text:
US medi-boffins believe they may have developed a new way of obtaining potentially useful stem cells, which could be key to a range of therapies in future. The catch is that they plan to harvest the basic material from human testicles.
Stem cell research is considered one of the more exciting fields in medicine at the moment. It uses the body's basic "master," or stem cells, which can at least theoretically be made to produce any other type of cell. This might allow injured or wasted tissues to be healed, or perhaps even permit failed or degraded organs to be replaced. Many of the hazards of conventional transplant therapy might so be avoided, as the new tissue could be genetically identical to that of the patient, if her (or in this case, his) stem cells were used.
According to Reuters, Dr Shahin Rafii (of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute) is pioneering the new bollock-based stem cell production methods.
It seems the ballsy boffin and his team "found a way to easily pick the cells out from other tissue in the testicles". Such dexterity is all the more impressive - not to say eye-watering - when you consider that thus far they have been working with the testicles of mice rather than men.
Reuters says that "Rafii... is starting work now to find the same cells in humans".
He'll have to find some humans that'll stand still first, we submit. Still, the good doctor seems confident.
"It appears that these unique specialised spermatogonial cells could be an easily-obtained and manipulated source of stem cells with exactly the same capability to form new tissues that we see in embryonic stem cells."
That could be a win, particularly in America, as President Bush is against the use of stem cells taken from human embryos (though his Republican chum Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governator of California, is a strong stem cell proponent).
It seems that men - and perhaps genetically-matching female blood relatives of theirs - could soon have access to brand new vat-grown tissues and organs. Boffins reckon that "spermatogonial progenitor cells" harvested from yarbles should be able to do the business "well into advanced age".
Think of it - a lovely new set of kidneys and liver once yours are all worn out. All that's needed is (chaps of sensitive disposition skip this) a small little sample of flesh from the testicles.
On second thought, perhaps it's time to reform the old lifestyle a bit before the doc starts polishing up his sample-picker probe.
Full details from Reuters here. ®
Sponsored: Ransomware has gone nuclear


text:
DD was lucky enough to have received 4 Xia-Xia crabs, 3 playsets along with 4 additional shells to review. These crabs are so adorable that it was love at first sight with DD. As soon as she saw the boxes, she begged me to open them for her.
The little crabs all of on/off switches on them. When you turned it on, it moves very well on flat surfaces. We tried it on our carpet and the Xia-Xia crabs did not move at all, but they ran around the tile floor in the kitchen without any problems. Each crab has a removable shell and there are little things you can store inside the shells. DD's favorite was the one that came with a cupcake.
Toys R Us and pick some up for your kids.
Would you like to check out these cool new toys too? One of my lucky readers will receive a Xia-Xia and a Xia-Xia Shell as giveaway prizes. This giveaway ends on Nov 8th, 2011.
Read the fine print:
* Lucky winner or winners will be selected through True Random Number Generator.
* If your profile page does not show your email address, please include your email address in your comment. For example: sugarpopribbons at yahoo dot com -- so that I may get in touch with you if you are selected as the giveaway winner.
* Each giveaway winner has 48 hours to respond to my email about getting the awesome giveaway prize to him/her. If the winner does not reply to my email within 48 hours, I will choose another winner using the True Random Number Generator.
* I do contact each winner via email. If anyone is curious about who the giveaway winner is for any of my giveaways, please go back to the original post of that giveaway. Once a winner is selected through random.org, I will post a screen shot of the number picked by random.org. You will be able to see which number has been selected and if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can cross check who the giveaway winner is.
*I received a free product (or products) for review purposes. I did not receive any form of compensation from the company. All opinions are my own and not influenced in anyway. My reviews are not always positive, but they are my personal and honest opinions. Other people's views and experiences with the product or products might be different from mine.
If you can not see the rafflecopter giveaway entry form, please click on "Read More" (see directly below) and the form should appear.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- 1 English
- 1 Image
- 1 Masters Thesis
- 1 Public
- Computer engineering
- 360 camera systems
- Mobile Systems
- Omnidirectional Camera
- Electrical engineering
- Computer Vision
- 1 Computer science
- 1 Embedded Systems
- 1 Image Signal Processing
- more
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
Generating real-world content for VR is challenging in terms of capturing and processing at high resolution and high frame-rates. The content needs to represent a truly immersive experience, where the user can look around in 360-degree view and perceive the depth of the scene. The existing solutions only capture and offload the compute load to the server. But offloading large amounts of raw camera feeds takes longer latencies and poses difficulties for real-time applications. By capturing and computing on the edge, we can closely integrate the systems and optimize for low latency. However, moving the traditional stitching algorithms to battery …
- Contributors
- Gunnam, Sridhar, LiKamWa, Robert, Turaga, Pavan, et al.
- Created Date
- 2018


text:
This Bulls season has been a wacky one, filled with breathless updates of an inactive Derrick Rose that haven't really updated the situation; game-winning shots and groan-inducing turnovers; and the unique non-stop energy that is Nate Robinson.
Given all that, it seems only fitting that it now will feature a make-or-break Game 7 in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Nets forced that scenario with a 95-92 victory Thursday night at the United Center. They took advantage of a depleted Bulls roster that had Rose and Kirk Hinrich in street clothes, Robinson vomiting on the bench, Taj Gibson also playing through illness until he fouled out and Luol Deng at home with a severe viral infection.
United Center ballboys should file for battle pay.
The Nets had five players in double figures, with Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson sharing team honors with 17 points apiece and Gerald Wallace chipping in with 15. Williams had 1 assists.
All five Bulls starters finished in double figures. Marco Belinelli led the way with 22 and seven assists while Joakim Noah had 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks.
This marked the first time in Nets' franchise history they won an elimination game to force a Game 7.
In 12 previous instances, the Bulls never have lost a playoff series in which they led 3-1. The only time they have lost a series when leading 3-2 came when the Warriors, en route to the 1975 NBA title, prevailed in the Western Conference finals.
"You have to be mentally tough when you face adversity," coach Tom Thibodeau said beforehand. "We talk about that all the time. We have to respond to the challenge. We're more than capable. And we have to put the sweat into it."
The loss of Deng and Hinrich made it an offensive game for the first half with the Nets reaching 60 points by the break. That's a pace and a style at which the Nets are superior to the Bulls.
But the pace slowed considerably in the third quarter despite the Bulls losing Carlos Boozer to foul trouble on top of everything else. Belinelli, big all night jazzed the sellout crowd by sinking a 3-pointer and screaming in celebration at the Nets' bench.
Every time the Nets appeared to pull away, the Bulls responded. C.J. Watson's 3-pointer just more than midway through the fourth gave them an eight-point lead but Robinson memorably crossed over Kris Humphries
Both teams came out on fire, trading baskets in a first quarter in which the Bulls shot 59 percent and the Nets connected at 65 percent. Belinelli established himself with eight first-quarter points, playing the entire period.
In the second, the roster attrition forced one stretch where Richard Hamilton, Marquis Teague, Nazr Mohammed, Jimmy Butler and Gibson took the floor together. Robinson fouled Williams for a four-point play and eight-point lead with 1:27 left in the half.
"I don't think you ever get used to it," Butler said of playing without so many players. "But when you have guys down, you're still going to go win games. Even if we're short-handed, we're expected to win."
If the Bulls want their season to continue, they have to win Game 7, no matter who they have available.
"That's the challenge of the NBA," Thibodeau said. "We have got a great group of guys. They have been hit hard all year. They're responded to every challenge."
The biggest one yet is coming on Saturday.


