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Bollywood Fashion Focus at IIFA Many Bollywood stars are set to prowl the catwalk at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Fashion Extravaganza in Bangkok on June 7th. Vidya Balan will promote Sabyasachi’s fashion line whilst Kareena Kapoor will front the designs of Manish Malhotra. Ayesha Takia, Aftab Shivdasani, and Riteish Deshmukh co-stars in the movie De Taali will be seen in the creations of Vikram Phadnis and Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja, who next will be seen in Love Story 2050 will model for Rohit Bal. Shriya Saran and Shweta Bharadwaj, along with Zayed Khan and Vivek Oberoi from Mission Instanbul will also be promoting the movie on the ramp. Plus the cast of the upcoming Acid Factory will strut their stuff as well. Proceeds of the event will go to the IIFA foundation, a charity set up by the academy to support families of the film industry workers who are facing difficulties. The IIFA will also be launching IIFA Bling at the event. This is a new fashion line produced in association with BIBA, which will have clothes designed in the style worn by the stars in Bollywood movies. “The brand is a wonderful way for movie fans to experience stardom. While IIFA is providing a platform, BIBA is providing a distribution network,” said Sabas Joseph, the Director of Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd. (the organisers of IIFA).

Q: Only one field appears after converting .shp to raster to .asc, in QGIS I am a beginner in the GIS world. I tried to convert the .shp map to the raster .asc map. I did Raster-> Conversion-> Rasterize then as shown below there are only 1 of 4 fields appears. So I cannot convert the map based on the field that I want. A: You can only use a numeric field. What is the type of the other fields?

[Course of diabetic retinopathy and metabolic control with subcutaneous insulin infusion pump: 18-month study]. The effect of a good metabolic control in the natural history of diabetic retinopathy is discussed because, although the onset and the incidence are closely related to a bad metabolic control, there is no improvement related to a good control; progression having been reported with the good metabolic controls. 7 patients subjected to a strict control with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion were compared with a group of 10 patients with a good conventional treatment in an 18 month study. The best metabolic control of the first group was obtained at 9, 12, 15 and 18 months (p less than 0,05). The evolution of retinopathy in this group did not change with the treatment and there was no proof of progression with the use of continuous subcutaneous infusion. Further follow-up evaluation is necessary to confirm this affirmation.

Updating a previous report, Indianapolis Colts TE Brandon D. Williams (head) has been released from the hospital after being diagnosed with a concussion. He suffered the injury during the team's Week 15 contest.

The present invention relates to a light scanning device. Light scanning devices are known as a device for writing and reading information by scanning a light beam. In one type of such a light scanning device, a light beam emitted from a light source is focused as a linear image, and a rotating polygon mirror has a reflecting surface positioned near the linearly focused image for deflecting the light beam at a constant angular velocity. The deflected light beam is focused as a beam spot on a surface by a focusing lens system for scanning the surface. FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a conventional light scanning device of the type described. A light beam emitted from a light source 1 is focused as a linear image near a reflecting surface 4 of a rotating polygon mirror 3 by a first focusing optical system 2. The light beam reflected by the rotating polygon mirror 3 is deflected at a constant angular velocity upon rotation of the rotating polygon mirror 3. The deflected light beam is then focused as a beam spot on a surface 7 by a second focusing optical system comprising lenses 5, 6 for scanning the surface 7. The light scanning device employing a rotating multi-faceted polygon, however, suffers from the problem of a facet error. That is, the mirror facets of the polygon may not lie parallel to the axis of rotation of the polygon mirror. One known method of solving this problem is to use an anamorphic optical system as the second focusing optical system disposed between the rotating polygon and the surface to be scanned, and to position the reflecting position on the rotating polygon and the scanning surface in conjugate relationship with respect to an auxiliary scanning direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3). In FIG. 3, the second focusing optical system couples the reflecting position on the rotating polygon 3 and the scanned surface 7 in substantilly conjugate relationship as viewed in the auxiliary scanning direction. Therefore, even if a mirror facet 4 of the rotating polygon suffers from a deviant orientation as represented by 4', the focused position on the scanned surface 7 is not virtually moved in the auxiliary scanning direction by the second focusing optical system. The facet error is corrected in this manner. When the polygon mirror 3 rotates, the reflecting surface or facet 4 rotates about an axis 3A, and there is developed an optical path length change (sag) between the first focusing optical system 2 and the reflecting surface 4. Therefore, a positional deviation .DELTA.X is produced between the position P of the focused linear image and the reflecting surface 4, and hence the position P' of a conjugate image of the linear image generated by the second focusing optical system or f.theta. lens system is deviated from the scanned surface 7 by .DELTA.'X. The amount of deviation .DELTA.'X is given as .DELTA.'X=.beta..sup.2 .multidot..DELTA.X where .beta. is the lateral magnification of the lens system, as is well known. Where the angle formed in the light deflecting plane between the optical axis of the lenses and the principal ray of the deflected light beam is expressed by .theta., the relationship between .theta. and .DELTA.X is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The curves in FIG. 5 are plotted with an angle .alpha. (which is the angle between the principal ray of the light beam applied to the rotating polygon and the optical axis of the second focusing optical system) being 90.degree. and the radius R of a circle inscribed in the rotating polygon 3 being used as a parameter. In FIG. 6, the curves are plotted with the radius R of the inscribed circle being 40 mm and the angle .alpha. being used as a parameter. As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, .DELTA.X is greater as the radius R of the inscribed circle is greater and the angle .alpha. is smaller. The relative positional deviation between the linear image and the reflecting surface upon rotation of the reflecting surface is developed two-dimensionally in the light deflecting plane and is asymmetrically moved with respect to the lens optical axis. Therefore, with the light scanning device as shown in FIG. 2, it is necessary that the curvature of field in each of the main and auxiliary scanning directions of the second focusing optical system be well corrected. As described above, the positional deviation .DELTA.X is produced by the sag. Since the configuration of a rotating polygon, or optimum conditions thereof, i.e., the number of reflecting surfaces or facets and the position of the axis of rotation thereof, are determined by the radius of a light beam applied and the angle of incidence to the second focusing optical system, the sag is also determined as one of the characteristics of the rotating polygon. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-147316 discloses a known light scanning device of the kind described above. However, the problem of curvature of field developed by sag has not sufficiently been studied in the disclosed light scanning device.

Oklahoma boasts almost 50 wineries, which might surprise many wine enthusiasts. Sixteen of those will be featured at Wines of the West, where guests can sample some of the best of Oklahoma in one of its most unique settings.

Q: Is there a method in the LinkedIn Rest API to see what companies a person is following? Using the Linkedin Rest API, it's possible to pull a bunch of fields from their profile, but I can't find a method that would pull the companies that they're following. Does one exist? A: In general, the fields available for LinkedIn profiles can be retrieved using the /v1/people endpoint, depicted here: https://developer-programs.linkedin.com/documents/profile-api But unfortunately there is no option to get the companies a user follows.

Q: Utilising LibVLC MediaPlayer.Event.EndReached to reset MediaPlayer when playback finishes I'm in the process of writing an Android app activity that houses a LibVLC MediaPlayer implementation. The MediaPlayer works fine for the most part, however upon video conclusion, the MediaPlayer will become unresponsive. From my research, it looks like this could be because the Media is getting unset upon MediaPlayer.Event.EndReached firing (vajehu). I've been keeping an eye on MediaPlayer.getPlaybackState() and can see that the MediaPlayer object is sitting in the "Ended" state when playback concludes, as expected. I can go ahead and release my MediaPlayer and re-create it when MediaPlayer.Event.EndReached is fired, but am unsure if this is a good course of action. I am hoping to have the MediaPlayer move back to the beginning of the video and await user input to commence playback again. (In case it's pertinent - I'm utilising MrMaffen's vlc-android-sdk). A: I've since discovered a neat and tidy (and more importantly efficient!) solution for this; Upon MediaPlayer.Event.EndReached firing I: Call MediaPlayer.setMedia(media) to reload the Media object Reset a few UI elements relating to my MediaPlayer Finally I set the MediaPlayer position to the start of the Media object with MediaPlayer.setTime(0) Side note: since LibVLC's MediaPlayer.setTime(Long position) method doesn't have an effect unless the MediaPlayer.isPlaying(), I needed to write a small wrapper method to asynchronously: MediaPlayer.play() and wait for MediaPlayer.isPlaying() Then MediaPlayer.setTime(0) Finally MediaPlayer.pause() A much simpler solution than I expected, though I hope this helps anyone who might be scratching their head whilst working on the same type of project.

/*============================================================================= Copyright (c) 2011 Eric Niebler Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt) ==============================================================================*/ #if !defined(BOOST_FUSION_ACCUMULATE_FWD_HPP_INCLUDED) #define BOOST_FUSION_ACCUMULATE_FWD_HPP_INCLUDED #include <boost/fusion/support/config.hpp> #include <boost/fusion/support/is_sequence.hpp> #include <boost/utility/enable_if.hpp> namespace boost { namespace fusion { namespace result_of { template <typename Sequence, typename State, typename F> struct accumulate; } template <typename Sequence, typename State, typename F> BOOST_FUSION_GPU_ENABLED typename lazy_enable_if< traits::is_sequence<Sequence> , result_of::accumulate<Sequence, State const, F> >::type accumulate(Sequence& seq, State const& state, F f); template <typename Sequence, typename State, typename F> BOOST_FUSION_GPU_ENABLED typename lazy_enable_if< traits::is_sequence<Sequence> , result_of::accumulate<Sequence const, State const, F> >::type accumulate(Sequence const& seq, State const& state, F f); }} #endif

Large prostatic utricles and related structures, urogenital sinus and other forms of urethrovaginal confluence. The urethrograms and clinical records of 106 children with a large prostatic utricle or related structures, urogenital sinus in intersex disorders and other types of urethrovaginal confluence were reviewed. There were 27 boys with normal external genitalia, 19 cases of male hypospadias, 1 case of male pseudohermaphroditism, 7 cases of mixed gonadal dysgenesis, 1 case of true hermaphroditism, 32 cases of female pseudohermaphroditism, 11 normal girls with urethrovaginal confluence and 8 cases of cloacal malformation. Among the patients of the first 2 groups 10 had an imperforate anus, 7 the prune belly syndrome, 6 Down's syndrome and 2 posterior urethral valves.

Late complications of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. To evaluate and assemble late complications of radiotherapy in cases of nasopharyngeal cancer. From October 2003 to January 2005, a prospective cohort study was done in a tertiary center, Chiang Mai University Hospital. Two hundred patients were evaluated for late complication according to the RTOG/EORTC late radiation morbidity scoring criteria. Of 200 patients, 131 were male (65.5%) and 69 female (34.5%). The mean age was 49.7+/-13.5 years (11-78). The mean pre- and post-treatment body mass indexes (BMI) were 22.5+/-4 (15-35.6), and 19.8+/-3.2 (12.9-34.5; P<0.05). Mean post-radiation period was 3.6+/-3.4 years (0.3-18.6 years). The radiation dosage ranged from 60 to 76Gy (mean 69Gy). Most of the patients (92%) had undifferentiated (50.5%) and poorly differentiated (41.5%) squamous cell carcinoma. Eighty-eight percent of the patients were in Stage III and IV. Chemotherapy was given to 145 patients (72.5%). The mean post-radiation period in the added chemotherapy group was lower than the group treated with radiation alone (2.9+/-2.7 years vs. 5.4+/-4.4 years, P<.05). The most common complication was dryness of mouth (97.5%); followed by hearing impairment (inner ear 82.5%). Added chemotherapy increased the complication severity significantly for the skin (P<0.05). The mean number of complications was 6.3+/-2.2 (range from 1 to 12). In this study, every patient had a more or less adverse reaction to radiation. Doctors need to be aware of these complications in order to prevent serious ones and to improve the patients' quality of life in the long term.

Why I Can't Wait for Meghan McCain and Michael Ian Black's Book When was the last time you saw Democrats and Republicans uniting in the name of comedy? Sarah Palin on SNL? (That was awkward.) Stephen Colbert at Bush’s White House Press Correspondents’ dinner? (Very, very awkward.) It doesn’t usually work…until maybe now. Conservative blogger and author Meghan McCain is teaming up with lefty comedian Michael Ian Black to write a book called Stupid for America. Fer real. It’s going to be a road trip across the country—of course!—to talk to everyday Americans about why the system is “f-ed up.” Their publisher likens the duo to “Chelsea Handler and Hunter S. Thompson.” Don’t really get the Hunter comparison, but whatever—sounds hilarious! Really, though, I’m weirdly excited for this book. Not because I want to see the two sides “find common ground” to bring back “civil discourse.” Not even because I’m a huge fan of either author—although I think it’s bad-ass that McCain has been on Maddow a few times, and I did love Black on “Adult Swim.” It’s more that this book signals a kind of generational shift—younger people understand that political conversations can be playful, adventurous, and not always knee-jerk. More cynically: when it comes to politics, our culture of celebreality is the ultimate peacemaker. Comedians have been ribbing the other side since forever, but they usually don’t have the balls to crack jokes to each other’s faces. Perhaps this is our moment? Out of the two, McCain particularly fascinates me. People have called her a RINO (Republican In Name Only). And given her stances on everything from gay rights to feminism, she may very well break with a party that has trouble supporting her social beliefs. But her work—and especially this pairing—serves as a reminder that the loudest GOP voices nowadays are, well, old. And stubborn. And super-serious. And pretty damn extreme. From the House of Reps to the Tea Party, conservative twentysomethings get ignored, especially ones with senses of humor. Granted, there are armies of young evangelical Christians—we heard that loud and clear in "Jesus Camp" and books like Lauren Sandler's Righteous. But there are also a lot of conservative young people, regardless of political affiliation, who aren’t zealots. Our generation, both on the left or right, simply skews more socially liberal when it comes to things like immigration, gay marriage, and balanced parenting. Salon’s Rebecca Traister said this when defending Tina Fey: "Ideology and political purity are frequently the enemies of all that is hilarious in the world.” Something tells me that Meghan and Michael get that.

Scientists have proved that even the most seemingly innocent chat with a woman can be enough to send male sex hormones soaring. A team from the University of Chicago paid students to come into their lab under the pretence of testing their saliva chemistry. While there, the students got to chat to a young female research assistant. Saliva tests showed the brief interaction was enough to raise testosterone levels by as much as 30%. The more a man's hormone level shot up, the more attractive he later admitted to finding the research assistant. And perhaps more tellingly, the research assistant herself was able to identify those men who found her attractive. The men who she judged to be doing the most to try to impress her proved to be those who registered the biggest jump in testosterone levels. However, little or no change was detected in the saliva of students who chatted with other men. Animal reaction Testosterone has long been closely linked with the male libido. The researchers say their work is the first time that hard evidence has been produced in this way. It is known that the release of testosterone in animals can embolden them, triggering courtship or aggressive behaviour. The Chicago team believe the same may be true in humans. However, lead researcher Dr James Roney said it was also possible that the release of the hormone was stimulated by a stress reaction. Dr Roney told BBC News Online: "The findings are consistent with the existence of brain mechanisms that are specialised for the regulation of courtship behaviour and thus respond to cues from potential mates with coordinated behavioural and hormonal reactions. "One might call these reactions components of a "mating response" which, if confirmed by future research, could be as basic and significant as, say, the well-known "fight or flight" reaction." Dr Nick Neave, of the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at Northumbria University, said the study was "very interesting". "Other researchers have found changes in male hormone levels after watching erotic movies but this seems to be the first that has attempted to assess hormone changes when males meet women on a more 'normal' level." Dr Benjamin Campbell, an expert in anthropology at Boston University, said it was possible that testosterone made men more bold by suppressing activity in an area of the brain called the amygdala, which controls the stress reaction. Testosterone levels peak in a man by his early twenties, and then gradually diminish. Men who are married or in long-term relationships have lower testosterone levels than those still playing the field. The research is published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

Q: Why is this query doing a full table scan? The query: SELECT tbl1.* FROM tbl1 JOIN tbl2 ON (tbl1.t1_pk = tbl2.t2_fk_t1_pk AND tbl2.t2_strt_dt <= sysdate AND tbl2.t2_end_dt >= sysdate) JOIN tbl3 on (tbl3.t3_pk = tbl2.t2_fk_t3_pk AND tbl3.t3_lkup_1 = 2577304 AND tbl3.t3_lkup_2 = 1220833) where tbl2.t2_lkup_1 = 1020000002981587; Facts: Oracle XE tbl1.t1_pk is a primary key. tbl2.t2_fk_t1_pk is a foreign key on that t1_pk column. tbl2.t2_lkup_1 is indexed. tbl3.t3_pk is a primary key. tbl2.t2_fk_t3_pk is a foreign key on that t3_pk column. Explain plan on a database with 11,000 rows in tbl1 and 3500 rows in tbl2 shows that it's doing a full table scan on tbl1. Seems to me that it should be faster if it could do a index query on tbl1. Explain plan on a database with 11,000 rows in tbl1 and 3500 rows in tbl2 shows that it's doing a full table scan on tbl1. Seems to me that it should be faster if it could do a index query on tbl1. Update: I tried the hint a few of you suggested, and the explain cost got much worse! Now I'm really confused. Further Update: I finally got access to a copy of the production database, and "explain plan" showed it using indexes and with a much lower cost query. I guess having more data (over 100,000 rows in tbl1 and 50,000 rows in tbl2) were what it took to make it decide that indexes were worth it. Thanks to everybody who helped. I still think Oracle performance tuning is a black art, but I'm glad some of you understand it. Further update: I've updated the question at the request of my former employer. They don't like their table names showing up in google queries. I should have known better. A: The easy answer: Because the optimizer expects more rows to find then it actually does find. Check the statistics, are they up to date? Check the expected cardinality in the explain plan do they match the actual results? If not fix the statistics relevant for that step. Histogramms for the joined columns might help. Oracle will use those to estimate the cardinality resulting from a join. Of course you can always force index usage with a hint A: It would be useful to see the optimizer's row count estimates, which are not in the SQL Developer output you posted. I note that the two index lookups it is doing are RANGE SCAN not UNIQUE SCAN. So its estimates of how many rows are being returned could easily be far off (whether statistics are up to date or not). My guess is that its estimate of the final row count from the TABLE ACCESS of TBL2 is fairly high, so it thinks that it will find a large number of matches in TBL1 and therefore decides on doing a full scan/hash join rather than a nested loop/index scan. For some real fun, you could run the query with event 10053 enabled and get a trace showing the calculations performed by the optimizer.

What we learned from Thursday's preseason games Week 2 of the NFL preseason kicked off with a trio of interesting games that provided more developments in the three-way Jets quarterback race, Tom Brady's debut and an injury to the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Thursday's games also featured the second chapter in the Packers' backup QB duel, Mason Rudolph's first start and more injuries to the Redskins' running back corps. 1. Tom Brady showed midseason form, leading the offense to 20 points in the first half while completing 19 of 26 passes for 172 yards, two touchdowns and a 116.2 passer rating. James White garnered the majority of the playing time at running back, with Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson and Eric Decker mixing in as complements to Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan at wide receiver. If there's a problem area on the offensive line, it's right tackle. Filling in for injured veteran Marcus Cannon, first-round rookie Isaiah Wynn was forced out of the game with a left ankle injury of his own. On the other side of the ball, rookie linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley stood out for the second consecutive week. The fifth-round pick has a chance to enter the season as a starter next to Dont'a Hightower. 2. Nick Foles' 2018 preseason debut didn't exactly go as scripted. The reigning Super Bowl MVP was knocked out of the game with a strained shoulder, sustained on a strip sack that went for a Patriots touchdown early in the second quarter. A rusty Foles took three sacks and showed scattershot accuracy in his 18 minutes of action. He's expected to undergo further testing Friday on the shoulder. It will be interesting to see which quarterback is under center for next week's regular-season audition versus the Browns. 3. The Jets not only have the league's most captivating quarterback battle, but also quite the conundrum for Week 1. Sam Darnold entered Thursday night's game with a tailwind of momentum, the future of the franchise riding a wave of optimism after a promising preseason debut. By the start of the fourth quarter, however, it had become harder and harder to ignore the fact that Teddy Bridgewater has outplayed him for two straight weeks. Meanwhile, incumbent starter Josh McCown has played just one series this preseason, leaving his role a mystery. There might not be a more impactful preseason bout than next week's crosstown showdown between the Jets and Giants. 4. Slimmed-down running back Rob Kelley has a new lease on life after entering training camp in a fight for a roster spot. After losing rookie Derrius Guice to an ACL tear last week, the Redskins saw power back Samaje Perine go down with an ankle injury Thursday night. Meanwhile, Kelley has started both preseason games and was the focal point of the first-team offense versus the Jets, touching the ball eight times before exiting. Don't sleep on undrafted wide receiver Cam Sims, who led the team with 75 receiving yards in the preseason opener. Sims had an up-and-down performance Thursday night, but showed tantalizing playmaking ability at 6-foot-5. 5. Mason Rudolph didn't have to wait long for his welcome to the NFL moment against the Packers. The rookie quarterback threw a pick-six on his first passing attempt of the game -- a pass Packers cornerback Tramon Williams probably saw coming even before it left Rudolph's hand. Rudolph's only response was a rueful grin as he helplessly watched Williams zip 25 yards to the end zone. After a solid debut last week, reality hit hard for the former Oklahoma State standout. Rudolph struggled to find rhythm and was hampered by inconsistent offensive line play. Outside of a 19-yard pass to Justin Hunter, Rudolph's 5 of 12 passing for 47 yards was mostly of the dink-and-dunk variety. He's still a contender for the Steelers backup QB spot (Mike Tomlin gave Landry Jones the night off), but Pittsburgh probably wants to see a lot more from its third-round pick next week. Joshua Dobbs had a better overall game than Rudolph against the Packers' second- and third-level defense. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 192 yards, 2 TDs and an interception. 6. Packers linebacker Reggie Gilbert put in quite a performance in his bid for more playing time in 2018. The third-year linebacker, who spent most of last season on Green Bay's practice squad before a late-season promotion, tried to do his best one-man wrecking crew impersonation. Gilbert terrorized Rudolph for 2.5 sacks and recorded three tackles. He'll need similar stat lines in order to challenge for regular-season snaps, but he's looking very good to retain his roster spot. 7. How about those Packers tight ends? We got a demitasse-sized taste of what the Aaron Rodgers-Jimmy Graham combination will look like on a 8-yard TD pass, but there were a slew of other encouraging performances. Lance Kendricks caught a pair of passes for 28 yards, Robert Tonyan had two catches for 15 yards and a TD and Marcedes Lewis made a 23-yard catch. NFC North defensive coordinators, you've been warned.

In a news release, IR-2019-144, the IRS announced on August 14 that it will automatically waive estimated tax penalties for eligible taxpayers who have already filed their 2018 federal income tax returns The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brought about many changes for multinational businesses. One of the more significant changes was the application of Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income to foreign subsidiaries. The TCJA was signed into law in December 2017, and since then, tax advisors, attorneys and other professionals spent the winter scrambling to learn the details of the new code and how it impacts their clients. Since the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act at the end of 2017 and the subsequent release of the first round of proposed regulations in October 2018, many taxpayers and practitioners have been puzzling over ... The Pass-Through Entity Tax Equity Act of 2019, HB 2665, signed by Oklahoma Governor Stitt on April 29, 2019, allows an electing pass-through entity to pay the Oklahoma income tax at the entity level in exchange for ...

The purpose of this proposal is to elucidate the mechanism through which the reaction of antigen with cell-bound IgE antibody leads to the release of chemical mediators from mast cells. Research plan is based on our recent findings which indicated that bridging of IgE-receptors by divalent anti-receptor antibody stimulated phospholipid methylation at the membrane, and that this process set a stage for opening Ca ion-channels and subsequent histamine release. We shall study 1) as to whether the phospholipid methylation is controlled by intracellular cyclic AMP level, and 2) whether methyltransferases are the first enzymes to be activated by receptor bridging. 3) Possible role of methyltransferases in the process of "desensitization" will be studied. Another question to be asked is how phospholipid methylation leads to opening of Ca-channels. 4) Considering possible role of phospholipase A2 in the process of mediator release, we shall investigate pharmacological effect of glucocorticoid in the biochemical process.

Kenny Shiels leaves Kilmarnock managers post 11 June 2013 01:55 Kenny Shiels has left Kilmarnock with immediate effect by mutual consent, the Scottish Premier League club have confirmed. The departure of the 57-year-old Northern Irishman comes as no surprise following days of speculation about his future. Killie finished ninth in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League but a four-match ban handed to Shiels last week following outspoken media comments - two of which were suspended - was also taken into consideration by the club. The statement read: "The Club thanks Kenny for his service over the last three years, firstly as assistant to Mixu Paatelainen, thereafter as interim manager and subsequently as manager. "His tenure as manager was marked most notably by the Club's League Cup success in March, 2012 and his place in the Club's history is thereby assured. Back to back victories over Rangers in season 2011-12 and a historic win at Celtic Park in season 2012-13 will live on in the memory of the Club's supporters. "Kenny's work ethic and his determination to introduce young players into the first team were evident throughout his time with the Club. "Unfortunately season 2012-13 saw the Club exit the League Cup at the first hurdle and go on to record our poorest home record since season 1980-81, culminating in seven matches without a victory at Rugby Park to exit the Scottish Cup and miss out on the 'top six' and then drop to ninth place with five defeats in our final six SPL fixtures. "A difficult relationship with the Scottish F.A. resulted in several touch-line bans and recent comments regarding a fellow SPL club and the Scottish F.A. Judicial Panel incurred a further suspension which would have seen Kenny commence next season in the stand, rather than the dug-out. As a result, the Club was also prosecuted by the Judicial Panel's Compliance Officer at a hearing on June 6 and will discover the penalty to be imposed on June 21. "For these reasons, both footballing and regulatory, it was mutually agreed that his contract as manager should end. The Club wishes Kenny every success in the future and thanks him for delivering the League Cup to Rugby Park in 2012." Shiels landed himself in trouble after claiming Celtic were "the monster of Scottish football" following a spat with Neil Lennon, after the Celtic boss bemoaned the fact none of his players had been nominated for the PFA Scotland player of the year award.

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Pathologic basis of the sonographic appearance of the normal and malignant prostate. The hypoechoic nature of prostatic cancer is now well recognized. In fact, not all cancers are purely hypoechoic; many are isoechoic, and some have a mixed echogenicity. Rarely, we have seen a cancer that was predominantly hyperechoic. Other signs of disturbance of the normal internal anatomy of the prostate may suggest the diagnosis of prostate cancer and are particularly valuable in assessing patients with more advanced disease. Approximately one third of early-stage cancers detected by palpation or transurethral resection are isoechoic. These tumors are anteriorly located, small, and well differentiated and infiltrate among normal glands or are composed of malignant glands similar in size to normal acini. Not all hypoechoic areas within the prostate are cancer; both normal anatomic structures and various benign conditions may appear less echogenic than the normal prostatic parenchyma. A comprehensive understanding of normal prostatic anatomy and the morphology of prostate cancer is essential to the accurate interpretation of the sonogram. Precise interpretation of prostatic sonograms requires detailed correlations of high-quality images with pathologic examinations of the whole prostate. The development of accurate criteria for the sonographic diagnosis of both malignant and benign prostatic diseases can be achieved only by such studies. As the possibilities and limitations of transrectal ultrasonography become apparent from pathologic correlation, the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of prostate cancer will be placed on a more rational basis.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video apparatus, and more particularly, to a video apparatus simplifying the checking and adjustment of a specific single module which constitutes the video apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, video apparatuses are manufactured (assembled) by combining a plurality of parts which have been modularized for every function unit. Accordingly, by changing the parts (modules) to be combined variously, many types of products can be designed and manufactured easily and efficiently. At the same time, it is well-known that broadcasting is done in different broadcasting systems from country to country throughout the world. For example, there are three major television broadcasting systems: NTSC, PAL and SECAM. Each of these systems may still differ in minute details from country to country, particularly in the ex-Communist bloc, even though the same system is used. To cope with such circumstances, there is a need for video apparatus that is able to receive various broadcasts in different television broadcasting systems. At the same time, there is also a need to improve design efficiency and to develop products that have global usefulness by using modular parts to perform functions which differ from one broadcasting system to another. For example, the intermediate-frequency signal processing circuit part and the sound multiplex signal processing circuit part may be used as module parts, while circuit parts which are common regardless of the broadcasting systems remain part of the basic apparatus. Meanwhile, for the adjustment of various devices comprising the module, a method to adjust by using a microcomputer through the BUS line is used. This technique is called the BUS control and replaces the conventional hand-operated volume adjustment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram to show an example of an adjustable tester for modules controlled by the BUS control, and FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the checking and adjustment procedures for conventional modules. In FIG. 4, the adjustable tester 25 carries out a temporary adjustment and the check of the operation on the module 7. The tester 25 has a microcomputer 3, an inputting/outputting means 4, a memory 8 and a BUS line 6. The microcomputer 3 is provided with various test programs and test data which are necessary for the temporary adjustment of the module 7. The inputting/outputting means 4 inputs control commands and control data to the microcomputer 3, and at the same time, outputs responses to the control commands and control data. The memory 8 stores data for the temporary adjustment of the module 7 and the like. The BUS line 6 is connected to the microcomputer 3, the memory 8 and the module 7. The module 7 comprises a TV receiver's intermediate frequency signal processing circuit, a sound multiplex signal processing circuit, a sound processor, etc. The BUS line 6 is connectable to each of these circuits. The module 7 is also provided with terminals to input to the intermediate frequency signal processing circuit, to output video signals from the intermediate frequency signal processing circuit, and to output sound signals from L (left) and R (right) of the sound processor. On the other hand, the main unit of a TV receiver includes a tuner for receiving signals from the antenna and supplying intermediate frequency signals to the module 7, a video signal processing circuit to which the module 7 supplies video signals, a display which is supplied with the output from the video signal processing circuit, and a means to regenerate sound signals from the module. The main unit also has a channel selecting circuit which is connected to the tuner and selects received channels, a memory which is connected to this channel selecting circuit and can store channel data, etc., and a means to receive remote control signals. The channel selecting circuit is controlled by the microcomputer. This microcomputer is connectable to the tuner, video signal processing circuit, and each circuit of the module 7 through the BUS line. The module 7 is a replaceable part corresponding to the difference in the broadcasting systems. Consequently, replacing this module 7 in accordance with the characteristic of a broadcasting system enables a user to use a main unit of a TV receiver for each of the broadcasting systems and thus, improve design efficiency. Next, a description will be given on the conventional manufacturing process of video apparatuses based on the checking and adjustment process on a single module 7 shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, in order to improve the reliability on the modularized parts, first of all, the module 7 is connected to the BUS line 6 of the adjustable tester 25 shown in FIG. 4, and the temporary adjustment of the single module 7 is performed by, for example, inputting some commands or data from the inputting/outputting means (adjusting means) 4 to the microcomputer 3. At this time, the data (offset value, etc.) for each adjustment (temporary adjustment) on each device which comprises the module 7, such as an intermediate-frequency signal processing circuit, a sound multiplex signal processing circuit and a sound processor are stored in the memory 8 of the adjustable tester 25. The temporary adjustment of the module 7 is carried out on each device. For example, the intermediate-frequency signal processing circuit adjustment is done on the AGC level, the sound multiplex signal processing circuit adjustment is done on the inputting level, on the separation of L (left) and R (right) signals, on the DC value of VCO at the PLL circuit, and on other filters, while the sound processor adjustment is carried out on the levels of bass, treble and balance. When the temporary adjustment of this single module 7 is finished, the check of the operation of the single module 7 follows using a prescribed means which is not shown in the figures (Step T1). The module 7, which has been proved to be normal (good product) through the check of its operation, is mounted on the main unit of a video apparatus (television receiver) (Step T2), and as described above, each device constituting a module 7 is readjusted by, for example, inputting some commands or data to the microcomputer in the main unit from the remote controller. The data for adjustment of each device, including an intermediate-frequency signal processing circuit, a sound multiplex signal processing circuit and a sound processor, is stored in the memory of the main unit (Step T3). After that, other devices of the main unit, that is, a tuner, a video signal processing circuit and the like are adjusted. The adjustment data on each device is stored in the memory of the main unit (Step T4). As for the adjustment of each device of the main unit, on the tuner, for example, the channel selection is adjusted, and on the video signal processing circuit, contrast, brightness and hue are adjusted. As described above, according to the procedure of the checking and adjustment process on a single module which operates under the conventional BUS control, none of the modules have a dedicated memory (for example, EEPROM) to store the adjustment data on each device comprising the module 7. This requires the same adjustment twice. The first adjustment is performed before the shipment of modules as parts. The parts are adjusted module by module. The second adjustment is performed when the module is mounted and assembled on the set (the main unit). The module undergoes the same adjustment as the first adjustment, together with other devices of the main unit. The data for adjustment of each device is written in the memory which is built in the set (the main unit). In other words, the process which is carried out in Step T1 in FIG. 5 is repeated in Step T3, thus resulting in additional man-hours for adjustment. As stated above, for a conventional video apparatus, a single module undergoes various adjustments at the time of manufacture to prepare the apparatus for proper operation before it is shipped. When the module is assembled into a video apparatus, various kinds of adjustments on the module are performed again. This adjustment must check more parts than in the previous adjustment of other circuit parts (for example, the video/chromaldeflection processing circuit), and thus, is time-consuming.

Q: Drawing a rotating triangle I want to fill a triangle in Android using the Canvas class. The way I am doing currently works but is very laggy. I wanted to know if anybody has a faster way of doing it than my way. Thanks! My code: public void rotate(float angle){ if(neighbour == null) return; path.reset(); Point origin = rotatePoint(neighbour.getX() + 64, neighbour.getY() + 128 + 16, neighbour.getX() + 64, neighbour.getY() + 64, angle); Point a = rotatePoint(neighbour.getX() + 64, neighbour.getY() + 128 + neighbour.getWidth() + neighbour.getHeight(), neighbour.getX() + 64, neighbour.getY() + 64, angle - 15); Point b = rotatePoint(neighbour.getX() + 64, neighbour.getY() + 128 + neighbour.getWidth() + neighbour.getHeight(), neighbour.getX() + 64, neighbour.getY() + 64, angle + 15); path.moveTo(origin.x, origin.y); path.lineTo(a.x, a.y); path.lineTo(b.x, b.y); } neighbour is just a class that holds x and y values. Rotate point method: private Point rotatePoint(float x, float y, float px, float py, float angle){ float s = (float)Math.sin(Math.toRadians(angle)); float c = (float)Math.cos(Math.toRadians(angle)); x -= px; y -= py; float xnew = x * c - y * s; float ynew = x * s + y * c; x = xnew + px; y = ynew + py; return new Point((int)x, (int)y); } This triangle will be rotated quite frequently so I need a efficient way of doing it. A: You can just draw the triangle always with the same path, but before drawing the path rotate the canvas to the desired rotation angle. canvas.save(); canvas.rotate(degrees); //draw your triangle here canvas.restore(); There is also a canvas.rotate(degrees, x, y); if you need to give it a pivot point.

