing camera for facial recognition. OnePlus admits that this feature is mainly for "ease of access" and isn't as secure as a fingerprint sensor. It is very fast at times—if the phone is aimed right, and if the phone is in a good mood, you won't even see the lock screen when you turn it on. When even OnePlus won't vouch for the security of the feature, though, I'm not sure if I should be impressed or alarmed by such speed.
If you want some legit hardware complaints: the phone isn't waterproof, and there's no expandable storage. That's about it, really.
OnePlus has simply made one of the best phones of 2017 from a hardware perspective. The slim bezel design and Samsung AMOLED display is every bit as good as what you get on the $800 flagships, and the metal back makes the phone better than most $800 flagships. The OnePlus 5 was already great hardware for the price, but with the new design, the OnePlus 5T is great hardware at any price.
Oxygen OS is the usual breath of fresh air
OnePlus' software package—called "Oxygen OS"—should be the blueprint for what "customizing Android" means. OnePlus sticks to the same "Material Design" aesthetic that Android, the Google apps, and third-party apps all follow, but the company adds its own features and options. This is a much better approach than what you get on a Samsung or LG, as both companies re-skin the entire OS to look like a totally different beast. Since you can't re-skin the Google apps or third party apps, however, applying a custom design to the core OS results in a fractured interface if the OS has one design style, and all the apps have another. OnePlus' design definitely feels like the right way to go, allowing OnePlus to add features while still giving users a cohesive software product.
As a result, the basic OS interfaces are pretty much unchanged from stock Android. The lockscreen, notification panel, settings, and recent apps all function the way you would expect them to with only a few minor tweaks from OnePlus. The home screen has a panel on the left side, which shows the weather, recent apps, and some device specs like storage use. This is super easy to replace if you don't like it. Similarly, the calculator, clock, and file manager all get custom OnePlus versions that don't feel that much different from stock Android. If you want, you can seek out alternatives in the Play Store.
OnePlus loves to pack its OS with customization options, and if you dive into the OS settings you can tweak a ton of stuff. You can fully customize what shows up in the status bar, showing or hiding things like the clock, auto rotate status, Wi-Fi, and cellular network. You can set the battery to be the normal battery icon, a circle, or show a percentage readout. You can add seconds to the clock, or show the network speed in kbps. There are a number of options in the "Gestures" settings, too: You can swipe down on the fingerprint reader to open the status bar, or use the fingerprint reader as a shutter button inside the camera app. If the screen is off, you can double tap to wake it or draw a letter gesture on the screen to open something. For instance, drawing a "V" on a turned-off screen could launch the flashlight. There are two system fonts to pick from—Google's default "Roboto" and OnePlus' "Slate"—and you can customize the color of the notification LED. There's also a dark theme, which will recolor the OS and built-in apps, as well as a million other options.
OnePlus' software navigation buttons are really weird. The spacing is all wrong—OnePlus has them crunched together in the middle of the screen, almost as if the company made space for five buttons but decided only to draw the middle three. The spacing here doesn't seem like a preference, it just looks incorrect and ugly when the buttons are all squished together. OnePlus has done optional on-screen buttons in the past, and those were properly spaced, so why the change? OnePlus has ten thousand options for everything under the sun, except restoring the buttons to the proper spacing.
There are some options for the on-screen buttons. You can add an optional fourth button on the left-hand side, which can hide the navigation bar—but that's it. The spacing on this fourth button doesn't make any sense either. It lives in the left-hand corner of the navigation bar, and it isn't equally spaced with the other buttons. There's an option to reverse the button order from the normal "back/home/recents" to a Samsung style "recents/home/back." You can also pick from a few double-tap and long-press functions for each button.
Overall, I still love this software package. It's mostly additive to Android rather than trying to be a full replacement, a blueprint I wish more OEMs would follow. OnePlus' "customization" route serves both types of consumers. There are those who want to tweak the phone to their heart's content—they can dive into the options and do so. And there are those who don't care—they can just ignore the extra options.
OnePlus' device support outlook
OnePlus' Android update policy hasn't really changed from the OnePlus 5, which is to say, there is no official update policy. Even after asking OnePlus, we were told there's no promise of monthly updates, and there's no designated "x years of support" window. OnePlus reps we spoke to would only say to look at what the company has done in the past.
So, let's do that: OnePlus supported the OnePlus 2 with major updates for less than one year. The device, released in August 2015, did not get an update to Android 7.0 Nougat, which was released in August 2016. OnePlus does still ship quarterly security updates for the Android 6.0 device, though, with the most recent one arriving in October.
Things seem a little better for the OnePlus 3 and 3T, which got an official upgrade to Oreo over the weekend. There's no telling how long OnePlus will support the 3 and 3T, but so far the support window seems longer than the OnePlus 2. OnePlus told us the 5 and 5T will have an Oreo beta by the end of the year and a final release by Q1 2018.
The OnePlus 5, 3T, and 3 have been getting new updates several times a month, which usually arrive in the latest security update. Sometimes these are about a month late, and other times they are on time with the more security-conscious OEMs. OnePlus also seems to go out of its way to ship fixes for high-profile vulnerabilities, like when it shipped the KRACK WPA2 vulnerability in October (making it one of the first OEMs to patch it). OnePlus posts every update release on its website for each device, making update history and release notes very easy to track.
While OnePlus makes great hardware and software at a great price, the company often seems determined to shoot itself in the foot with software oversights or anti-consumer moves that generate terrible PR. This month, for instance, it left an engineering APK in its production software that contained a root backdoor. Last month, it was caught collecting personally identifiable analytics data (like phone numbers!) without informing users or asking them if they want to opt in. Earlier this year, the company sent push ads to customers.
At the end of its various controversies, OnePlus usually does the right thing. It is issuing an update to remove the engineering APK, it's deleting analytics data and updating phones to requiring an opt in, and it's allowing users to block the push ads. But why does the company keep doing these things in the first place? OnePlus' continual stream of stupid blunders and lack of concrete update promises makes it hard to trust the company. Right now it feels like OnePlus could do something bad to your software or drop support for the device at any time. So I'll say the same thing I said with the OnePlus 5: the best thing OnePlus can do to improve the outlook of this phone is immediately announce a standard update program with timely monthly updates and two years of major update support.
If you want to get really technical and install your own software, the OnePlus 5T has an unlockable bootloader, allowing you to replace OnePlus' software builds with whatever you want. OnePlus devices are usually extremely popular in the modding community, to the point where modding tools are being released for the OnePlus 5T before it even hits store shelves. I'd expect to see official support from Android's most popular aftermarket ROM, Lineage OS, and tons of ROMs and mods from other developers.


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Imagine a perfect day
for me, it would be sunny and warm-ish yet a little crisp
I would hang out with my grandsons and maybe go hiking off trail
Aidan, age 8, would lead us
thru brush so thick, I was bent over half the time
which is how I found this mongo Morel, see there is a benefit to nearly everything!
All our recent rainstorms made the creek swell and we found a tiny waterfall
And we all played and laughed and got really muddy, yep, even me.
I was a kid again.