text:
HOUSTON - Breast cancer stem cells wear a cell surface protein that is part nametag and part bull's eye, identifying them as potent tumor-generating cells and flagging their vulnerability to a drug, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Journal of Clinical Investigation.
"We've discovered a single marker for breast cancer stem cells and also found that it's targetable with a small molecule drug that inhibits an enzyme crucial to its synthesis," said co-senior author Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson's Departments of Leukemia and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.
Andreeff and colleagues are refining the drug as a potential targeted therapy for breast cancer stem cells, which are thought to be crucial to therapy resistance, disease progression and spread to other organs.
"It's been difficult to identify cancer stem cells in solid tumors," Andreeff said. "And nobody has managed to target these cells very well."
The marker is the cell surface protein ganglioside GD2. The drug is triptolide, an experimental drug that Andreeff has used in preclinical leukemia research. The team found triptolide blocks expression of GD3 synthase, which is essential to GD2production.
Triptolide stymied cancer growth in cell line experiments and resulted in smaller tumors and prolonged survival in mouse experiments. Drug development for human trials probably will take several years.
Cancer stem cells are similar to normal stem cells
Research in several types of cancer has shown cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation of cancer cells that are capable of long-term self-renewal and generation of new tumors. More recent research shows they resist treatment and promote metastasis.
Cancer stem cells are similar to normal stem cells that renew specialized tissues. The breast cancer findings grew out of Andreeff's long-term research in mesenchymal stem cells, which can divide into one copy of themselves and one differentiated copy of a bone, muscle, fat or cartilage cell.
Andreeff has shown these mobile mesenchymal stem cells home to wounds, including tumors, making them potential carriers of cancer therapy.
An important cellular transition also comes into play.
Co-senior author Sendurai Mani, Ph.D., assistant professor in MD Anderson's Department of Molecular Pathology and Co-Director of the Metastasis Research Center, is an expert on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). About 85 percent of all solid tumors start in the lining of an organ, called the epithelium. Mani and colleagues at MIT showed that epithelial cells can be induced to take on stem cell properties by forcing them to undergo EMT.
"This change from stationary epithelial cells to the mobile mesenchymal stem cells is an important step in metastasis," Mani said.
Andreeff and Mani in 2010 discovered that human mammary epithelial cells that undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition act similarly to human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. They can home in to wounds and differentiate into the same cell types.
GD2 separates cancer stem cells from other tumor cells
In the current project, the researchers hypothesized that the cell markers expressed on the surface of mesenchymal stem cells would also be expressed on the surface of breast cancer stem cells.
They found that GD2 expression, one such mesenchymal stem cell marker, divided the breast cancer cell lines into two distinct groups: about 4.5 percent of cells were GD2-positive and about 92.7 percent were GD2-negative.
GD2-positive breast cancer cells:
- Form twice as many mammospheres, a clumping of cells considered an indicator of tumor-forming capacity, as compared to GD2-negative cells. And the spheres were three times as large.
- Migrate four times as fast as GD2-negative cells.
- Form five times as many tumors when 10 cells of each type are transplanted into mice.
GD2-positive cells also have general cancer stem cell marker
A known combination marker of cancer stem cells is high expression of CD44 and low expression of CD24 surface proteins. The researchers found 85 percent of GD2-positive breast cancer cells were CD44 high/CD24 low, while only 1 percent of GD2-negative cells shared that characteristic.
An analysis of 12 human breast cancer tumors found an even higher correlation of 95.5 percent between GD2+ cells and CD44 high/CD24 low status.
Comparing gene expression between GD2+ cells and CD44 high/CD24 low cells revealed 100 percent correlation in the expression of 231 genes.
GD2+ cells had greater expression of genes involved in migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition than GD2- cells. They also had a nine-fold increase in GD3 synthase, a key enzyme in the eventual synthesis of GD2.
Further experiments showed that:
- Inducing EMT raised the percentage of GD2+ cells in two breast cancer cell lines.
- Knocking down GD3 synthase cut the percentage of GD2+ cells by more than half.
- Mice injected with 1 million breast cancer cells having a small interfering RNA that blocked GD3 synthase never developed tumors even after eight weeks, while all of the control mice with active GD3S developed tumors.
Triptolide stymies tumor growth, extends survival
The researchers then used triptolide, a known inhibitor of GD3 synthase, to treat immune-deficient mice injected with breast cancer cells. Of the mice treated, 50 percent did not develop breast cancer and the other half had smaller tumors than the control mice. The treated mice also lived longer than the controls.
GD2's function in cancer stem cells remains unclear. "As GD2 is an immune suppressant, it would be needed by cancer stem cells to counter immune cells during metastases," said first author Venkata Lokesh Battula, Ph.D., of MD Anderson's Department of Leukemia. "Inhibition of GD2 expression in cancer cells may enhance the inherent ability of immune cells to kill cancer cells."
Co-authors with Andreeff, Mani and Battula are Yuexi Shi, Rui-Yu Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Erika Spaeth, Ph.D., Rodrigo Jacamo, and Frank Marini, Ph.D., all of MD Anderson's Department of Leukemia, Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy; Kurt Evans, of the Department of Molecular Pathology; Aysegul Sahin, M.D., of the Department of Pathology; and Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology; and Rudy Guerra, Ph.D., Rice University Department of Statistics.
This project was funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, including MD Anderson's Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer, the MD Anderson Research Trust Fellow Award, which is funded by the George and Barbara Bush Endowment for Innovative Cancer Research, for Mani and by the Paul and Mary Haas Chair in Genetics in Honor of Amanda Marie Whittle held by Andreeff.


text:
Just When You Thought You've Seen It All With The 2-Year-Old Kid In China & This Comes Along!
Glad they were okay after.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Yes, I am a Christian. No I do not hate the LGBT community. Yes I am willing to listen and have an open discussion regarding their choices. Yes they are welcome to attend our church. Yes I pray for forgiveness every day because of my failings. Yes it might be helpful for their souls if they do the same. No I am not a homophobe or a bigot. Yes I sincerely disagree with the LGBT lifestyle choices. Yes they have the right to live that way. No I am not obligated to agree with it. Disagreement does not mean I am evil; it just means I disagree. Last I checked I have that right without being tagged as some terrible person.
Maybe the LGBT community needs to be more tolerant of my opinions and not try to ram their decisions down my throat. I disagree with many things in our society. Morality is on the downslide. If it feels good do it. There is no right or wrong. Don�t judge. Reality is that as human beings we do have the right to judge certain things based on our moral compass.
The LGBT community has done exactly what many other minority groups have done. They have painted themselves as victims. Here are the techniques they use:
1. They argue that all behavior is normal. Their technique is to expose you to it long enough and at close quarters.
2. They talk about it on and on until it wears down the opponents and are just willing to give up.
3. They downplay the sexual imagery of homosexuality and reduce it to an abstract social issue.
4. They have successfully gained media support as their Trojan horse.
5. They use civil rights as related to the black community as also their �just cause�. They totally ignore the �choice� component of homosexuality.
6. They focus on totally destroying the credibility of their opponents. They will never concede to even one point made by the opposition.
7. They use personal attacks whenever possible.
The LGBT community will never concede that one might have legitimate moral issues regarding that lifestyle. Nope, they immediately go straight for the throat accusing opponents as bigots, haters and homophobes. In essence they have taken this tactic right from the propaganda playbook.
Heaven forbid if anyone says anything negative about gays, Muslims or blacks but Christians are still fair game. If I chose to define marriage as between a man and a woman, why do I not have that right? If gays want to have a more permanent commitment to each other there are other legal ways to do that. But they chose the �in your face �path regarding marriage on purpose. They want the confrontation. I suggest that if they were really sincere that they would be more open to discussion of opposing views. They would be more accepting of the point of view of many Christians and realize that we are not evil in having that view. They would consider some compromise. Reality is that they never will. It�s not in their playbook.
Bob Lancaster
Gaston County


text:
Clearly Natural Glycerine Bar Soaps not only smell wonderful, they are non-drying, hypo-allergenic, dermatologist recommended and rinse off easily. The high glycerine content of these soaps help your skin retain moisture and will not clog your pores. To keep our environment safe, Clearly Natural Glycerine Soaps do not contain parabens, petroleum-based ingredients, or animal ingredients or by-products.
About Clearly Natural
Clearly Natural's line of products include their popular 100% natural air fresheners, unparalleled cleaners, Veggie Wash fruit and vegetable wash and glycerine soaps, along with an extensive line of other natural products. Clearly Natural Soaps are the original formula, made with pure 100% vegetable glycerine to attract moisture to your skin with no overpowering fragrances to irritate allergies or other existing health conditions. Clearly Natural soaps never have and never will use animal ingredients. The basic ingredient of Clearly Natural is high-grade vegetable-derived oil.


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|童芯 Dōshin
|Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
|Appears in
|Voice Actors
|Ninja Rank
Dōshin (童芯, Dōshin) was a missing-nin of the Leaf's Anbu, led by Shinga. Dōshin, alongside Shinga and Hakui, appeared in Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3.
Dōshin's demeanour was very childish. He joked frequently during battle, referring to clashes between shinobi and his Mud Golems as "playing". He was vastly overconfident in his own abilities, something that Kakashi commented led to his downfall. He craved attention and acknowledgement, and he became angry and desperate if he didn't receive it.
Dōshin was short and dressed in all-green attire, save for the dark grey mask with red markings that he and most of Shinga's subordinates wore. He had shoulder-length orange hair that covered his eyes. After wearing his body out due to the Mud Golem technique, he looked more aged.
Dōshin was skilled in several kinjutsu which allowed him to summon flaming rats, and create duplicates of his opponents from the earth. The Mud Golem technique, however, requires a significant amount of chakra, and he would quickly tire from using it. Dōshin was also able to use genjutsu intended to alter his opponent's surroundings.
Plot Overview
Dōshin appeared alongside Shinga and Hakui several times, assisting with his attack on Konohagakure. His first major move in the story was to summon a slew of flaming rats to burn down the forest and distract Konoha shinobi. He utilised his Mud Golem technique frequently against his opponents. After Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Tsukino and Kakashi arrived at Tsukigakure, Dōshin uses a genjutsu that changes the landscape in an attempt to confuse them and turn them around. The group noticed it quickly, and Dōshin responded by creating several Mud Golems and sending them to attack. When Tsukino escaped Shinga's mind control, he wasn't worried, confident that Naruto wouldn't be able to defeat Shinga. He became enraged when Naruto refused to be intimidated by his kinjutsu. Naruto and Sakura defeated two Golems before Kakashi and Sai told them to move on, taking the rest themselves. Noticing Dōshin growing increasingly fatigued, Kakashi commented on how much chakra his technique expended and suggested he stop using it. Dōshin responded by feverishly creating more Mud Golems, pushing his body to its limits in desperation and refusing to acknowledge defeat. Finally, he became too exhausted by his own chakra expenditure, and his last attempt at creating two more Golems failed. Kakashi defeated him afterwards.
- "Dōshin" means "juvenile wick".