New Video: "Interview with OCLC Research Wikipedian in Residence Max Klein" 01 June 2012 In this eight-minute video, Senior Program Officer Roy Tennant talks with OCLC Research Wikipedian in Residence Max Klein about his plans to help connect researchers with library collections and services using Wikipedia. Max Klein began working as the OCLC Research Wikipedian in Residence last week. OCLC Senior Program Officer Merrilee Proffitt created this three-month position to explore opportunities between libraries and Wikipedia, including working with OCLC staff and libraries to help foster a broader understanding of Wikipedia's practices as well as helping to connect library collections and services to Wikipedia.

Q: do you want to open or save from localhost while trying to upload the file I am trying to upload the file on certain path. I have written following code for this: try { if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(fileLocation)) System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(fileLocation); // file.SaveAs(completefilepathWithFile); file.SaveAs(FileLocationToSaveInDB); return Json("File Uploaded Sucessfully"); } catch (Exception) { return json("Failed to upload the file"); } This code works fine for Firefox and crome. But gives me error for IE9. It prompts me for: Do you want to openor save (methodname) from localhost? Its as below: I tried with: localhost doesn't open in IE9 But didnt helped. Please help me. A: Many browsers can't handle application/json as the return content type.You can hack the response and sent back the content using the mime type text/html. try this: return Json("FileUploaded successfully", "text/html", System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);

// Copyright (c) 2014-present, Facebook, Inc. All rights reserved. // // You are hereby granted a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, // copy, modify, and distribute this software in source code or binary form for use // in connection with the web services and APIs provided by Facebook. // // As with any software that integrates with the Facebook platform, your use of // this software is subject to the Facebook Developer Principles and Policies // [http://developers.facebook.com/policy/]. This copyright notice shall be // included in all copies or substantial portions of the software. // // THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR // IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS // FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR // COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER // IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN // CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. // // @generated // "com_accountkit_account_verified" = "Korisnički račun potvrđen!"; "com_accountkit_button_begin" = "Započni"; "com_accountkit_button_cancel" = "Odustani"; "com_accountkit_button_confirm" = "Potvrdi"; "com_accountkit_button_continue" = "Nastavi"; "com_accountkit_button_edit" = "UREDI"; "com_accountkit_button_log_in" = "Prijavi se"; "com_accountkit_button_next" = "Dalje"; "com_accountkit_button_ok" = "U redu"; "com_accountkit_button_resend_code_in" = "Ponovo pošaljite SMS za %1$d"; "com_accountkit_button_resend_sms" = "Ponovo pošalji SMS"; "com_accountkit_button_send" = "Pošalji"; "com_accountkit_button_send_code_in_call" = "Primite poziv"; "com_accountkit_button_send_code_in_call_details" = "Preuzmite kôd u glasovnom pozivu"; "com_accountkit_button_send_code_in_call_from_facebook_details" = "Preuzmite kôd u glasovnom pozivu iz Facebooka"; "com_accountkit_button_send_code_in_fb" = "Preuzmite kôd na Facebooku"; "com_accountkit_button_send_code_in_fb_details" = "Kôd će stići u obliku obavijesti s Facebooka"; "com_accountkit_button_start" = "Početak"; "com_accountkit_button_start_over" = "Pokušajte ponovno"; "com_accountkit_button_submit" = "Pošalji"; "com_accountkit_check_email" = "Otvorite e-poštu"; "com_accountkit_code_sent_to" = "Potvrdite svoj broj mobitela %1$@"; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_agreement" = "Dodirnite %1$@ za prihvaćanje Facebookovih <a href=\"%2$@\">Uvjeta</a>, <a href=\"%3$@\">Pravila o upotrebi podataka</a> te <a href=\"%4$@\">pravila o upotrebi kolačića</a>."; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_agreement_app_privacy_policy" = "Dodirnite %1$@ za prihvaćanje Facebookovih <a href=\"%2$@\">Uvjeta</a>, <a href=\"%3$@\">Pravila o upotrebi podataka</a>, <a href=\"%4$@\">pravila o upotrebi kolačića</a> i <a href=\"%5$@\">Pravila o zaštiti privatnosti</a> koje primjenjuje %6$@."; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_agreement_app_privacy_policy_and_terms" = "Dodirnite %1$@ za prihvaćanje Facebookovih <a href=\"%2$@\">Uvjeta</a>, <a href=\"%3$@\">Pravila o upotrebi podataka</a>, <a href=\"%4$@\">pravila o upotrebi kolačića</a> i <a href=\"%5$@\">Pravila o zaštiti privatnosti</a>, kao i <a href=\"%6$@\">Uvjeta pružanja usluge</a> koje primjenjuje %7$@."; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_agreement_app_privacy_policy_and_terms_instant_verification" = "Dodirnite %1$@ za prihvaćanje Facebookovih <a href=\"%2$@\">Uvjeta</a>, <a href=\"%3$@\">Pravila o upotrebi podataka</a>, <a href=\"%4$@\">pravila o upotrebi kolačića</a> te <a href=\"%5$@\">Pravila o zaštiti privatnosti</a> te <a href=\"%6$@\">Uvjeta pružanja usluge</a> koje primjenjuje %7$@. <a href=\"%8$@\">Saznajte više</a> o tome kako smo potvrdili vaš račun."; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_agreement_app_privacy_policy_instant_verification" = "Dodirnite %1$@ za prihvaćanje Facebookovih <a href=\"%2$@\">Uvjeta</a>, <a href=\"%3$@\">Pravila o upotrebi podataka</a>, <a href=\"%4$@\">pravila o upotrebi kolačića</a> te <a href=\"%5$@\">Pravila o zaštiti privatnosti</a> koje primjenjuje %6$@. <a href=\"%7$@\">Saznajte više</a> o tome kako smo potvrdili vaš račun."; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_agreement_instant_verification" = "Dodirnite %1$@ za prihvaćanje Facebookovih <a href=\"%2$@\">Uvjeta</a>, <a href=\"%3$@\">Pravila o upotrebi podataka</a> te <a href=\"%4$@\">pravila o upotrebi kolačića</a>. <a href=\"%5$@\">Saznajte više</a> o tome kako smo potvrdili vaš račun."; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_text" = "Nije mi stigao kôd"; "com_accountkit_confirmation_code_title" = "Unesite svoj kôd"; "com_accountkit_email_invalid" = "Adresa e-pošte nije točna. Pokušajte ponovo."; "com_accountkit_email_loading_title" = "Potvrđujemo adresu e-pošte..."; "com_accountkit_email_login_retry_title" = "Potvrdite adresu e-pošte"; "com_accountkit_email_login_text" = "Dodirnite %1$@ kako biste dobili potvrdu putem e-pošte od Facebookova alata Account Kit i lakše upotrebljavali %2$@. Za to vam ne treba korisnički račun za Facebook. <a href=\"%3$@\">Saznajte kako se Facebook služi vašim podacima</a>."; "com_accountkit_email_login_title" = "Unesite adresu e-pošte"; "com_accountkit_email_not_received" = "Ponovno pošalji poruku e-pošte"; "com_accountkit_email_verify_title" = "Otvorite poruku e-pošte i potvrdite adresu e-pošte"; "com_accountkit_enter_code_sent_to" = "Unesite kôd poslan na %1$@"; "com_accountkit_error_title" = "Došlo je do sistemske pogreške. Pokušajte ponovo."; "com_accountkit_facebook_code_entry_title" = "Unesite svoj kôd s Facebooka"; "com_accountkit_ios_button_back" = "Natrag"; "com_accountkit_ios_country_code_title" = "Odaberite svoju državu"; "com_accountkit_ios_phone_login_phone_number_placeholder" = "Broj"; "com_accountkit_ios_phone_login_text" = "Dodirnite %1$@ kako biste SMS-om dobili potvrdu od Facebookova alata Account Kit. %2$@ vam polakšava registraciju s pomoću Facebookove tehnologije, ali ne morate imati korisnički račun za Facebook. Možda se naplaćuje cijena za SMS i prijenos podataka. <a href=\"%3$@\">Saznajte kako Facebook upotrebljava vaše podatke</a>."; "com_accountkit_ios_phone_sending_sms" = "Slanje SMS-a s kodom"; "com_accountkit_logging_in" = "Prijava u tijeku\U2026"; "com_accountkit_other_ways_to_get_code" = "Drugi načini za preuzimanje koda:"; "com_accountkit_phone_error_title" = "Unesite valjani broj mobitela."; "com_accountkit_phone_loading_title" = "Potvrda broja..."; "com_accountkit_phone_login_retry_title" = "Potvrdite broj mobitela"; "com_accountkit_phone_login_text" = "Dodirnite %1$@ kako biste potvrdili korisnički račun za Facebookov alat Account Kit. Za njega vam ne treba korisnički račun za Facebook. Možda ćete primiti SMS radi potvrde broja telefona. Možda se naplaćuje naknada za slanje poruka i prijenos podataka. <a href=\"%2$@\">Saznajte kako se Facebook služi vašim podacima</a>."; "com_accountkit_phone_login_title" = "Unesite broj mobilnog telefona"; "com_accountkit_phone_sending_code_on_fb_title" = "Slanje koda na Facebooku..."; "com_accountkit_resend_check" = "Provjerite dolazne SMS-e"; "com_accountkit_resend_email_text" = "Pošalji novu poruku e-pošte"; "com_accountkit_resend_title" = "Ako niste primili kôd:"; "com_accountkit_return_title" = "Vraćamo vas u %1$@..."; "com_accountkit_sent_title" = "Poslano!"; "com_accountkit_success_title" = "Potvrđeno!"; "com_accountkit_toolbar_title" = "Prijavite se u aplikaciju %1$@"; "com_accountkit_verify_confirmation_code_title" = "Nismo mogli potvrditi kôd. Pokušajte ponovo:"; "com_accountkit_verify_title" = "Potvrda koda..."; "com_accountkit_voice_call_code_entry_title" = "Unesite svoj kôd s Voice Calla";

Q: React Native retrieving API data source.uri should not be an empty string I am trying to retrieve data from an API (https://developers.zomato.com/documentation) and get title of restaurants and an image with it. However when I try to load an image I get a warning source.uri should not be an empty string. Here is my code as it stands: async componentDidMount() { let id = this.props.navigation.state.params.category let result; try { result = await axios.request({ method: 'get', url: `https://developers.zomato.com/api/v2.1/search?category=${id}`, headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'user-key': "a31bd76da32396a27b6906bf0ca707a2", }, }) } catch (err) { err => console.log(err) } this.setState({ isLoading: false, data: result.data.restaurants }) } render() { return ( <View> { this.state.isLoading ? <View style={{ flex: 1, padding: 20 }}> <ActivityIndicator style={{color:'red'}} /> </View> : ( this.state.data.length == 0 ? <View style={{ flex: 1, padding: 20 }}> <Text style={{ color: '#000', fontWeight: 'bold' }}>No restaurants from selected category</Text> </View> : <FlatList style={{ marginBottom: 80 }} keyExtractor={item => item.id} data={this.state.data} renderItem={({ item }) => <TouchableHighlight onPress={()=> console.log(item.restaurant.thumb)}> <Card image={item.restaurant.thumb} style={styles.container}> <Image resizeMode='contain' source={{ uri: item.restaurant.thumb }}/> <Text style={{color:'#000',fontWeight:'bold'}}>{item.restaurant.name} </Text> </Card> </TouchableHighlight> } /> ) } </View> ); } as you can see when I touch the any of the cards I am console logging the link of the image uri and it shows up perfectly. Why is that when the app loads the images they are empty strings yet when I load it though console log the link shows up perfectly? I am using axios to load my API here is an expo snack link: https://snack.expo.io/r1XTaw4JU A: So i got 2 issues, one is in the card component you were not providing the uri properly it should be image={{uri:item.restaurant.thumb}} and secondly for newyork your entity id must be To search for 'Italian' restaurants in 'Manhattan, New York City', set cuisines = 55, entity_id = 94741 and entity_type = zone Its as per zomato docs,so do check out that. and find expo link : expo-snack import React from 'react'; import { View, Text, FlatList, StyleSheet, Button, TouchableHighlight, ActivityIndicator, } from 'react-native'; import { createAppContainer } from 'react-navigation'; import {createStackNavigator} from 'react-navigation-stack'; import { Card, Image } from 'react-native-elements'; import Constants from 'expo-constants'; import axios from 'axios'; export default class CategoryScreen extends React.Component { constructor(props){ super(props); this.state={ data : [], isVisible: true, city : '94741' } } async componentDidMount() { let id = "3" let city = this.state.city let result; try { result = await axios.request({ method: 'get', url: `https://developers.zomato.com/api/v2.1/search?entity_id=${city}&entity_type=zone&category=${id}`, headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'user-key': "a31bd76da32396a27b6906bf0ca707a2", }, }) } catch (err) { err => console.log(err) } this.setState({ isLoading: false, data: result.data.restaurants }) console.log(result) console.log(data) } render() { return ( <View> { this.state.isLoading ? <View style={{ flex: 1, padding: 20 }}> <ActivityIndicator style={{color:'red'}} /> </View> : ( this.state.data.length == 0 ? <View style={{ flex: 1, padding: 20 }}> <Text style={{ color: '#000', fontWeight: 'bold' }}>No restaurants from selected category</Text> </View> : <FlatList style={{ marginBottom: 80 }} keyExtractor={item => item.id} data={this.state.data} renderItem={({ item }) => <TouchableHighlight onPress={()=> alert(item.restaurant.location.city)}> <Card image={{uri:item.restaurant.thumb}} style={styles.container}> <Text style={{color:'#000',fontWeight:'bold'}}>{item.restaurant.name} </Text> </Card> </TouchableHighlight> } /> ) } </View> ); } }; const styles = StyleSheet.create({ });

TOSHIBA For a quick search, please select from the left side ( Product Filters ) Preferably choose ( In Stock ) يفضل اختيار Toshiba Corporation (株式会社東芝 Kabushiki-gaisha Tōshiba?, (commonly referred to as Toshiba, stylized as TOSHIBA) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include information technology and communications equipment and systems, electronic components and materials, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, consumer electronics, household appliances, medical equipment, office equipment, lighting and logistics.Toshiba was founded in 1938 as Tokyo Shibaura Electric K.K. through the merger of Shibaura Seisaku-sho (founded in 1875) and Tokyo Denki (founded in 1890). The company name was officially changed to Toshiba Corporation in 1978. Toshiba made a large number of corporate acquisitions during its history, including of Semp in 1977, of Westinghouse Electric LLC, a nuclear energy company in 2006,[3] of Landis+Gyr in 2011, and of IBM's point-of-sale business in 2012.Toshiba is organised into four business groupings: the Digital Products Group, the Electronic Devices Group, the Home Appliances Group and the Social Infrastructure Group. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where it is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices, the Osaka Securities Exchange and the Nagoya Stock Exchange. Toshiba is the seventh largest semiconductor maker in the world by revenue

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and fabrication processes, and more specifically to semiconductor gate electrode architectures which provide improved work function tuning. In the conventional CMOS process, poly silicon is used as a gate electrode material up to 90 nm node. The conventional process has several advantages such as: (i) it is compatible with high temperature processing, (ii) well behaved poly-Si/thermal SiO2 interfaces, (iii) more reliable than metal gate electrode like Al, (iv) conformal deposition over steep topography (v) and most significantly it introduces self-aligned dual work function for both n-MOSFETs and p-MOSFETs by selection of proper dopant. The polysilicon gate electrode, however, also represents a major challenge for near-term and long-term CMOS scaling. Some major limitations of the process include gate depletion, high gate resistance and boron penetration into the channel region. The poly depletion causes an effective increase in the gate dielectric thickness, which operates to reduce the current drive. Boron diffusion from p+ polysilicon gate to the channel degrades device performance significantly. Both the effective increase in the gate dielectric thickness associated with depletion and the channel autodoping associated with boron out-diffusion from the p+ polysilicon gate will eventually require the phase-out of polysilicon as gate material beyond the 45 nm technology node. Metal gate electrodes offer a potential solution to the aforementioned problem. Metal gate electrodes provide advantages such as: (i) no boron penetration from polysilicon gate into channel through very thin gate dielectric, (ii) much lower gate resistance, (iii) and perhaps the most desirable advantage of reduced electrical thickness of gate dielectric. The last and most significant advantage is derived through elimination of depletion in heavily doped polysilicon gates, which can amount to a 3-5 Å reduction in equivalent oxide thickness (EOT)—the equivalent of ˜2 generation advancement. A key requirement for gate electrode material in CMOS is that of dual work function. Gate metal for NMOS and PMOS devices should have work functions which closely correspond to conduction and valence band edge respectively for surface channel mode of operation. In conventionally fabricated CMOS devices, the dual work function of the polysilicon gate is achieved by implanting the polysilicon material with either n or p-type dopants (during deep S/D implantation) as mentioned above. In the case of refractory metals or metal nitrides, work function is not a strong function of doping, and S/D implantation cannot be used for work function tuning. Further, conventional approaches of using two different bulk metals to fabricate NMOS and PMOS gate electrodes require the use of exotic metals and alloys to meet the work function requirements, which complicates CMOS processing and results in lower device yield. What is needed is a gate electrode architecture capable of a dual work function, and which can be preferably fabricated using technology close to conventional CMOS fabrication.

Q: Limits - prove or disprove If $\lim_{x \to 0^+} f(x) = 0$ and $(\forall x>0)( \exists 0<c_x<x)$ s. t. $f(c_x)>f(x)$, and $\forall x>0, f(x)>0$ do we have a contradiction? I tried to build a sequence of x values that approaches $0$ but its f values form an ascending sequence but failed to show that it is actually ascending. A: If $f$ is allowed to be discontinuous in every right neighbourhood of $0$, then the condition does not prevent $\lim_{x\to 0^+}f(x)=0$. For instance, consider the function $f:(0,1]\to\Bbb R$ such that $f(x)=\frac1{n-1}+\frac1n-x$ for all $n\in\Bbb N$, $n\ge2$ and for all $x$ such that $\frac1n<x\le \frac1{n-1}$. Namely, $$f(x)=\left\lfloor x^{-1}\right\rfloor^{-1}+\left(\left\lfloor x^{-1}\right\rfloor+1\right)^{-1}-x$$ On the other hand, if there is some $\varepsilon>0$ such that $\left.f\right\rvert_{(0,\varepsilon)}$ is continuous, then yes, that condition prevents $\lim_{x\to 0^+}f(x)=0$. In fact, consider $0<x_0<\varepsilon$ and let $\delta=\inf\{\alpha>0\,:\, f(\alpha)\ge f(x_0)\}$. If $\delta>0$, then by continuity $f(\delta)\ge f(x_0)$ and, therefore, there must be some $0<c_\delta<\delta$ such that $f(c_\delta)\ge f(\delta)\ge f(x_0)$, against $\delta$ being the greatest lower bound. Therefore $\delta=0$, but then $\limsup_{x\to 0^+}f(x)\ge f(x_0)> 0$.

Shay Elliott Memorial Race The Shay Elliott Memorial race is a one-day race held in Spring in Ireland. It is run in honour of former Irish professional cyclist Seamus Shay Elliott. The race was previously known as the Route de Chill Mhantain. It became the Shay Elliott Trophy in the late sixties, then the Shay Elliott Memorial after his death in 1971. The race is the most prestigious Irish one-day event after the national championships. History In 1958, the first Route de Chill Mhantáin was held, organised by Bray Wheelers, a cycling club from Bray, Co. Wicklow. It was devised by Joe Loughman one of the main organisers of the club who wanted to make a tough race over the Wicklow Mountains. The race begins and finishes in Bray after taking a loop that goes over the Wicklow Mountains including the steep ascent of the Old Wicklow Gap, locally known as Croghan, as well as the Glenmalure climb where there is the Shay Elliott monument. The Route de Chill Mhantáin was the first open massed start race that Bray Wheelers had organised. The first edition was won by John Lackey. The race was renamed ‘The Shay Elliott Memorial’ in later years. The trophy presented each year was won by Elliott himself as a prize for best amateur in France in 1955. Winners of the race include the best of Irish cycling including two-time champion Sean Kelly (who was the only rider to have won the race while still a junior), former professional Peter Crinnion, two time Tour of Ireland winner Pat McQuaid, Peter Doyle (the first rider to win the Tour of Ireland and the Ras Tailteann) and Phil Cassidy (a two-time winner of the Ras Tailteann). In 2002 the race became an international race. The 2015 edition of the race was won by former Track World Champion Martyn Irvine. References Past winners External links Official Website of the organisers of the Shay Elliot Memorial –Bray Wheelers Category:Cycle races in Ireland Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1958 Category:1958 establishments in Ireland Category:Men's road bicycle races Category:Spring (season) events in the Republic of Ireland

Now this is PFFTable if ever anything was. I had to come in to work today, a Saturday, because my department and another department in our building are moving to another floor. This is a totally new floor so nothing was set up yet. Fortunately, they didn't snag us to actually move anything (we're computer professionals, we don't do manual labor!) but we have to plug all the computers back together and make sure they can get on the network. I don't mind any of that. Even patching the offices into the network, which I hate doing, isn't so bad because it's a new floor and the wiring closet isn't a mess yet. Unfortunately, somebody forgot to coordinate with the movers because all they moved yesterday were people's boxes, which we are not touching. They aren't moving the computers until this morning, and that sucks! We've got nothing to do for the next couple of hours while they start doing that. It's a good thing everyone in my department moved all our stuff yesterday afternoon so we wouldn't have to wait for the movers, and I can type in this editorial from my workstation. PFFT! to being at work on the weekends, not doing anything, but not allowed to leave either. Published: November 4, 2000 Editor: stacy All submissions remain the intellectual property of the author. Copying is prohibited unless permission is granted by the author. All stories containing offensive language or content are classified as such. If you do not want to see this material, do not choose anything in the Offensive category. Read at your own risks. You have been warned.

COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS FORT WORTH NO. 02-11-00077-CV IN RE KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, RELATOR INC. ------------ ORIGINAL PROCEEDING ------------ MEMORANDUM OPINION1 ------------ The court has considered relator’s petition for writ of mandamus and is of the opinion that relief should be denied. Accordingly, relator’s petition for writ of mandamus is denied. Relator shall pay all costs of this original proceeding, for which let execution issue. LEE GABRIEL JUSTICE PANEL: LIVINGSTON, C.J.; MCCOY and GABRIEL, JJ. MCCOY, J. would request a response. DELIVERED: March 14, 2011 1 See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4, 52.8(d). 