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Northwoods Explorer
I usually don't make posts but this is an exception. We had a bad day with the law yesterday, some our fault some just luck. First cache was Laugh it up (GC1CVM4) in NB around 7:30. Here we found the cache without problem signed the log and even left a travel bug when out of no where comes a mountie lights on zooming around the corner. Figured busted but he looked at me and headed up the road. So I head back to the car but before I get back there are two or three more of them followed by unmarked cars as final a van. By this time they are parked everywhere and headed up the road. Not sure what was going on but decided that they were not interested in me so I definitely should not be interested in them. On the dirt road out there were a couple more police cars, forensic van and the ambulance. Nice location for a cache but a little more activity then we are comfortable with while exploring and having Maine plates on the car. Then when crossing the border discovered I picked up the old passport not the new one, bad idea to try to cross the border with an expired passport. Let me tell you that took a bit of time. Then Sherman's Cache (GC1CK9M) parked the car and headed into the woods when I heard a truck pull up so figure I would see who it was. You guessed it a green and white truck, border patrol, asked a bunch of questions and finally figured out I was harmless as drove off. Nice trail along the river. Took about an hour. Then at Necia's Cache (GC1CK90) figured it would be down and dirty until a US Customs and Border Protection car pulled up beside my car. The guy gets out and has a few questions for me about what I was doing. Wanted to know if a was fixing the ski sign. I told him I was geocaching and one of his buddies had just checked me. He said he wanted to know what I was doing if an one had questions in the future, bid me a good day and drove off. Last one of the day was called Maine's Swedish Colony (GC1CKR8) which is at a busy intersection a State Police car pulled up. I figured it was just not our day. But down came the window and he asked if I found it. Said yes and off he went. Our bad day with the last. Lots of time caching at night we have run into the police and hunting for caches along the border you run into the BP all the time but never all at once.


text:
As of October 2016, Microsoft has contracted with B2X to provide a variety of assisted support services for Nokia, Lumia, and feature phone devices. On the B2X site, you can choose the support option that is most convenient for you to resolve your issue.
- To get help and support for your Nokia, Lumia, and feature phone devices, go to the B2X support site.
- To get a user guide for your phone or accessory in PDF format, see PDF user guides for Microsoft and Nokia phones and accessories.


text:
Nothing triggers my capitalist urges more than a legally insane man urging me to buy used cars
Legendary wrote:Server problems.
Secret wrote:I don't really understand the point of this comic.
Waf wrote:Well I mean ultimately if you put up PW ads like me, having your own site would probably pay for itself. I mean a domain would set you back like 7 bucks a year, and I know a guy who can hook you up with free dreamhost hosting.
Legendary wrote:You are now "The Man."
Bear this title proudly.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


text:
Gary Strieker takes Assignment Earth to a higher altitude, where the tiny mountain pine beetle is wiping out once mighty Whitebark pine forests in northwest Canada and the U.S. Warmer temperatures have allowed the beetle to thrive at altitudes where it previously could not survive.
University researchers and forestry experts are racing to create a disease-resistant strain that can withstand the beetle assault, but time is running out for the forests and the many animals they sustain. (Video: Assignment Earth)
>> It's already dead. It's a goner.
>> Living at tree line, the white bark pine thrives in one of nature's harshest environments. But these mighty trees, some more than 1,000 years old, are no match for this tiny beetle.
>> Essentially, all day long, I have not seen a tree larger than about six inches around that's not being killed by a mountain pine beetle.
>> A native pest, the mountain pine beetles typically target lower elevation forests.
>> While you see a lot of death and destruction, this is actually a very normal pattern when you're looking at lodgepole pine at least.
>> But the epidemic is new white bark pine. In the past, freezing temperatures kept the beetles out of the white bark's high altitude domain. But scientists say warmer winters due to climate change are allowing these beetles to thrive at higher and higher elevations.
>> -that the tree produces against the beetle, so when -
>> Lodgepole pines have evolved to combat beetle attacks. They produce resin to ward off these tiny invaders, but white barks don't appear to be as well prepared.
>> These trees really appear to have almost no defenses against the insect.
>> Beetles aren't the only problem. White pine blister rust, a fungus introduced from Europe, is also killing white barks. Scientists are racing to find genetically resistant specimens. The plan is to collect their seeds and eventually replant a disease resistant forest, but now the beetles are threatening to wipe out even those disease resistant trees. Losing these forests could impact the birds, squirrels and grizzly bears that feed on white bark pine seeds.
>> We're walking through this forest, it's alive in Clark's nutcrackers and squirrels. We're seeing bear scats with whitebark pine seeds.
>> In the Greater Yellowstone area, red squirrels cut cones out of trees and store them in minutes, which grizzlies raid. Female grizzlies depend on the high fat seeds to sustain their pregnancies.
>> It's as close to a free lunch that there is in nature.
>> But with warming temperatures, beetles have already attacked most of the whitebarks in this forest.
>> It's a pretty good cone crop this year, but this is the last crop.
>> For Assignment Earth, I'm Gary Strieker.
"Assignment Earth" features compelling video reports from the front lines of major environmental stories from around the globe. Topics include global warming, pollution, habitat destruction and endangered species.


text:
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge [Samuel Coleridge] (1772-1834 / Devon / England)
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The Garden Of Boccaccio
Of late, in one of those most weary hours,
When life seems emptied of all genial powers,
A dready mood, which he who ne'er has known
May bless his happy lot, I sate alone ;
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text:
(Makes 10 muffins)
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of oats (old fashioned not instant)
1 egg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease and line Handi-foil muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. Whisk together the liquid ingredients and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add oats, flour, salt and baking powder, mix well until fully incorporated. Do not over-mix. (do not add hazelnuts yet)
4. Separate the batter between the muffin cups, filling them three quarters of the way.
5. Top off with chopped hazelnuts.
6. Bake the muffins for 22 minutes. Make sure to do a toothpick test for doneness before taking the muffins out.


text:
United Kingdom Drving Advice and Car Rental info
Driving In United Kingdom
Visitors from most countries can drive for up to 12 Months on their own countries licence. Use this tool to check eligibility –
The main concern is likely to be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road if you're from USA or Mainland Europe. The British drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the right of the car. The gear stick will be on your left. (If you prefer an automatic car, you'll need to specify that when renting as the majority of cars in Britain have manual transmission/ stick shift). As with Brits driving abroad, you'll find that you adapt pretty quickly. The main difference you'll notice is that at roundabouts, you'll give way to the right. Also at a red light, in the USA you can turn right at a red light. No similar rule exists in Britain. (No I've no idea why. It seems perfectly sensible to me). Also on a multi lane road, you can only overtake to the right of the vehicle you're passing. i.e you can't do what the Brits call 'undertaking'.
Roads in UK are generally in good condition and in most cases the driving standards are high and rules of the road are upheld. Drivers used to Southern or Eastern Europe , Asia or Africa, will probably find that the speeds are slower than they're used to and that driving style is quite polite. i.e tailgating and even use of the horn are frowned upon. Drivers may also flash their lights at you at junctions- this generally means they're giving you the right of way, though proceed with caution if this happens.
The UK has an excellent system of multi lane roads (motorways) linking all main towns and Cities. The speed limit is 70 MPH (110KMH), though there are currently discussions on increasing this to 80MPH (130KMH) and you'll find that most drivers travel at around this speed on motorways. As mentioned above, slower traffic should keep to the left on motorways as vehicles can only pass on the right. The main motorways in UK are –
M1 – the main route from North to South up the centre of the country
M3- Main route from London to the South Coast
M4- London to South West and Wales
M5 –London via the South West to the Midlands
M6 – The North to South route via North West England and onto the Lake District and Scotland
M8 –Main route in Scotland linking Glasgow and Edinburgh
M11 –London to Cambridge and passing Stansted Airport
M25 –Circular route around London
M40 – Links London to the Midlands
M42 –runs South and East of Birmingham
M62 – Runs across England from Hull to Liverpool linking the urban areas of West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside
Speed cameras are prevalent throughout the UK and are usually indicated by a white sign with a black camera symbol, and the cameras themselves are generally painted yellow and are situated by the side of the road. The area on the road surface beside the camera has white grid lines painted on it too. Therefore you should be able to easily spot fixed speed cameras if you know what to look out for.Average speed limits are a new development on UK roads, particularly through road works. The average speed is clearly quoted and you'll find that drivers generally abide by the speed limit in these areas, unlike on other roads with cameras where you should expect drivers to break the limit then slam on their brakes just in front of the camera! Police officers may use hand held speed cameras on motorways but its the fixed cameras which catch out most British motorists.
As with most countries any major problems are likely to involve negotiating City Centres. If you can pick the car up at an airport which is generally away from the centre and you should find it easy to get onto a motorway or into the open country. For instance, if flying to London, Heathrow airport is situated just off the M4 and Gatwick just off the M23. Public transport links to both are very good so theres really no need to rent a car whilst staying in the City. Use public transport to get around and once you're ready to explore the rest of the UK, pick up your rental car at the airport. If you do decide to have a car delivered to your hotel in a City Centre, ask if the car rental company will drive the car out of the centre for you- in most Cities the centre is relatively small and you should be able to reach a main road within a few minutes.
London has a congestion charging system in operation.(As does Durham in the North East) The London Charge applies for vehicles entering or moving within the Zone from Monday – Friday between 07.00 – 18.00 – except on public holidays. Charges are £12.00 per day payable either in advance or before midnight on the day of entering the Zone. This charge increases to £14.00 if paid after midnight on the day of entering the Zone and the driver has until midnight on the next charging day to make this £14.00 payment. You will receive a fine via the rental company a couple of weeks after entering the zone without registering. Most companies will expect you to arrange to pay the congestion charge yourself so you should check this out when you collect the vehicle. More details on the congestion charge can be found on the site below-
Some driving distances and times between Cities and major tourist centres in the UK –
London –Birmingham – 190KM, 2 hours
London –Brighton -90KM ,1.5hrs
London –Manchester -340KM, 3.5hrs
London –York -335 KM, 3.5hrs
London –Edinburgh -650 KM, 7 hours
London–Bath – 185KM, 2 Hours
London –Oxford- 90 Km, 1 hour
London to Stratford Upon Avon – 164km, 2 hours
London to Stonehenge (Nr Salisbury, Wiltshire) – 140km, 1 hr 30
London to Penzance (Lands End) -460KM, 5 hours
London-Newcastle -450KM, 4.5 hrs
London –Cardiff – 240KM, 2.5 Hours
London –Hull (North Sea Ferry) – 345km,3.5hrs
London –Dover- 120km, 1.5hrs
London –Leeds, 320KM, 3.5 hrs
London-Liverpool, 340KM, 3.5hrs
Leeds –Edinburgh, 360KM, 4hrs
Hull-Newcastle – 230KM, 2hrs
Newcastle- Edinburgh -208KM, 2hours
Manchester- Lake District – 200KM , 2 hours
Lake District –Edinburgh – 160KM , 2hours
York –Edinburgh – 340KM, 4 hours
Edinburgh –Inverness -253KM, 3 hours
For more information on driving in Scotland and Northern Ireland, see the relevant sections on these pages.
This site provides lots of useful information on driving in England's Yorkshire Dales, with a number of scenic drives, including one covering the route of the 2014 Tour De France which departs from Leeds and travels through the Dales –
United Kingdom Car Rental –
Sixt , Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, National,Avis, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise have outlets here. Also usually features on Car rental broker sites such as Argus Car Hire and Web discount sites such as ebookers.com. or Expedia. There will also generally be some smaller local companies in most towns. However, don't confuse the term 'Private Hire' car with a rental car. This is a term for a semi licenced taxi or mini cab- you will confuse them if you call and ask to drive their cars!
United Kingdom Self Drive Rules-
Most of the big companies will allow you to take the vehicle outside the British Isles to mainland European countries and Ireland but its highly unlikely you'll manage to arrange a one way rental. If you intend to take the car from UK you should advise the rental company when you make the reservation. There is no restriction on taking cars to Scotland or Wales – you won't even need to show your passport!


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Jets QB Geno Smith reportedly escorted off flight after verbal altercation
If you're one who thinks the New York Jets' Geno Smith is bad at handling quarterback duties in the NFL, you should see how he handles airport stress.
Smith was escorted off a Virgin America flight at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday after a "verbal altercation" with airline employees, a witness told Deadspin.com.
MORE: Jets give Rex Ryan contract extension
@JimmyTraina I don't have video, but I'm at LAX and just saw a Geno Smith fiasco yelling at Virgin America workers. Escorted by cops LOL
— Mark Rue (@markyOso) January 17, 2014
We're unsure about the reason for the altercation or the consequences of Smith's actions — whatever they were.
UPDATE: A source told Deadspin that Smith was flying standby from LA to Las Vegas and was upset about having to wait until 2:40 p.m. PT for a seat assignment. It's not clear how long Smith would have had to wait. The source also said that Smith repeatedly used profanity as he expressed his displeasure. Police eventually were called to the gate, and they eventually escorted Smith out of the terminal.
UPDATE 2 (7:55 p.m.): Smith told TMZ Sports that he wasn't kicked off the flight. "Don't believe that, man," he said to a reporter/vidographer as he was leaving the airport. Smith refused to answer other questions about what might have taken place.
UPDATE 3 (8:50 p.m.): The Jets have released a statement (per ESPNNewYork.com): "We are aware of the report and are researching the facts. We will have no comment at this time."
UPDATE 4 (8:55 p.m.): Now comes word that it all might have been over headphones.
Re Geno Smith incident on plane: Public info officer at LAX, while not confirming it was Smith, said there was a "dispute" on place ...cont.
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 18, 2014
cont...When police arrived, "subject" already was at gate area. Was questioned by police and released. No arrest, no report. Cont..
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 18, 2014
Sources confirm that Smith was the "subject." One source said dispute stemmed from Smith refusing to remove headphones on plane. Cont..
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 18, 2014
Source said male flight attendant yanked headphones away from Smith and threw them down. Smith voluntary left place + and sought police.
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 18, 2014
UPDATE 5 (10:40 p.m.): The New York Daily News reports that Smith was, in fact, flying to Fort Lauderdale, not Vegas; he was escorted off the plane after refusing three requestes by crew members to turn off his phone; the plane's captain told crew members that he didn't want Smith on the plane, and that Virgin America would not allow Smith to reschedule. The plane took off without Smith.
"(Smith) said he didn't know why he was kicked off the flight," a source said told the Daily News. "He said it was because he was black. Virgin Airlines refused to rebook him because he was being disruptive."
News of the incident comes on the same day a report added bizarre context to Jets tight end Kellen Winslow's November arrest.
The report indicates police were responding to a call of a "black male in a black Cadillac Escalade pleasuring himself" in a Target parking lot.
Just another Friday for the Jets organization.
Contributing: Tom Gatto