Timeline of the Mensalão scandal The Mensalão scandal () took place in Brazil in 2005 and threatened to bring down the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Mensalão is a neologism and variant of the word for "big monthly payment" (salário mensal or mensalidade). June 8 June 2005 - A CPI is installed to investigate alleged corruption in the Post Office after the testimony of Roberto Jefferson. Workers Party treasurer Delúbio Soares denied the claims in a press conference and said that he would authorize the investigation of all of his personal bank accounts. 14 June - Additional testimony of Roberto Jefferson in front of the Council of Ethics of the Chamber of the Deputies. Jefferson says that he informed the ministers Aldo Rebelo, , Ciro Gomes, Miro Teixeira, José Dirceu and Antônio Palocci about the alleged payments. Palocci and Dirceu deny they were warned by Jefferson; Rebelo, Guia, and Gomes, and Teixeira confirm that Jefferson warned them about the existence of the "mensalão". Roberto Jefferson states that José Dirceu should resign from the government "quickly". 16 June - Minister of Civilian Household José Dirceu resigns. Dirceu was labeled by his opponents the "Rasputin" of the government because he was a strong figure with influence over President Lula. 17 June - Roberto Jefferson leaves the presidency of the Brazilian Labour Party (PTB) 22 June - Deputy Raquel Teixeira (Goiás) testifying in front of the Council of Ethics confirms that on 18 February 2004 deputy Sandro Mabel of the Liberal Party (PL) invited her to leave the PSDB in exchange for a monthly payment if she also promised to support the government. According to Raquel, the offer was R$30,000 (about 12,913 USD) a month - which could be increased up to a sum of R$50,000 (about 21,521 USD) with R$1 million ($430,420) as a "bonus" at the end of the year. Raquel says she denounced the request and spoke to the governor of Goiás Marconi Perillo about it. 22 June - Governor Marconi Perillo (PSDB-Goiás) tells the Council of Ethics that on 5 March 2004 during an official visit of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the food enterprise Perdigão S.A. in Rio Verde, he notified and warned the president about the offer received by deputy Raquel Teixeira (PSDB-Goiás). 30 June – With his left eye injured due to an accident moving an armoire - Deputy Roberto Jefferson (PTB-Rio de Janeiro) testifies to the Post Office CPI. Jefferson says that the agency of the Rural Bank at the 9th floor of Brasilia Shopping mall is used to withdraw the money of mensalão since the delivery by suitcases got very risky. July 4 July – Workers Party member Silvio Pereira resigns from his post as secretary general of the party. According to Jefferson he was the manager of the "mensalão". 4 July – The magazine Veja publishes photos of a contract from the Bank BMG S/A indicating Marcos Valério as the guarantor of a 17 February 2003 R$2.4 million bank loan to the Workers Party (PT). The document was signed by Workers Party President José Genoíno and party treasurer Delúbio Soares. Genoino claimed that he didn’t read the document when he signed it. Valério had paid back the first R$300,000 of the loan. 5 July – Workers Party (PT) treasurer Delúbio Soares resigned. Deputy (leader of the PMDB) claimed that Valério, despite not having a public post, directly took part in the nomination of directors for strategic positions in state-run enterprises. Valério denied the claim. 6 July – It is discovered that Marcos Valério had moved more than R$800 million within his bank accounts in the past 3 years. 6 July – Marcos Valério testified before the Post Office CPI and maintained that he did not do anything illegal. The veracity of his testimony was questioned by parliamentarians and many political analysts because Valério spoke under a preemptive habeas corpus (exempting the individual from certain legal sanctions for not telling the truth) granted by Brazilian courts. 6 July – Deputy (PL-RJ), former bishop of the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God) denied involvement in the scandal. 7 July – It became public that the Bank of Brazil (BB) had loaned R$20 million to the Workers' Party without any guarantor or guarantees. The CPI for the Post Office began to investigate loans to the Workers’ Party. There were also new claims that members or supporters of the Workers' Party had unique control of the bank. 7 July – The bank, postal, and telephone records of Roberto Jefferson, Delúbio Soares, José Genoíno and José Dirceu were subpoenaed. 8 July - José Adalberto Vieira da Silva, an adviser to deputy José Nobre Guimarães, who is the brother of Workers’ Party President José Genoíno, was detained at Cumbica airport in Guarulhos (SP) with US$100,000 in cash stuffed in his underpants and R$200,000 in his luggage. 9 July - Workers' Party president José Genoíno resigns. 12 July - Lula completes a ministerial reform which includes the removal of cabinet-level ministerial status from Luiz Gushiken, the Secretariat of Government Communication and Strategic Management (Secom), who had been suspected of having questionable relationships with pensions firms under his jurisdiction. 14 July – Mauro Marcelo, director of the Agência Brasileira de Inteligência (Abin), resigns after calling the Post Office CPI a "circus ring" and their members "wild beasts". Henrique Pizzolato, director of Marketing and Communications for the Banco do Brasil petitions for retirement. Several days earlier, Fernanda Karina Somaggio, former secretary of Marcos Valério had accused the director of being part of the circle that connected Valério to the government. Pizzolato had already been attacked because he used Banco do Brasil funds to pay for a Brazilian country music (sertaneja) concert which returned profits to the Workers Party (PT). 15 July - During an interview with the national newscast Jornal Nacional (Rede Globo) Marcos Valério admits that the funds in his bank accounts were used as loans to the Workers Party (PT), thereby administering an illegal off-book accounting scheme for the party. 15 July - A number of non-governmental parties assert that Valerio's concessions are actually a strategy to reduce the apparent severity of the crimes since the penalties for off-book accounting are less severe. Some parliamentarians on the CPI recall the "Uruguay Operation", a fictitious financial entity created by some supporters of the impeached President Fernando Collor de Mello to explain his alleged large financial gains. The deputy Eduardo Paes (PSDB-RJ) labels the Marcos Valério claims as the "Paraguay Operation" as an allusion to this episode. The Paraguayan ambassador to Brazil Luis González Arias protests against the use of the name of his country in this "pejorative manner". 17 July - During an interview to Rede Globo, Workers Party treasurer Delúbio Soares says that the only impropriety he committed was the use of off-book accounting as described by the businessman Marcos Valério two days earlier. 17 July - In Paris for the Bastille Day celebrations, Brazilian President Lula says during an exclusive interview with a Brazilian freelance journalist aired in Brazil by Rede Globo that off-book accounting is a "common practice in Brazil". 19 July - The former secretary-general of the Workers Party (PT) Silvio Pereira testifies with habeas corpus protection before the CPI on the Post Office. He does not explain how he received a Land Rover from an employee of the firm GDK whose president César Oliveira Silvio he admits to knowing. GDK had won a major contract of R$90 million together with Petrobras in 2004. Silvio Pereira, whose salary as a worker of the PT is R$9,000 per month, is accused of living a lifestyle incompatible with his inheritance and income, including a penthouse apartment in São Paulo and a mansion in Ilhabela 19 July - The subpoenaed bank records of Marcos Valério and his businesses reveal connections to the leaders of a number of parties, including the PT. The then former President of the House of Deputies João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP) appears to be the beneficiary of a withdrawal of R$50 thousand made by wife. This information denies his previous claim that his wife was seen at the Banco Rural branch only while paying a cable television bill. It is also discovered that there were withdrawals of R$320 thousand made by Anita Leocádia, an advisor to the leader of the PT in the House Paulo Rocha (PT-BA), in addition to numerous other withdrawals made by advisors to PT members and other party leaders. 20 July - The Vote Buying Congressional Inquiry (CPI) is installed. 20 July - Workers' Party (PT) treasurer Delúbio Soares testifies under habeas corpus protection before the Post Office CPI. He says that the only irregularity practiced by his party is book-off accounting and that he is the only guilty party. 20 July - Maria Christina Mendes Caldeira, the former wife of Deputy Valdemar Costa Neto (PL), accuses Valdemar of receiving the "mensalão". She says her former husband illegally brought dollars into Brazil and that he is a compulsive gambler. 20 July - Also, the STF, after a communication from the Council for Control of Financial Activities (COAF), blocks an account of Marcos Valério's wife Renilda Fernandes de Souza after she tried to withdraw R$1.8 million from a Bank Boston account in Belo Horizonte, MG 20 July - The President of the Municipal Foundation of Culture in Belo Horizonte Rodrigo Barroso Fernandes resigns because of accusations related to money laundering. He has ties to Belo Horizonte mayor Fernando Pimentel (PT) because of his work as treasurer during the 2002 election campaign. Rodrigo's name had appeared in the lists of withdrawals from the accounts of Valério's firms SMP&B and DNA (including a R$350 thousand withdrawal from an account of SMP&B with Banco Rural). 21 July - Deputy Paulo Rocha resigns as the leader of the Workers' Party (PT) in the Chamber of Deputies. 22 July – In Rio de Janeiro, Lula states that "among 180 million Brazilians, there is not a single man or woman" that can lecture him about ethics and that the "Brazilian elite" will not bring him down. 22 July - The head of the CPI on the Post Office Delcídio Amaral admits that Roberto Costa Pinho worked for his election campaign in 2002. Roberto was discovered to have initiated a withdrawal of R$350 thousand from an account of SMP&B, a firm of Valério's. Also, Amaral confirms that he was guarantor of a rent contract for a house in Campo Grande/Mato Grosso do Sul for Costa Pinho. 22 July - The former secretary-general of the Workers' Party (PT) Silvio Pereira admits that it was improper to accept a Land Rover from a businessman. He apologizes and requests his disaffiliation from the Workers' Party. 22 July - Newspapers, including O Globo, report that the police have recorded a phone conversation between members of the "máfia da previdência", a gang specializing in fraud against the National Social Security Institute (INSS) and the Receita Federal (Federal Revenue Service), mentioning the names of political figures Delúbio Soares, José Dirceu and Roberto Jefferson. The Ministério Público Federal (the Federal Prosecutor's Office) begins to investigate the new connection. here 28 July - Newspapers report that Delúbio Soares had told the General Public Prosecution Office that the loans guaranteed by Marcos Valério paid expenses connected to the government transition and Presidential inauguration. 28 July – In Rio Grande do Sul, Lula states that the economy is vulnerable and that the policies of his government had antagonized the opposition. August 1 August - President of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, resigns. He concedes that he received illegal money to pay off debts from his political campaigns. 2 August - President of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) Eduardo Azeredo confesses that his reelection campaign for the state of Minas Gerais maintained a system of off-book funds and received money from Marcos Valério. Azeredo tries to minimize the weight of the accusations against him by claiming they attempt to divert attention from the investigations of the CPI for the Post Office. He maintains that funding irregularities in the election campaigns should not be confused with the more serious charges regarding monthly payments to influence congressional votes. 2 August - Deputy and former minister José Dirceu (PT-SP) testifies before the Ethics Council. Deputy Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ) sits in the front row at the hearing. Dirceu denies Jefferson's accusations regarding the payment of monthly allowances. Jefferson reaffirms all of his previous accusations and makes a new allegation as well. Jefferson claims that in January 2005 PT and PTB emissaries were sent to Portugal to request money from the firm Portugal Telecom. 3 August - It is discovered that Marcos Valério had paid the lawyers for the Workers' Party (PT) in the case of the murder of Mayor Celso Daniel (PT-SP). 3 August - The Brazilian government denies that Marcos Valério was ever authorized to present himself as an "adviser of the President of Brazil to the government of Portugal or in any other situation". 3 August - Lula visits his birthplace Garanhuns and Teresina. He says that "with or without hatred, they will to have to swallow me", "who should pay, will pay", and that "it is necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff". 4 August - Public Works Minister of Portugal Antonio Mexia has a meeting with the Brazilian ambassador Antônio Paes de Andrade in Portugal. Mexia says that he had "the opportunity to make clear to the ambassador the total repudiation of the attempt to involve his name in internal political questions in Brazil." 4 August - Mexia says that Marcos Valério didn't introduce himself as a "consultant of Brazilian government". Mexia's declarations contradict his statements in an earlier interview to the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, on 16 July 2005. Mexia had said to Expresso that he had received Valério as the "consultant of the Brazilian government".' 4 August - The press reports that the official schedule reveals that Marcos Valério had met with the President of the bank that controlled shares in Portugal Telecom thirteen days before his trip to Lisbon with the treasurer of the PTB and meeting with officials from the firm. 5 August - Portugal Telecom repudiates the insinuations that they had an underhanded relationship with Marcos Valério. The President of the firm Miguel Horta e Costa says that the company could sue Roberto Jefferson. 8 August - Marcos Valério distributes a statement to the press denying the version of his trip presented by Roberto Jefferson and says that the trip to Portugal was to have negotiations with Portugal Telecom in relation to the business Telemig Celular. Valério says that he and his friend, the secretary of the PTB Emerson Palmieri accompanied him on his trip in order to "relax" . 11 August – The vice-president of the Vote-Buying CPI, deputy Paulo Pimenta (PT-RS) resigns. The day before Pimenta had released a controversial list of the names of politicians who had supposedly received money from Marcos Valério. The list was attacked by the President of the CPI Senator Amir Lando and others. The lawyers of Marcos Valério stated that the list was unknown. Pimenta had been accused of having had a secret encounter with Marcos Valério in the Senate's garage where they rode together in Valerio's car. 11 August - Public relations specialist and advertiser Duda Mendonça testifies suddenly and spontaneously before the Post Office CPI. He accuses Marcos Valério of asking him to open an offshore bank account to receive payments for his services managing political campaigns for the PT in 2002 and 2004. Deputies from the PT announce their separation from the party in Congress. 12 August - The magazine Época'', number 378, prints an interview with the former deputy Valdemar Costa Neto. Costa Neto says, according to the magazine, that Lula and José Alencar knew about the payment of R$10 million from the Workers Party (PT) to the Liberal Party to form an alliance which resulted in the election list that stood in the 2002 presidential election. 12 August - In a public pronouncement transmitted on television, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says, "I have no shame to say the Brazilian people that we need to apologize. The PT needs to request forgiveness. The government, when it errs, needs to request forgiveness." Without citing names, he says he was "betrayed." 16 August - Lawyer Rogério Tadeu Buratti is arrested in Ribeirão Preto accused of money laundering. He worked as a municipal secretary in Ribeirão Preto during the term of mayor Antonio Palocci, later the Minister of Finance in the government of Lula. 16 August - The Post Office CPI travels to São Paulo to speak with the dollar dealer Antonio Oliveira Claramunt, aka "Toninho da Barcelona", who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for money laundering. Toninho claims he has information about the financial activities of important politicians including members of the Workers' Party. He promises to reveal his information in exchange for protection and a reduction of his sentence. 16 August - The chief secretary and unofficial treasurer of the PTB, Emerson Palmieri testifies in front of the Vote Buying CPI that he traveled along with Marcos Valério to Portugal to attend a meeting of Portugal Telecom where Valério was supposed to request financial help for the Workers Party and PTB. He says that he doesn't consider himself a friend of Valério . 17 August - The Workers Party (PT) National Executive Committee issues a request asking the nation's forgiveness. It states: "For the first time the party is asking for the country's pardon, for acts practiced by leaders of the party without the knowledge of other party members, acts that in the eyes of the Brazilian nation, were morally and politically condemnable." 19 August - Buratti makes an agreement with the authorities and reveals the alleged plan and receipt of money in numerous local districts in Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The most controversial element is his allegation regarding the Minister of Finance Antonio Palocci who was mayor (1993–1996) of Ribeirão Preto and whom Buratti accuses of receiving 50 million reals from garbage collection firms. 19 August - Buratti makes an agreement with the authorities and reveals the alleged plan and receipt of money in numerous local districts in Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The most controversial element is his allegation regarding the Minister of Finance Antonio Palocci who was mayor (1993–1996) of Ribeirão Preto and whom Buratti accuses of receiving 50 million reals from garbage collection firms. 20 August - the magazine Veja, edition 1919, dated 24 August, releases the allegations of Rogério Tadeu Buratti and the currency dealer "Toninho da Barcelona". 21 August - the Minister of Finance Antonio Palocci makes a statement transmitted on television that denies "with vehemence" all of the allegations made by former advisor Rogério Tadeu Buratti. 23 August - Former deputy and President of the Liberal Party Valdemar Costa Neto tells the CPI for the investigation of the Bingo scandal that he received from Workers' Party treasurer Delúbio Soares checks from the account of Marcos Valério of a total of R$6.5 million over 18 months until January 2005. According to Costa Neto, the money was used to pay debts of the campaign of Lula in São Paulo. He says that at first he didn't believe that the money he was receiving was illegal and he alleges the political agreement between PL and PT was normal and proper. 24 August - The Supreme Federal Tribunal, responsible for judging criminal proceedings against parliamentarians due to parliamentary immunity, accepted the indictments of 40 individuals relating to the Mensalão scandal, most which are former or current federal deputies, all of which were allies of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 25 August - Rogério Buratti testifies in front of the CPI investigating the Bingo scandal and confirms the claims about irregularities in the local government of Ribeirão Preto during the term of mayor Antonio Palocci, present day Minister of Finance. 25 August - The House accepts the retirement of deputy Valdemar Costa Neto, granting his petition. Valdemar is able to receive a monthly pension of R$5.542 until the end of his life, except if he is reelected. 29 August - Deputy André Costa (PT-RJ) announces his separation with the Workers Party (PT) and states that because of the scandal accusations he no longer supports the government and the party. Costa is the first deputy to abandon the party since the breaking of the scandal. 29 August - The Ethics Council recommends the expulsion of deputy Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ). The resolution needs to be affirmed by a Congressional vote to be enacted. 30 August - In Minas Gerais state, Lula recalls the experiences of previous Brazilian Presidents: Jânio Quadros, João Goulart, Getúlio Vargas, and Juscelino Kubitschek. Lula claims that he is inspired by Juscelino Kubitschek. Lula says that he considers the crisis "extremely serious" and says that "it is necessary to be very patient in order to avoid any hasty decisions." 30 August - The newspaper Folha de S. Paulo publishes an interview with the President of the Chamber of the Deputies Severino Cavalcanti (PP-PE) where he defends lighter punishments for the guilty deputies. 30 August - Brazilian parliamentarians criticize Cavalcanti's statements. Senator Demostenes Torres (PFL-GO) accuses Cavalcanti of promoting an agreement to avoid the expulsion of some deputies. September 1 September - The CPI for the Bingo scandal hears the ophthalmologist João Francisco Daniel, brother of the assassinated mayor of Santo André (SP), Celso Daniel (PT-SP). João says that his brother participated in a corruption scheme in the local district of Santo André used to collect funds for the Workers' Party (PT). According to João, Celso died after discovering that some people including the ex-bodyguard Sérgio Gomes da Silva (aka "O Sombra" or "The Shadow", suspected of having assassinated Celso Daniel) were diverting funds intended for the Workers' Party to themselves. 1 September - João Francisco Daniel testifies before the CPI for the Bingo scandal that the money in the corruption scheme in Santo André was transported in suitcases and delivered to José Dirceu, during the period he was President of the Workers' Party (PT). João says that the present chief of Lula's cabinet Gilberto Carvalho took part in the scheme. Dirceu and Carvalho deny the accusations. 1 September - The Post Office and Vote Buying parliamentary commissions unanimously approve their first joint preliminary report. The report accuses 18 deputies of involvement in the scandal. 9 September - Senator Cristovam Buarque (DF) leaves the Workers Party (PT). He later joins the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). 12 September - Deputy Carlos Rodrigues resigns. Rodrigues' name had appeared in the CPIs' first joint preliminary report in the list of the 18 deputies accused of involvement in the scandal. 13 September - Political Coordination and Institutional Affairs ex-Minister Aldo Rebelo (PCdoB) confirms in front of the Council of Ethics that the deputy Roberto Jefferson warned Lula in March 2005 about the payments to deputies. According to Rebelo, Lula ordered an investigation and the question was shelved because of a concluded lack of evidence. 14 September - The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approves the expulsion of Deputy Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ), following the recommendation of the Council of Ethics. 15 September - Post Office CPI reports that the bank accounts of eight enterprises belonging to Marcos Valério received 4.9 billion reals (about 2.24 billion U.S. dollars) between 2000 and 2005. The big financial activities are from DNA propaganda (2.6 billion reals) and SMPB (1,8 billion reals). The CPI's assistant reporter on financial activities, deputy Gustavo Fruet (PSDB-PR), says that the investigations show evidence of misrepresentation, corruption, illegal inducement, dishonest acts of administration and crimes against the financial system. 20 September - The convicted dollar dealer, Antônio Oliveira Claramunt - A.K.A. "Toninho da Barcelona", tells the Post Office, Bingo and Mensalão CPIs the money transferred to the Workers' Party (PT) by the Rural Bank came from foreign accounts belonging to Marcos Valério, and was introduced into Brazil through transactions with money changers. "Two schemes fattened the PT's account. These schemes involved the Rural Bank and the Bonus-Banval brokerage firm," says Barcelona. 21 September - The President of the House of Deputies Severino Cavalcanti resigns. He was under pressure in relation to accusations about bribes received from a restaurant located in the Congression building. Deputy José Thomaz Nonô (Liberal Front Party - Alagoas) assumes power temporarily. 22 September - President of Banco Rural Kátia Rabelo tells the Council of Ethics that "the Banco Rural was used by Marcos Valério" but denies any bank involvement in the corruption scheme. Rabelo says that Valério had scheduled meetings between the bank's leadership and government minister José Dirceu. 23 September - The Executive offers 500 million reals to Brazilian parliamentarians' pet projects. The Minister of Planning, Budget, and Management Paulo Bernardo denies any relationship between the funds granted by the government and the upcoming election for the new President of the Congress. 27 September - Testifying in the front of the Council of Ethics, Ex-minister and deputy José Dirceu denies participation by Lula or himself in any corruption scheme. 28 September - The Government's candidate Aldo Rebelo from the Brazilian Communist Party wins the election for the Presidency of the House. The election is perceived as a victory for Lula and other politicians under pressure by the scandal. October 5 October - The main suspects in connection to the corruption allegations regarding contracts between the Brazilian public bank Caixa Econômica Federal and the enterprise Gtech confront each other in front of the Bingo CPI. , Enrico Gianelli, Rogério Buratti, Marcelo José Rovai, and Carlos Augusto de Almeida Ramos (Carlinhos Cachoeira) exchange insults and accusations. 6 October - Bruno José Daniel Filho, younger brother of Celso Daniel, tells the Bingo CPI that the President's cabinet chief Gilberto Carvalho was aware of the alleged corruption scheme in the municipality of Santo André. 11 October - Lula's former minister Ricardo Berzoini is elected president of the Workers Party. 12 October - The medical examiner responsible for examining the body of Celso Daniel, Carlos Delmonte Printes (55), is found dead in his residence by police. The physician is allegedly the seventh person in connection with the case to have been found dead under mysterious circumstances. 18 October - The Council of Ethics' rapporteur in the case against deputy José Dirceu, deputy Júlio Delgado (PSB-Minas Gerais), calls for Dirceu's expulsion for breach of parliamentary decorum. 19 October – Ex-treasurer for the President of the PSDB, Senator Eduardo Azeredo (Minas Gerais), tells the Post Office CPI of having received US$4.863 million (R$11 million) from Marcos Valério during Azeredo's gubernatorial reelection campaign in 1998. 22 October – The Workers Party approves the expulsion of the ex-treasurer Delúbio Soares, nearly five months since the original denunciations made by Roberto Jefferson. 25 October – The President of PSDB, Senator , resigns his post. 25 October – Federal judge João Carlos da Rocha Mattos, arrested in November 2003 in São Paulo for alleged involvement in corruption involving influencing judicial sentences, testifies in front of the Bingo CPI claiming that the Workers Party didn’t want a full investigation of the murder of mayor Celso Daniel. 26 October – Brothers of Celso Daniel, João Francisco and Bruno, confront presidential cabinet chief Gilberto Carvalho in the Bingo CPI. The brothers claim that Carvalho is aware of the alleged corruption scheme in Santo André, São Paulo. Both say that Carvalho transported a suitcase with money from the corruption scheme in Santo Andre by car to then Workers Party President José Dirceu. They also accuse the Workers Party of putting obstacles in the way of the investigation. Gilberto Carvalho denies all the accusations and accuses the brothers of disrespecting the memory of Celso Daniel. 28 October - Attorney general Luciano Sampaio Gomes Rolim initiates legal action against José Dirceu for alleged impropriety. Documents brought forward by the Attorney General's office indicate that between 2003 and 2004 Dirceu organized a special privileged structure for granting federal money for his son, the mayor of Cruzeiro do Oeste (Paraná), José Carlos Becker de Oliveira (aka Zeca Dirceu). 29 October – Vladimir Poleto and Rogerio Buratti, two former advisers to Finance Minister Antonio Palocci, are quoted in the Brazilian magazine Veja claiming that Cuban funds were used to support the political campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2002. According to the magazine's different sources, either $3 or $1.4 million are brought to Brazil through former diplomat and Cuban Communist Party leader Sergio Cervantes. Poleto states that he personally carried the money by plane from Brasília to Campinas. He claimed the money was then carried by car to São Paulo and finally delivered to the Workers Party treasurer Delúbio Soares in Vila Mariana. He explicitly states that the money was hidden in boxes of liquor: Johnnie Walker Red Label and Black Label and Havana Club. 30 October – The Cuban embassy in Brasilia denies the allegations that Cuba illegally contributed to da Silva’s political campaign: "The Government of Cuba categorically rejects this slander and confirms it has never interfered in the internal affairs of a sister nation and attributes full responsibility for this propaganda scheme on the aggressive plans of the imperialists against Cuba and Lula". 31 October - Leader of the Cuban Communist Party Sérgio Cervantes leaves Brazil without commenting on the information regarding Cuba. November 1 November - In Congress, deputy Antonio Carlos Magalhães Neto (PFL) said that he and his family were being spied on by ABIN agents. Like Virgílio, Magalhães Neto says that he is able to "trash" President Lula. In the Senate, senator Heloísa Helena (PSOL) says that she is also able to "trash" President Lula due to threats to her family. 1 November - The Council of Ethics dismisses the expulsion process against the leader of the Liberal Party, deputy Sandro Mabel. The deputy Raquel Teixeira (PSDB) accused Mabel of trying to bribe her. The Council of Ethics' conclusion is that there is no evidence to back such a claim and it is boils down to the word of one against the other. 2 November - The president of the Council of Ethics, deputy Ricardo Izar (PTB-SP) declares that he found a covert listening device in his office. 3 November – The Post Office CPI rapporteur, deputy Osmar Serraglio (PMDB-PR) and the deputy Eduardo Paes (PSDB-RJ) believe they are victims of eavesdropping attempts as well. 3 November – The Post Office CPI rapporteur deputy Osmar Serraglio (PMDB-PR) claims to have discovered a scheme for diverting 10 million Reais (approximately US$4.5 million) from the state-run Banco do Brasil to the Worker's Party. According to Serraglio the money was transferred via the Visanet company to bank accounts held by the advertising executive Marcos Valério, and from there to the Workers Party. 3 November – The businessman Roberto Colnaghi confirms he lent his Seneca airplane prefix PT-RSX on 31 July 2002, though he refuses to say to whom he loaned the plane, declaring that “the identity is implicity”. 5 November – The pilot Alécio Fongaro tells Folha de S. Paulo and Veja he flew from Brasilia to Campinas on 31 July 2002. The pilot says that he flew in company of Vladimir Poleto and 3 sealed boxes of whiskey. The Brazilian Civil Aviation Department (DAC) confirms the airplane’s route. 7 November – President Lula tells Brazilian TV show Roda Viva that the “mensalão” has never existed and it is piece of “folklore of the Congress”. Lula defends his former minister José Dirceu against the charges of improbity. 9 November – The former Minister of Transportation (PL) tells the Vote Buying CPI that he used undeclared funds in 11 political campaigns. Adauto confirms he received 410,000 Reais (about U$187,138) from Marcos Valério. 9 November – The Congress approves the Council of Ethics report which absolves the deputy Sandro Mabel (PL-GO). 10 November – The former aide of Finance Minister Antonio Palocci, , tells the Bingo CPI that he was consulted by Ralf Barquete -close advisor of Palocci- about how to bring $3 million from Cuba in 2002. According to Buratti, the money came and it was used in Lula’s political campaign. 10 November – Lula prepares a political operation to the time-extension of the Post Office CPI. The Executive branch promises to free 1.2 billion Reais (547.72 million dollars) in appropriations for deputies who do not sign the extension bill. 35 deputies decide to remove their signatures. A preliminary count shows 170 signatures of deputies supporting the bill. Since the minimum number of signatures of deputies is 171, it seems that the extension will not be approved. 11 November – A new count shows that there are signatures of 171 deputies and 35 senators supporting the extension of the works of the Post Office CPI. The bill is approved and the Post Office CPI is extended for 120 days more, until 2006. 11 November – The economist Vladimir Poleto - former aid of Treasury Minister Antonio Palocci when he was the Mayor of the city of Ribeirão Preto- speaks under a writ of habeas corpus (preventing his immediate arrest in case of perjury) to the Bingos CPI. Poleto alleges his interview to the Brazilian magazine Veja should not be considered reliable because he was threatened by the journalist and he spoke under the influence of alcohol. The economist told he transported 3 boxes of Johnnie Walker whiskey from Brasília to Campinas (by airplane) and from Campinas to São Paulo (by car) on 31 July 2002 as a favor to his friend Ralf Barquete. Poleto guarantees the shipment was only whiskey. The senators of the CPI ask Poleto to explain the motives for a complex and expensive operation to deliver an alcoholic beverage which can be easily bought in any Brazilian supermarket, including in São Paulo, the ultimate destination. Vladimir Poleto does not answer. 11 November – The magazine Veja publishes on its website the audio file of the interview given by Vladimir Poleto. The senators of the Bingos CPI play the file in front of Poleto. The tape contradicts Poleto's previous statements. In the recording, the journalist begins the conversation with Poleto's verbal permission. Poleto's voice is also not slurred in any way, indicating that he was not drunk. The senators ridicule the testimony of Vladimir Poleto and they approve a statement asking for the indictment of Poleto for perjury. 16 November – Afternoon. The minister of Finance Antonio Palocci speaks to the Brazilian Senate Economic Affairs Commission (CAE). The senators don't ask about the allegations of corruption involving the name of the Minister. The senators understand that the Minister should explain the accusations before a CPI. Palocci does make a short statement denying the accusations of corruption during his administration in Ribeirão Preto and of Cuban, FARC and Angola funds tied to the political campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2002, of which Palocci was one of the main coordinators. References Category:Political history of Brazil Category:Contemporary history timelines Category:Corruption in Brazil

Scott Gordon (soccer) Scott Joseph Gordon (born April 6, 1988) is an American soccer player. Career College and amateur Gordon grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, attended Spanish River High School, and began his college soccer career at Mercer University, transferring to Lynn University prior to his sophomore year in 2007. After missing all of 2008 due to injury Gordon returned to the field for his junior season in 2009, appearing in 12 games and receiving an All-Sunshine State Conference Honorable Mention. He finished his college career with 28 games, logging five goals, four assists and 14 points. He was a two-time All-Sunshine State Conference honoree, and collected NSCAA All-South Region recognition honors as a senior. During his college years Gordon also played for the Baton Rouge Capitals in the USL Premier Development League, scoring one goal in 14 games and helping the Capitals to the PDL national playoff semi finals in 2010. Professional Gordon was drafted in the third round (53rd overall) of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas, after a standout performance in a friendly organized by Ft. Lauderdale Strikers scout Marcelo Castillo vs the United States U20 national team just days before the MLS SuperDraft, but was not offered a professional contract by the team. Gordon subsequently signed with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League and made his professional debut—and scored his first professional goal—for the Strikers on April 29, 2011 in a 2–2 tie with the Puerto Rico Islanders. On March 16, 2012, Chivas USA signed Gordon from the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Chivas USA waived Gordon on July 6, 2012. Career statistics Statistics accurate as of March 29, 2013 References External links Lynn profile Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:American soccer players Category:Lynn Fighting Knights men's soccer players Category:Baton Rouge Capitals players Category:Fort Lauderdale Strikers players Category:Chivas USA players Category:USL League Two players Category:North American Soccer League players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:FC Dallas draft picks Category:Soccer players from Florida Category:Sportspeople from Boca Raton, Florida Category:Association football defenders Category:Boca Raton FC players

Q: C Compile Fatal Error 'file not found' from ImageMagick Install Mac OS I am trying to compile a C program that requires Image Magick's MagickWand.h: #include "wand/MagickWand.h" But my Image Magick was installed through Homebrew on my Mac so I changed the include to the actual location: #include </usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-7/include/ImageMagick-6/wand/MagickWand.h> However, when I compiled the program I received the following error: /usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-7/include/ImageMagick-6/wand/MagickWand.h:71:10: fatal error: 'wand/method-attribute.h' file not found #include "wand/method-attribute.h" Now I've been going into the .h files when this error crops up and changing their #includes so that they are pointed correctly (because that appears to be the problem), but there is always a new error here and I'd rather not spend hours manually updating these because of a Homebrew install. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this without manually updating each file? I'm not sure exactly what the problem is so perhaps there is a more elegant solution. A: Your code should include the MagickWand library as system headers, and keep the generic path. This will keep your future compiling from breaking when the system/library updates. #include <wand/MagickWand.h> Tell your C compiler where homebrew installed ImageMagick by setting the preprocessor include flag -I, and linking/library options with the -L & -l flags. example: clang -I/usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-7/include/ImageMagick-6 \ myProject.c -o myProject.o \ -L/usr/local/Cellar/imagemagick/6.8.9-7/lib \ -lMagickWand-6.Q16 \ -lMagickCore-6.Q1 To simplify the whole process, ImageMagick ships MagickWand-config utility. This will take care of libs, includes, and definitions for you. example: CFLAGS=$(MagickWand-config --cflags) LFLAGS=$(MagickWand-config --libs) clang $CFLAGS myProject.c -o myProject.o $LFLAGS

Illegal Alien Gang Member Wanted For Murder Caught In Va. WOODBRIDGE, VA (Newsweek) – After a long manhunt of an alleged MS-13 gang member, FBI officials announced Saturday they had finally apprehended Walter Yovany Gomez. Gomez, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, had been listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in connection to the 2011 murder of a fellow MS-13 member. Authorities found Gomez living in Woodbridge, Virginia, about 20 miles away from Washington D.C., and arrested him on Friday following a well-coordinated investigation and help from the public. Following his capture, Special Agent Timothy Gallagher, who heads the FBI’s Newark Office, said in a statement that Gomez will stand trial for his “alleged involvement in a brutal murder which took a young man from his family,” according to Fox News. Walter Yovany Gomez is wanted for his alleged involvement in the murder of a man in Plainfield, New Jersey, in May 2011. The victim was suspected of socializing with a rival gang and had been ordered to be killed by MS-13 leaders. It is alleged that Gomez and another gang member, after an evening of socializing with the victim, attacked him. The victim was struck in the head numerous times, had his throat cut, and was stabbed 17 times in the back. “The apprehension of Walter Yovany Gomez is a prime example of the close coordination between the vigilant public and the hard working men and women of law enforcement,” Gallagher said. Gomez was first put on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list back in April, with the department offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his arrest. Now that Gomez has been apprehended, Gallagher said he faces extradition to New Jersey for his role in the death of Julio Matute. Gomez, who had been reported at a party in Plainfield that Matute also attended the night of his death, was accused of beating the man with a baseball bat, stabbing him 17 times with a knife and then slitting his throat with a screwdriver. Gomez had almost been caught by authorities back in 2011 during a police chase following Matute’s death. However, he managed to get away after jumping out of a second story window.

Share this: Pete Frates spent four years leading Boston College baseball on the field, and now he does the same thing off the field. Frates, who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig‘s disease), now serves as the university’s president of baseball operations. There he can impart the wisdom he acquired playing for the Eagles from 2004 to 2007, and serve as an inspiration during his brave battle. On Thursday, with BC taking on the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Frates was wheeled to the pitcher’s mound by former teammate and current Sox prospect Terry Doyle to hand the game ball to John Farrell. Check out the nice moment in the video above.

45 Md. App. 489 (1980) 413 A.2d 1365 CARLTON G. BEALL v. CECELIA M. BEALL. No. 1065, September Term, 1979. Court of Special Appeals of Maryland. Decided May 8, 1980. *490 The cause was argued before MOORE, LOWE and COUCH, JJ. J. Frederick Garner, with whom was C. Calvert Lancaster on the brief, for appellant. Steven Rosen, with whom were Willoner, Calabrese & Rosen, P.A. on the brief, for appellee. MOORE, J., delivered the opinion of the Court. This appeal concerns an alleged option agreement and a suit by Carlton G. Beall for the specific performance thereof. The Circuit Court for Prince George's County (Melbourne, J.) found the agreement unsupported by consideration and dismissed plaintiff's bill of complaint pursuant to Maryland Rule 535. From that order, he appeals to this Court. I In 1968, the plaintiff, Carlton G. Beall, purchased a farm in Prince George's County from Pearl Beall. At that time, the property was farmed by Pearl's son, Calvin Beall. The record discloses that Carlton, the plaintiff, and Calvin were second cousins. Calvin was married to Cecelia M. Beall, the defendant herein. Carlton agreed that Calvin could continue to farm the property if he would pay the annual property taxes. Calvin and Cecelia owned and resided on a parcel of about one-half acre that was bordered on three sides by the farm bought by the plaintiff; and it is that parcel that is the subject of this dispute. On the day that plaintiff contracted to buy Pearl's farm, he obtained a three-year option to purchase Calvin's and *491 Cecelia's parcel for $28,000.00. The option recited a consideration of $100.00 which was paid by check. In 1971, the parties executed a new option, for five years, but on the same terms and reciting an additional $100.00 consideration. This 1971 option was never exercised by the plaintiff, but prior to its expiration the following language was appended at the bottom of the page: "As of October 6, 1975, we, Calvin E. Beall and Cecelia M. Beall, agree to continue this option agreement three more years — Feb. 1, 1976 to Feb. 1, 1979. /s/ Calvin E. Beall /s/ Cecelia M. Beall." It is this purported extension that forms the basis for plaintiff's bill of complaint seeking specific performance of the agreement. Calvin died in August 1977, and Cecelia now holds the fee simple title by right of survivorship. In letters dated May 24, 1978 and September 14, 1978, the plaintiff advised Cecelia that he was electing to exercise the option. He scheduled settlement for October 5, 1978. As the chancellor found: "It is undisputed in this case that Mr. Carlton Beall did eventually hire attorneys to search the title, set a settlement date, attend the settlement, and was ready, willing and able to perform the contract." Cecelia refused to attend settlement, and this suit for specific performance ensued. At trial, after plaintiff presented his evidence, Cecelia moved to dismiss the bill of complaint. The chancellor granted the motion because she felt that the option agreements were not supported by consideration in that "no benefit ... flowed to Cecelia Beall." In addition, as to the 1975 alleged option, the chancellor ruled: "[T]here is no consideration recited in that extension or purported extension of the original *492 option contract. And the one extension that had occurred in the interim, even then would also fail because there is no consideration stated in the extension. It is clear that consideration must pass for the extension each time, in some form of consideration. None is stated within the written four lines." On appeal, the plaintiff contends that the chancellor erred in dismissing the bill of complaint and in excluding certain testimony relative to oral transactions with Calvin, the deceased husband of the defendant. II Under Maryland law it is clear that "an option is not a mere offer to sell, which can be withdrawn by the optionor at any time before acceptance, but a binding agreement if supported by consideration." Blondell v. Turover, 195 Md. 251, 256, 72 A.2d 697, 699 (1950). In other words, an option is an agreement to keep an offer open that requires consideration to give it its irrevocable character. Goldman v. Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., 251 Md. 575, 581, 248 A.2d 154, 158 (1968). Once the option is exercised by the optionee a binding contract is created that may be enforced through a decree commanding specific performance. Diggs v. Siomporas, 248 Md. 677, 681, 237 A.2d 725, 727 (1968); Blondell v. Turover, supra, 195 Md. at 256, 72 A.2d at 699. It is apparent, then, that an option must be supported by consideration in order to be irrevocable for the period provided in the option. When, however, the consideration allegedly supporting an option fails or is nonexistent, the option is no longer irrevocable but rather it becomes "a mere offer to sell, which can be withdrawn by the optionor at any time before acceptance...." Blondell v. Turover, supra, 195 Md. at 256, 72 A.2d at 699. The failure of consideration destroys the irrevocability of the option; it nonetheless retains its essential characteristic as an offer to buy or sell for the *493 period stated in the option or until revoked. It has been recognized that equity will enforce a resulting contract despite lack of consideration for the option: "While the rule that equity will enforce a contract consummated by the acceptance of an option within the time and upon the terms of the option is often stated in such a way as to suggest or imply the necessity of consideration for the option, all that is meant in most cases is that a consideration is necessary to prevent the defendant from asserting his withdrawal of the option before its acceptance by the plaintiff and before the expiration of the time fixed in the option within which acceptance could be made." 71 Am.Jur.2d, Specific Performance § 143 (1973) (footnotes omitted). See 1A Corbin on Contracts § 263 (1963). See generally Kahn v. General Development Corp., 40 Del. Ch. 83, 92, 174 A.2d 307, 312 (1961) (failure of consideration "destroyed the irrevocability of the option"). Burkhead v. Farlow, 266 N.C. 595, 597, 146 S.E.2d 802, 804 (1966) (option without consideration was "mere offer to sell which defendants might have withdrawn at any time before acceptance"); Rose v. Minis, 41 N.J. Super. 538, 543, 125 A.2d 535, 538 (1956) (option which is mere offer is "simply a naked revocable authority"). Assuming, arguendo, that the 1975 option was unsupported by consideration, it remained as an offer to sell the parcel for $28,000. The offer was open until February 1, 1979, but it was revocable at any time by action of Calvin and Cecelia Beall. As stated in the case of Holifield v. Veterans' Farm & Home Board, 218 Miss. 446, 450, 67 So.2d 456, 457 (1953): "It is well settled that an option is not binding as a contract where there is no consideration, unless it is accepted within the time limit and before the offer is withdrawn. Since there was no consideration paid by the Veterans' Farm and Home Board and *494 Mauldin for the option, it could have been revoked by the Holifields at any time before the Veterans' Farm and Home Board and Mauldin notified them that they intended to buy the land; but since the offer was accepted within the time limit and before withdrawal, the contract became binding upon all parties as it was thereafter supported by the consideration of the mutual promises." (Emphasis added.) This statement is generally in accord with the Maryland cases, supra. The chancellor should, therefore, have determined whether or not there was a valid, unrevoked offer to sell the property in dispute and whether or not there was a proper acceptance of that offer sufficient to create a contract specifically enforceable in equity.[1] These issues of offer and acceptance primarily involve factual determinations that initially must be evaluated by the chancellor. As an appellate court, we are limited to a review of the chancellor's findings under the "clearly erroneous" standard. Md. Rule 1086. But our review is dependent upon the existence of factual findings on the issues material to the case. Such findings were not made below. It was error for the chancellor to dismiss plaintiff's bill of complaint at the close of his case. A new trial, in accordance with this opinion, is necessitated. Order reversed; cause remanded for a new trial in accordance with this opinion; costs to abide the final result. NOTES [1] We express no opinion concerning the validity of the chancellor's finding that there was no consideration for the option.

Blocked Drains Show reporter’s name Reported in the Roads/highways category by Tony Parfitt at 10:18, Tue 17 October 2017 Sent to Bath and North East Somerset Council 2 minutes later This problem was reported to Fix My Street in September 2016 and nothing has been done about it. The Drain and now several more farther up the road are completely blocked with silt, so that when it rains the water comes out a drain higher up the road and flows down the road and floods. Updates Still open, via questionnaire, 11:59, Tue 14 November 2017 This drain and several others have been blocked for over a year when it was first reported on fix my street ,and no action was taken then. I also reported it to Council Connect in October and still no action. Posted by Tony Parfitt at 11:59, Tue 14 November 2017 The problem of the one drain was fixed but the bigger issue is that most of the drains farther up the hill are also totally blocked as they have been for the past year. The action at this present time that has been worked on has only helped to stop flooding in this area, water still flows down the hill on the surface of the road , this is not going to be safe when it freezes, my concern is that this is the rout for the local school coaches. State changed to: Fixed Posted by Tony Parfitt at 16:15, Tue 12 December 2017 Provide an update Please note that updates are not sent to the council. Your information will only be used in accordance with our privacy policy Photo PhotoPhoto UpdateYour email Now to submit your update… Do you have a FixMyStreet password? Yes I have a password Yes I have a password Keep me signed in on this computer Forgotten your password? Confirm by email instead, providing a new password at that point. When you confirm, your password will be updated. No Let me confirm my update by email Name Show my name publicly Alert me to future updates Password (optional) Providing a password is optional, but doing so will allow you to more easily report problems, leave updates and manage your reports.