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Miniature utopia
Eindhoven boasts more patents per capita than anywhere else in the world. What's its secret? What does it have that other cities don't?
A spherical glass object looking much like an alien's egg is embedded in the ground in front of the station. Beside it stands a building at once antiquated and futuristic. The facade shimmers the myriad greens of tarnished copper. In Eindhoven, there's nothing clear or organized; instead, rank growth prevails. Every few paces, passersby can have their photo taken at a flat pillar with a display – but these so-called "Citybeacons" also monitor air quality, provide information about what's on when, and act as signposts for visitors to this city, which is reputedly more inventive than others. Eindhoven, with its population of just 225 000, is an architectural curiosity cabinet. Put another way: Creative chaos reigns. Every decade since World War II seems to have immortalized itself and its particular visions here. Every street appears to have experienced repeated new beginnings, each one adding something completely different. Beautiful Eindhoven is not, but beauty isn't a priority. The important thing is to try things out, to live out ideas. Eindhoven has more patents per 10 000 inhabitants (22.9) than anywhere else in the world, San Diego coming in second with a ratio of 8.9 to 10 000. Does the city inspire its inhabitants to be creative or is it the other way around? Let them answer that question themselves.
"Eindhoven is a city of movers and shakers," says Christiane Berndes, Curator of the Van Abbemuseum for Contemporary Art. In the 1930s, tobacco manufacturer Henri van Abbe bequeathed his valuable collection of artworks to the city. Pablo Picasso, Oskar Kokoschka, Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol and Paul McCarthy now hang in the museum, but the walls of the bright room into which Berndes leads us are bare. A break between two exhibitions? No! In a corner, there are drawers filled with paintings, posters and pop art. A gloved visitor pulls out a Warhol print, lifts it onto a rail on the wall, then places a punk poster beside it, appraises the effect, and then carries it to the adjoining wall. "In this room, everyone can put together their own exhibition," says the curator, "we want our visitors to give the art a new context."
It's not a question of achieving a result, but of making a start
Berndes and her colleagues adore experiments. Their latest is a visitor robot (the only one in Europe), a thing on two wheels, somewhere between a segway and a hoverboard, with a built-in camera. People who cannot make it to the museum due to illness or disability can rent the robot online and guide it through the museum. "So far, a member of staff always has to go with it because of the stairs," says Berndes, "but we're working on that." It's not a question of achieving the perfect result, but of making a start.
The Consultant
Eindhoven was founded in the Middle Ages and remained a sleepy one-horse town until the industrial revolution attracted tobacco, textiles and soap factories. Hubert Van Doorne started out building truck trailers; his brother later joined the company, which became famous as "DAF." Over a period of 20 years, DAF produced a small car that was rather like a Dutch take on East Germany's Trabant. The Netherlands' first traffic lights went up in Eindhoven courtesy of a family named Philips, or to be precise, its scions Gerard and Anton, who founded a technology empire with their electric light bulbs and radio valves. Nearly 40 percent of all Dutch investment in research and development goes to projects realized in the Eindhoven region, hence the city's nickname, Brainport.
Heading along the Dommel river toward the main park, you can't miss Parktheater. With its sturdy gold-edged doors and windows, it looks like a typical postwar building, but inside, a buzzing hipster café worthy of Brooklyn awaits you, where people pore over their laptops, paper cup in hand. The foyer serves as a co-working space by day, and the fee paid for using it is social capital. When you go online, you state how you could help the other people working here. Money only counts if someone wants to book the backstage rooms for meetings, conferences or workshops. Two of the guests who regularly book themselves in are Pim de Morree and Joost Minnaar. Self-styled "corporate rebels," they advise companies wishing to change their work culture. The pair quit their former jobs with biotech companies because they found the work too limited, too superficial and too profit-oriented, and then spent a year traveling the world. They took a close look at job innovators Google and Spotify, but also at Belgian social welfare offices, where staff are free to choose which hours they work. Also, a care agency told them that it was up to its 10 000 employees to organize themselves into teams. "People want to be involved," says Joost. "If you want to improve something, listen to your staff!" Involvement works best when hierarchies are flat or, even better, simply don't exist.
the cabinetmaker
A good example of this philosophy can be observed close to the Parktheater, in an industrial building on the edge of the city center. This is where Philips once produced transformers. Today, it's where Piet Hein Eek turns scrap wood into furniture. But the boss, who is also working on a collaboration with Ikea and an exhibition for Dutch Design Week, is not sitting in his office. His clothes covered in dust, he moves swiftly down the rows, where his 100 employees are busy sawing, cutting and welding.
Industry made Eindhoven great, and now it has space for new creations. When the old industries moved abroad in the 1980s and 1990s, they left behind huge, empty sites like Strijp-S, a city within the city northwest of downtown Eindhoven. Now tiny labels sell clothes and jewelry there. There's also a restaurant that trains socially disadvantaged young people and the country's most exciting ice-cream parlor, thanks to flavors like mandarine-cumquat, lime-coriander and pineapple-red pepper. Full, cold, amazed and happy, we return to the heart of Eindhoven.
the lamp designer
The lighthouse Lichttoren also belonged to the old Philips production facilities, but today houses a hotel, a restaurant, and the Design Academy Eindhoven. If an epicenter for creativity exists at all, then it's here. Teresa van Dongen studied at the academy. She meets us in the studio between heavily laden shelves, where, very much in the city's tradition, she now designs lamps – and rethinks lighting. Instead of electricity, bioluminescent bacteria give her designs their blue shimmer. Van Dongen won the Dutch Design Award a few years back for that "light-bulb idea," and Ambio, her debut model, hangs in the Expo of the Kazakh capital, Astana. She has long since moved on to her next model, which uses microorganisms that produce electricity, which in turn powers LEDs. You have to think pretty much out of the box to even consider such ideas.
We have enthusiastic, inspired people and lots of space
Could she come up with her lamps anywhere else? Van Dongen ponders the question: "There's plenty of space here for little money, unlike in Amsterdam. But what's far more important is that there are so many enthusiastic, inspired people here working between disciplines: craftsmen, technicians, scientists and artists."
Spaces with new faces
Restaurant, workshop or art gallery? This former bar-racks is all of them at once.
An institution for creatives who shop, network, even exhibit (themselves) here.
Inntel Hotels Art
The old Philips factory has ample space – also for an elegant design hotel.
All the company's inventions are on show here; first and foremost, the light bulb.
Our bus carries us silently (it has no exhaust) to the High Tech Campus. Eindhoven's fleet of 43 electric buses is Europe's largest. Once on the campus – the site of the former Philips research center – we are surrounded by concrete blocks resembling flotsam and jetsam in an artificial lake. This is where tiny startup Amber Mobility is developing a huge idea: a driverless electric car that won't be for sale. CEO Steven Nelemans, 21, thinks that owning a car has become totally superfluous. "Many people drive to work and back, so most of the time, the cars just stand around on parking lots. We want to change that." With fellow students from the Technical University in Eindhoven, he has designed a car they say weighs just 650 kilos, making it lighter than a Smart. The engine is built to run for 1.5 million kilometers, three times as long as today's record-breaking models. The cars will drive independently through urban areas to wherever their users need them.
Sounds amazing, but it's more than just a crazy notion. In January, Amber Mobility will be allowed to test the concept. The present prototype, which resembles a miniature space capsule on wheels, is still at the wood and polystyrene stage. For test drives, a BMW i3 will glide phantom-like through Eindhoven by night, past the old factories and new alien eggs, the Parktheater, and the Citybeacons. The inventors' vision is still not quite reality, but at least they've made a start.
Getting there from Germany
Lufthansa flies six times daily from Frankfurt (FRA) and up to six times daily from Munich (MUC) to Amsterdam. Continue to Eindhoven by train. Visit meilenrechner.de to find out how many miles you can earn.


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Changes at the top of WGMW
publication date: Nov 18, 2013
author/source: Robin Roberts


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Chevron Open Minds Museum School
Travel in time to the days when millions of buffalo still roamed the plains of what is now called Western Canada. Hear traditional stories from a Kainai educator. Explore the dramatic impact of inter-cultural trade on the First Nations people and the fur traders. Museum School offers these and countless other educational opportunities.
Many of Glenbow's exhibits and collections focus on Alberta's past and present. However, the Museum also has exhibits on West Africa, Minerals, Asian Art, Global Warriors, and historical and contemporary art. All are inviting, rich environments that provide backdrops for hands-on experiences led by subject specialists.
Themes originate from teachers and can be as varied as Calgary: Past, Present and Future; Time; Symbols; Stories, Myths and Legends; the role of museums; or comparative studies between different cultures.
Each of the school teachers accepted to the program has a unique group of students, individual goals, and a dream of creating a dynamic learning experience that is the perfect fit for his/her students. To achieve this the week-long programs are collaboratively designed by the school teacher and the Museum School Coordinator.
幸运快3Our goal is simple: by inviting students, teachers, and family members to venture beyond the walls of their schools, we travel with them on the journey of life where they experience the interconnectedness of all things。
A wide range of exhibits are available for your class to explore and study during their week on site. Learn about the past and present peoples of Alberta, Minerals, West Africa, Asian Art, Global Warriors, and historical and contemporary art. These and many more educational opportunities await your class.
Find out more about our temporary and permanent museum exhibits.
"Behind the Scenes" in Glenbow's Artifact Storage Areas
Visit Glenbow's storage areas where 98% of our collections are housed。 Students meet curators and technicians to explore selected areas of the museum's collections。 See how objects are stored and cared for and the extent of Glenbow's eclectic collections。
Museum School Coordinator
The coordinator will support you throughout the planning stages. Once you're at Glenbow the coordinator can lead workshops to develop critical viewing and interpretive skills and supply you with hands-on objects and other resources.
Glenbow Staff
Glenbow staff members are available to lead workshops on a variety of topics.
- Museum educators in art, settlement, fur trade, technology, native studies, mineralogy, Hindu and Buddhist symbolism and art, museum studies and practice
- Curators in art, military history, local history, and indigenous peoples of the world
- Artifact technicians
- Conservators
- Designers
- Writers
- Actors/Visual Artists/Dancers
Pre-Visit Workshop
To help you prepare your students and volunteers for their week at Glenbow, a museum school educator will come to your school and conduct a hands-on workshop using museum artifacts。 Workshops include the following。
- What is a Museum?
- Glenbow's History
- What's at Glenbow
- Being Part of the Glenbow Team
- Museum Rules (or things you need to know while at Glenbow)
- Pest Control
- Handling Artifacts
- Looking Deeply
- Making Connections
For additional information on Museum School, please contact:
Marnie McCormack, Museum School Coordinator
Tel: 403-268-4112
Email: email@example.com
For more information, visit 。


text: Since her explosion onto the publishing scene more than ten years ago, Suzanne Brockmann has written more than forty books, and is now widely recognized as one of the leading voices in romantic suspense. Her work has earned her repeated appearances on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists, as well as numerous awards, including Romance Writers of America's #1 Favorite Book of the Year - three years running in 2000, 2001, and 2002 - two RITA awards, and many Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards. Suzanne Brockmann lives west of Boston with her husband, author Ed Gaffney.


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Nord-Pas de Calais is a border land, which has for neighbours Belgium and the French region of Picardy. The north coast of the region faces the English Channel and the North sea. Its geographical position, along with a very developed transport system, have certainly contributed to the fact that the region is a very industrious one. Locals are proud of its strength, cultures and they are open to all trade. The region has also a rich ethnic diversity which is marked by the use of regional languages such as the Ch'ti or Flemish.
The region was a land of invasion back in days, and there is a certain spirit of resistance which is still expressed on the ramparts of every fortified town and port, in the thirteen citadels in Vauban's Square Field, in the immense First World War battlefields and in the giant blockhouses of the Second World War.
Nord-Pas de Calais has an undeniable pride which is marked by its belfries with giant spires of stone and brick dominating the towns and cities (more than 15 of them are listed as UNESCO World heritage site). Today more than thirty arts museums bear witness to the wealth of regional styles with their famous collections and works by no less famous local artists such as Rubens, Matisse and Carpeaux.
Nord-Pas de Calais is the ultimate destination to visit Northern France and discover its local festivals, belfries, beer, art, natural coastline and hospitable population. From Brussels, you can reach Lille, the gateway city of Nord-Pas de Calais, in just 35 minutes by train. From London or Paris, the train will take you there in about 1 hour.
With its trendy bars and contemporary exhibitions, Lille will offer you a new experience every time you visit it.
Train stations being the gateways to the city, you'll either get off the train at Lille-Europe or Lille-Flandres, both of which have connections with the Lille metro system. A few metres away, you'll find yourself in the fabulous Grand Place amidst buildings marked by the Flemish architecture. It is the ideal place to relax on a café terrace, bask yourself in the local atmosphere and absorb the buzz of this vibrant city. Have a look at the Vieille Bourse (Old stock exchange) which was built in 1652 and undoubtly the town's finest building. From the Grand Place, you can succumb to the retail temptations of the boutiques located in the pedestrian district, a short stroll away.
Amateurs of fine arts will be delighted to visit the Palais des Beaux Arts, which is France most important museum after the Louvre and where you will have a panorama of Europe's best artistic creations from the 12th to the 20th century. Afterwards, you can head to visit other equally interesting museums or one of Lille's majestic churches.The best way to have a glimpse of everything in a day, is to buy a city card or take a minibus tour which will allow you to see other wonders such as the Hospice Comptesse Museum, Saint Maurice's Church and the Citadel.
After a day's visit, try the local gastronomy in a Estaminet where you'll eat and drink heartily. If you want to have a treat, the L'Huitrière will suit you. On the menu, you will have the best fish, oysters and shellfish of the region. Don't forget to taste the marouille cheese.
Our tip: Every year during the month of September, more than 2.5 million visitors flock in to the Braderie de Lille, Europe's biggest flea market. Over a 100 km of stalls, 10,000 vendors and a yearly contest between them to see which one can build the highest pile of empty mussel shells, make this event an unavoidable event. Don't forget to have a traditional dish of mussels and chips if you are there!
Lille > Roubaix
Take the metro line 2 to Roubaix, a shopping paradise located a few kilometres away from Lille. Spend the first half of the day there and you will find that Roubaix is a place where nothing is done in the same way as elsewhere. You'll find a museum in a swimming pool, you'll have lunch in a factory, and you will shop in designers boutiques and factory shops. Indeed, La Piscine – Museum of Roubaix Art and Industry, will allow you to plunge in the most beautiful swimming pool of France. As for the fashion addicts, they will find themselves in a shopper's paradise. Don't resist the discount stores of L'Usine or designer boutiques of Mac Arthur Glen. After your shopping spree, head back to Lille.
Lille > Calais > Boulogne sur Mer
Take the TER from Lille-Flandres to Calais (1h26 trip), a small but well known town tucked between the sea and the countryside. Due to its location, Calais is the privileged crossing point between the continental Europe and Britain. It is at the heart of a very dense transport network of motorways, sea links, high speed rail lines and the Channel Tunnel.
Have a look at the City hall and The Burghers of Calais, which are located in the heart of the city. The building of the City hall was designed by architect Louis Debrouwer, who pioneered the use of reinforced concrete. The general architecture of this monument is based on Flemish Neo-Renaissance style with Tudor details. Its 75-metre-high belfry is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO. As for the The Burghers of Calais, it is one of the most famous sculptures by Auguste Rodin, completed in 1889 and which serves to recognize the sacrifice of a few braves at a time when Calais was under siege by the English for over a year.
On a much lighter note, you can visit the lighthouse of Calais. Built in 1845, the building has withstood the bombardments of World War II. Today, the 58-metre high structure towers over the town and offers a splendid panorama of the sea, the town itself and the countryside.
In the afternoon, take the train to Boulogne sur Mer (25 min trip), a town which has the power to astonish and seduce those who've never visited it before. Indeed Boulogne sur Mer is a town of art and history - The upper town is home to a 12th century belfry, superb 13th century ramparts, an imposing cathedral and a medieval crypt. You can also visit the Nausicaa, the National Sea Centre of France, where you will have an unforgettable look beneath the waves. End the day by a stroll on the harbour front and why not take your bag to buy smoked fish!
Boulogne sur Mer being a fishing port, you'll be served fresh seafood in one of the restaurants of the town. So don't miss out the opportunity to taste a delicious fish for diner.
Boulogne sur Mer > Arras
On the fourth day, head to the beautiful town of Arras (1h40 trip), famous for its architectural charm and recognised as a World Heritage by UNESCO. Its baroque squares encircled by typical Flemish houses reconstructed after the Second World War, its belfry that offers an exceptional view over the city and its pentagonal citadel are witness of its architectural charm.
There is a site worthy of a visit when in Arras – The Wellington Quarry. It is an underground site filled with memories and emotion. Visit it and share the experience of thousands of soldiers who were stationed below ground before the terrible 1917 offensive. You will discover how the soldiers lived 20 metres below ground and then, come out of this shelter to discover the shock that was the Battle of Arras.
Arras > Lens
In just 12 minutes from Arras, you'll be in Lens, a town known for its Art Deco architecture as well as its enthusiastic football fans. Lens is a shining example of urban regeneration. The town was the hub of a major mining area for 150 years. Now former pit buildings have become cultural centres.
A major novelty awaits you in 2012. After the evergreen London and Paris, which are famed for their art galleries, 2012 will welcome a new kid on the block. The city of Lens will be home to the next Louvre Museum, sister of the famous Louvre in Paris. More than 300 objects will be on display at the new Louvre-Lens.
From Lens you take the train back to Lille or Paris to continue your visit in France.
Popular routes