Merritt Island Dragon The Merritt Island Dragon or Merrit Island River Dragon was a dragon-shaped green concrete structure that stood at the southern tip of Merritt Island, known as Dragon Point, where the Indian River Lagoon splits to form the Banana River Lagoon. The dragon was built in 1971 by Florida artist Lewis VanDercar and property owner Aynn Christal. In 1981, the statue was expanded for new property owner Warren McFadden, with the addition of a tail, an extended neck, two cavepeople a caveman named Fred and a cavewoman named Wilma and four hatchling dragons named Joy, Sunshine, Charity, and Freedom. The statues were located in the city of Melbourne, Florida, north of the Eau Gallie Causeway. The dragon was created from of concrete and steel, and stood high and long. Known as "Annie", the dragon served as a landmark for both locals and boaters, and also as a playhouse for children. On special occasions, the dragon would breathe fire. In August 2002, the sculpture was badly damaged, and partially collapsed into the water during a storm; vandalism was blamed for contributing to the statue's destruction. The owner and the Brevard County Commissioners were unable to agree on a rehabilitation effort; there was a plan in 2004 to reconstruct the sculpture, while in 2008, a developer planned a luxury hotel and spa on the Dragon Point site with a reconstructed dragon statue as its centerpiece, but both plans fell through. A children's book about the dragon, River Dragon: A Real Florida Fairy Tale, was published in 2003. Save Dragon Point, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the dragon statue, was founded in May 2012. In August, the mansion on the property where the dragon had stood was scheduled to be demolished and the property sold. Save Dragon Point changed its name to Annie and Kids Arts and Education Foundation. In January 2015, Don Facciobene, local builder and developer, bought the property. He announced that a new dragon named "Rojak" will be built. According to the story of Dragon Point Rojak is Annie's fifth hatchling who was kept hidden. In April Rojak was revealed to be built by 2017. The inaugural Dragon Boat Festival is planned for June 13, 2015. Proceeds are intended to benefit Save Dragon Point. Demolition work began at Dragon Point in March of 2017, clearing room for a future multi-million dollar riverfront mansion and for "Rojak." Notes External links Save Dragon Point Often confused with Documentary Video Spotlights Merritt Island's Dragon A video of the dragon The current state of Dragon Point, 2016 Category:1971 sculptures Category:Buildings and structures in Merritt Island, Florida Category:Concrete sculptures in the United States Category:Destroyed sculptures Category:Indian River Lagoon Category:Landmarks in Florida Category:Merritt Island, Florida Category:1971 establishments in Florida Category:Sculptures of dragons Category:Vandalized works of art

Q: How to convert from huge JSON file to xml file in C# I'm trying to convert from a huge JSON file(2GB) to xml file. I have some troubles reading the huge JSON file. I've been researching about how i can read huge JSON files. I found this: Out of memory exception while loading large json file from disk How to parse huge JSON file as stream in Json.NET? Parsing large json file in .NET It seems that i'm duplicating my question but i have some troubles which aren't solved in these posts. So, i need to load the huge JSON File and the community propose something like this: MyObject o; using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("foo.json")) using (JsonTextReader reader = new JsonTextReader(sr)) { var serializer = new JsonSerializer(); reader.SupportMultipleContent = true; while (reader.Read()) { if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartObject) { // Deserialize each object from the stream individually and process it var o = serializer.Deserialize<MyObject>(reader); //Do something with the object } } } So, We can read by parts and deserialize objects one by one. I'll show you my code JsonSerializer serializer = new JsonSerializer(); string hugeJson = "hugJSON.json"; using (FileStream s = File.Open(hugeJson , FileMode.Open)) { using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(s)) { using (JsonReader reader = new JsonTextReader(sr)) { reader.SupportMultipleContent = true; while (reader.Read()) { if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.StartObject) { var jsonObject = serializer.Deserialize(reader); string xmlString = ""; XmlDocument doc = JsonConvert.DeserializeXmlNode(jsonObject.ToString(), "json"); using (var stringWriter = new StringWriter()) { using (var xmlTextWriter = XmlWriter.Create(stringWriter)) { doc.WriteTo(xmlTextWriter); xmlTextWriter.Flush(); xmlString = stringWriter.GetStringBuilder().ToString(); } } } } } } } But when i try doc.WriteTo(xmlTextWriter), i get Exception of type System.OutOfMemoryException was thrown. I've been trying with BufferedStream. This class allows me manage big files but i have another problem. I'm reading in byte[] format. When i convert to string, the json is splitted and i can't parse to xml file because there are missing characters for example: { foo:[{ foo:something, foo1:something, foo2:something }, { foo:something, foo:som it is cutted. Is any way to read a huge JSON and convert to XML without load the JSON by parts? or i could load a convert by parts but i don't know how to do this. Any ideas? UPDATE: I have been trying with this code: static void Main(string[] args) { string json = ""; string pathJson = "foo.json"; //Read file string temp = ""; using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(pathJson, FileMode.Open)) { using (BufferedStream bf = new BufferedStream(fs)) { byte[] array = new byte[70000]; while (bf.Read(array, 0, 70000) != 0) { json = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(array); temp = String.Concat(temp, json); } } } XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument(); doc = JsonConvert.DeserializeXmlNode(temp, "json"); using (var stringWriter = new StringWriter()) using (var xmlTextWriter = XmlWriter.Create(stringWriter)) { doc.WriteTo(xmlTextWriter); xmlTextWriter.Flush(); xmlString = stringWriter.GetStringBuilder().ToString(); } File.WriteAllText("outputPath", xmlString); } This code convert from json file to xml file. but when i try to convert a big json file (2GB), i can't. The process cost a lot of time and the string doesn't have capacity to store all the json. How i can store it? Is any way to do this conversion without use the datatype string? UPDATE: The json format is: [{ 'key':[some things], 'data': [some things], 'data1':[A LOT OF ENTRIES], 'data2':[A LOT OF ENTRIES], 'data3':[some things], 'data4':[some things] }] A: Out-of-memory exceptions in .Net can be caused by several problems including: Allocating too much total memory. If this might be happening, check whether you are running in 64-bit mode as described here. If not, rebuild in 64-bit mode as described here and re-test. Allocating too many objects on the large object heap causing memory fragmentation. Allocating a single object that is larger than the .Net object size limit. Failing to dispose of unmanaged memory (not applicable here). In your case, you may be trying to allocate too much total memory but are definitely allocating three very large objects: the in-memory temp JSON string, the in-memory xmlString XML string and the in-memory stringWriter. You can substantially reduce your memory footprint and completely eliminate these objects by constructing an XDocument or XmlDocument directly via a streaming translation from the JSON file. Then afterward, write the document directly to the XML file using XDocument.Save() or XmlDocument.Save(). To do this, you will need to allocate your own XmlNodeConverter, then construct a JsonSerializer using it and deserialize as shown in Deserialize JSON from a file. The following method(s) do the trick: public static partial class JsonExtensions { public static XDocument LoadXNode(string pathJson, string deserializeRootElementName) { using (var stream = File.OpenRead(pathJson)) return LoadXNode(stream, deserializeRootElementName); } public static XDocument LoadXNode(Stream stream, string deserializeRootElementName) { // Let caller dispose the underlying streams. using (var textReader = new StreamReader(stream, Encoding.UTF8, true, 1024, true)) return LoadXNode(textReader, deserializeRootElementName); } public static XDocument LoadXNode(TextReader textReader, string deserializeRootElementName) { var settings = new JsonSerializerSettings { Converters = { new XmlNodeConverter { DeserializeRootElementName = deserializeRootElementName } }, }; using (var jsonReader = new JsonTextReader(textReader) { CloseInput = false }) return JsonSerializer.CreateDefault(settings).Deserialize<XDocument>(jsonReader); } public static void StreamJsonToXml(string pathJson, string pathXml, string deserializeRootElementName, SaveOptions saveOptions = SaveOptions.None) { var doc = LoadXNode(pathJson, deserializeRootElementName); doc.Save(pathXml, saveOptions); } } Then use them as follows: JsonExtensions.StreamJsonToXml(pathJson, outputPath, "json"); Here I am using XDocument instead of XmlDocument because I believe (but have not checked personally) that it uses less memory, e.g. as reported in Some hard numbers about XmlDocument, XDocument and XmlReader (x86 versus x64) by Ken Lassesen. This approach eliminates the three large objects mentioned previously and substantially reduces the chance of running out of memory due to problems #2 or #3. Demo fiddle here. If you are still running out of memory even after ensuring you are running in 64-bit mode and streaming directly from and to your file(s) using the methods above, then it may simply be that your XML is too large to fit in your computer's virtual memory space using XDocument or XmlDocument. If that is so, you will need to adopt a pure streaming solution that transforms from JSON to XML on the fly as it streams. Unfortunately, Json.NET does not provide this functionality out of the box, so you will need a more complex solution. So, what are your options? You could fork your own version of XmlNodeConverter.cs and rewrite ReadElement(JsonReader reader, IXmlDocument document, IXmlNode currentNode, string propertyName, XmlNamespaceManager manager) to write directly to an XmlWriter instead of an IXmlDocument. While probably doable with a couple days effort, the difficulty would seem to exceed that of a single stackoverflow answer. You could use the reader returned by JsonReaderWriterFactory to translate JSON to XML on the fly, and pass that reader directly to XmlWriter.WriteNode(XmlReader). The readers and writers returned by this factory are used internally by DataContractJsonSerializer but can be used directly as well. If your JSON has a fixed schema (which is unclear from your question) you have many more straightforward options. Incrementally deserializing to some c# data model as shown in Parsing large json file in .NET and re-serializing that model to XML is likely to use much less memory than loading into some generic DOM such as XDocument. Option #2 can be implemented very simply, as follows: using (var stream = File.OpenRead(pathJson)) using (var jsonReader = JsonReaderWriterFactory.CreateJsonReader(stream, XmlDictionaryReaderQuotas.Max)) { using (var xmlWriter = XmlWriter.Create(outputPath)) { xmlWriter.WriteNode(jsonReader, true); } } However, the XML thereby produced is much less pretty than the XML generated by XmlNodeConverter. For instance, given the simple input JSON {"Root":[{ "key":["a"], "data": [1, 2] }]} XmlNodeConverter will create the following XML: <json> <Root> <key>a</key> <data>1</data> <data>2</data> </Root> </json> While JsonReaderWriterFactory will create the following (indented for clarity): <root type="object"> <Root type="array"> <item type="object"> <key type="array"> <item type="string">a</item> </key> <data type="array"> <item type="number">1</item> <item type="number">2</item> </data> </item> </Root> </root> The exact format of the XML generated can be found in Mapping Between JSON and XML. Still, once you have valid XML, there are streaming XML-to-XML transformation solutions that will allow you to transform the generated XML to your final, desired format, including: C# XSLT Transforming Large XML Files Quickly. How to: Perform Streaming Transform of Large XML Documents (C#). Combining the XmlReader and XmlWriter classes for simple streaming transformations. Is it possible to do the other way? Unfortunately JsonReaderWriterFactory.CreateJsonWriter().WriteNode(xmlReader, true); isn't really suited for conversion of arbitrary XML to JSON as it only allows for conversion of XML with the precise schema specified by Mapping Between JSON and XML. Furthermore, when converting from arbitrary XML to JSON the problem of array recognition exists: JSON has arrays, XML doesn't, it only has repeating elements. To recognize repeating elements (or tuples of elements where identically named elements may not be adjacent) and convert them to JSON array(s) requires buffering either the XML input or the JSON output (or a complex two-pass algorithm). Mapping Between JSON and XML avoids the problem by requiring type="object" or type="array" attributes.

Bob P July 17, 2007Don started his major league career with the Yankees in 1934, spending four seasons in the Bronx as a utility player. He was traded to the St. Louis Browns before the 1938 season and was a regular in St. Louis for four seasons, mainly at second base and sometimes at shortstop. He also had brief stops with the Philadelphia A's and Detroit Tigers. Heffner was a successful minor league manager for about ten years starting in 1947, then joined the Kansas City A's as a coach in 1958. He moved to Detroit as a coach in 1961, then went back to managing in the minors the next two seasons. Don was hired by the Mets and was their third base coach in 1964 and 1965. Right after the 1965 season, having seen Wes Westrum succeed Casey Stengel, Don accepted the managerial job with the Cincinnati Reds. The 1966 season was the first season for the Reds after they had traded Frank Robinson to Baltimore for Milt Pappas. The Reds stumbled along through the first half of the season, and Heffner was fired at the All-Star break with a record of 37-46. It was to be his only taste of managing in the majors.

1. Introduction {#s0005} =============== Human saliva is the complex fluid secreted by major and minor salivary glands. Saliva secretion is under the control of the autonomic nervous system. The three major salivary glands are parotid, sublingual and submandibular. Human saliva consists of water, glycoproteins, enzymes, antimicrobial substances and electrolytes. Glycoproteins in saliva are responsible for the viscoelastic characteristics giving a lubricative film, which enables the free movement of oral tissues. The mucin and electrolytes in saliva maintain the oral mucosa in its hydrated state and thus providing mucosal integrity ([@b0140]). The major functions of human saliva are lubrication, antimicrobial and cleansing activity, remineralisation of enamel with calcium and phosphate and facilitating eating and speech. Salivary gland dysfunction such as xerostomia (subjective sensation of dry mouth) and hyposalivation (diminished salivary flow) ([@b0055]) are relatively common problems that can give difficulties in speech, problems with eating, mucosal infections, denture intolerance, increased dental caries, periodontal disease and loss of life quality. The usual therapies for xerostomia and hyposalivation are drinking large quantities of water, using chewing gum, candies and artificial saliva. The aims of using artificial saliva are to ensure lubrication of oral tissues, relieve the sensation of dry mouth, and protect the tooth tissues from decay. There are several approaches to produce artificial saliva, including the imitation of natural saliva which is quite complex. Usually, the commercially available artificial saliva formulation composes of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) and hydroxyethylcellulose as thickening and lubricating agents. In fact, mucilage can be found in various parts of many plants. These mucilages can be used as thickening, moisturizing and lubricating agents in artificial saliva formulations. Beside mucilages in these plants, there are also several bioactive compounds which are advantageous for the development as artificial saliva, e.g. antioxidant and anti-adherent activity. Antioxidants can enhance the immune system and prevent cancer in oral cavity, while the anti-adherent activity is one of the important properties to prevent the adhesion of microorganisms on the teeth. Mucilage is water soluble polysaccharide found in a widespread number of plants and also in some microorganisms. There are many plants which contain mucilage such as *Basella alba* Linn., *Hibiscus esculentus* Linn., *Litsea glutinosa* (Lour.) C.B. Robinson, *Ocimum canum* Sims., *Plantago ovate* Forssk., *Scaphium scaphigerum* G. Don. and *Trigonella foenum-graecum* Linn. ([@b0125]). *Basella alba* Linn. (called in common name as Ceylon Spinach or Phak Plung in Thai), family Basellaceae is a wildly cultivated, cool season vegetable (plants that have adapted to cool climates. They prefer temperatures between 55° and 75° F, which are late winter, early spring, late summer, autumn and early winter) with climbing growth habit ([Fig. 1](#f0005){ref-type="fig"}). Ceylon Spinach is an edible vegetable and has long been used as thickening agents in soups and stews. It is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as iron, calcium and soluble fiber. In addition, mucilage from this plant has also been used as topical Thai traditional medicines for the treatment of irritant, bruise, ringworm and laboring. Its stem and leaves are used as mild laxative, diuretic and antipyretic. The Ayurvedic treatment in India has used its leaves and stems for anticancer such as melanoma, leukemia and oral cancer ([@b0005]). Its mucilage is composed of mainly polysaccharides with the pH ranging between 5.3 and 5.4, containing D-galactose as a major monosaccharide and exhibiting slow swelling capacity ([@b0020]). Our previous study has demonstrated that the mucilages of *B. alba* Linn. extracted by distilled water at pH 11 using microwave for 3 min gave the highest DPPH radical scavenging and metal chelating activity of 1.01 and 11.14 folds of vitamin C and EDTA, respectively ([@b0105]). Therefore, the objective of this present study was to develop a biological active artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach by evaluating the physicochemical properties (viscosity, rheology wetting time) and biological activities including anti-oxidant activity and anti-adherent activity.Fig. 1The whole plant of Ceylon Spinach (*Basella alba* Linn.) showing its flowers, Family Basellaceae. 2. Materials and methods {#s0010} ======================== 2.1. Materials {#s0015} -------------- Ceylon Spinach was purchased from the local fresh market in Chiang Mai province, Thailand during April-May 2012 and identified by a botanist of the botanical garden at Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University in Thailand. A voucher specimen (BAL-258) was deposited in the herbarium of Chiang Mai University (CMU) herbarium and flora database, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. Vitamin C (L-(+)-ascorbic acid), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH), sulforhodamine B (SRB) and resazurin sodium were from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO, USA). Calcium chloride was purchased from Merck, Germany. Potassium chloride and sodium fluoride from Ajax Finechem Pty Ltd., Australia were used. Tris (hydroxymethyl) methylamine was purchased from Fisher Scientific UK Limited, UK. All other chemicals and reagents were of analytical grade. 2.2. Mucilage extraction {#s0020} ------------------------ The fresh flowers of Ceylon Spinach (100 g) were cut into small pieces, macerated with 700 ml distilled water for 24 h and microwaved at 600 W intensity for 5 min. The mixture was then pressed through a muslin cloth. The filtrate containing the mucilage was centrifuged at 4,660g (centrifuge machine, Fisher Scientific Inc., New York, U.S.A) 25 °C for 30 min. The supernatant was collected, mixed with 95% ethanol (3 folds in volume) to precipitate the mucilage and re-centrifuged at 4,660g for 15 min. The precipitate was collected and the remaining ethanol in the precipitate was removed by a rotary evaporator (Buchi, Flawil, Switzerland) (50 ± 2 °C) until all ethanol was evaporated and lyophilized by a lyophilizer (Christ FOC-1 Model K-40 equipment, Balzers-Pfeiffer GmbH, Asslar, Germany) at −50 ± 2 °C. The dried lyophilized powder of the mucilage was kept at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) until use. 2.3. Phytochemical assays {#s0025} ------------------------- The mucilage was analyzed for phytochemical constituents (anthraquinones, glycosides, tannin, carotenoids, flavonoids and alkaloids) using the standard methods ([@b0100]). For anthraquinone, 0.05 g of the mucilage was put into a dry test tube, added with 2 ml of chloroform and shaken for 5 min. The mucilage was filtered. The filtrate was mixed with an equal volume of 10% ammonia solution and shaken. A pink violet or red color in the ammoniacal layer (lower layer) indicated the presence of anthraquinone. The qualitative assay of reducing sugars was performed by TLC method. The mucilage dissolved in water was spotted on the silica gel plate in comparing to the standard reducing sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose). The filtrate was resolved on the TLC plate coated with silica gel 60. The mobile phase was butanol/acetic acid/diethyl ether/water (9:6:1:3). The spot on the plate was sprayed with 10% H~2~SO~4~ and heated. Sucrose, glucose and fructose were used as the standards. For tannins, 0.05 g of the mucilage was mixed with 2 ml of 15% FeCl~3~ solution. The blue-black precipitate indicated the presence of tannins. For carotenoid, each mucilage sample was extracted with chloroform in a test tube with vigorous shaking. The resulting mixture was filtered and 0.1 ml of H~2~SO~4~ was added. The blue color at the interface showed the presence of carotenoids. For the presence of flavonoid, 2 ml of the mucilage solution mixed with 1 ml of the concentrated HCl and magnesium ribbon gave the pink tomato-red color. For alkaloids, an amount of 0.05 g of the mucilage in 2 ml of 1.5%v/v HCl was boiled on a water bath and 6 drops of the Dragendorff's reagent were added. The orange precipitate indicated the presence of alkaloids. 2.4. The development of artificial saliva formulations containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0030} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### 2.4.1. Preparation of the artificial saliva formulations {#s0035} Five developed artificial saliva formulations were prepared ([Table 1](#t0005){ref-type="table"}). The compositions of the formulations were mucilage from Ceylon Spinach, calcium chloride (CaCl~2~), potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium fluoride (NF) as electrolytes and minerals, and 20% concentrated paraben (18% methyl paraben and 2% propyl paraben) as preservative. Briefly, the mucilage from Ceylon Spinach together with the electrolytes and minerals were dispersed in 100 ml of 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The mixture was then homogenized by a homogenizer (Brinkmann, Kinematica GmbH, Switzerland) at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) for 15 min and left for 30 min. Then, 1% of the concentrated paraben was added. The formulations were filtered through a Whatman® No. 1 filter paper and kept in a tight bottle for the further experiment.Table 1Compositions of the 5 developed artificial saliva formulations.Compositions (g)No.1No.2No.3No.4No.5Ceylon Spinach mucilage0.55000.73000.83000.66000.6100CaCl~2~·2H~2~O0.02420.02260.02160.02320.0237KCl0.14280.13340.12820.13710.1397Na~2~HPO~4~0.12650.12650.12650.12650.1265NaH~2~PO~4~·H~2~O0.15300.15300.15300.15300.1530NaF0.00100.00100.00100.00100.001020% concentrated paraben11111[^1] ### 2.4.2. Physico-chemical properties of the developed artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0040} #### 2.4.2.1. Natural human saliva collection {#s0045} The natural human saliva was collected from healthy volunteers (N = 5, 25--35 years old). The volunteers gargled their mouths with drinking water prior to saliva collection. #### 2.4.2.2. Viscosity and rheology determination {#s0050} Viscosity and rheology of the developed artificial saliva formulations were determined by a viscometer (Myr VR 3000 model, Tarragona, Spain) with the range of the shear rate between 5 and 200 rpm. All measurements were carried out at 25 ± 2 °C and 50 ml volume of the formulation were used in each test. The shear stress of the artificial saliva formulations was calculated by the following equation:$$\text{Shear}\,\text{stress} = \frac{\text{shear}\,\text{rate}}{\text{Viscosity}}$$ #### 2.4.2.3. Wetting time determination {#s0055} Wetting time of the developed artificial saliva formulations was measured by the modified method previously described ([@b0080]). Briefly, a filter paper (Whatman® No. 1) was placed in a Petri dish containing 6 ml of the sample (distilled water, natural saliva from human volunteer and the developed artificial saliva formulation). A tablet with methylene blue dye powder on the upper surface was carefully placed on the filter paper in the Petri dish. The time (mins) required for the sample to reach the upper surface of the tablet by observing from the completely wetting with methylene blue was noted as the wetting time. #### 2.4.2.4. Selection of the best artificial saliva formulation {#s0060} The formulation with the best physical properties (clarity, precipitation, viscosity/rheology and wetting time) was selected for the further study. 2.5. Biological activities of the selected artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0065} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### 2.5.1. DPPH radical scavenging activity {#s0070} Free radical scavenging activity of the selected artificial saliva formulations was determined by the modified DPPH assay ([@b0095]). Briefly, 50 µl of five serial concentrations (0.001--10 mg/ml) of the sample and 50 µl of ethanolic solution of DPPH were added into each well of a 96-well microplate (Nalge Nunc International, NY, USA). The reaction mixtures were allowed to stand for 30 min at 25 ± 2 °C and the absorbance was then measured at 515 nm by a well reader (Bio-Rad, Model 680 Microplate Reader, USA) against the negative control (distilled water). Ascorbic acid (0.001--10 mg/ml) was used as a positive control. The experiment was done in triplicate. The percentages of free radical scavenging activity were calculated as the following: Scavenging (%) = \[(A − B)/A\] × 100, where A was the absorbance of the negative control and B was the absorbance of the sample. The sample concentration providing 50% of scavenging (SC~50~) activity was calculated from the graph plotted between the percentages of the scavenging activity and the sample concentrations. ### 2.5.2. Cytotoxicity on normal human gingival fibroblasts {#s0075} #### 2.5.2.1. Cell culture {#s0080} Normal human gingival fibroblasts were obtained from the gingival tissue by the explant technique at Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. They were cultured in the 30-mm diameter tissue culture dishes in the complete culture medium containing α-Modified Eagles culture medium (MEM-Alpha, Hyclone, Utah, USA) supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum (FBS, Hyclone, Utah, USA), penicillin (100 U/ml; Hyclone, Utah, USA) and streptomycin (100 mg/ml; Hyclone, Utah, USA). Cells were incubated in a temperature-controlled, humidified incubator (Shel Lab, model 2123TC, USA) with 5% CO~2~ at 37 °C and subcultured every 5--7 days. The cells at the 5th to 8th passage were used in this study. #### 2.5.2.2. Sample preparation {#s0085} The extract at 6.1 mg/ml and the developed artificial saliva formulations containing 6.1 mg/ml of mucilage from Ceylon Spinach were used for cytotoxicity test compared to natural human saliva at 1 mg/ml. All samples were filtered through a membrane filter (0.2 µm) before use. #### 2.5.2.3. Cytotoxicity by SRB assay {#s0090} The cells were seeded in 96-well plates at an amount of 10,000 cells/well and allowed to attach overnight at 37 °C in 5% CO~2~ incubator. Then, the cells were exposed to the sample for 24 h. After incubation, the adherent cells were fixed by adding cold 50%w/v trichloroacetic acid and further incubated for 1 h at 4 °C. Then, the cells were rinsed with distilled water, air-dried and stained with 0.4% SRB in 1%glacial acetic acid for 30 min at room temperature (27 ± 2 °C). The unbound SRB was removed by washing with 1% glacial acetic acid solution for four times. After air-drying, 100 µl per well of 10 mM Tris base were added to dissolve the bound stain. After mixing, the absorbance was measured at 540 nm with a microplate reader (Biorad, Milan, Italy). The untreated cells were used as a negative control. Cell viability (%) was calculated by the following equation:$$\text{Cell}\,\text{viability}\,\left( \% \right) = \left( {\text{Absorbanc}\text{e}_{\text{treated}\;\text{cells}}/\text{Absorbanc}\text{e}_{\text{untreated}\;\text{cells}}} \right) \times 100$$ ### 2.5.3. Anti-adherent activity determination {#s0095} #### 2.5.3.1. Bacterial culture {#s0100} *Streptococcus mutans* (obtained from Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University, Thailand) was inoculated into tryptic soy broth and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. The absorbance at 550 nm (OD~550~) was measured and the cell concentration was adjusted to obtain the OD~550~ of 0.5. The bacterial concentration was diluted one fold to obtain the bacterial concentration of 1 × 10^6^ CFU/ml. #### 2.5.3.2. Sample preparation {#s0105} The selected artificial saliva formulation containing the Ceylon Spinach mucilage and the natural human saliva from the human volunteers were used. Briefly, an amount of 20 ml of the natural saliva was collected from the human volunteers, centrifuged at 10,000g, 4 °C for 15 min and the clear solution was collected. Distilled water was used as a negative control. The developed artificial saliva formulation, the natural saliva and the distilled water were filtered through a membrane filter (0.2 µm) before use. #### 2.5.3.3. Anti-adherent activity {#s0110} The anti-adherent activity was performed as previously described ([@b0105]). Briefly, hydroxyapatite (HA) was dispersed in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) at the concentration of 5 mg/ml. An amount of 200 µl of the HA suspension was added into each well of the 96-well plate, centrifuged at 1,000g for 15 min and the supernatant was discarded. The natural saliva (200 µl) was added into each well, incubated at 37 °C with shaking at 80 rpm for 120 min and centrifuged at 1,000g for 15 min. The HA was washed by phosphate buffer. The 100 µl of *S. mutans* with 100 µl each of either the selected artificial saliva formulation, natural saliva or distilled water were added, incubated at 37 °C with shaking at 80 rpm for 120 min and then incubated without shaking at 37 °C for 60 min. The plate was centrifuged at 1,000g for 15 min and washed with phosphate buffer. The resazurin solution (100 µl) was added into each well and incubated at 37 °C with shaking at 80 rpm for 60 min. The fluorescence intensity was measured by a spectrofluorometer (Jusco, Hachioji, Japan) with the excitation/emission at the λ of 562/595. The % adhesion was calculated in comparing to the control (distilled water) as the followings:$$\%\;{\text{Decrease\ of\ adherence\ =}\mspace{6mu}}\frac{\text{F}_{\text{control}} - \text{F}_{\text{sample}}}{\text{F}_{\text{control}}} \times 100$$$$\%\;{\text{Increase\ of\ adherence\ =}\mspace{6mu}}\frac{\text{F}_{\text{sample}} - \text{F}_{\text{control}}}{\text{F}_{\text{control}}} \times 100$$where F~control~ was the fluorescence intensity of the control and F~sample~ was the fluorescence intensity of the sample. 2.6. Statistical analysis {#s0115} ------------------------- The results were presented as mean ± SD of three independent experiments. ANOVA was used for the analysis of the test results at the significance level of *p*-value \< 0.05. 3. Results and discussion {#s0120} ========================= 3.1. Physical properties of the Ceylon Spinach mucilage and the developed artificial saliva formulations containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0125} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### 3.1.1. Physical appearances {#s0130} The lyophilized powder of the mucilage from Ceylon Spinach was in green-brown appearance with the characteristic greenish odor. The percentage yield of the mucilage was 0.44% w/w of the fresh plant. The Ceylon Spinach mucilage gave the positive results of phytochemical test of flavonoids and fructose. The 5 developed artificial saliva formulations gave different physical appearance ([Fig. 2](#f0010){ref-type="fig"}). Formula No.5 containing 0.61 g of the mucilage from Ceylon Spinach, 0.0237 g of CaCl~2~, 0.1397 g of KCl and 0.1530 g of NaF gave the best physical appearance which was translucent light green solution without precipitation.Fig. 2Physical appearances of the 5 developed artificial saliva formulations conatining mucilage from flowers of Ceylon Spinach. ### 3.1.2. Viscosity and rheology of the developed artificial saliva formulations {#s0135} The formulations which showed good physical appearance with no precipitation having the viscosity value and rheology behavior similar to natural human saliva which is a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic flow that is the most important physical characteristic of human saliva and gave no microbial contamination were selected. All of the 5 developed artificial saliva formulations gave good physical appearance with no precipitation with formulation nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 showing the non-Newtonian pseudoplastic flow with difference viscosity values of 6.8 ± 0.1, 14.4 ± 0.5, 17.3 ± 0.3, 10.1 ± 0.5 and 8.9 ± 0.2 cP, respectively. Thus, only the developed artificial saliva formulation No. 5 gave the viscosity of 8.9 ± 0.2 cP which was very close to the natural human saliva (9.0 ± 0.1 cP) was selected for the further experiment. The viscosity of the artificial saliva formulation No.5 decreased with increased shear rate, which was an essential property of saliva as shown in [Fig. 3](#f0015){ref-type="fig"}. This formulation also indicated the non-Newtonian pseudoplastic flow the same as the natural saliva ([@b0135]). Saliva has important rheological properties that may affect mouth feel and other sensory perceptions. Mucin glycoproteins containing in natural saliva are known to be important factors for the extensional rheological properties (viscosity, elasticity and stickiness). Also, different rheological behaviours of saliva from each gland secretion could be due to the influence of mucin concentration, mucin conformation and/or the mucin type within the glandular saliva ([@b0035]). As known, the main constituents of plant mucilages are galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, uronic acids, galacturonic acid, protein, Ca and Mg ([@b0180]). The major composition in the Ceylon Spinach mucilage which is responsible for viscosity is pectin, a polysaccharide with rhamnose and neutral sugar with the α-(1--4) glycoside linkage. Pectins containing a significant amount of galacturonic residues in which the presence of the counterions in their solution can affect the inter- and intra-molecular interactions. The reduction of these intramolecular forces can let the coils to contract to the more compact conformation, with the consequent of the reduction in intrinsic viscosity ([@b0075]). In fact, the viscosity of polysaccharide solution has been reported to increase with increased concentrations, but decrease with increased pH and temperatures ([@b0010]). It has been previously indicated that the higher concentration of the Ceylon Spinach mucilage, the lower the pH and the higher viscosity were obtained ([@b0020]). At higher concentration, the mucilage can have a very rigid structure which can attribute to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the polysaccharide and water ([@b0145]). The selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach exhibited similar rheological properties of non-Newtonian pseudoplastic flow to the natural saliva with the viscosity of 8.9 cP.Fig. 3Viscosity (A) and rheology behavior (B) of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach showing the non-Newtonian pseudoplastic flow similar to the natural human saliva. ### 3.1.3. Wetting times of the developed artificial saliva formulations {#s0140} The wetting time is an important property of saliva, since the shorter wetting time can improve food swallowing in xerostomia and hyposalivation patients. Thus, food can be wet in few minutes to make it easier to chew and be swollen. Out of the 5 developed formulations, the wetting time of the artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach was 12.50 ± 2.24 min which was close to the normal human saliva (10.87 ± 1.79 min) ([Table 2](#t0010){ref-type="table"}). The mucin glycoprotein in natural saliva has a lubricating, wetting and softening effect from its hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments that acts as a surfactant resulting the surface tension reduction between water and air ([@b0110]). Negative charge moieties of the mucin (glycosylated region) can interact with water molecules, create a hydration shell and improve hydration and lubrication ([@b0030]). Thus, loss of negatively charged glycan residues is a proposed mechanism for oral dryness through the reduced water retention capacity of mucin, leading to reduced mucosal hydration. Moreover, the contact angle of saliva can reflect the degree of wetting of saliva on surfaces and hence gives an insight into the interaction of saliva with surfaces ([@b0175]). Thus, the wetting property of formulation No.5 may be from the bound moisture of the mucilage that improves wettability by the mechanism of surface tension reduction. In addition, polymers in the Ceylon Spinach mucilage have been reported to have hydrophilic constituents, with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups ([@b0130]), that can be swollen in water thereby exposing to the maximum number of the adhesive sites ([@b0150]). Hence, the formula No.5 which gave superior physical properties of viscosity and wetting time similar to natural saliva was selected for the further study.Table 2Physical properties of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach.SamplePhysical appearancepH valueRheologyWetting time (min)Natural human salivaturbid solution7.32 ± 0.51non-Newtonian\ pseudoplastic10.87 ± 1.79Ceylon Spinach mucilagegreen-brown solid5.58 ± 1.09non-Newtonian\ pseudoplastic10.65 ± 0.69The artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinachtranslucent light green solution7.41 ± 0.35non-Newtonian\ pseudoplastic12.50 ± 2.24 3.2. Antioxidative activities of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0145} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Antioxidative activities of the selected artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage were shown in [Table 2](#t0010){ref-type="table"}. The formulation gave the DPPH scavenging activity with the SC~50~ value of 14.26 ± 2.00 mg/ml which was 0.05 folds of ascorbic acid, and was similar to mucilage from the Ceylon Spinach (the SC~50~ value of 13.84 ± 0.14 mg/ml). However, DPPH scavenging activity was not observed in natural human saliva. The SC~50~ value of the mucilage from the Ceylon Spinach observed in this study was different from the previous study which gave the SC~50~ value of 514.41 µg/ml ([@b0020]). This difference may be from the different extraction method. The observed antioxidant activity of the developed artificial saliva formulation No.5 may be from the presence of polysaccharide containing in the mucilage of Ceylon Spinach such as galactose, arabinose, glucose and mannose ([@b0040], [@b0045]). Several previous works have reported the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from plants. Polysaccharides including rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose from Wampee \[Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels\] gave high antioxidant activities of 78% hydroxyl radical-scavenging ability and 48.35% antioxidative activity ([@b0185]). Water-soluble polysaccharides from Wolfberry (*Lycium barbarum* L.), Sweet Cherry (*Prunus avium* L.), Kiwi (*Actinidia chinensis* L.) and Cranberry fruits (*Vaccinium macrocarpon* Aiton) indicated the antioxidant activities assayed by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) ([@b0050]). The mucilage from Ceylon Spinach of this present study contained not only polysaccharides, but also flavonoids the same as the previous study ([@b0115]). Functional hydroxyl groups in flavonoids mediate their antioxidant effects by scavenging free radicals and chelating metal ions. They also found ascorbic acid and especially phenolic compounds, which have been reported to have antioxidant activities from their redox properties of acting as a reducing agents hydrogen donors and singlet oxygen quenchers. The radical scavenging activities of Ceylon Spinach may be related not only to the phenolic contents, but also the flavonoid, anthocyanin and proanthocyanin contents ([@b0120]). Kaempherol which was a flavonoid found in Ceylon Spinach has been reported to exhibit strong DPPH radical scavenging activity with the SC~50~ value of 4.349 µg/ml ([@b0190]). Hence, the synergistic effect of all phytochemicals in Ceylon Spinach mucilage may be responsible for this free radical scavenging biological activity. 3.3. Cytotoxicity of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0150} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Several studies have investigated cytotoxicity of mucilaginous polysaccharide content in plants. For examples, Okra (*Abelmoschus esculentus* Linn. moench) polysaccharides showed no cytotoxicity on human cancer cell line with nearly 100% cell viability and no morphological changes ([@b0065]). Mucilage from *Grewia optiva* at 10, 20 and 30 μg/ml gave non-toxic on normal (NIH3T3) cell lines ([@b0085]). Sushila et al. have also demonstrated that the extract from *Basella alba* whole plant indicated significant dose dependant cytotoxicity on the Jurkat cell lines, but gave no toxicity on lung cancer cell line (A549) with 88.33 ± 1.20% cell viability at 25 µg/ml ([@b0170]). There was no report of Ceylon Spinach mucilage and its artificial saliva formulation on human gingival fibroblast cytotoxicity. This present study has been the first report to determine the safety for oral administration of the artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach on human gingival fibroblasts. Cytotoxicity of the selected artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach determined by SRB assay was shown in [Table 3](#t0015){ref-type="table"}. The formulation with the pH value of 7.41 ± 0.35 exhibited no cytotoxic effect on the treated cells with 99.20 ± 12.09% cell viability. However, the mucilage from Ceylon Spinach showed high cytotoxic effect of only 23.90 ± 10.43% cell viability, owing to the acidity (pH 5.58 ± 1.09) of the mucilage. pH is one of the most important factors of growth promoting properties including contact inhibition, growth rate and cell mobility. This result was different from the previous study showing that the aqueous extract of *Basella alba* (Ceylon Spinach) indicated the LC~50~ value at \>1000 ppm assayed by the brine shrimp (*Artemia salina*) lethality bioassay, indicating of no cytotoxicity ([@b0015]). As previously reported, the pH range of 6.8--8.2 enhanced human-human hybridoma (HB4C5) cell viability, whereas the outside ranges demonstrated a decrease in cell viability ([@b0195]). Also, it has been previously demonstrated that Ceylon Spinach mucilage at 2 mg/ml showed relatively mild toxicity on Chang liver cell line with 84.4% cell viability ([@b0020]).Table 3Antioxidative activity and cytotoxicity on human gingival fibroblasts of Ceylon Spinach mucilage and the artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach.SampleAntioxidative (SC~50~; mg/ml)Cell viability (%)Ascorbic acid0.72 ± 0.0087.44 ± 10.38Natural human salivaNA98.28 ± 8.92Ceylon Spinach mucilage13.84 ± 0.14\*23.90 ± 10.43\*The artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach14.26 ± 2.00\*99.20 ± 12.09[^2] Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a common positive control of antioxidant activity test by DPPH free radical scavenging. For cytotoxicity test, several studies have shown that vitamin C increases numbers of collagen bundles in the regenerating periodontal tissue, detoxifies histamine in gingival inflammation and reduces gingival oxidative stress. Vitamin C reduces the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of *P. gingivalis* on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) ([@b0165]). This present study has expected that the effect of the developed artificial saliva formulation on HGF was similar to vitamin C and showed the safety of the developed artificial saliva formulation for oral use. 3.4. Anti-adherent activity of *S. mutans* of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach {#s0155} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *S. mutans* has been implicated as a primary causative agent of dental caries. Thus, inhibition of *S. mutans* adhesion to the tooth surface is a major goal for the prevention of dental caries. Anti-adherent activity of the selected artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach were shown in [Table 4](#t0020){ref-type="table"}. In this study, the natural saliva demonstrated an increase adherence of *S. mutans* on the HA (hydroxyapatite) beads of 33.10 ± 9.70% over the control (distilled water). This may be from the compositions in the natural saliva, such as proteins and polysaccharides. Natural saliva contains a multitude of proteins which are important for oral microbial ecology and biofilm formation. Adsorption of specific salivary proteins, such as acidic proline-rich proteins and agglutinin, promotes the adhesion of *S. mutans* onto the HA surfaces by providing ligands for bacterial attachment ([@b0155]). Moreover, high molecular weight salivary glycoprotein promotes adhesion of *S. mutans* ([@b0160]). Hydrophobic interactions have been demonstrated to be important in bacterial adhesion. Also, the negative charges containing in polysaccharides might be necessary for adsorption onto the HA surfaces. Ceylon Spinach mucilage increased the adherence of only 4.83 ± 3.47% which was less than the natural saliva of 6.85 times. Thus, Ceylon Spinach mucilage appeared to reduce *S. mutans* adherence on the HA beads in comparing to the natural saliva. The mechanism of the mucilage from Ceylon Spinach on the reduction of *S. mutans* adhesion might be due to the amino sugars, such as glucosamine containing in the mucilage which can inhibit the binding of *S. mutans* to the saliva-coated HA ([@b0060]). The low molecular weight proteins reduced the saliva-promoted *S. mutans* adherence by competitively inhibiting *S. mutans*-binding glycoprotein adsorption onto the HA surface has also previously reported ([@b0155]). Thus, the amino acid such as arginine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, threonine and tryptophan containing in the Ceylon Spinach mucilage may inhibit *S. mutans* adhesion to the HA surface ([@b0070]).Table 4Anti-adherent activity of *S. mutans* of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach.Sample%Decrease of adherence%Increase of adherenceNatural human saliva--33.10 ± 9.70Ceylon Spinach mucilage--4.83 ± 3.47Vehicle of the artificial saliva formulation3.66 ± 0.88--The artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach17.01 ± 7.75--[^3][^4][^5] The selected artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach exhibited a decrease adhesion of *S. mutans* on HA beads of 17.01 ± 7.75%, whereas the vehicle of the formulation decreased the adherence of 3.66 ± 0.88%. Hence, it appeared that the Ceylon Spinach mucilage containing in the developed artificial saliva formulation may enhance the anti-adherent activity of *S. mutans* of the vehicle of about 13%. The reduction of bacterial adhesion of the vehicle may be due to the bacterial growth reduction by its compositions of parabens and fluoride. Parabens are antimicrobial agents which can inhibit irreversibly glycolysis by the cariogenic dental plaque bacterium, *S. mutans* ([@b0090]). Sodium fluoride can reduce the growth of S. mutans by the sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels of fluoride (MIC: 282 ppm F^−^) ([@b0040], [@b0045]). Also, the commercial fluoride varnishes showed a strong inhibitory effect on the bacterial adhesion of approximately 67--98% reduction ([@b0025]). The anti-adherent activity of *S. mutans* of the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 was thus the synergistic effects from the Ceylon Spinach mucilage and other compositions in the vehicle. Hence, the selected artificial saliva formulation No.5 containing mucilage from Ceylon Spinach indicated superior anti-adherent activity of *S. mutans* to the normal human saliva which is one of the important advantages of this developed artificial saliva formulation. 4. Conclusions {#s0160} ============== The results from this study have suggested the potential application of mucilage from Ceylon Spinach for artificial saliva because of not only its superior physical properties including rheological property and wetting time similar to the natural human saliva, but also having higher antioxidant and anti-adherence activities than the natural human saliva, and with no cytotoxic effect on normal human gingival fibroblasts. Moreover, Ceylon Spinach is an edible vegetable and has been used for foods. Thus, the developed artificial saliva formulation containing mucilage from this plant is safer for consumption than other chemical artificial saliva formulations. This present study has also demonstrated the possibility of using mucilage from edible plants which are safe and cost effective to prepare a biological active artificial formulation for the substitution of natural human saliva and other chemical artificial saliva formulations. Declaration of Competing Interest ================================= The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. This work was supported by Thailand Research Fund (TRF) for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), RDG5450019, Manose Health and Beauty Research Center in Thailand and Thai-China Flavours and Fragrances Industry Co., Ltd., Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand. Peer review under responsibility of King Saud University. [^1]: Note : 20% concentrated paraben solution contained 18% methyl paraben and 2% propyl paraben. [^2]: Note: NA = no activity; Cell viability \> 90% = non-toxic, 60--90% = slightly toxic, 30--59% = moderately toxic and \<30% = highly toxic, \* significant difference (p \< 0.05) in comparing with ascorbic acid. [^3]: Note: [^4]: $\;\%\;{\text{Decrease\ of\ adherence\ =}\mspace{6mu}}\frac{\text{F}_{\text{control}} - \text{F}_{\text{sample}}}{\text{F}_{\text{control}}} \times 100.$ [^5]: $\;\%\;{\text{Increase\ of\ adherence\ =}\mspace{6mu}}\frac{\text{F}_{\text{sample}} - \text{F}_{\text{control}}}{\text{F}_{\text{control}}} \times 100.$