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Dark Dreams
Dark Dreams is the new library featuring cinematic designed raw percussion samples, hits and sound effects.
Think dark. Think raw. Think playable. Metallic hits, Klangs, Slams, Bottoms, Ambience hits, Big hits, unprocessed bits and a large variety of designed patches for Kontakt 4 and above.
Not seeing the player? Click here
"Dream inside a Dream" courtesy of The Unfinished
"Molded Demolition" courtesy of Arthur Hendriks
Please note: you need the FULL version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or above to use the product.
Dream Circle for Kontakt
Dream Circle is our new sample library features Hits and effect captured from a Small Handmade Brass Gong
Dream Circle captures the beautiful nuances of a small handmade brass gong, recorded using Hammer, Sticks, Metals and Brushes. Hits, athmospheric effects, tempo synced patterns, tuned and playable patches, reverses, swells and more. All patches and sounds including Dream Audio Tools signature sonic research and accuracy.
Selected patches walktrough
Audio demos
Not seeing the player? Click here
"Inner Circle" courtesy of Blake Ewing Click here to read more about Blake Ewing
Please note: you need the FULL version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or above to use the product.
Dream Tamboo – Skin Tambourine for Native Instruments Kontakt
Nanodreams Volume One: Dream Tamboo
Dream Tamboo is the first volume of the new Nanodreams serie, featuring sample libraries with a focused appeal and a small price, with the same sonic care and creativity expressed in all of our libraries.
Dream Tamboo offers all the percussive nuances of an italian hand made skin tamboo, an instrument offering a surprisingly wide array of sounds, from ethnic dance to epic embellishments. It also contains a selection of creatively processed patches
Not seeing the player? Click here
Please note: you need the FULL version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or above to use the product.
Handrums is our new library featuring a wide selection of Drum Instruments released playing drums with hands, fingers and other body parts. As a result we obtained a drum sound with a marked raw and tribal character.
Handrums features two kicks, a snare, two low toms, two mid toms and one small tom. All multivelocity and with round-robins (up to five round robins). Depending on the kit part we used one single hand, two hands, fingers, elbow to get a complete sound menu. Also we added a nice selection of rolls and flames as a bonus.
Handrums is perfect for adding lively percussive sounds and drumming to a really wide range of styles, including Pop, Rock, Rnb, Hip Hop, and Cinematic/Action.
Audio Demos:
Not seeing the player? Click here
And this is a Video Walktrough of the included Multis in Handrums:
Please note: you need the FULL version of Kontakt 4.2.4 or above to use the product.
South is the new library featuring authentic Folk Percussive Sequences and Individual Percussion Instruments directly taken from Southern Italian Tradition.
Several tambourine sizes and types used, including traditional Tammorra, Pizzica and even a custom Tar. All loops are tempo synced. Individual sustained instruments are multisampled and have multiple round robins. Additional rolls and effects are included.
Instruments used:
- A Big tambourine, which is about 45 cm diameter with rings
- A custom Tar, which is 30 centimeters diameter with no rings
- A traditional Big Tammorra, handmade, 45 cm diameter made of sheep skin with large rings (not included in the sustained patches due to the inner nature of the rings)
- A second traditional Big Tammorra, 45 cm diameter with small rings.
South is the perfect tool for adding that ethnic percussive athmosphere to several music styles, ranging from Cinematic/Score to Pop/RnB/Hip Hop.
Audio Demos:
Not seeing the player? Click here
"Borderline" courtesy of Gabriel Kreps
Click here to read more about Gabriel
"Tuscany" courtesy of Roman Heuser
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Because Windows PowerShell is integrated with the Microsoft .NET framework, you can leverage the .NET object model within PowerShell scripts. An important advantage is the ability to use ADO.NET to access various types of data sources, including SQL Server. Building ADO.NET objects within a script lets you retrieve data from a SQL Server database, update that data, insert new data, or delete existing data.
Related: Accessing SQL Server Data from PowerShell, Part 2
In this article, which is the first of two parts, you'll learn how to use ADO.NET to retrieve SQL Server data through PowerShell scripts. In Part 2, you'll learn how to modify that data. As you work through this article, you might find it useful to reference the .NET Framework class library at the MSDN website. The class library provides specific information about each of the ADO.NET objects (described in the following sections), including details about the objects' methods and properties. Note that this article assumes that you're already familiar with how to create PowerShell scripts and that you have a general understanding of the .NET Framework and SQL Server databases. (If you're new to PowerShell, see the PowerShell 101 series in Windows IT Pro.)
The ADO.NET Object Model
ADO.NET is a set of class libraries that are part of the .NET Framework. The ADO.NET classes are generally divided into two types: connected classes and disconnected classes. The connected classes are those that are part of a namespace specific to a data source type. For example, the ADO.NET connected classes associated with SQL Server are part of the System.Data.SqlClient namespace. You use the connected classes to manage your connections to the SQL Server database and to access data in that database. The disconnected classes are part of the System.Data namespace and are independent from any data source. You use the disconnected classes to work with the data after it has been retrieved by the connected classes.
The disconnected classes never communicate directly with a data source. Figure 1 shows the more commonly used classes available in the System.Data.SqlClient and System.Data namespaces. The System.Data.SqlClient namespace includes the following connected classes specific to SQL Server:
- SqlConnection—Connects to the SQL Server .NET data provider in order to establish and manage the connection to the target database.
- SqlCommand—Contains the details necessary to issue a T-SQL command against a SQL Server database.
- SqlParameterCollection—Contains the collection of SqlParameter objects associated with a specific SqlCommand object. You access the collection through the SqlCommand object's Parameters property.
- SqlParameter—Contains parameter-related information specific to a SqlCommand object.
- SqlDataReader—Provides efficient read-only access to the data retrieved through the SqlConnection and SqlCommand objects. The SqlDataReader is similar to a forward-only cursor.
- SqlDataAdapter—Provides a bridge between the connected classes and disconnected classes. This class includes the Fill and Update methods. Use the Fill method to populate a DataSet or DataTable object. Use the Update method to propagate updated data in a DataSet or DataTable object to the database.
The System.Data namespace includes the following disconnected classes:
- DataSet—Contains all the data retrieved through your connected objects. The DataSet object acts as a container for all DataTable objects and provides functionality that lets you work with the data in all the tables as single operations (such as saving data to a file).
- DataTableCollection—Contains the collection of DataTable objects associated with a specific DataSet object. You access the collection through the DataSet object's Tables property.
- DataTable—Stores the data returned by your query. The data is stored in rows and columns, similar to how data is stored in a database table.
- DataColumnCollection—Contains the collection of DataColumn objects associated with a specific DataTable object. You access the collection through the DataTable object's Columns property.
- DataColumn—Contains the metadata that describes the columns associated with a specific table. A DataColumn object doesn't contain the stored data itself, only information about the column structure. The stored data is saved to DataRow objects.
- DataRowCollection—Contains the collection of DataRow objects associated with a specific DataTable object. You access the collection through the DataTable object's Rows property.
- DataRow—Contains the actual data that is retrieved through your connected objects. Each DataRow object contains the data from one row of your query results.
In general, the disconnected objects act as an offline data cache for the data you retrieve through your connected objects. As a result, you can view and modify the data in a dataset without being connected to the data source. (You can even populate a dataset with data from other sources, such as an object array, but this approach is beyond the scope of this article.) Now that you have an overview of the primary ADO.NET objects, let's look at some examples that demonstrate how to use these objects in a PowerShell script. As you work though the examples, refer back to this section and to Figure 1 as necessary to provide a context that will help you understand how the objects are being used.
Retrieving Data Through a SqlDataReader Object
The first example (Listing 1) demonstrates how to create SqlConnection, SqlCommand, and SqlDataReader objects. The script begins with the SqlConnection object. (Note that all the example scripts in this article were developed to be run as script files—i.e., text files with a .extension—that are called in the PowerShell console. To run a script in the console, you simply call the filename at the command prompt. However, you must be sure that your execution policy is configured to permit running scripts. For information about execution policies, see the help topic about_signing.)
To create an object in PowerShell, use the New-Object cmdlet and specify the class on which the object is based. The class name should include the namespace along with the name itself, as in System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection. In this example, I assign the new object to the $con variable.
Next, I use the variable to access the SqlConnection object's ConnectionString property, which specifies the information necessary to connect to SQL Server and the target database. The connection string first specifies the SQL Server instance (Server=.) The period represents the local server, so the connection will be to the local instance of SQL Server. The second argument in the connection string specifies the database (Database=AdventureWorks). For the examples in this article, I use the AdventureWorks sample database. (If you didn't install the AdventureWorks database when you set up SQL Server, you can download it from CodePlex. This page includes a link to simplified instructions for manually attaching the database.) The last argument in the connection string specifies that integrated security should be used (Integrated Security=true).
After you define your connection string, use the SqlConnection object's Open method to open the connection to the database. You don't need to pass any arguments along with the method.
The next part of the script (after you open the connection) creates and defines a SqlCommand object. Once again, you specify the New-Object cmdlet along with the class (System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand), then assign the object to a variable (in this case, $cmd). I then use $cmd to assign a value to the object's CommandText property. The value is the T-SQL statement that will run against the target SQL Server database. In Listing 1, I use a SELECT statement to retrieve data from the Person.Contact table. (For information about T-SQL statements, refer to SQL Server 2005 Books Online.) After you define the command text, set the Connection property to the SqlConnection object ($cmd.Connection = $con).
Now you're ready to create the SqlDataReader object. However, rather than use the New-Object cmdlet to create the object, you must use the SqlCommand object's ExecuteReader method. When you call this method, it automatically creates the SqlDataReader object based on the SqlCommand object's properties. You then assign the SqlDataReader object to a variable (in this case, $dr), and use that variable to view the data retrieved from the database.
To view the data, I created an If statement that uses the SqlDataReader object's HasRows property to determine whether the result set includes any data. If it does, I first use the FieldCount property to return the number of fields. I then create a While statement and use the Read method to read the data in the result set. As long as there is data in the result set, the While statement will loop through the result set and return the current row. When the While statement reaches the end of the result set, it will break out of its loop.
For each row in the result set, I use the Write-Host cmdlet to write the data from the FirstName and LastName fields to the PowerShell console. As you can see, to call the field, I specify the $dr variable and the field name (quoted and in brackets), as it is returned by the T-SQL statement.
At the end of the script, after the data displays, the Close method closes the data reader as well as the connection. When you run this script, the console will display the first and last name of the contacts retrieved from the database. Note that the Close method is equivalent to calling the Dispose method. Using one of these methods is important (even with .NET's automatic garbage collection) to make sure you close all your connections and release the memory.
Retrieving Data Through a DataSet Object
As you saw in Listing 1, the SqlDataReader object provides a quick and easy way to view data in a result set. However, a data reader supports only limited functionality. You can't perform such operations as moving backward through the data or updating the data. As a result, for most operations, you need to work with the data within a dataset.
To create a dataset, you must first create a SqlDataAdapter object, as shown in Listing 2. As with the previous example, I first create a SqlConnection object and then a SqlCommand object. However, rather than creating a SqlDataReader object, I create a SqlDataAdapter object, which acts as an interface between the connected objects and the disconnected objects.
When you create the SqlDataAdapter object, assign it to a variable (in this case, $da), then set the object's SelectCommand property to the SqlCommand variable ($cmd). Note that if the T-SQL statement is a different type of command, you'd use a different property. For example, if the command is an UPDATE statement, I'd use the UpdateCommand property.
After you define the SqlDataAdapter object, you create the DataSet object and assign it to a variable ($ds). You then use the SqlDataAdapter object's Fill method to populate the dataset with the data retrieved from the database. When you call the Fill method, specify the DataSet object as the first argument and, optionally, a name for the table as the second argument. In this case, I named the table "Contacts." By specifying a name for the table within the dataset, you can reference that name later in your script, rather than by an index number.
Notice that after I call the Fill method, I pipe the results to the Out-Null cmdlet. If I didn't do this, the results displayed in the console would also include the number of rows contained in the dataset. Also notice that, after I fill the dataset, I close the connection. One of the biggest advantages of ADO.NET is that you can work with datasets offline, without being connected to the data source.
After you populate your dataset, you're ready to work with that data. In Listing 2, I use a foreach statement to display each row. In the foreach collection expression ($ds.tables\\["Contacts"\\].rows), I reference the Contacts table within the dataset by calling the dataset's Tables collection and specifying the name of the table (quoted and in brackets). Because I want to access each row in the dataset, I also call the Rows collection. I then use the $row variable in the foreach loop to reference the individual rows. (The $row variable is actually a DataRow object. Refer back to Figure 1.) For each row, I specify the FirstName and LastName fields, as in $row.FirstName. When you run this script, the console will display the first and last name of the contacts in the dataset.
As you've seen, when working with a dataset, you access the dataset's tables through the Tables collection, which can contain one or more tables. In Listing 2, the dataset contains only one table. However, if you refer to Listing 3, you'll see that you can easily add multiple tables to a dataset.
To add multiple tables, create a SqlCommand object for each SELECT statement. For example, In Listing 3, I retrieve data from the Person.Contact table and from the HumanResources.vEmployee view. I then call the SqlDataAdapter object's Fill method twice. The first time, I retrieve data from the Contact table and save it to the dataset as "Contacts." The second time, I retrieve data from the vEmployee view and save it to the dataset as "Employees." I can then access the individual dataset tables by referencing the table name in the Tables collection.
For each table in a dataset, you can access information about that table. For example, in Listing 4, I add data from the Contact table and vEmployee view to create two tables in the dataset, as I did in Listing 3. However, rather than displaying the data within each dataset table, I display information about the tables themselves. In this case, I create a foreach statement that loops through each table in the dataset's Tables collection. For each table, I use the $table variable to display the value of the TableName property. I then include an inner foreach statement that retrieves column information (from the Columns collection) for the current table. For each column (referenced through the $column variable), I display the values for the ColumnName, DataType, AllowDBNull, Unique, and ReadOnly properties.
Retrieving Data Through a DataTable Object
In Listing 2, Listing 3, and Listing 4, I create a DataSet object and use the Fill property to fill a specific table in the dataset. However, if your dataset will include only one table, you can simply create a DataTable object. In Listing 5, I create the DataTable object and assign it to $dt. I then call the SqlDataAdapter object's Fill method and specify $dt as the argument. Next, I use a foreach statement to access the Rows collection through the DataTable object. As you can see, this approach can simplify your code if you're working with an individual table.
There are other ways you can simplify your code as well. For example, if you're making a single connection to a database and you aren't using any special settings on the SqlCommand object, you don't need to specifically create SqlConnection or SqlCommand objects. Instead, you can simply define the connection string and the command text, as I've done in Listing 6, and create a SqlDataAdapter object. However, unlike when I created the object in earlier examples, I now pass the command text and the connection string as arguments to the SqlDataAdapter class. Notice how this simplifies the script. Of course, if you need to make multiple calls to the database, you're probably better off defining a single SqlConnection object. And, if you need more control over your command, as with some parameterized queries (as you'll see in the next section), you should create the necessary SqlCommand objects.
Defining a Parameterized Query
Up to this point, the examples that we've looked at have been based on SELECT statements that include no parameters. In other words, the SELECT statements retrieve the same data no matter how many times you run the script. However, in the real world, you'll likely have to pass one or more parameters into your T-SQL statements to retrieve the data you need.
When working with ADO.NET, there are a couple approaches that you can take to create parameterized queries. The first is simply to create a parameter in your script (as in Listing 7) and reference that parameter in your SELECT statement. In this example, I create the $ContactID parameter, assign it a default value of 1, and include the parameter name in the SELECT statement's WHERE clause. Next, I create a SqlDataAdapter object as I did in Listing 6 and use the Fill method to populate a DataTable object. When you run the script, you simply specify a parameter value.
Another approach you can take when working with parameterized queries is to create a SqlCommand object and add the parameter to the object's Parameters collection. For example, in Listing 8, I first define the connection string and command text. Notice that the parameter name in the command text is preceded with the at (@) symbol rather than a dollar sign (as is typically used with PowerShell parameters). The @ symbol tells PowerShell to use the ADO.NET parameter that is part of the Parameters collection.
Next, I create a SqlCommand object and pass in as arguments the command text and the connection string. This approach to creating a SqlCommand object is a little different from previous examples, but it achieves the same results. I take this approach in this case to help demonstrate the various methods that you can use when working with ADO.NET.
After you create your SqlCommand object, you can use the AddWithValue method to add the parameter. The AddWithValue method is a method available through the SqlParametersCollection object. When you call the Parameters collection through the SqlCommand object, you are actually accessing the object's Parameters property, which in turn calls the SqlParametersCollection object associated with that SqlCommand object.
As arguments to the AddWithValue method, specify the name of the parameter (@ContactID) and the parameter's value, which in this case is the name of a PowerShell variable ($ContactID). If you refer to the beginning to the script in Listing 8, you'll see that I use a Read-Host cmdlet to prompt the user for an ID. When you run the script, you must provide a ContactID value, or the script will fail.
Working with XML Data
When ADO.NET was designed, it was designed with XML in mind. As a result, you can perform such actions as displaying dataset data as XML, saving dataset data to an XML file, or retrieving XML data into an XML data document.
Displaying dataset data as XML is a very straightforward process. After you create your dataset, you call the DataSet object's GetXml method, as shown in Listing 9. When you call this method, PowerShell returns the data with NewDataSet as the root element and the table name as the second-level element. Figure 2 shows a sample of the results returned by the script in Listing 9. Notice that beneath each table-specific element (the Employees elements), there is an element for each column.
You can also save the data in a dataset to an XML file by using the DataSet object's WriteXML method, as shown in Listing 10. When I call the method, I pass the path and filename as the first argument and WriteSchema as the second argument, which indicates that the dataset will be written with the inline XSD schema. If you don't specify this option, no schema information is written to the file. (Note that if you plan to run this script, you must first create the C:\Info folder or modify the script to point to an existing folder.)
Now let's take a look at how to retrieve data from an XML column in SQL Server. When you retrieve this data, you first create an XmlReader object, then create an XmlDataDocument object. Listing 11 provides an example of how to do this. Notice that first I create the XmlReader object by calling the SqlCommand object's ExecuteXmlReader method. When you call this method, an XmlReader object is created based on the SqlCommand object's properties. I then assign this object to the $xr variable.
Next, I create the XmlDataDocument object, which lets me store, retrieve, and manipulate XML data. The XmlDataDocument object is part of the System.Xml namespace (rather than one of the namespaces we've worked with up to this point). I then assign this object to the $xd variable. Next, I call the object's load method and pass in the XmlReader as an argument. This loads the XmlReader data into the XmlDataDocument object.
After you've loaded the XML data, you can then access the data in the XmlDataDocument object. In Listing 11, for example, I use a foreach statement to access several attribute values in each Location element in the root node. The foreach collection expression ($xd.root.Location) references the Location element by calling the XmlDataDocument object ($xd), followed by root, and then the name of the element. I then use the $node variable to access the individual attributes within Location. For each of the Location elements, I retrieve the values for the LocationID, LaborHours, MachineHours, and SetupHours attributes.
More to Come
You can do far more with XML data than what I've shown you here. In fact, I've only scratched the surface of the power of ADO.NET for retrieving SQL Server data. However, this article will give you a basic understanding of how to use ADO.NET within PowerShell. In Part 2, you'll learn how to use ADO.NET to modify SQL Server data. In the meantime, refer to MSDN as necessary for specific details about each of the ADO.NET objects.