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The bacteriological composition of biomass recovered by flushing an operational drinking water distribution system. This study investigates the influence of pipe characteristics on the bacteriological composition of material mobilised from a drinking water distribution system (DWDS) and the impact of biofilm removal on water quality. Hydrants in a single UK Distribution Management Area (DMA) with both polyethylene and cast iron pipe sections were subjected to incremental increases in flow to mobilise material from the pipe walls. Turbidity was monitored during these operations and water samples were collected for physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis. DNA was extracted from the material mobilised into the bulk water before and during flushing. Bacterial tag-encoded 454 pyrosequencing was then used to characterize the bacterial communities present in this material. Turbidity values were high in the samples from cast iron pipes. Iron, aluminium, manganese and phosphate concentrations were found to correlate to observed turbidity. The bacterial community composition of the material mobilised from the pipes was significantly different between plastic and cast iron pipe sections (p < 0.5). High relative abundances of Alphaproteobacteria (23.3%), Clostridia (10.3%) and Actinobacteria (10.3%) were detected in the material removed from plastic pipes. Sequences related to Alphaproteobacteria (22.8%), Bacilli (16.6%), and Gammaproteobacteria (1.4%) were predominant in the samples obtained from cast iron pipes. The highest species richness and diversity were found in the samples from material mobilised from plastic pipes. Spirochaeta spp., Methylobacterium spp. Clostridium spp. and Desulfobacterium spp., were the most represented genera in the material obtained prior to and during the flushing of the plastic pipes. In cast iron pipes a high relative abundance of bacteria able to utilise different iron and manganese compounds were found such as Lysinibacillus spp., Geobacillus spp. and Magnetobacterium spp.

Drug Development for Hypertension: Do We Need Another Antihypertensive Agent for Resistant Hypertension? The prevalence of resistant hypertension is seemingly much lower than had been reported in early studies. Recent analyses suggest that <5 % of treated hypertensive patients remain uncontrolled if fully adherent to an optimized antihypertensive treatment. However, these patients do have increased cardiovascular risk and need effective therapeutic approaches. Drug development is a high-risk, complex, lengthy, and very expensive process. In this article, we discuss the factors that should be considered in the process of developing a new agent for treatment of resistant hypertension.

Q: remove mirai virus on router I need some help with removing the mirai worm on my rounter. Few days ago my ISP was on cyberattacks which it have affected over 100,000 customers who couldn't be able to get access to the internet that got shutdown. Now it show that my local ISP are CloudMosa in Satatoga, California which is not. My ISP are postoffice in the UK. I have tried to upgraded the latest firmware version from the manufacturer site which it is 2.00(AAJC.15)C0, I have also set the firewall to a high level to avoid the cyperattack and disabled the upnp but the virus will remove the latest firmware version and it will switch back to the old version V2.00(AAJC.15)O0. The name of the rounter I got is called ZyXEL AMG1302-T10B. I don't know what i'm supposed to do and how to remove it as the virus keep coming back. I'm scary to use the internet as it could steals my information especially my bank details, username and password. Do you know how to remove those nasty virus on the router? A: I agree that this does not seem to be Mirai, but it doesn't really matter what it is. The solution is the same no matter what. If a firmware rewrite does not kill it, then just throw the router in the trash and get a new one. I know, it might cost you some money, but it is the only way you can be sure it has not somehow persisted on the device. Just consider the router as broken beyond repair.

Thursday, November 10, 2011 Ephesus, Rhodes, Gythion and 1 day in Rome As I write this we are already in London and soon on our way to Africa. The second half of our cruise went far too quickly as we enjoyed my parents and all the luxuries the ship had to offer (my parents even brought us suits and dresses from home so we weren't quite the slobs we’ve been as of late.) The highlight of this time educationally though was our stop in Kusadasi, Turkey from which we visited Ephesus, the best preserved (or rather reconstructed) ancient Roman city. They have only uncovered 10% of the city as of this time (they are still digging) but it is remarkably clear walking through what it must have been like in the early centuries BC. Many homes had running water and heated floors. My favorite part was the public toilets – no privacy! Look how crowded it is - they are all tourists The Greek ports were less educational but very nice days out. I was a sucker for all the cats. This little girl was making a killing - she stopped every couple of minutes to stuff the money from the cup into her pocket. OK, I might have been feeding them. Always happy when we find these. All in all the cruise was a really nice break from our trip. We surely gained back a bit of the weight we'd lost, and we all agreed the time went by really fast. Still though we were ready to get off the boat by the time we landed in Rome. There we had just one day to cram in all the sites before catching a plane to London. Our guide was great though (hired by Dad - thanks Dad!) and so we got to see an awful lot. It was Sunday though so we missed the Sistine Chapel. Wilder and Peyton thought one day in Italy was a complete rip off, but I told them they'd be back one day. The Colosseum The Forum Trevi Fountain The Spanish Steps The last time I was in Rome it was summer and hot. It was beautiful in November with much fewer tourists. Now though - we hear London calling!

Sounds good.

Same Day Delivery Available If you need items straight-away, we can arrange a same-day courier delivery within the M25 and other South-East locations. Payment Options Reasons to Buy From Us With over twenty years of in-house technical experience supporting (and selling into) the broadcast, post-production, IT integration, and home enthusiast market, RCB Logic is a leading provider of audio, video and IT integration products and services. Overview The MKE 600 is the ideal video camera/camcorder microphone able to handle even demanding filmic challenges. Due to its high directivity, the MKE 600 picks up sounds coming from the direction in which the camera is pointing and effectively attenuates noise coming from the sides and rear. The switchable “Low Cut” filter additionally minimizes wind noise. Because some video cameras/camcorders do not provide phantom power, the MKE 600 can also be battery powered. A battery on/off switch prevents the battery from discharging prematurely; “Low Batt” is displayed.

Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) - around Farnham The Thames Basin Heaths SPA covers an area of 8,275 ha across Hampshire, (the former county of) Berkshire and Surrey. It is part of a complex of heathlands in Southern England that support important populations of breeding birds, including the Dartford Warbler, Nightjar and Woodlark. More general information on SPAs is available from Natural England. Only a small part of the SPA (about 80 ha) lies within Waverley, north of Farnham. There is, however, a “Zone of Influence” around the SPA within which measures are required to avoid adverse impacts on its conservation interests. This ‘buffer zone’ extends from 400 metres to 5 km from the perimeter of the SPA and covers most of the built-up area of Farnham. The SPA Avoidance Strategy The Thames Basin Heaths Avoidance Strategy was adopted in December 2009 and updated in May 2013. Consultation on a further review took place in March / April 2016 and the revised strategy was adopted by the Council on 19 July 2016. It sets out the Council’s approach in seeking to avoid the effect of a net increase in population from new housing developments within 5km of the SPA, and how it proposes to discharge its legal obligations under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. The Strategy provides guidance to developers on the level of avoidance measures that the Council expects to see incorporated within planning applications. In this instance, “avoidance measures” means providing or contributing towards Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), and contributing towards a programme of strategic access management and monitoring (SAMM) of the SPA. In accordance with the Avoidance Strategy, where applicants cannot provide their own SANG (on- or off-site), they will be required to pay a tariff to contribute towards the enhancement of existing SANGs, where such sites have been identified by the local authority. Waverley's only current SANG resource is at Farnham Park. The SANG capacity at Farnham Park is a finite resource in terms of the numbers of new dwellings it can support. The remaining (unallocated) capacity is monitored continually and the latest position can be viewed below. In the event of there being insufficient capacity to support proposals for residential development, and unless applicants can provide or secure alternative SANG in accordance with the Avoidance Strategy, permission will be refused. Financial contributions to the enhancement of the Farnham Park SANG will be secured through an appropriate Section 106 Unilateral Undertaking. This must be completed before the Council can grant planning permission. Note: Within 400m of the perimeter of the SPA, the impact of additional residential development is deemed to be such that it is not possible to conclude no adverse effect on the SPA. There is, therefore, a presumption against development within this zone. How much is the SANG tariff? Use our calculator for assessing the required contribution for avoidance of the impact of development on the SPA.

How do you burn leaves? (A serious question!) Riding through Wray castle yesterday I saw several piles of fallen leaves, slowly burning themselves to ashes. I've got hundreds and thousands of leaves here and I thought that burning them would be a good idea. Only problem is how to do it. Any one know? They only smoulder, probably because they are dampish, but how do you start the fire off, and then keep it going? Perfectly true, but leaves take a minimum of 12 months to rot down, quite often longer, and in the meantime they have got to be stored somewhere. Can't leave them on the garden because that way environmentally unfriendly pests and diseases can be harboured. The ash contains lots of phosphates which helps to promote growth if mixed in with the compost heap. We put ours in any old bin or fertiliser bags we have lying around. Pop a couple of holes in the side of the bags and tuck them away in a corner of the garden to be used as mulch or compost next year. The tomatoes came up a treat in it this summer. We put ours in any old bin or fertiliser bags we have lying around. Pop a couple of holes in the side of the bags and tuck them away in a corner of the garden to be used as mulch or compost next year. The tomatoes came up a treat in it this summer. you need a proper fire first, no leaves. when its burnt down and there are some good embers, pile on the leaves, really pile them on the heavier and damper the better. the embers will then smoulder for days from the inside producing minimal smoke. Thanks SOO...I'm trying to clear leaves from 10 full grown horse chestnuts, two sycamores and three oak trees. So you can see that piling them up is not reasonable. I'm going to need a large trailer to take them to the tip, or 325,761 black bags to store them in. Burning seems the most practical solution. If you have that many tress that size I'd just get them all in a corner somewhere and leave them to rot down - you clearly have more than enough space to do this and it woudl be entirely reasonable, imo. If you have that many tress that size I'd just get them all in a corner somewhere and leave them to rot down - you clearly have more than enough space to do this and it woudl be entirely reasonable, imo. Ski, Unfortunately the set up works against that. Most of the area under the trees is planted with evergreen shrubs/low growing conifers. Instructions are to keep them clear of fallen leaves. Not much room to stow leaves underneath. Some I do mow, and lawn cuttings mixed with chopped leaves do rot down quite quickly, and make a good mulch. Even if I mow the leaves there is still the storage issue, and as leaves on their own take more than a year to become serviceable compost, I need a lot of spare space which isn't available. So, burning seems a good option. I know the townies and beardies don't understand, but that's life. If your horse chestnuts are suffering from leaf miner (brown yellow tinge towards the end of the leaves from the middle of summer) the best thing for the trees health is to burn the leaves as it will reduce the infestation next year. Otherwise I would advocate composting, you could save yourself a fortune on bark mulch. My big horse chesnut has leaf miner - seems to cause it no problems whatsoever, masses of conkers this year! Each autumn I take about 10 bags of leaves to the tip, If I leave the on the lawn they kill the grass. My next door neighbour leaves the lot where they fall hence leaf miner back again by July...

Comment: A brand-new, unused, unopened video game in perfect condition in its original packaging and with all original packaging materials included. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. Comment: Brand new and sealed. Game in English (cover and manual in German). Delivered within 5 working days. This game is multilanguage and can be played in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian Free delivery worldwide! The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition presents one of the best RPGs of all time like never before. Step inside the most richly detailed and vibrant game-world ever created. With a powerful combination of freeform gameplay and unprecedented graphics, you can unravel the main quest at your own pace or explore the vast world and find your own challenges. Also included in the Game of the Year Edition are Knights of the Nine and the Shivering Isles expansion, adding new and unique quests and content to the already massive world of Oblivion. See why critics called Oblivion the Best Game of 2006. Live another life in another world: Create and play any character you can imagine, from the noble warrior to the sinister assassin to the wizened sorcerer First person melee and magic: An all-new combat and magic system brings first person role-playing to a new level of intensity where you feel every blow Radiant AI: This groundbreaking AI system gives Oblivion's characters full 24/7 schedules and the ability to make their own choices based on the world around them. Non-player characters eat, sleep, and complete goals all on their own New lands to explore: In the Shivering Isles expansion, see a world created in Sheogorath's own image, one divided between Mania and Dementia and unlike anything you've experienced in Oblivion. Challenging new foes: Battle the denizens of Shivering Isles, a land filled with hideous insects, Flesh Atronachs, skeletal Shambles, amphibeous Grummites, and many more Begin a new faction: The Knights of the Nine have long been disbanded. Reclaim their former glory as you traverse the far reaches of Cyrodill across an epic quest line customer Reviews 5the best game that man has created Still playing this game 325 hours in and still not bored and only done about three quest of the storyline. Wont bore you with the amount i could say cause this game is just so big and looks better than kiera knightley undressed get it now 5One of the greatest games of all time A friend suggested I pick this up as he had spent the past year playing it on and off & it was now under £15. Being a tactics/Japanese RPG fan I really wasn't sure, but £15 isn't much of a risk these days. One hour in & all that was making me stay with it was Patrick Stewart's voice acting & the hope of some kind of adventure around the corner. Another 8 hours later, in the middle of the night, I realised I was hooked! This game is immense - not just in the huge amount of quests and physical size of the game world, but in every sense this game is big. But don't let that put you off. You decide what to do. You decide when to do it, if you do it at all. The character progression is so far beyond what I am used to playing JRPGs. The class you choose is only the start of it - you take this game & your character in the direction that suits you. I watched my friend play his game. He wears heavy armour, wields a huge claymore & wades in. The game has rewarded him by improving his attributes with upgrades & stat boosts that let him do all that more effectively. He's a good guy & goes around helping people out. His game world & game experience is totally different to mine. I'm a thief. I go out at night, take things from people's locked chests & do robberies to order for shady collectors & my guild's leader. I use stealth to make my way through dungeons under the noses of the bad guys. I don't need heavy armour, I have equipment that makes me harder to detect. I also have a side-line in killing people for money. We're playing the same game but in very different ways & getting different things from it. He likes more action & adventure whereas I prefer stealth & tactics. This game lets you play how you want to play to a satisfying degree. On no level does this game disappoint. Stick in there through the character creation & once you are let loose in Cyrodiil it's up to you what happens next. 5Seriously immersive gameplay This is by far the best RPG available on the PS3 and the best i've ever played on any format. It's so completely immersive and open that you can play for weeks, perhaps months on end without even playing the main storyline as the world is so huge and there is so much else to do. Could lead to relationship problems as the game is so good!One thing, another reviewer mentioned a glitch regarding getting a cure after becoming a vampire, as the lady that makes your cure won't accept one of the ingredients (Bloodgrass). To solve this glitch, save your game then go to the PS3 System settings, change the language to German (Deutsch), load the disc again, load your game and for some reason the lady will accept the ingredient (Blutgrass) this time. Save your game, go back to change the PS3 system language settings to English - your game is not ruined and you'll have a cure for vampirism.Other than this glitch, the game is absolutely perfect. Enjoy! 5glitch I love this game its one of my favorites ive had it for about 12 months but theres a major glitch with the game of the year version its somthing to do witrh the language translation (in to english) its to do with the vimpirism cure quest once all the ingredients have been gathered and u go to give them to the person who makes the potion she wont take the last ingredient therefore u cannot complete the quest so ur only option is to start all over again avoid getting bitten in the first place i didnt want to do this as id been playing 6 months however there is a way around it but it involves getting the basic copy of the game the one without the expansion and completeing the quest Rakuten’s Play.com is an online trading platform which enables third party sellers and buyers to negotiate and complete transactions via its Website. Rakuten’s Play.com is neither the buyer nor the seller of any items sold via its Website. Accordingly, Rakuten’s Play.com is not a party to the contract for sale between a buyer and seller and is not responsible for fulfilling and delivering orders, handling returns or processing refunds for purchases made. The relevant seller’s terms and conditions apply to delivery, refunds and returns of any items sold via Rakuten’s Play.com. If you have specific questions, about a sellers delivery policy, returns policy or the return or refund of an item you should contact the relevant seller directly. You must comply with the seller's return policy in order to be eligible for any possible refund from the seller. Whilst we have no obligation to mediate or to enforce or execute fulfilment of any contract, we want you to have a safe shopping experience and may intervene in certain circumstances to resolve an issue, in line with our FairPlay Guarantee. Please see our User Agreement for details. 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Barbara Seal Barbara Seal is a former judge from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Seal has been involved in a number of community organisations and foundations, serving in both leadership and advisory roles. Seal was appointed as judge of Canada's citizenship court in 1997, retiring in 2016. Seal is a recipient of the Order of Canada Award (OAM). Career Barbara Seal is a former city councillor for the city of Hampstead, Quebec. Charity work Seal's charity and community leadership work has included membership on the boards of the Children's Wish Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society. In the arts, Judge Seal has served on the boards of Place des Arts, the Montreal Arts Council, and serves on the board of directors for the National Arts Centre Foundation. She is the National President of the Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University. Barbara Seal Scholarship In 2012, Seal established the Barbara Seal Scholarship for Newcomers to Canada at McGill University, dedicated to permanent residents and new citizens. References Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Jewish Canadian philanthropists Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Canadian judges Category:Canadian citizenship judges Category:20th-century Canadian judges Category:21st-century Canadian judges

In two years, Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) has built a sewer of corruption, filled with wealthy men who acquired their riches as DDT did by cheating people. Early strong supporters justified his putrid behavior with “Give him a chance” or “I’m still waiting.” Some still cling to the belief that DDT is the Second Coming while others try to get off DDT’s ship. Columnist Michelle Goldberg summarized DDT ‘s first two years in the Oval Office: “Trump has turned out to be the Norma Desmond of authoritarians, a senescent has-been whose delusions are propped up by obsequious retainers. From his fantasy world in the White House, he barks dictatorial and often illegal orders, floats conspiracy theories, tweets insults and lies unceasingly. But much of the time he’s not fully in charge. He has the instincts of a fascist but lacks both the discipline and the loyal lieutenants he’d need to create true autocracy. “The shutdown throws our crisis into high relief. For the first two years, Trump destroyed American norms, standards and conventions. Now he’s cavalierly destroying American lives.” Fodder for DDT’s downfall: Last night, Buzzfield raised eyebrows when it reported that DDT told his fixer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations for the Trump Tower Moscow. During his campaign, DDT said he had no business deals with Russia but arranged to meet in Russia with Vladimir Putin to jump-start the project. Cohen was also ordered to give DDT and his children Ivanka and Don Jr. detailed updates. Don Jr. also lied to Congress about his participation in the possible Trump hotel in Moscow. Witnesses revealed that the three participants in the negotiation lied when they said they had little knowledge about it. Mueller’s office stated that “specific statements … are not accurate.” DDT claims vindication, and the media questions which parts Mueller declares not accurate. Buzzfield reporting has not been wrong yet. This past week, DDT’s sort-of lawyer Rudy Giuliani defended his boss but claimed the possibility of collusion between Russia and DDT’s campaign. DDT may be meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un in February, but the Pentagon worries that DDT’s national security adviser John Bolton might start a war with Iran after he asked them “to provide the White House with military options to strike Iran” because a Shia militia fired rockets on a vacant lot near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis quashed the idea, but a long-time Boeing executive is now in charge of the Pentagon. Bolton’s request last year follows his long-term desire to “bomb Iran” while he wants to eradicate the United Nations. After DDT raged about the news that the FBI investigated the possibility that he was a national security risk, officials reported that DDT concealed the records of his five largely secret meetings with Vladimir Putin, including confiscating interpreters’ notes and keeping them from discussing the meetings with other administration officials. DDT’s temper tantrum included at least six tweets early last Saturday morning from the White House with vicious baseless accusations against the New York Times, Hillary Clinton, James Comey, the FBI, and Robert Mueller. DDT did not deny the FBI report. Lack of records from the meetings violates federal laws. Frequent threats from DDT to pull the U.S. out of NATO have expressed concerns about other countries not pulling their financial weight, but this action would be DDT’s gift to Putin. Michèle A. Flournoy, an under secretary of defense under President Obama, said that leaving NATO “would be one of the most damaging things that any president could do to U.S. interests” and “the wildest success that Vladimir Putin could dream of.” Retired Adm. James G. Stavridis, the former supreme allied commander of NATO, said an American withdrawal from the alliance would be “a geopolitical mistake of epic proportion.” After annexing Crimea in 2014, Putin focused on separating the United States from Europe to give him control over the NATO countries. DDT first stopped former Defense Secretary James Mattis from attending the next NATO meeting and then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from directly talking with NATO officials. Mueller has turned his investigation to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), former head of the Intelligence Committee and fierce DDT defender long been suspected of leaking information to DDT. Nunes met with former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and dozens of foreign officials at DDT’s Washington hotel on January 18, 2017, just two days before DDT’s inauguration before Nunes’ committee investigation opposed anyone investigating DDT and blocked subpoenas. During a fundraiser last summer, Nunes said that Republicans had to keep their House majority to protect DDT from Mueller. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released a January 2017 DHS plan from a whistleblower connecting separation of migrant children from their parents as a deterrent to crossing the U.S.-Mexico border when the number was at an all-time low. Thousands more migrant children were separated from their parents than reported, and DHS had no plans for reunification. DHS recommended denying migrant children their legal right to asylum hearings, target parents for increased prosecutions, and require extensive background checks for sponsoring an unaccompanied migrant child to create a backlog of children forced into abusive facilities. Merkley requested an FBI perjury investigation into DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s congressional testimony that the department had no policy of separating children. In the House, 136 GOP members voted against DDT in opposition to his removing sanctions from Putin’s friend Oleg Deripaska, an oligarch who paid millions of dollars to get DDT elected. Because 42 Republicans in the Senate had already voted to permit the lifting of sanctions, the House vote was symbolic, but 11 GOP Senators also voted against giving Putin this gift and allowing him to put more money into U.S. election interference. Senate Majority Leader supported DDT in giving the money back to Russia although he had called Deripaska a “thug.” DDT’s trade war with China has problems: China’s 2018 trade surplus with the U.S. grew 17 percent in 2018, at $351.76 billion the largest U.S. deficit since 2006. The difference is actually larger because China doesn’t count goods that come to the U.S. from other countries. Two years ago, DDT made his first speech after his inauguration. These are some of his failed promises since then: Fixing poverty: No statistical drop in the U.S. official poverty rate from 2016 to 2017. “New roads and high roads”: The failed plan in the GOP Congress was to stick states and cities with 80 percent of infrastructure costs—much higher than past years. “Bring back our jobs … borders … wealth”: More coal mines closed in DDT’s first two years than President Obama’s first term; drop in soybean exports by 98 percent in 2018. “No room for prejudice”: Growth of far-right extremism and far-right violence greatly increased in past two years after DDT’s expressions of bigotry. “Education system flushed with cash”: Drastic cuts to Educational Department’s funding in DDT’s budget and public education deprioritized in favor of for-profit schools. “All Americans never be ignored again”: Shutdown latest proof of DDT’s failure to keep this promise. Before his inauguration, DDT made 663 promises, including 36 of them on the first day in office. He kept two of those—a hiring freeze on federal employees and a moratorium on new agency regulations—while breaking or ignoring the other 34, some of which might actually have helped people. In his first 100 days, he broke 80 promises he made before he was sworn in. “He is a demagogue, a xenophobe, a sexist, a know-nothing, and a liar…. [He] expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself…. [He] is easily goaded, a poor quality for someone seeking control of America’s nuclear arsenal. He is an enemy of fact-based discourse; he is ignorant of, and indifferent to, the Constitution; he appears not to read.” In two years, DDT has alienated all the countries in Europe, Africa, North America, and Central America and many countries in Asia and the Middle East. His threats have put the United States close to nuclear war with North Korea and Iran. His multitude of executive orders are destroying the planet, causing bad health, and eliminating democracy in the United States. The Atlantic believes that its editorial two years ago was “guilty of understatement.” Those still waiting for DDT’s “better angels” to appear should read DDT’s 50 destructive events since his inauguration. Since the shutdown, DDT’s approval rating has dropped and his disapproval rating surged with a seven-percent increase between the two. Much of the difference comes from the loss of his base—suburban men and white evangelicals. The poll’s director said that he sees a crack in DDT’s support for the first time. Former Trump Organization executive vice president Barbara Res said about DDT, “I see him going into a corner, I see him scratching back like a cornered animal. I think he’s afraid.” As the Republicans work to support Russia, they are joining Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) in his attack on FBI agent Bruce Ohr. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) traveled to London to dig up dirt on both Ohr and Christopher Steel, the British former agent who wrote a dossier on DDT, but officials at MI6, MI5, and GCHQ wouldn’t talk with him. Nunes finally managed a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May’s deputy national security advisor, Madeline Alessandri. Ohr has been instrumental in fighting Russian organized crime for almost three decades, perhaps the reason that DDT wants to get rid of him because Ohr raised concerns about oligarch Oleg Deripaska named in contacts between DDT’s associates and Russia. DDT might have been better off leaving Ohr alone. When Congress required Ohr to testify, he said that he learned from Christopher Steele that “Russian intelligence believed it had Donald Trump ‘over a barrel.’” DDT continues to claim that the Steele dossier was responsible for the FBI investigation into his Russian problem, but memos from both the GOP and Dems prove that the FBI had started the investigation earlier about Russian contacts of former DDT campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos before they had the Steele dossier. Ohr was not the original source of information. Ohr testified that DDT campaign aide Carter Page had met with more senior Russians official that Page admitted. DOJ officials Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein had moved him from director of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, according to Ohr, because it concerned White House meetings and interactions. The Republicans who wanted to surveil everyone in the United States are now criticizing Ohr because of his surveillance tactics. Democratic members of the House are asking committee chairs to review how GOP representatives got correspondence between Ohr and Steele and why they failed to go through appropriate channels to introduce the emails, notes, and text messages into the official record before reading them out loud in the hearing. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said that this information appears to have been cherrypicked by Devin Nunes (R-CA), excluding the complete correspondence. Nadler and Cummings also want “an immediate bipartisan meeting” with the DOJ to review “whether any ongoing investigations or human sources may have been compromised.” Nunes is only one of many prominent Republicans to use the conspiracy-laden Big League Politics website using Q-Anon false theories for fundraising, some of the candidates violating campaign finance law. The website is being used to harass innocent small business by accusing them of operating child-sex trafficking rings, like the “Pizzagate” conspiracy against Hillary Clinton and a Washington, D.C. restaurant. Recent vicious targets include the Portland (OR) beloved Voodoo Doughnut. Respondents have posted maps of the chain’s locations with Portland’s plumbing locations, local schools, public transit, and airports to suggest ways that children are smuggled in and out of the stores. One member wrote, “Small submarines arent (sic) out of the realm of possibility.” The police say that they cannot do anything about the persecution, some of it generated by a former Breitbart News reporter. Natasha Bertrand has tied together the threads of DDT’s targeted FBI and DOJ officials in his relentless attacks on people he depicts as dishonest “Democrats.” He depicts Ohr, Lisa Page, Peter Strzok, Andrew McCabe, and others who have had extensive experience in investigating money laundering and organized crime, especially connected to Russia. DDT’s big fear is that Robert Mueller’s team is expert in finding fraud, racketeering, money laundering, and other financial crimes. The article is well-worth a read, especially to see DDT’s connections to the crimes. As Russia dogs DDT’s heels, he faces the week-long honoring of his nemesis, former Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). After his death at the age of 81, McCain got his final wishes—DDT did not attend his funeral and two former presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, gave eulogies. DDT tried to minimize McCain’s death with the petty act of lowering the flag for only a day, but public backlash forced him to raise it again. He noticeably ignored his aides who wanted him to send out a statement about McCain being a hero while he continued his vendetta against the man who spent over five years in a Vietnam prison camp while he dodged the draft with four deferments and a bout of bone spurs. On the campaign trail, DDT called McCain a loser because he was imprisoned during the Vietnam War. “I like people that weren’t captured,” DDT said. He started his criticism of McCain in 1999 as this video shows. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders may be collateral damage from McCain’s death. DDT supposedly joked that she was “having a nervous breakdown” because of the way she looked at him when he refused to answer whether McCain would have been a better president than President Obama. “I don’t want to comment on it,” DDT said. “I have a very strong opinion.” He left town for a campaign rally in Indiana before McCain’s body arrived in Washington, D.C. for a memorial service and then went to his Virginia resort to play golf during McCain’s funeral in Washington, D.C. today. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) may be breaking up with DDT, McCain’s replacement after McCain’s illness became terminal, because Graham criticized DDT’s handling of his former friend’s death. Graham said: “It bothers me greatly when the president says things about John McCain. It pisses me off to no end, and I let the president know it, And the way he handled the passing of John is just — it was disturbing.” Graham did invite DDT’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka and Jared, to the funeral. McCain’s death hasn’t slowed down Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia and DDT. Paul Manafort’s next trial, postponed for a week until September 24, follows rumors of a possible plea deal for the second set of charges before he was convicted last week, but the two sides couldn’t work out a deal. Mueller has also received more time to decide whether to retry Manafort on the ten charges from the last trial after one person created a hung jury on these charges. W. Samuel Patten, a Washington consultant who advised a Ukrainian political party and worked with a co-defendant of Paul Manafort, pleaded guilty to failing to register as a foreign lobbyist while working on behalf of a Ukrainian political party. Patten’s partner, Konstantin Kilimnik, Patten’s partner and former Manafort employee, has been indicted for witness tampering in Manafort’s case and links to Russian intelligence. Patten also worked at the Oregon office of Cambridge Analytica’s parent company, SCL Group, to target voters in the 2014 general election. As part of his plea, Patten admitted that he steered an illegal foreign donation to DDT’s inauguration from a Ukrainian businessman. DDT’s latest comment about Sessions, who he has tried to separate from his Senate allies with incessant complaints, is that he won’t fire him until after the general election, perhaps to avoid the appearance of obstruction of justice. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said, “My sense is the fix is in,” but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) still isn’t convinced, maybe worrying about his ability to get another AG confirmed. Donors are also complaining about Sessions and Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, saying, “They haven’t represented … us well.” DDT’s shiniest new distraction from his problems comes from his promise of a new trade deal with Mexico to replace NAFTA. The kickoff was a bit awkward when technology failed him in his conference call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto by and at his signoff when he told the president that “a hug from you would be very nice.” DDT is rushing the deal because progressive president-elect of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, takes over December 1. The clock is ticking, but the two-nation agreement may not be able to replace a three-nation trade pact, and Congress must agree. Canada has been more reluctant, especially after DDT disparaged Canada and threatened the country with 25 percent tariffs on cars and auto parts exported from the U.S. The U.S. may be the loser because Canada is the #1 destination for U.S. products shipped abroad and the trade with Canada supports over 8 million U.S. jobs, many of them in the new “red” states. Canada also is unique because the U.S. doesn’t have a trade deficit with Canada. If the initial deal doesn’t include Canada, the U.S. will have trouble including the country later. Most of the suggested pieces of DDT’s deal come from either NAFTA or the Trans Pacific Pipeline, but the name is new so that DDT can claim it as his own. He’ll just have to hope that people don’t see the drastic increases in prices from the deal and his tariffs if he wants to use it for getting people to vote for Republicans. August 11, 2018 Congress is scattered across the nation on vacation, and Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) is watching TV, playing golf, and having dinner with other wealthy people at his resort at Bedminster (NJ). Robert Mueller continues his investigation, and witnesses testify to damning information about Paul Manafort. For example, he offered the position of Army secretary to Federal Savings Bank CEO, Stephen Calk, in trying to get a personal loan from the bank. Long-time friend and colleague Rick Gates reported Manafort shifting money through his offshore accounts. DDT has bragged about how much more money black people make in wages since he was inaugurated, but he didn’t celebrate Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on August 7, the day representing how long into 2018 a black woman must work to be paid the same wages white males were paid just last year. Black women workers get 66 cents for the dollar that white men make after controlling for education, years of experience, and geographic location. If DDT had talked about wages for black women, he probably would have lied, just as he did when he bragged that the U.S. is overflowing with “prosperity” despite “exaggerated” claims of widespread poverty. After a U.N. report that 18 million people live in “extreme poverty” in the United States, made worse by DDT’s tax cuts for the wealthy, DDT ignored his own economic analysts in exchange for a report from the far-right Heritage Foundation. One DDT economic adviser recommended that DDT say nothing about poverty because the steady economic growth, “inherited” from President Obama, “will end prob[ably] in 1-2 years.” People in Missouri understood the importance of fair wages when they struck down a “right-to-work” law earlier passed by the legislature. The 2-1 margin of success for workers came from both urban and rural counties. Agreeing with Supreme Court justice nominee that the president is above the law and the constitution, AG Jeff Sessions plans to ignore a court ruling to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and completely repeal and rescind DACA on his own prerogative. Sessions called the repeal one of the “lawful directives of Congress”—although that legislative body has passed no law regarding DACA. The judge had said that the government has no justification to stop DACA. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) irritated both congressional GOP members and DDT during his visit to Russia. Once against Vladimir Putin’s takeover of Ukraine and Crimea, Paul is now a full-blown Russia supporter. During his recent trip, he took a letter to Putin, but opinions differ on its contents. Paul explained that the letter highlighted how the U.S. wants to work with Russia on “countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges.” White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said that DDT provided only “a letter of introduction” because Paul had requested it. Before Paul came home, he invited Russian lawmakers to visit the U.S. Capitol, but GOP congressional leaders squashed the idea. Spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said: “Neither Congress nor the leader have invited any delegation from Russia to the Capitol. Senator Paul is the only one that I know who is discussing it.” House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) followed that up with “That’s not something we’ve discussed.” Both McConnell and Ryan earlier said that Putin would not be welcome at the Capitol if DDT invited him to Washington. Russia and DDT are also upset about the State Department’s new sanctions on Russia after the Kremlin’s poisoning of a former Russian intelligence officer and his daughter living in England. U.S. company are prevented from exporting items such as gas turbine engines, electronics, and integrated circuits without legitimate purposes, similar to President Obama’s ban on any exports to Russia that might have military purposes. DDT objected, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited a 1991 law that mandated the sanctions. Russia has 90 days to agree to stop all use of chemical weapons and permit inspections before Pompeo exerts further measures such as withdrawal of U.S. bank loans and support for international loans, landing rights for Russian airlines, and diplomatic relations. DDT already stalled for over a month regarding congressional deadlines for other sanctions. Sanctions against Russia will decrease U.S. exports, adding to the stress caused by DDT’s tariffs. Grifter and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross claimed that “all this hysteria is a lot to do about nothing,” yet BMW told Ross that the tariffs could endanger 45,000 jobs in South Carolina. A ship with $20 million worth of soybeans has circled the waters off the coast of China since July 6 after it failed to beat the new tariff deadline by mere hours, placed in response to DDT’s tariffs. The ship’s $12,500 daily cost comes to over $450,000 by now, and the contents make up a small part of the $12.7 billion in soybeans sent from the U.S. to China last year. In Washington, 6,000 tons of copper are stuck at the port of Vancouver as the ship scheduled to pick it up left after China announced a 25-percent duty on the product. Estimates indicate almost one million jobs in the state could be at risk because of suppliers, port income, and wages. The North Korea deal becomes more like fish that smells after three days. DDT never had any agreement with denuclearization, and Kim Jung-Un now insists that he will take no action until the U.S. ends the Korean War. Pompeo promises progress but won’t say what, and National Security Adviser John Bolton indicated no steps had been taken. The estimate of North Korean nuclear weapons is growing. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) was secretly taped at a fundraiser for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) giving his plan for impeaching DOJ Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein immediately after the 2018 general election. Most Republicans said that they weren’t going to impeach Rosenstein, but Nunes tells this story to woo donors and voters. DDT may not like some of Nunes’ comments on the tapes such as “sometimes we cringe on the president’s tweets.” Nunes also called releasing stolen emails, like WikiLeaks did with DNC emails, “criminal.” Rodgers won the Washington election to pick the top two candidates by only one percent, warning a serious challenge in the general election. DDT’s lawyers are running a TV campaign in opposition to Mueller’s investigation by smearing it, claiming that DDT will be forced to lie if he goes into court, and declaring questions that are off limits—such as why he fired James Comey (check with DDT’s interview with Lester Holt) and whether he obstructed justice (check DDT’s tweets). Rudy Giuliani’s craziness continues with his invented DOJ “60-day rule” preventing Mueller from DDT’s investigation in the two months preceding the election and announcing that Mueller must finish by September. DDT is not a candidate in November 2018, and the “60-day-rule” failed to apply to Hillary Clinton when Comey announced an investigation ten days before her election. “Fair and unbalanced” Sean Hannity, as he calls himself on “fair and unbalanced Fox,” turned his three-hour radio show over to DDT’s lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jay Sekulow on Friday. Tomorrow represents the first anniversary of Unite the Right in Charlottesville (VA) with a march near the White House. This image represents what white supremacists are celebrating in front of the White House and what DDT refused to condemn. Inflation rose 2.9 percent in the last year while wages gained only 2.7 percent. U.S. “real wage” fell to $10.76 an hour last month, 2 cents down from a year ago. To many of us, 2 cents is very little, but over a year, it amounts to $41.60—important to people who make under $23,000 a year. Gas prices increased 23 percent this year, and housing, health care and automobile insurance have all gone up. Now we wait for price increases from DDT’s tariffs. Donald Trump Jr. manufactured this visual lie when he Photoshopped “50” over DDT’s actual 40 percent approval rating. In his desperation, he failed to cover up the 40 percent. By now, Jr. removed his “fake news” from Instagram, but the internet never forgets! Catching up on the last two weeks of Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) roller-coaster events: Will the United States go to war to support Israel? That question may be front and center now that DDT has withdrawn from the Iran agreement for that nation’s denuclearization. Israel fired on targets in Syria that were believed to be Iranian soon after DDT’s withdrawal. Claims that Iran fired 20 rockets at the Golan Heights the most extensive Israeli bombing on Syria since the countries signed a disengagement agreement after the October war of 1973. Israel has illegally occupied Golan Heights since the Six-Day War in 1967. DDT’s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, are scheduled to arrive in Israel soon for the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on May 14. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has assured Israel that the U.S. will stand at its side in a fight. DDT’s officials are circulating a report from Securities Studies Group, an organization with ties to DDT’s national security adviser John Bolton, that provides strategy for a regime change in Iran is being circulated among DDT’s officials. The plan is to stir unrest and help the Iran public to drive a wedge between the people and the nation’s rulers. The plan sounds identical to Russia’s approach to control the 2018 presidential election. Israel’s military escalation came after DDT decided to please some of his constituents—including Vladimir Putin and Israel—by withdrawing from the Iranian deal. Russia’s economy desperately needs the rubles from the increase in oil prices if Iranian resources aren’t available. At the same time, Russia is concerned about Israel’s attacks on Iran, but DDT may side with Israel, again separating him from Putin. Perhaps DDT figures that a world war would allow him to declare military law, like in Turkey, so that he can remain dictator forever. Bernard Avishai discusses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s motivations and the dangers of his country in pushing a war in the Middle East. DDT announced his withdrawal several days before the deadline at the same time the media jumped on the millions of dollars in “pay to play” paid to his personal lawyer Michael Cohen for access to DDT. Since payments made to DDT’s personal lawyer were first announced, the amount has vastly grown, for example AT&T’s $600,000 to Cohen for access to DDT instead of $200,000. CEO Randall Stephenson called Cohen’s hiring “a big mistake,” and top lobbyist for the company, Bob Quinn, has retired. Quinn was a leader in opposing net neutrality. AT&T also paid Cohen to get approval for its $85 billion merger with Time Warner. Drugmaker Novartis agreed that its $1.2 million contract with Cohen was “a mistake.” Reports as of now show that Cohen was paid $2.95 million through Essential Consultants, the shell company Cohen set up to funnel hush money to Stormy Daniels and perhaps others. The involved companies learned about Essential Consultants because Cohen reached out to them. In his work to guarantee never-ending war for the U.S., former VP Dick Cheney, who mythologized weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, went on Fox Business directing DDT to believe the falsehood that Iran has these weapons. He also encouraged the continuation of “enhanced interrogation techniques” (aka torture). DDT is also hoping that people will ignore all the Russia and Cohen scandals because three U.S. prisoners have been released from North Korea. He also hopes that his talks with North Korea will result in his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, even encouraging his rally crows to chant, “No-bel, No-bel. When the prisoners arrived at 3:00 am, he said, “I think you probably broke the all time in history television rating for three o’clock in the morning.” DDT also thanked North Korean president Kim Jong-Un “ who really was excellent to these three incredible people.” They had been imprisoned for at least a year, and one of them had been sentenced to ten years’ hard labor in one of the world’s most brutal prisons. DDT plans to meet with Kim Jong-Un in Singapore on June 12. While people become excited about the release of prisoners in North Korea, they forget the four U.S. citizens still held in Iran for longer than the newly released NK ones. DDT’s withdrawal spells disaster for these people, one of them 81 years old. Another two U.S. men are still illegally imprisoned in Turkey. Although DDT’s new lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared on Sean Hannity only nine days ago, so much has happened that it could have been last year. Giuliani, DDT’s lawyer for one day, said that DDT had paid Cohen $35,000 a week to clean up hush money to Stormy Daniels about her affair with DDT as well as “things that might come up.” DDT first agreed that he paid off Daniels and then tried to deny that he did, going so far as to say that Giuliani “will get his fact straight.” Giuliani lacks the skill to stay quiet, a serious problem in court. (Transcript for the program.) Giuliani went on another talk show to say that he knew the payment didn’t look good immediately before the election but changed his story to say that the settlement was made solely “to protect the President’s family.” He also might be waiving attorney-client privilege by saying that he had conferred with DDT before he talked about DDT paying Cohen. About the payoff, Giuliani said: “I don’t think the president realized he paid him back for that specific thing until we made him aware of the paperwork.” Despite being released from his law firm and claiming “sole concentration” as DDT’s lawyer, Giuliani appeared in a Florida court today to represent a woman accused of purchasing car insurance ten minutes after her car crash. He isn’t licensed to practice law in Florida but said the woman was her personal assistant. DDT’s staff tried to prep him in advance of any interview with Robert Mueller, but he could answer only two questions in four hours. The argument might be that an interview could cut into time for his important work in the Oval Office, but evidence indicates that he “works” less than two hours a day. DDT is still falsely accusing that the investigators are Democrats as he continues his rant against the investigation. DDT is back to saying that he wants an interview with Mueller, but most people no longer believe him. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) issued DOJ with a subpoena after he was refused extensive information about a longtime intelligence source for the CIA and FBI with the concern that the source could be jeopardized if Nunes discovers the person’s identity. Common knowledge indicates that Nunes wants the information to take to the White House. DOJ officials offered a classified briefing about his demand, but Nunes threatened a contempt charge against AG Jeff Sessions. He also has not bothered to read earlier classified information that he demanded. Nunes is under investigation for three potential campaign law violations. Giuliani’s bombshell about DDT’s paying off Stormy Daniels intersected with DDT’s appearance for the day of prayer, causing CNBC to tweet, “Trump leads National Prayer Day event after saying he repaid lawyer for hush money to porn star.” DDT signed the “White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” that permits religious organizations to use taxpayer money to discriminate on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, allow religious organizations to be “experts” for public policy, remove requirements that religious groups refer anyone objecting to their teachings to other programs, and use his new “faith-based office” to guarantee no blocking of “liberty of conscience” of believers. (Sounds like Sharia law for evangelicals.) The major groups wanting to deny services to LGBTQ people are Mormons and white evangelicals, 20 percent of the population. Among that 20 percent, 47 percent think that it’s wrong to refuse business based on religious convictions. States such as Kansas and Oklahoma are already passing laws permitting adoption agencies to prevent same-gender couples from adopting children. A lesbian couple in Mississippi was denied an adoption by the state the day before they were scheduled to take their daughter home despite a court ruling that the Mississippi’s ban on same-gender adoptions was struck down by a federal judge in 2016. In another case, the state Supreme Court ruled that a lesbian couple could divorce; a dissenting justice, Jess Dickinson, is now head of the agency denying the couple their legally adopted child. Bryan Fischer, former spokesman for the American Family Association (AFA), announced on his show that only Christians have First Amendment rights and protections. Anti-LGBTQ preacher Kevin Swanson will hold the Bible Family Conference in Washington, D.C. on August 10-11. He wants to execute all LGBTQ people and all Girls Scout leaders because they support LGBTQ and women’s rights. He also wants Boy Scouts, now called Scouts BSA because it recruits girls as well as boys, to have a “sodomy merit badge” because openly gay scouts can join the organization. The name of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) has disappeared as keynote speaker. The six worst states for LGBTQ support are Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisiana, and North Carolina. No matter how bad the Russia collusion and hacking have gotten, the Republicans have seemed rather blasé about this involvement, even supporting Russia over the people in the United States. Will these Republicans change their position if they lose their electric power? Russian hackers have been attacking the U.S. infrastructure, including electricity, water, and transportation as well as nuclear and manufacturing sectors, and the federal government is getting worried. Last summer, the news that Russia had gotten into over a dozen power plants in seven states didn’t get much attention in the first year of Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) in the Oval Office. Now Russians have moved into dozens of states with their attacks on the infrastructure. Eric Chien, a security technology director at the digital security firm Symantec, said: “We now have evidence they’re sitting on the machines, connected to industrial control infrastructure, that allow them to effectively turn the power off or affect sabotage…. They have the ability to shut the power off.” Today’s public alert from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI warned that these hackers have been targeting U.S. infrastructure for the past two years. They started by staging malware and spear phishing at small commercial networks before obtaining remote access in energy sector networks which allowed them to collect information connected with Industrial Control Systems. At least three simultaneous Russian cyber hacking attacks are going into infrastructure controls, stealing documents and using a “troll farm” called the Internet Research Agency to spread misinformation on social media for chaos and discord, and focusing on disrupting the infrastructure of U.S. and European countries. Last summer, Congress passed a law mandating that DDT place sanctions on Russia, but he ignored the law. A letter from 140 House Democrats asked DDT to impose these sanctions on Russia, an action that the Treasury Department took after the chemical attack on a Russian double agent in Britain followed by the death of a Russian exile. Even these sanctions are weak, because they are only on the entities and people indicted by Robert Mueller. The State Department also released a condemnation of Russia’s “campaign of coercion and violence” in the Russian annexation of Crimea four years ago this week, but no sanctions. A serious problem for Republicans this week comes from the House Intelligence Committee GOP announcement that it closed down its investigation into the Russian scandal before finishing its job. The committee issued a brief summary with a 150-page report supposedly to follow, explaining the GOP position that intelligence agencies were wrong in its evidence of how Russia supported DDT in the presidential election. DDT saw the GOP whitewash as a vindication. Committee Chair Devin Nunes (R-CA), forced from leadership of the committee after he briefed White House officials on committee information, has always protected DDT, even leaking information, and announced last June that they wouldn’t find any collusion. GOP members limited topics under discussion and witnesses’ questions while following White House restrictions and refusing to investigate phone and bank records corroborating witness claims. Nunes consistently undermined Robert Mueller’s investigation with false information. The person ostensibly in charge of the House Intelligence Committee investigation claimed ignorance of George Nadar, a key witness about secret meetings in the Seychelles. The report was so biased that hard-right GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), who led the Benghazi/private email server email against Hillary Clinton said that the GOP evidence was “motivated in whole or in part by a desire to harm [Clinton’s] candidacy or undermine her Presidency had she prevailed.” Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said on Monday that “there is evidence” showing the Russians attempted to help President Trump during the 2016 presidential election, contradicting a draft report from the panel. Rooney also warned that the government needs to act to prevent foreign interference in the upcoming midterm elections. The GOP spin from other committee members, however, is that the intelligence community is wrong about Russian interference just as they were about Iraq weapons—ignoring the fact that the intelligence community denied “specific information” about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction before George W. Bush invaded Iraq. Then, as now with the GOP members of the “no Russian interference” group, the politicians were wrong in their perspective about the documents given them. Deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah made an awkward statement by saying that DDT would have been aware of any such collusion if it did occur. In Shah’s words, proof of collusion would also be proof of DDT’s knowledge about it. Luckily for him, it appears to be an opinion. Democrats on the committee had not seen the report when it was released and were not told about the conclusion before it was made public. Following the release of the GOP summary, the minority members of the House intelligence Committee released a 21-page “Status of the Russia Investigation.” The majority of the document is composed of four appendices, beginning in Appendix A with the outstanding lines of inquiry which have been partially or not at all addressed: Hacking and dissemination of campaign emails by Russia to determine the specific of this cyber operation. DDT’s campaign knowledge of the email hacks. Elections security—or lack thereof. Russian social media campaign. Financial leverage in DDT’s business deals, perhaps for Russian money laundering and DDT’s actively negotiating a business deal in Moscow with a sanctioned Russian bank during the election, despite his assertion that he had no business dealings with Russia. Money-laundering and foreign payments, already somewhat revealed by Robert Mueller’s special investigation which includes charges against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. Post-election effects and obstruction of justice, including intervention from and lies by Michael Flynn in U.S. affairs with Russia, DDT attempts to block James Comey to investigate Flynn, and DDT’s writing a memo to cover the June 2016 meeting in which his son Donald Trump Jr. and two other senior campaign advisers intended to get damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Appendix B lists over 30 key witnesses which had not been interviewed with brief descriptions of their potential involvement which needs further inquiry. Appendix C gives over 20 entities, including Deutsche Bank, which should be sent “indispensable” documents that directly connect to Russian election interference. Fifteen other people and entities that should appear and/or present documents are in Appendix D. This list includes DDT, Jared Kushner, Hope Hicks, Erik Prince, and the White House. A key line in the most recent report from this committee: The Minority has a good faith reason to believe that the White House does in fact possess such documentation memorializing President Trump’s conversations with Director Comey. Subsequent press reporting revealed the existence of a memorandum reportedly composed by President Trump and Stephen Miller that referenced President Trump’s communications with Director Comey.” British Prime Minister Theresa May says that it is “highly likely” former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in Salisbury, England by Russia. DDT refuses to mention the word “Russia” in connection with the poisoning although Secretary of State Secretary Rex Tillerson said that the attack “clearly came from Russia.” Today, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster used strong language to decry Russia’s actions and blamed the Kremlin for “the abhorrent nerve agent attack” in England. It may be his last speech because rumors from the White House indicate he is to be fired by the end of the month, despite the press secretary’s denial. DDT has told Chief of Staff John Kelly that McMaster is too rigid and his briefings are too long. Earlier, Nunes tried to protect DDT with a GOP committee memo about the Russian investigation that DDT erroneously used to proclaim exoneration for himself. It was followed by a heavily redacted response from the Democrats showing the GOP’s “distortions and misrepresentations.” Complaints that Christopher Steele’s dossier on DDT were responsible for a warrant to surveil DDT’s associate and suspected foreign agent Carter Page where shown to be totally bogus. Meanwhile Robert Mueller is continuing his investigation, this week with subpoenas to the Trump Organization for documents, some related to Russia, in its first approach to DDT’s business affairs. Despite DDT’s denial that it has no holdings in Russia, witnesses have been asked about DDT’s business plans to build in Moscow. DDT has talked to Emmet Flood, the lawyer who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment, about hiring him. Lawyers have advised DDT not to talk with Mueller, but he may be considering an interview if Mueller restricts the scope of questioning and concludes the DDT-involved part of the investigation within 60 days of the interview. Good luck! Meanwhile Conor Lamb defeated Vladimir Putin in a U.S. House race last Tuesday in the far southwest Pennsylvania district with an almost 96 percent white population and so badly gerrymandered that no Democrat ran against the Republican in the past two elections. DDT won that district by 20 points in the presidential election. The former representative resigned after the publicity that the anti-abortion Republican encouraged his lover to have an abortion. This news was followed by multiple stories of his inappropriate action from his staff. Murphy is a developmental psychologist with a wife and adult daughter. The media went crazy over the ballistic behavior of former campaign adviser Sam Nunberg after Robert Mueller subpoenaed his testimony and documents about major players in the Russia scandal. Nunberg first declared that he would refuse to comply with the subpoena, especially because Roger Stone is so special to him, before he made the round of news shows and backed down after continually asking if he could be put in jail with his refusal. Tuesday ended with a delicious segment on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show. Nunberg showed up before the grand jury on Friday and testified. Grim-faced, he refused to comment afterward. While complaining on TV, he said that DDT knew about the June 2016 meeting between the Russian lawyer and his son and son-in-law a week before it occurred. George Nadar, adviser to the United States Arab Emirates (UAE), also testified before a grand jury and is cooperating with Mueller. Nadar represented UAE’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at a meeting in Seychelles meeting in January 2017 with a Russian investor, a friend of Vladimir Putin. ant Erik Prince, DDT’s adviser who founded Blackwater and Betsy DeVos’ brother. Prince had wanted to set up a private military army for DDT in Afghanistan. Mueller is collecting evidence that the Seychelles meeting was to create a back-channel communication system between DDT and Vladimir Putin and foreign money for DDT’s campaign as well as Nadar’s meetings with Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon. Nadar’s testimony contradicted Erik Prince’s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee about his encounter with the Russian oligarch in the Seychelles. After the story about George Nadar broke, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) said, “I don’t have any clue who George Nader is.” Conaway is helping lead the House Intelligence Committee in the DDT-Russia scandal. In addition to his involvement with Russia, Nadar, DDT’s friend, was arrested for child pornography in 1985, including his having received a package with a film of young boys engaged in sexual acts and photos of nude boys. Reasons for the dismissal of the case are not clear. Paul Manafort pled not guilty to all the charges against him in Virginia, but he is now wearing a second ankle tracking device, the other for Washington, because the two jurisdictions have different systems. The Virginia trial begins in July 10, followed by a September date in Washington. DDT may have obstructed justice or tampered with witnesses by asking at least two of them—White House counsel Don McGahn and former chief of staff Reince Priebus—about their interviews with Mueller. After head of the National Security Agency, Mike Rogers, testified that the president had not directed him to prevent Russia’s targeting U.S. elections, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to cover for DDT’s inaction, but thus far the State Department has spent $0 of the $120 million allocated to fight foreign cyberattacks on elections. Not one of the 23 analysts working in the Global Engagement Center speaks Russian, and the department has a hiring freeze. DDT is still delaying any sanctions ordered by law and denied that Russian meddling had anything to do with “our votes” in 2016. He promises a “very, very deep study” and “strong suggestions” before the 2018 midterms. DDT keeps pushing the media to investigate the Russia collusion in the time of President Obama, and they have—with all roads ending at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refusing to release any information about Russian election meddling before DDT was elected. McConnell says that he’s “perfectly comfortable” with that decision to conceal the Russian election manipulation from the public. Nastya Rybka (real name Anastasiz Vashukevich), an escort in Thailand, claims to have 16 hours of audio proof connecting the Russian campaign to DDT that she will release if the U.S. gets her out of prison. Title X, the only federal grant program dedicated to comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services, will now favor programs with a focus on abstinence-only sex education and “natural” family planning methods. The over 4 million people who use this program for health department and other nonprofit community health centers, in place for almost a half century, may have more difficulty obtaining birth control or getting access to cancer and STD screenings with the new guidelines. Title X funded clinics helped people prevent 822,300 unintended pregnancies, averting 387,200 unplanned births and 277,800 abortions in just 2015. Jeff Sessions is suing California to overturn state immigrations laws, including the program that inspects federal immigration detention centers for its rampant mistreatment and abuse by private companies. DOJ is also threatening any other states that pursue similar laws. State and local officials have complained about DDT’s ICE activities because they undermine local economies and make communities more dangerous. DDT has decided to remove new tee markers with the presidential seal from his golf courses. [Markers at Eagle Sign, New Albany (IN) and Louisville (KY)] Manufacture or use of the seal, its likeness, “or any facsimile thereof” for other than government business is punishable by up to six months in prison. Earlier, DDT used the “family crest” that he took without permission from the family owning Mar-a-Lago. After DDT said he talked to North Korea on the phone when he actually spoke to South Korean Moon Jae-in, he announced a meeting with North Korea in late May without any State Department or other diplomatic input, probably to draw attention from Russia or Stormy Daniels. Hours before DDT announced the talks, State Department Secretary Rex Tillerson said that talks would not be “realistic” or prudent yet. DDT put Kim Jong-un in control by elevating a rogue state to an equal to the United States—without any rewards for the U.S. The day after DDT’s announcement, the press secretary said that conditions need to be met before the meeting. Look for far more media about the meeting that may never happen. Jared Kushner also ignored diplomats, including the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, when he met with the Mexican president. At the Gridiron Dinner, a gathering of 65 journalists with a self-deprecating roast-like speech by the current president, DDT made all his jokes at the expense of his family, colleagues, and enemies. Before the speech, he said, “My staff was concerned that I couldn’t do self-deprecating humor.” He can’t. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA accused Stephen Colbert of being a “danger” to the nation after a segment in which Colbert showed a memo stating “Devin Nunes is a [redacted]” with the question about what the redacted word is. After trying to shut down the probe into the DDT-Russian collusion, Nunes added that Colbert, like others on the left, “attack people who are trying to get to the truth.” Colbert answered Nunes complaint by showing another segment in which he was unable to meet with the representative. Virginia Heffernan described Ivanka Trump’s growing problems with her connections with former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who lied to the FBI; developer Felix Sater, guilty of a $40-million stock fraud scheme with the Russian mobsters; and Tamir Sapir, tied to racketeering with the Gambino crime family before he died. Ivanka brought Flynn to DDT, toured Russia with Sater, and collaborated with Sapir. Heffernan also described Ivanka’s involvement in shady real-estate projects. When DDT hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Netanyahu said, “This will be remembered.” As the Mueller investigation gets closer to possible Russian collusion with DDT, Israeli police has recommended that Netanyahu be indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three corruption cases, the most recent one this week. Mueller is getting closer to DDT’s corruption. “This will be remembered.” Fond of dictators in other countries, DDT wants to emulate China after President XI Jinping wants to do away with any term limits in the Constitution. DDT praised Xi’s efforts to become “president for life” and said, “Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.” Afraid of firing people, DDT lets others discharge them or belittles them in the hopes that they will quit. Now that DDT is ready to dispense with John Kelly as Chief of Staff, he has sent Anthony Scaramucci on the talk show circuit to smear Kelly. At least that’s what the media from left to right is reporting, although Scaramucci says the story from White House insiders isn’t true. This last week, DDT tweeted that he was asking China for ways that they could reduce their trade deficit with the United States by $1 billion. DDT’s administration figure is actually $100 billion; he was off by $99 billion. And why would China want to do this? [Note: Survivors of the Parkland (FL) school shooting cannot get a permit for their March for Our Lives on March 24 because a student group “at a local educational institution” wants to film a talent show on the Mall on that date. That permit states, “Games will be the main activity for filming,” and equipment listed “two tables, two bikes, and jump ropes.” March for Our Lives organizers planned their rally away from federal land and in D.C., on Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and 12th streets NW.] The increasing fury from the tweets of Dictator Donald Trump (DDT), such as his primal scream “WITCH HUNT,” has been worsened by revelations about White House policy possibly being directed by Jared Kushner’s need for money. The debt on his Fifth Avenue property, $1.4 billion, comes due next year. Investigations show possible connections between financing for Kushner’s family business and Kushner’s discussions with Qatar, Turkey, Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates: The punishing blockade against Qatar occurred after a Qatar billionaire decided not to invest in Kushner’s business. Apollo Global Management loaned Kushner $184 million, triple the average size of a typical loan, after an Apollo founder Joshua Harris, advising DDT about infrastructure, met with Kushner about a White House job for Harris. Israel’s Menora Mivtachim loaned $30 million to Kushner for additional equity in 10 Maryland apartment complexes just before DDT’s trip with Jared and Ivanka last May. Since then, DDT declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel and the move of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Kushner has now lost his high-level security clearance to a status below the White House chief calligrapher, which includes his losing access to DDT’s daily brief. Robert Mueller’s investigation: DDT’s attacks on AG Jeff Sessions for his handling of Sessions’ assignment of his inspector general to examine GOP accusations of FISA surveillance procedures as well as whether DDT tried to get rid of AG Jeff Sessions last summer to get control of the Russia investigation. Whether DDT knew about Russia stealing DNC emails before the public was aware of the action and whether DDT knew when WikiLeaks was going to release the hacked emails. In July 2016, DDT asked Russia to find emails deleted by Hillary Clinton. Whether DDT’s associate Roger Stone knew about the email information before it was public. Stone lied about not having direct communication with WikiLeaks during DDT’s campaign. Democrats asked the House Intelligence Committee to subpoena WikiLeaks messages with Stone, but Chair Devin Nunes (R-CA) and the other GOP members have refused. Nunes did release the Democratic refutation of the GOP House Intelligence Committee memo and explanation of the warrant to surveil Carter Page. A government watchdog group filed a second ethics complaint against Nunes’ leaking private information from Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) to the Fox network about the Russian interference to the media. After some of Hope Hicks’ testimony was leaked, the two top members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, including GOP Richard Burr (NC), told House Speaker Paul Ryan about “concerns” regarding the operations of the House committee and accusations of the GOP illegal leaking. The scariest Russian information this week came from Mike Rogers, head of the National Security Agency. He reported to the Senate Armed Services Committee that he cannot try to stop the Kremlin meddling—and perhaps control—of U.S. elections without presidential authorization—which DDT won’t give. Members of the NSC understand that DDT would perceive any discussion of the Russian problem as a personal affront. Rogers, due to retire in April, said, “President Putin has clearly come to the conclusion that there’s little price to pay and that therefore ‘I can continue this activity.’” Vladimir Putin continues to make fools of conservatives, who he calls “useful fools.” In his latest address, Putin announced Russia has an “invincible” missile moving at hypersonic speed with an “unlimited” range that renders defense “completely useless.” He said that “any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies to be a nuclear attack on our country.” DDT had no response to Putin and saved his energy for tweeting against Alex [sic] Baldwin after his performance on Saturday Night Live. DDT has a serious problem with his animosity toward Iran. He has incessantly threatened to sever the U.S. deal with Iran to keep it from developing nuclear weapons in order to please his base. At the same time, Russia, who DDT doesn’t dare offend, is building a closeness with Iran, becoming that country’s most important ally. DDT is scapegoating former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe by accusing him of leaking information in October 2016 about conflict within the FBI and DOJ regarding Hillary Clinton’s family foundation and then intentionally misleading investigators about what he had done. The DOJ is also investigating former FBI director James Comey, his statement about closing the cases against Clinton’s email server without charges, and his decision to announce resumption of his work in this area only ten days before the presidential election. Last May, DDT asked McCabe in a meeting who McCabe voted for in that election and attacked him in tweets about his wife taking donations from a Democrat’s PAC for her political campaign. McCabe’s retirement is scheduled for March 18. In trouble for paying legal fees defending DDT and Donald Trump Jr. in the Russian collusion, the RNC switched the monthly $37,541.67 to rent part of Manhattan’s Trump Tower. DDT’s election campaign also paid over $470,000 in rent for space at Trump Tower during 2017. Other RNC expenditures include $427,000+ expenditures at DDT’s properties such as Trump International Hotel (Washington, D.C.), Mar-a-Lago (Palm Beach), and Trump National Doral (Miami). DDT’s former bodyguard Keith Schiller collected $75,000 for “security services” immediately after Chief of Staff John Kelly fired Schiller in September, and the RNC said that he is being paid to consult on its 2020 convention site selection. VP Mike Pence’s son, John Pence, also gets over $7,000 a month for “consulting,” and DDT political ally Brad Parscale, DDT’s former campaign digital director and newly-named 2020 campaign director, got over $882,000 from the RNC in January. Parscale sold his digital company last year for $10 million to CloudCommerce that it has not made a profit for almost ten years and spent over $19 million in investor money since it was started almost 20 years ago. At this time, CloudCommerce has $107,000. In 2006, a top executive was caught in an FBI bribery sting and pled guilty to securities fraud. Andrew Van Noy, Cloudcommerce’s chief executive, has earned less than $9,000 in each of the past three years and has faced six-figure debts from unpaid credit cards and repossessed cars while facing two real-estate fraud lawsuits. Parscale, a member of the board, hired Eric Trump’s wife, Lara, for an undisclosed amount. DDT hasn’t said anything about the stock market since its volatility in early February, but his announcement of tariffs—25 percent on steels and 10 percent on aluminum—caused the markets to plummet again this week. A president can legally impose tariffs with proof that imports threaten U.S. national security. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross doesn’t believe in the significant “trickle-down” possibility of price hikes with taxes on imports. All DDT’s advisers and the GOP legislators opposed the move except the Commerce Department. Just days before the announcement, DDT’s former adviser Carl Icahn sold $31.3 million of stock in Manitowoc, a manufacturer relying on steel. It is the first time that Icahn trade these stocks in two years. DDT’s answer to global concerns both foreign and domestic is that “trade wars are good and easy to win.” Traumatized by the tariffs, the GOP is also suffering from DDT’s statement: “I like taking the guns. Take the guns first, go through due process second.” The only gun position DDT has consistently kept this week is to arm the teachers, despite objections from diverse groups. Evidence supporting the insanity of arming teachers come from increasing news such as the “Teacher of the Year” in Georgia who fired a gun in his classroom this week, the six-year-old who found his teacher’s gun that had been left on the back of a toilet and the third-grader who reached into an armed guard holster and fired his gun. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto won’t be coming to visit DDT— Peña Nieto’s second cancellation since DDT’s inauguration because DDT won’t admit that Mexico won’t be building the wall. Mexican officials said that DDT “lost his temper” during the 50-minute telephone call; U.S. officials called him frustrated and exasperated. DHS Director Kirstjen Nielsen has canceled her visit to Mexico. Jared Kushner was in charge of U.S.-Mexico relationships. More to come about appointments, resignations, lawsuits, etc. during Week 58. Remember when Congress passed the last stall to the spending bill on January 22, 2018? That was the one they passed because they couldn’t meet the December 21, 2017 deadline when they couldn’t meet the October 1, 2017 deadline. No problem! They claimed they could get a spending bill in three weeks. Everyone knew they couldn’t. The House passed an unconstitutional anti-abortion bill that lost in the Senate, and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) deliver the dud memo that DDT thought would save him from an investigation. It did garner Nunes’ opponent, Democrat Andrew Janz, $300,000 for his campaign in 72 hours. And Congressional members also wandered off to West Virginia for most of a working week while hitting a garbage truck on the way. The next deadline is this Thursday, and nothing has been done to move forward on it. Republicans promised to deal with the immigration issue but only holds the DACA Dreamers hostage. The next spending bill delay piles the bill on top of a DACA immigration deadline on March 5 and the debt ceiling, a month closer to early March because the Treasury is giving handouts to the wealthy and big corporations. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is already taking extraordinary actions to pay the nation’s bills by suspending payments into federal employee retiree, health and disability funds. This time of the year is harder on the treasury because of income tax returns. Last year’s budget deficit was $666 billion, the largest since the recession recovery in 2013. DDT claimed that he fired former FBI director James Comey because the agency was in “turmoil, but it was the firing that created chaos within the FBI. Both Comey’s and Andrew McCabe’s firings from DDT’s politicization have been responsible for the demoralized environment that has grown only worse from the smear memo from Nunes’ memo. about the surveillance warrant request for Carter Page. Even some Republicans are withdrawing from Nunes and his memo, rejecting the idea that the memo exonerates DDT. If not outright “misrepresenting” facts, the memo omits information about the research and documents including the background going back at least three years before Page’s involvement with DDT. In August 2013, Page bragged about being an “informal advisor” to the Kremlin. In the memo, Nunes claimed that the FBI didn’t know anything about Page’s Russian connections until Christopher Steele’s dossier of summer 2016 that was paid for by Democrats after conservatives stopped paying for the investigation into DDT. Discovering that people were not buying his take on the FISA warrant for Page, Nunes switched his focus to George Papadopoulos, asking why there was no warrant for him. Then Nunes left out information about Papadopoulos when he said he didn’t deserve a warrant, claiming that he only got drunk in London and criticized Hillary Clinton instead of the report that he told a diplomat about getting hacked emails with “dirt” on Clinton. He even claimed that DDT had never met Papadopoulos (center left), but a small meeting with the two of them in 2016 is documented in a photo from a campaign meeting. In an effort to take attention away from his nothing-burger memo, Nunes told Sean Hannity that the real Russian collaborator is the Hillary Clinton that weaponized the FBI against DDT. Nunes claimed that the memo shows a “clear link” between Russia and the Clinton campaign, although the memo only mentions that the Clinton campaign paid for part of Steele’s dossier. Missing from the memo—and Nunes’ talking points—is that a conservative group initially commissioned the investigation on DDT because he was obviously the GOP presidential campaign. Ellen Nakashima explained in the WaPo that another Nunes point in the memo was also wrong: the application for surveilling Page came from a political source, according to the request. Asked about this discrepancy on Fox & Friends, Nunes said the information was not good enough because it was in small print in a footnote: “A footnote saying something may be political is a far cry from letting the American people know that the Democrats and the Hillary campaign paid for dirt that the FBI then used to get a warrant on an American citizen to spy on another campaign.” Failing to successfully communicate his lie about the memo vindicating him, DDT grew more desperate last Monday morning with a smear tweet about the Democratic senator from California with fake stories about his leaking information, “Little Adam Schiff …. Must be stopped!” During his tweets last weekend, DDT clearly indicated he approved the memo in order to block the investigation into Russian meddling with the presidential election. The popularity of #release the memo came from “bots,” computational propaganda capable of sending massive numbers of social media messages which led to bots claiming they weren’t bots. The “fake” news from bots is changing behavior as shown in this detailed explanation of how a bot “personalizes” with “fake” photos and disseminates fake information about progressive causes. The House Intelligence Committee has unanimously voted to release the Democratic memo that refutes much of what Nunes wrote. Once again, the ball is in DDT’s court. He has five days to decide whether to release or block it—probably while spweeting (sputter-tweeting?) more about Schiff “leaking” information. The committee can vote to override DDT if he blocks the release, and it can be read into the House record. DDT has called Nunes a “Great American Hero.” The committee chair said he is keeping secret his “Phase Two” of the GOP investigation to focus on the State Department’s role in the early states of Russian investigation. Almost a year ago, Nunes recused himself from any investigations related to Russia because of an ethics charge that he was giving information to the White House. Charges were dropped last December, but his behavior may call on more ethics charges. Republicans report that as many as five more memos may appear, sure to provide more cover for DDT and avoid the nasty problems of the spending bill and the debt ceiling. While the media buzz was primarily about Nunes’ memo, DDT set another record: today’s Dow Jones fall of 1,179 was the biggest ever, not even close to the 777 points lost on September 29, 2008. On the same day, the S&P lost its entire January gain, and the Nasdaq was down for the seventh of the last nine days. The Dow loss is on top of over a 1,000+ drop last week; the value equals a loss of over $1 trillion in the first five days of February. Although some people blame the upcoming increase in interest rates by the Federal Reserve, others say the reason is the rising bond market as the U.S. Treasury is borrowing more money. It has to pay for all those tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations. Last year, investors ignored the possibilities of a trade war with China, a nuclear war with North Korea, and other fear that might have been discouraging to the stock market. The removal of regulations, especially for Wall Street, encouraged them to buy, buy, buy—driving the Dow Jones index up 10,000 points in the ninth year of its boom. Now the cheap money from global central banks may disappear with rising interest rates. GOP said that the tax cut would cause big corporations to invest in businesses and hire more workers. Instead, corporations are sheltering more and more of their money or buying back ownership in their companies, an action that briefly drove up stocks. Rising wages and interest rates are a sign of inflation which the Fed will try to ward off by raising the interest rates again. Janet Yellen, who kept rates low, is no longer the Federal Reserve chair, and investors don’t know what the new chair, Jerome H. Powell, will do. Energy corporations lack high earnings, resulting in the biggest drops in stock value, and health stocks were badly hurt by three large companies creating their own health care company for their employees. Tech stocks went down, and the new Apple I 8 and X phone suffered a downturn in sales. Oil prices went down. There’s not a crash, but the market may be “correcting,” a euphemism for going down. Kellyanne Conway celebrated her one-year anniversary after inventing the term “alternative facts” by doubling down on the appropriateness of the GOP fictional perspective. In a radio interview, she decried the practice of fact-checking by saying that “Americans are their own fact-checkers” and they “have their own facts.” She added that “the stock market is something [Americans] know about because they’re part of the investor class,” forgetting that fewer than half of those “Americans” have any involvement in the stock market and pretending that the stock market equals the economy. (Maybe her next statement could be “ignorance is knowledge”?) All these people who Conway referenced will now know that the stock market dropped eight percent in as many days. February 2, 2018 The Memo is out! For weeks, Fox’s Sean Hannity has been calling on Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) to release a document that would destroy the Robert Mueller investigation into the Russia’s collusion to win the presidential election for DDT. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), who got his spin for the memo from the White House, pushed the release of misleading, inaccurate information to protect DDT with the vote of his GOP members of the Intelligence Committee, who also unanimously denied the Democrats to release any information. After the memo was approved, Nunes changed the memo because he gave it to DDT, and the White House could then make more changes, also not approved by the committee, before permitting its release. Both DDT’s FBI director, Christopher Wray, and National Intelligence director, Dan Coats, warned DDT that the memo’s information was inaccurate and compromised classified information. DDT didn’t even read the document before he agreed to its release. The memo accuses the FBI and DOJ of abusing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act when he it obtained a warrant to surveil an adviser for DDT’s campaign because the reason was misleading. The FBI and DOJ first applied for a warrant on October 21, 2016 to surveil Carter Page. A renewal was required every 90 days. Three signers of a warrant—James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and Sally Yates—have been fired; two, Dana Boente and Rod Rosenstein, remain in the government. Rod Rosenstein may be fired because he might not be willing to fire Robert Mueller. Nunes claimed that Christopher Steele, paid to prepare a dossier on DDT, told a senior DOJ official that he wanted to be sure that DDT didn’t get elected with no evidence of any bias against Page, the subject of the warrant. The memo also claims that no warrant would have been obtained without the Steele dossier, but there is no evidence about this except private testimony that others claim has been “mischaracterized.” The FBI had considered Page might be a target of Russian intelligence long before he became involved with DDT after Page met a Russian spy in 2013. The document’s conclusion concentrates on the text messages between two FBI employees that, according to the memo, illustrated “a clear bias against Trump and in favor of [Hillary] Clinton, whom Strzok had also investigated.” Yet other Peter Strzok text messages are equally critical of Clinton, and he co-drafted the letter about publicizing the text messages related to Clinton 11 days before the election, an action that may have elected DDT. With no evidence, Nunes’ memo blames the employees for leaking information to the media. The released document had only one surprise, that George Papadopoulos was responsible for initiating the FBI investigation after he bragged to an Australian diplomat over drinks in London that the Russians have dirt on Hillary Clinton before the hack on the DNC emails became public. Concerned about the Russian involvement, the diplomat warned the FBI. Papadopoulos is testifying to Robert Mueller. In the past, Nunes demonstrated strong support for greater surveillance, voting for the expansion of the National Security Agency’s warrantless program and helping block others who wanted to restrict the agency from spying on U.S. citizens. He also rejected a suggestion to release the FBI/DOJ request for the warrant, redacted for classified information and privacy, to show what information was used in the court affidavit. From his ranch in Arizona, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) issued a statement about Nunes’ release of the memo: “In 2016, the Russian government engaged in an elaborate plot to interfere in an American election and undermine our democracy. Russia employed the same tactics it has used to influence elections around the world, from France and Germany to Ukraine, Montenegro and beyond. The latest attacks against the FBI and Department of Justice serve no American interests ― no party’s, no President’s, only Putin’s. The American people deserve to know all the facts surrounding Russia’s ongoing efforts to subvert our democracy, which is why Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation must proceed unimpeded. Our nation’s elected officials, including the president, must stop looking at this investigation through the lens of politics and manufacturing political sideshows. If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin’s job for him.” Nunes apparently jobbed out the writing of his memo. His aides wrote the document, and he didn’t even see the warrant. Only one Democrat and one Republican, plus staff, are permitted to see these warrants. Nunes assigned the task to Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC). Therefore, Nunes cannot know whether his own document is accurate. The day after Nunes announced the release of the memo, Gowdy abruptly announced that he would not be running for re-election. Swept in with the 2010 Tea Party epidemic, Gowdy became famous with his incessant grilling of Hillary Clinton over four deaths at a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi (Libya) in 2012. One of the almost dozen “interviews” lasted about eleven hours and revealed no new information. By 2016, Gowdy admitted that Clinton was not responsible. Gowdy’s other persecution of Clinton was her private email server although he himself used private email instead of a government server. He said he wants to return to the justice system, and the 4th Circuit Court has a vacancy. may have his eye on an appointment for the 4th Circuit Court. Over 40 House GOP members of the 115th Congress are already not running in this year’s election. Nunes has used his power to cover for DDT by refusing to investigate Russian interference. He is controlling the Republicans in the House: even House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) won’t disagree with his unethical actions and claims “malfeasance” in the FBI. Nunes also announced his release of the memo when DDT said that he would not follow a law by Congress requiring new sanctions on Russia when DDT’s CIA director, Mike Pompeo, has “every expectation that they will continue” trying to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections. The GOP promised that Nunes’ memo would be “worse than Watergate.” Watchers of Sean Hannity and Fox will have an entirely different perspective of the memo than the rest of the world. And DDT will be delighted because he gets all his advice from Fox. He told friends that the release of the memo would allow him to argue FBI prejudice against him. Most people, however, as saying, “That’s it?” The memo. Russia This Week: DDT backed off on his guarantee because lawyers are afraid that he’ll lie to them. Seventy-one percent of people in the U.S. agree that he should agree to an interview with Mueller, and 82 percent of them want it under oath—93 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans. Mark Corallo, DDT’s legal team spokesman who resigned last summer from concern that he might be exposed to obstruction, agreed to meet with Robert Mueller. His testimony involves Hope Hicks, communications director, who loves DDT “like a father,” who said in front of DDT with no lawyer present that the emails written by Donald Trump Jr. leading up to the Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer “will never get out.” Corallo notified the legal team about the conversation and took notes as well as sharing his concerns with Steve Bannon. DDT had insisted that the statement maintain that Jr.’s meeting was about Russian adoptions. Jr. insisted on the addition of the word “primarily” about the meeting subject. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein asked DDT for help before his testimony at the House Judiciary Committee to keep Rep. Devin Nunes from getting “sensitive documents.” In this December visit, DDT asked about the direction of the investigation and whether Rosenstein was “on my team,” similar to questions he posed to James Comey before he fired him and then Andrew McCabe who is also gone. DDT also proposed questions to the committee for Rod Rosenstein, including whether Rosenstein picked Mueller as investigator because Mueller wasn’t chosen for FBI director. July 2017: Congress imposed new sanctions on Russia for election meddling with a deadline. Senate passed the bill by 98-2. DDT signed the bill with a note of protest and an angry tweet. He then missed all the deadlines. January 29, 2018: Deadline for sanctions. Otherwise, DDT will flout Congress and violate the law. DDT announced he won’t be following the law. At the same time, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats met with two top Russian spy chiefs. Reuters found out by reading Russian media. March 24, 2017 When Dictator Donald Trump (DDT) signed S. 442 with $19.5 billion, the NASA Transition Authorization Act, I thought, “Finally! He did something positive!” Ha! Nope. With a $200 million increase (one percent), the bill is the first time the mission does not include earth science, including climate research, diverging from six GOP administrations and five Democratic ones. DDT’s budget from last week cuts out several NASA initiatives, including the Office of Education, and terminates the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE), Orbital Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3), Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), and CLARREO Pathfinder missions. Through monitoring and predicting weather, climates, and ecosystems, these four satellites help save lives and prepare the nation for long-term changes. The biggest failure for both DDT and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) was Trumpcare’s failure, after Ryan postponed the bill on Thursday and completely pulled the bill today because it was short on votes. Ryan thought he could push it through in three weeks, passing it almost exactly one year after the Affordable Care Act passed Congress. DDT thought he could get the votes by threatening House Republicans with losing the 2018 election if they didn’t vote for it. He had already lied about convincing people to vote for the bill, and his threat picked up ten more “no” votes from representatives who wanted to completely destroy the Affordable Care Act. Ryan decided that he could win over the scorched-earth naysayers by taking away ten Essential Health Benefits mandated for insurance coverage: outpatient care, ER visits, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and addiction treatment, prescription drugs, rehabilitative services, lab services, preventive care, and pediatric services. Far beyond “health care light,” the bill ended up being “health care no.” That change lost less far-right voters, and it failed even after DDT sent white supremacist Steve Bannon and congenital liar Kellyanne Conway to Capitol Hill on a mission of gathering votes and passing along DDT’s threat that he would drop support for health reform if they didn’t vote on Friday. Another huge failure for DDT came Monday when FBI Director James Comey announced that President Obama didn’t wiretap DDT’s phones in Trump Tower, as DDT claimed, but that intelligence is continuing its investigation into the possible collusion between his campaign and Russia. DDT’s source for his false contention that Britain helped the former president in wiretapping, frequent Fox guest Andrew Napolitano, has disappeared, at least temporarily, from the network, and DDT looked like a fool during his press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel when he talked about it. Fox eventually said that the network “cannot confirm Judge Napolitano’s commentary.” In an attempt to spare DDT more embarrassment, the Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), past member of DDT’s transition team and chair of the committee investigating DDT and Russia, has called off hearings to block testimonies from former DNI director James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates. Nunes also backed down from his assertion that U.S. intelligence was “monitoring” DDT and his aides. On Wednesday, the third day of hearings for DDT’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, the normally split Supreme Court overturned one of Gorsuch’s decisions in which he ruled that schools were not required to provide education for disabled students. And DDT had other failures. DDT, who said he would pick the “very best people,” selected Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. During his recent Asian trip, Tillerson told the only reporter on board that he didn’t want the job but took it because “my wife told me I’m supposed to do this.” Not everyone agrees. Tillerson has dodged the press, refused to answer question, failed to defend his department from a one-third budget cut, threatened to attack North Korea without further diplomacy, bailed on some responsibilities in Asia because of “fatigue,” and then planned to visit Russia instead of attending a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. About rejecting the press, Tillerson said, “I’m not a big media press access person. I personally don’t need it.” He also failed to hold a press conference for the release of the annual human rights report. It was the first time in the report’s 40-year history that this has happened. His inaction has also led to several vacant leadership positions in the State Department. And that was just the last week. To Tillerson, diplomacy doesn’t work so the nation is vastly increasing its military budget. According to Tillerson’s version of diplomacy while ExxonMobil CEO, he kept quiet and let governments manage their own domestic politics. This narrow definition of “diplomacy” strikes bargains on the basis of private interests. Missing are interviews, press conferences, social media, and speeches to simultaneously address and shape public and legislative opinion simultaneously in multiple countries. Without credibility from Tillerson and DDT, past allies won’t be supporting the U.S. in its hawkish moves. DDT’s honeymoon with Wall Street may be over, gone from starry eyes to bloodshot realism. Tuesday was the biggest Dow Jones drop of seven consecutive days of decreases. On the same day, the nine biggest Wall Street firms lost $81.6 billion in value, and the wider banking industry fell about 4 percent—again the worst single day for banks since the Brexit vote in June. Last week, the Dow dropped 1.5 percent, the largest since last September. An uncertain future for Ryan’s health care plan has made Wall Street wonder if tax reform will follow the same pattern. Without the giant tax cuts for the wealthy, vast sums of money won’t be funneled back to the rich (aka investors). Tax cuts are bad for the economy but good for the bloated financial markets. With today’s 60-point drop in the Dow, Goldman Sachs stock was the worst of the 21 losing blue chips, down 1.5 percent. DDT’s interview with the conservative Time came out with this striking cover (right). Some of his unbalanced (insane?) comments: Evidence for President Obama’s wiretapping conspiracy: “I have articles saying it happened.” Credibility in him: “The country believes me. Hey. I went to Kentucky two nights ago, we had 25,000 people in a massive basketball arena. There wasn’t a seat, they had to send away people.” Belief in conspiracy theory that linked Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) father Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald: “That was in a newspaper [that] had a picture of Ted Cruz, his father, and Lee Harvey Oswald, having breakfast.” Insistence on forming a committee to find the three million “illegal” voters costing him the popular vote victory against Hillary Clinton: “If you take a look at the votes, when I say that, I mean mostly they register wrong, in other words, for the votes, they register incorrectly, and/or illegally.” A Gallup poll released Monday morning showed that DDT continues to break records across all age groups with his historic unpopularity. The Huffington Post reports that his job approval has fallen to an abysmal 37 percent, “lower than any other president at this point in his first term since Gallup started tracking the numbers 72 years ago in 1945.” Among millennials, DDT’s approval rating is 22 percent. How empty is the man inaugurated last January 20? The White House posted this “official” photo of the Oval Office in the White House 1600 Daily.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;; Copyright (C) Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies. All rights reserved. ;;; Written by [email protected], 2000-09-26. ;;; Eval following region ;; Make scene-graph and first viewer (define text (new-sotext3)) (define interpolatefloat (new-sointerpolatefloat)) (-> (-> text 'string) 'connectFrom (-> interpolatefloat 'output)) (define viewer (new-soxtexaminerviewer)) (-> viewer 'setscenegraph text) (-> viewer 'show) ;;; End initial eval-region ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;; Test input fields of SoInterpolateFloat engine, play around ;;;;;;;;;;;; (set-mfield-values! (-> interpolatefloat 'input0) 0 '(0 1 2 3)) (set-mfield-values! (-> interpolatefloat 'input1) 0 '(1 2 0 3)) (-> (-> interpolatefloat 'alpha) 'setvalue 0.1) ;; Copy the scenegraph. (define viewer-copy (new-soxtexaminerviewer)) (-> viewer-copy 'setscenegraph (-> (-> viewer 'getscenegraph) 'copy 1)) (-> viewer-copy 'show) ;; Export scenegraph with engine. (define writeaction (new-sowriteaction)) (-> writeaction 'apply (-> viewer 'getscenegraph)) ;; Read scenegraph with engine in it. (let ((buffer "#Inventor V2.1 ascii\n\n Text3 { string \"\" = InterpolateFloat { alpha 0.7 input0 [ 0, 1 ] input1 [ 2, 3] } . output }") (input (new-soinput))) (-> input 'setbuffer (void-cast buffer) (string-length buffer)) (let ((sceneroot (sodb::readall input))) (-> viewer 'setscenegraph sceneroot) (-> viewer 'viewall))) ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;; Confirmed and potential bugs. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;; Fixed bugs and false alarms (ex-possible bugs) ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;; scratch area ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; (-> (-> text 'justification) 'setValue SoText3::CENTER) (-> (-> text 'parts) 'setValue SoText3::ALL) (-> (-> text 'string) 'disconnect) (-> viewer 'viewAll)