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Two detectives tried for three or four minutes to restrain a murder suspect they had been questioning before the suspect wrestled away a gun, fatally shot one of the detectives and then committed suicide, officials said Monday.
During a news conference Monday, Police Chief Rebecca Coleman confirmed for the first time since the April 4 shooting at Jackson police headquarters that another detective was in the room with Eric Smith, who was shot by suspect Jeremy Powell. That second detective fired one shot, then sought help after her gun jammed.
Smith and his partner were wrapping up questioning of Powell at Jackson police headquarters. Powell, whose handcuffs had been unlocked, began to pace when told he would be arrested, said Assistant Chief Lee Vance. Smith and the other detective tried to restrain Powell for as long as four minutes, but Powell grabbed Smith's gun and shot him four times before shooting himself in the head twice. Both the 40-year-old Smith and the 23-year-old Powell died in the third-floor interview room.
"When the situation went bad, it was at the completion of the interview," Vance said. "When they were telling him, `You're going to be booked into jail' and those type of details that happen before they take him to get booked."
Coleman said that Smith's partner fired one shot before her gun apparently jammed and the magazine ejected. The detective then left the room to get help, but didn't find anyone until she reached the first floor. Many employees had gone home because it was after 5 p.m.
Powell had been picked up by police because they had been tipped that he was involved in the April 1 stabbing death of Christopher Alexander, Vance said, and had found evidence in a vehicle that tied Powell to the crime.
"It appeared to me he had made up his mind that he wasn't going to jail, and that any alternative that he had to take to in order to keep going to jail, he was willing to do that," Vance said. "It's commonly known in law enforcement circles as suicide by cop."
Vance said that a video recording of the incident shows Powell saying three times that he won't go to jail. The Associated Press has asked for the recording to be released under open records laws, but authorities have yet to respond to the request.
Jackson police policies allow officers to carry guns into suspect interviews, Vance said. Voluntary state and national accreditation standards call for guns to be secured at all times.
"All of our procedures are constantly under review and when we find we can improve a measure of safety, we will take advantage of it," Vance said.
He said that suspects are typically handcuffed when placed into a police car, but are often unshackled for interrogation.
Coleman said Smith's partner remains on administrative leave, which she described as "standard procedure." An internal affairs investigation has found no policy violations so far, though Smith's partner has not yet been interviewed as part of that inquiry, Coleman said.
Officials said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation's inquiry could continue for as long as two more weeks. Investigators with that agency have interviewed Smith's partner, Coleman said.
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