WASHINGTON — Salvatore Giunta, caught in a nighttime ambush in eastern Afghanistan, stepped into a “wall of bullets” and chased down two Taliban fighters who were carrying a mortally wounded friend away. Three years later, the Army staff sergeant on Tuesday became the first living service member since the Vietnam War to receive the nation’s top military award, the Medal of Honor. Far from the perilous ridge where his unit was attacked, Giunta, now 25, stood in the glittering White House East Room, in the company of military brass, past Medal of Honor winners, his surviving comrades and families as President Obama hung the blue ribbon cradling the medal around Giunta’s neck. Most Read Stories “I really like this guy,” Obama said earlier in an off-script remark that drew applause. “When you meet Sal and you meet his family, you are just absolutely convinced that this is what America is all about.” The Hiawatha, Iowa, man was an Army specialist on the night of Oct. 25, 2007. He and other soldiers of Company B, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment were part of a campaign to provide food, winter clothing and medical care to Afghans in remote villages. They were ambushed from three sides in the Korengal Valley, a since-abandoned region of Kunar province after months of patrols that cost the U.S. military 42 American lives. “The moon was full; the light it cast was enough to travel by without using their night-vision goggles,” Obama said, with Giunta standing at his side, looking straight ahead. “They hadn’t traveled a quarter-mile before the silence was shattered. It was an ambush so close that the cracks of the guns and the whizzes of the bullets were simultaneous.” The two lead squad men went down. So did a third who was struck in the helmet. Giunta charged into the wall of bullets to pull him to safety, Obama said. Giunta was hit twice but was protected by his body armor. The sergeant could see the other two wounded Americans, Obama recounted. By now, the East Room was so silent you could hear a rustle from across the room. One Army officer took out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes. Giunta looked down as the president described how he and his squad mates threw grenades, using them as cover to run toward the wounded soldiers. All this, they did under constant fire, Obama said. Finally, they reached one of the men. As other soldiers tended to him, Giunta sprinted ahead. “He crested a hill alone with no cover but the dust kicked up by the storm of bullets still biting into the ground,” Obama said. There, Giunta saw “a chilling sight”: the silhouettes of two insurgents carrying away the other wounded American — one of his best friends, Sgt. Joshua C. Brennan. Giunta leapt forward and fatally shot one insurgent while wounding the other. The soldier rushed to his friend, dragged him to cover, then tried to stop the bleeding, for 30 minutes, until help arrived. Brennan died of his wounds. So did Spc. Hugo V. Mendoza, the platoon medic. Five others were wounded. “It had been as intense and violent a firefight as any soldier will experience,” Obama said. “By the time it was finished, every member of First Platoon had shrapnel or a bullet hole in their gear.” The ceremony, which followed the formal announcement of the honor in September, was attended by members of Giunta’s family and his unit, as well as top military officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other Medal of Honor recipients also were present. “You may believe that you don’t deserve this honor,” Obama told Giunta, “but it was your fellow soldiers who recommended you for it. In fact, your commander specifically said in his recommendation that you lived up to the standards of the most decorated American soldier of World War II, Audie Murphy, who famously repelled an overwhelming enemy attack by himself for one simple reason: ‘They were killing my friends.’ “ Speaking to reporters later, Giunta said the honor was “bittersweet.” “I lost two dear friends of mine,” he said. “I would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now.” Obama called Giunta, who also has a Bronze Star to his credit, “a soldier as humble as he is heroic.” “He’ll tell you that he didn’t do anything special, that he was just doing his job, that any of his brothers in the unit would do the same thing,” the president said during the ceremony. “In fact, he just lived up to what his team leader instructed him to do years before: ‘You do everything you can.’ “ Compiled from The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Tribune Washington bureau.

Large cerebral arteriovenous malformation presenting with venous ischemia in the contralateral hemisphere. Case report. The authors report a rare case in which a large cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) located in the left parietooccipital region presented with venous ischemia in the contralateral hemisphere. A 74-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because he was experiencing a loss of appetite, disorientation, and left hemiparesis. Computerized tomography scans revealed a low-density area in the right temporal lobe. Angiography demonstrated a large AVM in the left parietooccipital lobe and dilation, stagnation, and meanders of cortical veins in the contralateral hemisphere. The authors speculated that the elevated sinus pressure caused by a huge venous return of blood from the AVM produced venous ischemia in the contralateral hemisphere.

Tight Tight may refer to: General High and tight, a hairstyle typical in the U.S. military Tight end, a position in American football on the offensive team Tight playing style, in poker, a style of play which means to rarely call/play a hand Clothing Skin-tight garment, a garment that is held to the skin by elastic tension Tights, a type of leg coverings fabric extending from the waist to feet Tightlacing, the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset Tighty-whiteys, a derogatory term for men's or boys' classic briefs Mathematics Tight frame, a mathematical term defining the bounding conditions of a vector space Tightness of measures, a concept in measure (and probability) theory Science and technology Tight gas, natural gas which is difficult to access Tight oil, shale oil which is difficult to access American car racing term for when the car is understeering Music Tight (Mindless Self Indulgence album), 1999 Tight (Hank Crawford album), 1996 "Tight" (song), a song by INXS "Tight", a song by The Coup from their 2001 album Party Music Slang Miser Drunkenness Cool (aesthetic)

Sometimes words aren’t enough. They get in the way, or don’t express what it is you’re feeling, what it is you want to get across. Eddie Garcia deals with those things. Armed with a guitar and a wide assortment of stomp boxes and electronics he releases thoughtful, internal, mood heavy music under the name 1970s Film Stock. Birds, his second album is out August 11 and we have the premiere for you right now. There is a feeling of wanting to take flight across these seven songs, but it is flight that doesn’t ever really come. One is reminded of dreaming of bigger and better, locked in their room, wanting to leave it all but things like responsibility, physical means, or just good old-fashioned fear clip our wings and keeps us grounded to the confines of the same old life. The title song opens the album with this yearning, a wanting to be free. But it’s a song that never quite opens up and takes flight, much like our caged in protagonist. “In View” and “Slack” continue that feeling of looking ahead and dreaming but dreaming is all it is. The reality never lets it take root and develop fully. “Sling for Skeletons” lashes out at this reality. With its Carpenter like pulse underneath, it roils and simmers into an anger that wants to unleash and is dangerously close to doing so. “We’re Not Going Anywhere,” maybe resigned to the life it’s living, looks to express the beauty in the life it does have. “Walk Away” is the new day dawning. It’s now or never the guitar pleads with itself, but it can’t find it within to break free. “Victory Repeating” feels like a play on words. It does have the feeling of finally soaring but it repeats the same line over and over, like it’s trying to convince itself. Of course, this is all highly subjective. This is the beauty of instrumental music. It is open for you to assign the meaning, to lay it over the framework of whatever structure your life has. To place it within your own context, to let it guide and soundtrack your late nights, early mornings, and in betweens. What do you hear through the notes? What feeling does it invoke deep down? There’s only one way to find out.

Show HN: Test and edit tilejson in the browser - andrewljohnson http://static.gaiagps.com/tilejson-tester/ ====== andrewljohnson This is a pretty quick hack we did, because tilejson is useful in our apps, and we started to get lots of support requests for help making/importing files. ------ detaro Error 404?

// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 #include <sys/types.h> #include <errno.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <stdio.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <string.h> #include <regex.h> #include "../../../util/debug.h" #include "../../../util/header.h" static inline void cpuid(unsigned int op, unsigned int *a, unsigned int *b, unsigned int *c, unsigned int *d) { __asm__ __volatile__ (".byte 0x53\n\tcpuid\n\t" "movl %%ebx, %%esi\n\t.byte 0x5b" : "=a" (*a), "=S" (*b), "=c" (*c), "=d" (*d) : "a" (op)); } static int __get_cpuid(char *buffer, size_t sz, const char *fmt) { unsigned int a, b, c, d, lvl; int family = -1, model = -1, step = -1; int nb; char vendor[16]; cpuid(0, &lvl, &b, &c, &d); strncpy(&vendor[0], (char *)(&b), 4); strncpy(&vendor[4], (char *)(&d), 4); strncpy(&vendor[8], (char *)(&c), 4); vendor[12] = '\0'; if (lvl >= 1) { cpuid(1, &a, &b, &c, &d); family = (a >> 8) & 0xf; /* bits 11 - 8 */ model = (a >> 4) & 0xf; /* Bits 7 - 4 */ step = a & 0xf; /* extended family */ if (family == 0xf) family += (a >> 20) & 0xff; /* extended model */ if (family >= 0x6) model += ((a >> 16) & 0xf) << 4; } nb = scnprintf(buffer, sz, fmt, vendor, family, model, step); /* look for end marker to ensure the entire data fit */ if (strchr(buffer, '$')) { buffer[nb-1] = '\0'; return 0; } return ENOBUFS; } int get_cpuid(char *buffer, size_t sz) { return __get_cpuid(buffer, sz, "%s,%u,%u,%u$"); } char * get_cpuid_str(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused) { char *buf = malloc(128); if (buf && __get_cpuid(buf, 128, "%s-%u-%X-%X$") < 0) { free(buf); return NULL; } return buf; } /* Full CPUID format for x86 is vendor-family-model-stepping */ static bool is_full_cpuid(const char *id) { const char *tmp = id; int count = 0; while ((tmp = strchr(tmp, '-')) != NULL) { count++; tmp++; } if (count == 3) return true; return false; } int strcmp_cpuid_str(const char *mapcpuid, const char *id) { regex_t re; regmatch_t pmatch[1]; int match; bool full_mapcpuid = is_full_cpuid(mapcpuid); bool full_cpuid = is_full_cpuid(id); /* * Full CPUID format is required to identify a platform. * Error out if the cpuid string is incomplete. */ if (full_mapcpuid && !full_cpuid) { pr_info("Invalid CPUID %s. Full CPUID is required, " "vendor-family-model-stepping\n", id); return 1; } if (regcomp(&re, mapcpuid, REG_EXTENDED) != 0) { /* Warn unable to generate match particular string. */ pr_info("Invalid regular expression %s\n", mapcpuid); return 1; } match = !regexec(&re, id, 1, pmatch, 0); regfree(&re); if (match) { size_t match_len = (pmatch[0].rm_eo - pmatch[0].rm_so); size_t cpuid_len; /* If the full CPUID format isn't required, * ignoring the stepping. */ if (!full_mapcpuid && full_cpuid) cpuid_len = strrchr(id, '-') - id; else cpuid_len = strlen(id); /* Verify the entire string matched. */ if (match_len == cpuid_len) return 0; } return 1; }

Q: Scroll div top on page load then set scroll to work normally I have a chat system on my site and defaulted the message div position to always display the last message on page load. I accomplished this by using the following line of code: msgDiv = document.getElementById('message_row_large'); msgDiv.scrollTop = msgDiv.scrollHeight; However, this code sets the scroll position to be equal to the div height at all times, which doesn't allow users to scroll up and see other messages. I need to re-enable scroll to its default functionality after the page loads. ANy help is welcome. Thank you! P.S. I am using ajax to load chat messages. When user clicks on a name on the left hand panel, the chat between him/her and the other person loads on the right hand panel. A: Try $display = $('#message_row_large'); $display.animate({scrollTop: $display[0].scrollHeight }, 'fast'); Working Fiddle: https://jsfiddle.net/cshanno/3bo48dxj/1/

927 F.Supp. 171 (1996) Ernest HALFHILL, d/b/a Halfhill Trucking, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES of America INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, Defendant. Civil Action No. 95-484. United States District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania. March 7, 1996. *172 *173 Stephen I. Richman, Ceisler, Richman & Smith, Washington, PA, Gerald P. Duff, Lodge L. Hanlon, John G. Paleudis, Todd M. Kildow, Hanlon, Duff, Paleudis & Estadt, St. Clairsville, OH, for plaintiff. Michelle O. Gutzmer, United States Attorney's Office, Pittsburgh, PA, Charles M. Flesch, Robert S. Attardo, United States Department of Justice, Tax Division, Washington, DC, for United States of America Internal Revenue Service. MEMORANDUM OPINION BLOCH, District Judge. Presently before the Court is defendant's motion for partial summary judgment. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, the Court will grant the defendant's motion. I. Background The facts of record are as follows. In 1978, plaintiff purchased a tractor trailer and started a trucking company called Halfhill Trucking (HT), a sole proprietorship. Plaintiff operated HT as a leasing venture; that is, plaintiff leased HT's truck to various interstate commerce carriers and also provided a truck driver who hauled loads for the carriers. During 1978 and the first half of 1979, plaintiff's son, Ken Halfhill (Halfhill), was HT's sole truck driver. Although Halfhill's primary duty was to drive the truck, Halfhill also had the authority to negotiate with the carriers regarding future leasing of HT's truck. HT, via plaintiff, paid Halfhill based on a percentage of what the carriers paid to lease the truck. During the 1978-1979 period, plaintiff treated Halfhill as his employee and issued him federal Form W-2's. Plaintiff also paid the required federal employment taxes, including social security and unemployment taxes, on Halfhill's earnings. In the middle of 1979, however, Halfhill left HT and became an employee of Sentle Trucking (Sentle). Plaintiff thus decided to modify HT's business, leasing HT's truck to only one carrier — Sentle. Subsequently, in late 1981, Sentle's business was deteriorating and Sentle's exclusive lease with plaintiff expired. Plaintiff did not renew this lease; rather, plaintiff purchased another truck and in 1982 began operating HT in a manner more similar to when plaintiff had started the company. Specifically, HT's trucks were leased to different carriers and Halfhill, who had left Sentle, as well as other individuals, drove HT's trucks for the carriers. All of the drivers of HT's trucks had the authority to negotiate leases with the carriers, and plaintiff paid the drivers based on a percentage of what the carriers paid to lease the trucks, as Halfhill was paid in the past. From 1982 until mid-1990, however, plaintiff did not treat the individuals who drove HT's trucks as employees. Rather, plaintiff considered the drivers, including Halfhill, to be independent contractors for federal tax purposes and, therefore, plaintiff did not pay employment taxes on the drivers' compensation. Eventually, in light of tax assessments levied by the Internal Revenue Service, plaintiff paid employment taxes for his drivers for the second half of 1990 in the amount of $49.24. After paying this amount, plaintiff filed an administrative claim seeking a refund of the same. The IRS denied the plaintiff's administrative claim, and plaintiff instituted the instant action seeking a refund of the employment taxes that he had paid. Plaintiff claims that he is entitled to this refund on the ground that HT's drivers are independent contractors, not his employees. Moreover, plaintiff contends that even if the drivers are his employees, plaintiff is entitled to protection under § 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 — which exempts certain employers from tax liability when they have in good faith misclassified their employees as independent contractors. Defendant contests plaintiff's entitlement to a refund, asserting that HT's drivers are, in fact, employees of plaintiff and that plaintiff is not entitled to protection under § 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978. Moreover, defendant filed a counterclaim against plaintiff seeking to recover $222,720.45 of unpaid employment taxes assessed against plaintiff for *174 the 1988 through 1990 tax years. Plaintiff denies liability with regard to the defendant's counterclaim for the same reason that he asserts that he is entitled to a refund. At this time, defendant has moved for summary judgment with regard to the single issue of whether plaintiff is entitled to relief under § 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978.[1] II. Discussion Summary judgment may be granted if "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). "Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against the party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In considering a motion for summary judgment, this Court must examine the facts in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Big Apple BMW, Inc. v. BMW of North America, Inc., 974 F.2d 1358, 1363 (3d Cir.1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 912, 113 S.Ct. 1262, 122 L.Ed.2d 659 (1993); International Raw Materials, Ltd. v. Stauffer Chemical Co., 898 F.2d 946, 949 (3d Cir.1990). Thus, where the non-moving party's evidence contradicts the movant's, the Court must accept the non-movant's evidence as true. Country Floors, Inc. v. Partnership Composed of Gepner and Ford, 930 F.2d 1056, 1061 (3d Cir.1991). The burden is on the moving party to demonstrate that the evidence creates no genuine issue of material fact. Chipollini v. Spencer Gifts, Inc., 814 F.2d 893, 896 (3d Cir.) (en banc), cert. dismissed, 483 U.S. 1052, 108 S.Ct. 26, 97 L.Ed.2d 815 (1987). Where the non-moving party will bear the burden of proof at trial, the party moving for summary judgment may meet its burden by showing that "the evidentiary materials of record, if reduced to admissible evidence, would be insufficient to carry the non-movant's burden of proof at trial." Id.; Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. at 2552. The non-moving party "must set forth specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial and may not rest upon mere allegations, general denials, or ... vague statements." Quiroga v. Hasbro, Inc., 934 F.2d 497, 500 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 940, 112 S.Ct. 376, 116 L.Ed.2d 327 (1991). If the non-moving party does produce contradictory evidence, however, then the "believability and weight of the evidence remains the province of the factfinder." Big Apple, 974 F.2d at 1363. In this case, defendant asserts that it is entitled to summary judgment with regard to plaintiff's claim that he qualifies for relief from tax liability under § 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978. More specifically, defendant asserts that plaintiff is not entitled to protection under § 530 because he cannot meet § 530's "consistency requirement." Plaintiff, on the other hand, contends that there are material issues of fact in dispute with regard to this claim that preclude a grant of summary judgment. A. Federal employment taxes and § 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 Under the Internal Revenue Code, "employers must pay social security and unemployment taxes on behalf of their employees." Hospital Resource Personnel, Inc. v. United States, 68 F.3d 421, 424 (11th Cir.1995).[2] "These taxes are known collectively as `employment taxes.'" Id. "Employers are only required to ... pay these *175 employment taxes, however, in regard to payments to `employees,' not to `independent contractors.'" Id. "In connection with payments to `independent contractors,' employers only have to send annual information returns, on Form 1099 to the worker and on Forms 1096 and 1099 to the IRS, indicating the income paid [to the independent contractor] during the year." Id.; see also Boles Trucking, Inc. v. United States, No. 95-1826, 77 F.3d 236, 238-39 (8th Cir.1996). In light of these tax consequences, their proper characterization of the employment relationship is vital. Under certain circumstances, however, an employer who has mistakenly treated its employees as independent contractors — and has thus failed to pay the required employment taxes — may be relieved of its tax liability pursuant to § 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978. Congress created the "safe harbor" provisions of § 530 in order to alleviate "what was perceived as overly zealous pursuit and assessment of taxes and penalties against employers who had, in good faith, misclassified their employees as independent contractors." Boles Trucking, Inc., supra, at 239; see also In re Rasbury, 141 B.R. 752, 761 (N.D.Ala.1992). Section 530 provides in relevant part that: (a) Termination of certain tax liability. — (1) In general. — If (A) for purposes of employment taxes, the taxpayer did not treat an individual as an employee for any period, and (B) in the case of periods after December 31, 1978, all Federal tax returns (including information returns) required to be filed by the taxpayer with respect to such individual for such period are filed on the basis consistent with the individual not being an employee, then ... the individual shall be deemed not to be an employee unless the taxpayer had no reasonable basis for not treating such individual as an employee. * * * * * * (3) Consistency required in the case of prior tax treatment. — Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to the treatment of any individual for employment tax purposes ... if the taxpayer (or predecessor) has treated any individual holding a substantially similar position as an employee for purposes of employment taxes for any period beginning after December 31, 1977. Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978, P.L. 95-600, § 530, 92 Stat. 2763 (1978), reprinted in 1978 USCCAN 2.[3] Thus, § 530 is essentially a defense to an otherwise valid claim against a taxpayer who has failed to pay employment taxes because he has treated employees as independent contractors. See Murphy v. United States, No. 93-C-156-S, 1993 WL 559362, at *2 (W.D.Wis. October 22, 1993). "Accordingly, the party claiming § 530 protection has the burden to show entitlement to [such] protection." Id. As made clear by the plain language of § 530, a taxpayer qualifies for relief under § 530 only if the taxpayer can show that: (1) the taxpayer has not treated any individual as an employee who holds a substantially similar position as those classified as independent contractors (the substantial consistency requirement); (2) the taxpayer has filed all required federal tax returns on a basis consistent with the taxpayer's treatment of an individual as an independent contractor (the reporting consistency requirement); and (3) the taxpayer had a reasonable basis for treating the individual as an independent contractor. See, e.g., Henry v. United States, 793 F.2d 289, 291 (Fed.Cir.1986); Henderson v. United States, No. 90-1064, 1992 WL 104326, at *3 (W.D.Mich. February 18, 1992); Murphy, supra, at *2. As one Court has stated, the "keys to gaining access to the [protection of § 530] are found, first, in the consistent treatment of all similarly situated individuals, and second ..., [on] accurate, complete filing of all required tax forms." Erickson v. Commissioner, 172 B.R. 900, 912-13 (D.Minn.1994). *176 B. Application of § 530 to the instant case In this case, however, the Court finds that the evidence of record demonstrates that plaintiff cannot meet the requirements of § 530 set forth above. More specifically, the record demonstrates that plaintiff did not treat all individuals who held similar positions as independent contractors, failing § 530's "substantial consistency requirement." Indeed, plaintiff treated his only driver, Halfhill, as an employee in 1978 and 1979, but from 1982 through 1990, plaintiff treated all the individuals who drove HT's trucks, including Halfhill, as independent contractors. The type of work performed by Halfhill in the 1970's, however, was substantially similar to the work performed by all of the drivers in the 1980's; these individuals drove HT's trucks, negotiated with carriers regarding the leasing of HT's vehicles, and were paid a percentage of what HT's trucks actually earned. Thus, because plaintiff has inconsistently labeled individuals who performed similar job functions, he is not entitled to § 530's shelter. See also Lowen Corp. v. United States, 785 F.Supp. 913, 915-16 (D.Kansas 1992); Erickson, 172 B.R. at 913; Nash v. United States, No. 93-5877, 1995 WL 655588, at *1 (E.D.Pa. November 7, 1995) (all holding that inconsistent treatment of workers precludes relief under § 530).[4] Contrary to the Court's findings, plaintiff has argued that there are material issues of fact in dispute with regard to whether plaintiff has satisfied § 530's consistency requirements. More specifically, plaintiff contends that the evidence indicates that plaintiff actually started a new business in 1982, borrowing the name of his first business. Therefore, plaintiff argues that the fact that he treated Halfhill as an employee in 1978 and 1979 is irrelevant and because he treated all of his drivers consistently for the period that his new business was in operation — 1982 through 1990 — he is entitled to protection under § 530. The Court, however, finds plaintiff's arguments to be unpersuasive for the following reasons. First, the provisions of § 530 look to whether a "taxpayer" or a "taxpayer's predecessor" has treated workers consistently, not to the actions of a particular business. In this case, plaintiff cannot dispute that he was the same taxpayer from 1978 through 1990.[5] In fact, plaintiff used the same employer identification number on his IRS filings throughout this period. Moreover, a reasonable factfinder could not conclude, based on the record before the Court, that plaintiff ever started a "new" business. Although plaintiff indicated in his deposition that he did so, when questioned more thoroughly, plaintiff stated that he believed he started a new business simply because of the way he treated his drivers for tax purposes. (See defendant's Exhibit A-1, pp. 167-68). This testimony, coupled with the alleged "new" business' same name, function, and ownership as the alleged "old" business, demonstrate that plaintiff did not, in fact, start a different company. Finally, even if plaintiff had started another business, the evidence indicates that the first business was a predecessor of the second business, and the consistency requirements would, therefore, apply to the period that both businesses were in operation, i.e., 1978 through the present. In sum, the Court finds that defendant is entitled to summary judgment with regard to plaintiff's claim to relief under § 530 because the plaintiff cannot satisfy § 530's substantial consistency requirement. Therefore, the Court will grant the defendant's motion for partial summary judgment. NOTES [1] The Court notes, and the defendant does not dispute, that even if the Court grants this motion, plaintiff will still be entitled to a refund if the plaintiff can demonstrate that the drivers of HT's trucks are independent contractors, not employees. [2] Congress has imposed social security taxes on the employer under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA). 26 U.S.C. § 3101, et seq. Congress has imposed unemployment insurance taxes on the employer under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA). 26 U.S.C. § 3301, et seq.; see also Hospital Resource Personnel, Inc., 68 F.3d at 424 n. 5. [3] Although § 530 was never codified, it is reproduced in the notes following § 3401 of the Internal Revenue Code. (See defendant's brief at p. 12, n. 7). [4] The Court also notes that the record demonstrates that plaintiff fails § 530's "reporting consistency requirement" because plaintiff did not file the required federal returns on a basis consistent with his treatment of Halfhill as an independent contractor. The Court need not, however, rely on this ground. [5] HT is a sole proprietorship operated by plaintiff and, therefore, plaintiff is the party responsible for paying taxes for this business.

1.. INTRODUCTION ================ The pattern of stresses transferred to the bone have great influence on the success or failure of an orthopedic implant. The evaluation of bone stresses is so complex that it cannot be accomplished analytically, necessitating the application of FEA (Finite Element Analysis) techniques; three types of FE model, axisymmetric, bi-dimensional and three-dimensional, are considered in the literature \[[@R1]-[@R5]\]. Two-dimensional models are flawed in that stresses outside the plane of analysis are disregarded, while 3D models require a large number of elements and, consequently, long calculation times. The axisymmetric model, where the only simplification is that the screw thread is modeled as a disk, can be considered a good compromise between 2D and 3D models. With regard to the constraints, the condition of osseointegration is usually simulated, and the post-operative condition it is rarely considered in the literature \[[@R3],[@R4],[@R6]\]. However, these two conditions produce significantly different results and can be considered the limit conditions under which orthopedic screws operate, so that the analysis of both cases can provide useful information. Two boundary conditions (pull out test; alternative condition) are simulated in the literature \[[@R4],[@R7]\], but the relation between their respective results has not been analyzed. This relation is relevant because the pull out test is the standard test for orthopedic screws, while the screws, once implanted, are subjected to different loading conditions. Regarding bone material, most models in the literature consider bone an isotropic, elastic and homogenous material \[[@R1]-[@R4],[@R7]-[@R9]\], while in reality bone is anisotropic because of its trabecular structure. In this study, bone isotropy was assumed in order to obtain more general results, while bone structure was defined by a single parameter, its volumetric density. In the literature, the geometric and mechanical parameters of the screw generally considered are: pitch \[[@R10],[@R11]\], length, flank angle, and material \[[@R2]-[@R5]\]. Few authors have considered the fillet radius \[[@R4],[@R7]\], while many models have sharp edges \[[@R1],[@R3],[@R12]\]. Little emphasis has been given to screw performance in relation to bone density \[[@R5],[@R13]\] even though it is well known that the density of the bone determines its mechanical properties \[[@R14]-[@R18]\]. The present study evidences that it is not possible to select the appropriate screw without considering bone density. Different models were developed, considering the geometry and mechanical properties of commercial screws, and a parametric analysis was undertaken to assess how the strength of the bone-screw system varies for different values of thread pitch and bone density. Actually, this paper introduces a methodology where a multi-parametric structural numerical analysis is integrated with a multi-factorial analysis in order to be able to summarize a great amount of results and to build predictive analytic models. Overall, it was possible to determine some criteria for system optimization. 2.. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY ============================= Stress analysis required the construction of apposite FE models, which were then validated by means of experimental tests. 2.1.. Finite Element Model -------------------------- The model shown in Fig. (**[1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**) was developed using MSC MARC^®^ 2003 software. The bone consists of cortical bone (E =11 GPa, ν=0.33, 5 mm in thickness) and trabecular bone. Two different trabecular bone densities were simulated (Table **[1](#T1){ref-type="table"}**), and their respective mechanical properties were obtained from the relations \[[@R14], [@R16]\]: $$E = 2015 \cdot \mathit{\rho}^{25}$$ $$\mathit{\sigma}_{U} = 0.0042 \cdot E - 0.039$$ where: ρ is bone density (g/cm^3^); E is Young's modulus (MPa); σ~U~ is the ultimate tensile stress (MPa). The bone density values were chosen to simulate recurrent clinical situations (adult patient with mild bone resorbing) and significantly different Young's modulus (1:2 ratio). With regard to the screws, four different constitutive materials were simulated in order to study both currently used materials such as stainless steel (screw models n. 9-10) and titanium Ti6Al4V (screw models n. 3-8), and more innovative solutions such as low stiffness titanium (Ti12Mo5Ta, screw model n.2) and PMMA reinforced by an inner Ti12Mo5T cylinder (screw model n.1); the last two materials have been chosen in order to better approach trabecular bone's Young modulus. The general geometry of the simulated screws and the mesh details are shown in Fig. (**[2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}**) (symbols as in Table **[2](#T2){ref-type="table"}**); they were generated from an effectively produced geometry (screw model n. 9), varying all parameters, one by one. All the screw threads were simulated with symmetrical flanks, fillet radii were all equal, and the pitch was constant along the screw axis. The axisymmetric model entails shorter calculation times. The constraints and boundary conditions are shown in Fig. (**[1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**): they correspond to the pull out test (Fig. **[1a](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**) or to an alternative condition, with a different position of the constraint (Fig. **[1b](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**); this alternative condition should represent a more realistic working condition. According to Saint Venant's, the second condition is equivalent to the first one, however the small displacement hypothesis cannot be assumed a priori in this case, due to the low stiffness of trabecular bone. For both configurations, the immediate post-operative condition and that of complete osseointegration were simulated: the first condition was created through a 'touch' contact between the screw and trabecular bone (whatever displacement is allowed with the exception of penetration), while the second was obtained through a 'glue' contact (the two components are completely bounded to each other). The mean number of elements per model was 7500. 2.2.. Maximum Allowed Force Evaluation -------------------------------------- The maximum allowed force was calculated by iteration (non-linear case), specifying that the maximum stress on the bone must not exceed its ultimate tensile stress. This hypothesis is quite restrictive: actually bone is not a fragile material, tension peaks produce localized plastic deformations and stresses are redistributed over a wider area. However bone is likely to be stressed by dynamic loads and fatigue damage may occur when stress peaks produce a crack which progressively propagates during loading, until structural failure occurs. 2.3.. Experimental Tests ------------------------ The finite element model with 'touch' boundary condition was validated by means of experimental tests. All tests were performed on an hydraulic INSTRON 8872 test machine, equipped with a ±5 kN load cell. Pull out tests \[[@R19]\] were conducted replacing bone by polyurethane foam, as reported in the literature \[[@R20]\]. The mechanical properties of polyurethane foam were determined by ten compression and ten tensile static tests, where a linearly increasing displacement was applied. The nominal stress was calculated from the force, divided by the initial specimen section; the nominal strain was calculated from the current displacement, divided by the initial specimen height. Young's modulus was determined through five dynamic tests, applying a pulsating sinusoidal load (Fig. **[3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}**, left). Young's modulus was calculated as 6 MPa (s.d. = ± 1.21 MPa), while ultimate tensile stress was 0.42 MPa (s.d. = ± 0.084 MPa); these data were input into the numeric model to be validated. Compression tests produced a progressive packing of the foam (reaching up to 60% height reduction) which does not break but shows buckling. The pull out tests required specific equipment: two holes drilled in the opposite sides of a rectangular metal profile (obtained from an extruded bar) and a polyurethane block was placed within the box profile (Fig. **[4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). A bolt screwed into the lower hole was then held by the lower jaw of the machine (the bolt was left free to move in the cross-sectional plane, in order to avoid bending moments acting on the screw). A screw was inserted through the upper hole and inserted into the polyurethane foam. The metal profile simulated the cortical layer of the FE model, and prevented the polyurethane foam deforming when the screw was pulled. A preparatory hole (6.5 mm in diameter) was drilled in the foam before inserting the screw, which was always set at the same height. The tests were conducted on a standard metrical screw (M10, UNI 4536) whose geometry was known in detail, allowing an accurate FE model to be constructed. The lower end of the shaft was threaded with 17 threads. The screw was pulled at a speed of 2 mm/min. The pull out test was repeated 23 times and the mean force determined was 120 N (s.d. = ±14 N). A typical force versus displacement curve is shown in Fig. (**[4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). 2.4.. Analysis of FE Model Results ---------------------------------- Ten different screw models were realized (Table **[2](#T2){ref-type="table"}**). Each model was implemented with four different pitches (1.4 mm, 2.4 mm, 3.4 mm, 4.4 mm) and two different values of bone density (0.35 g/cm^3^; 0.47 g/cm^3^). Overall, each screw model was analyzed in eight FE models. The numerical results were summarized through a multifactor model \[[@R22]\], examining both the effects of each single factor and the interaction between the pitch and bone density. $$Y = \mathit{\mu} + \mathit{\beta} \cdot d + \mathit{\gamma}_{L} \cdot p + \mathit{\gamma}_{Q} \cdot p^{2} + \mathit{\gamma}_{C} \cdot p^{3} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{L} \cdot d \cdot p + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{Q} \cdot d \cdot p^{2} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{C} \cdot d \cdot p^{3}$$ where: Y = pull-out limit load; d = bone density; p = pitch μ = mean β = linear effect of bone density γ~L~ = linear effect of the pitch; γ~Q~ = square effect of the pitch γ~C~ = cube effect of the pitch βγ~L~= effect of interaction between the pitch and bone density βγ~Q~= effect of interaction between the bone density and the square effect of the pitch βγ~C~=effect of interaction between the bone density and the cube effect of the pitch Up to the third power of p could be considered because four different pitches were simulated; the only linear effect of bone density could be considered because only two density values have been simulated. Eq. (3) can be reformulated in order to isolate the contribution of the screw diameter: $$Y = \mathit{\mu} + d \cdot \left\lbrack {\mathit{\beta} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{L} \cdot p + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{Q} \cdot p^{2} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{C} \cdot p^{3}} \right\rbrack + \mathit{\gamma}_{L} \cdot p + \mathit{\gamma}_{Q} \cdot p^{2} + \mathit{\gamma}_{C} \cdot p^{3} = \mathit{\mu} + d \cdot D + \left( {\mathit{\gamma}_{L} \cdot p + \mathit{\gamma}_{Q} \cdot p^{2} + \mathit{\gamma}_{C} \cdot p^{3}} \right)$$ or in order to isolate the contribution of the screw pitch: $$Y = \mathit{\mu} + \mathit{\beta} \cdot d + p \cdot \left\lbrack {\mathit{\gamma}_{L} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{L} \cdot d} \right\rbrack + p^{2} \cdot \left\lbrack {\mathit{\gamma}_{Q} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{Q} \cdot d \cdot p^{2}} \right\rbrack + p^{3} \cdot \left\lbrack {\mathit{\gamma}_{C} + \mathit{\beta}\mathit{\gamma}_{C} \cdot d \cdot p^{3}} \right\rbrack = \mathit{\mu} + \left( {\mathit{\beta} \cdot d} \right) + f\left( p \right)$$ The coefficients of this numerical model were calculated for every screw, solving a mathematical system with eight parameters (the effects) and eight equations (pull out forces, calculated from the FE models). 3.. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ========================== 3.1.. Validation of FE Model ---------------------------- In order to validate FE models, it is necessary to select a failure criterion. The experimental tests showed that the polyurethane foam exhibited fragile behavior in the tensile tests, while compressive tests were much less critical. The maximum (positive) main stress failure criterion was chosen with an ultimate tensile stress of 0.42 MPa. As shown in Fig. (**[5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**), the experimentally evaluated pull out force (120 N) generates ultimate tensile stresses at the last thread, close to the fillet. The FE model is therefore validated because it correctly predicts a localized failure when the pull out force is applied. Actually this validation is quite specific: it has been demostrated that FE model correctly predicts the failure load which is the object of this paper; a more detailed validation would be required if other information were sought from the finite element model (stiffness behavior, stress distribution, etc.). The location of ultimate tensile stress at the last thread may be unexpected, given that in the literature, the first thread is considered the most critical \[[@R21]\]. However, the pull out test is a static test, while the above considerations refer to fatigue life. Further, the mechanical behavior of threaded joints using polyurethane foam (or bone) differs from the behavior of metal joints: both foam and bone are porous, leading to completely different modalities of failure for tension and compression. The first "female" thread is subjected to compression stresses (contact between the screw and the bone), while the last is subjected to tensile stresses (as evidenced in Fig. **[5](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**). 3.2.. Multifactor Analysis -------------------------- The results of the multifactor analysis are illustrated in Fig. (**[6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**), where the trends of the 'f(p)' function (eq. 5) *vs* pitch are plotted for different screw models, bone densities and boundary conditions (post-operative or complete osseointegration). Table **[3](#T3){ref-type="table"}** shows the values of the D coefficient (eq. 4) reported for different screw models. Some considerations can be made: In general, the differences in the stress distribution between pull out and the alternative constraint condition (with all other conditions constant) are minimal: the position of the full constraint does not influence the stress pattern on the "female" thread. In this sense, the pull out test is representative of a wide range of operating conditions.The post-operative and full osseointegration conditions are very different: the latter is more sensitive to bone density (in Table **[3](#T3){ref-type="table"}** the D coefficient values calculated for the post-operative condition are lower than that calculated for complete osseointegration) and to thread pitch (in Fig. (**[6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**), curves B, D, F are steeper than curves A, C, E). This can be explained considering that, in full osseointegration, the screw and the bone are forced to undergo the same deformation. The post-operative condition is more critical because a lower pull out force is required. It is therefore advisable to construct non-linear numerical models where this situation is analyzed, implementing a 'touch' contact between the screw and bone.The coefficients of eq. 5 vary from model to model.The influence of pitch varies more for high values of bone density (Fig. **[6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). Effectively, greater bone stiffness implies a greater sensitivity to thread geometry because stresses are more localized.For a given screw, the optimal pitch (that providing maximum pull out force) is not always the maximum simulated pitch. For example, in the pull out test regarding the post-operative condition, given the screw model N. 8, the optimal pitch is between 3.4 and 4.4 mm for a bone density of 0.35 g/cm^3^, while the optimal pitch is between 2.4 mm and 3.4 mm for a bone density of 0.47 g/cm^3^.With regard to the interaction between the pitch and bone density, coefficients βγ~L~, βγ~Q~ and βγ~C~ can assume either positive and negative values (for example, βγ~L~\>0 in the screw model 1, while βγ~L~has a negative value in model 2). This means that in some models, the effect of bone density on pull out force is smaller for greater pitches. This result further confirms the conclusion that the optimal screw geometry will be different for different bone densities.Many screw models show a similar pattern of function p *vs* pitch (Fig. **[6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**).There is a difference between load distribution in mechanical threaded joint and biomechanical threaded joint, as demonstrated by further numerical models, which implemented different values of "r", the parameter which defines the ratio between the Young's modulus of bone and that of the screw (Fig. **[7](#F7){ref-type="fig"}**). In the biomechanical case, r is very low because the Young's modulus of bone is approx. 300 MPa, while the Young's modulus of the screw is about one thousand times greater. Conversely, they have similar values in the mechanical and consequently a much more homogeneous load distribution is obtained on the second, third and fourth threads the biomechanical case.According to our results, screw model n. 10 is generally to be preferred; the performance of this model is moderately influenced by the thread pitch; considering the post-operative condition which is the most critical, a pitch larger than 1.4 mm should be recommended for the higher bone density. 4.. CONCLUSIONS =============== An FE model of the bone-screw system was constructed and experimentally validated. The model evidenced that the pull out test, the standard test for orthopedic screws, is representative of the operating conditions. It was demonstrated that the hypothesized level of osseointegration has a significant effect on the results obtained. In the light of this study, it is clear that the optimal screw geometry depends on the bone density: the pitch producing a higher load changes as a function of different bone densities (for example, in screw model 1 the optimal pitch is 3.75 mm for a bone density of 0.35 g/cm^3^, against 3.13 mm for 0.47 g/cm^3^, while for model 2 the optimal pitch is 3.87 mm for a bone density of 0.35 g/cm^3^ against 4.93 mm for a density of 0.47 g/cm^3^). It was found that threaded joints cut for biomechanical applications have some particularities compared to classic mechanical threaded joints: bone is much more compliant compared with the material of the screw and consequently a more homogenous load distribution over the threads can be obtained. Further, bone is porous and shows very different compression/tensile behaviors. {#F1} {#F2} {#F3} {#F4} {#F5} {#F6} {#F7} ###### Mechanical Properties of Trabecular Bone as a Function of Bone Density Density \[g/cm^3^\] Young's Modulus \[MPa\] Ultimate Stress \[MPa\] --------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- 0.35 147 0.57 0.47 300 1.24 ###### Geometric Parameters of Screws Screw Model N d~e~ (mm) d~n~ (mm) R~T~ (mm) R~F~ (mm) α β E~screw~ (GPa) E~ext~ (GPa) L (mm) ------------- --- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ---- --- ---------------- -------------- -------- 1 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 0 74 3.2 27 2 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 0 74 \- 27 3 5 4 2 0.5 0.10 10 0 105 \- 27 4 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 1 105 \- 27 5 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 2 105 \- 27 6 5 6 2 0.6 0.10 10 0 105 \- 27 7 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 0 105 \- 27 8 5 6 2 0.5 0.15 10 0 105 \- 27 9 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 0 186 \- 27 10 5 6 2 0.5 0.10 10 0 186 \- 33 ###### D\[10^-3^Nm^3^/kg\] from Eq. (5) Pull Out Test (Touch) ----------------------------------- --- ------- ------- ------- -------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- 1.4 D 162.5 125.0 75.0 100.0 104.2 91.7 91.7 133.3 100.0 87.5 2.4 D 191.7 116.7 83.3 112.5 125.0 108.3 108.3 158.3 104.2 120.8 3.4 D 179.2 129.2 100.0 137.5 175.0 125.0 145.8 191.7 145.8 116.7 4.4 D 104.2 175.0 83.3 150.0 191.7 137.5 145.8 191.7 145.8 141.7 **PullOut Test (Glue)** 1.4 D 341.7 483.3 508.3 454.2 391.7 416.7 441.7 441.7 525.0 412.5 2.4 D 300.0 475.0 483.3 420.,8 458.3 470.8 508.3 537.5 533.3 504.2 3.4 D 300.0 454.2 500.0 495.8 458.3 470.8 512.5 529.2 554.2 462.5 4.4 D 408.3 583.3 566.7 625.0 575.0 633.3 616.7 575.0 716.7 579.2 **Alternative Condition (Touch)** 1.4 D 133.3 125.0 62.5 91.7 87.5 83.3 87.5 125.0 91.7 87.5 2.4 D 170.8 116.7 75.0 116.7 125.0 108.3 100.0 158.3 112.5 116.7 3.4 D 170.8 137.5 83.3 133.3 141.7 108.3 150.0 187.5 137.5 125.0 4.4 D 108.3 145.8 87.5 154.2 187.5 141.7 145.8 191.7 141.7 133.3 **Alternative Condition (Glue)** 1.4 D 362.5 537.5 525.0 470.8 354.2 450.0 470.8 395.8 520.8 416.7 2.4 D 312.5 408.3 508.3 533.3 479.2 404.2 537.5 558.3 541.7 445.8 3.4 D 312.5 466.7 483.3 529.2 466.7 466.7 566.7 500.0 562.5 487.5 4.4 D 420.8 620.8 570.8 720.8 575.0 641.7 683.3 512.5 691.7 591.7

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What’s at stake in Fisher v. University of Texas? You are here What’s at stake in Fisher v. University of Texas? The U.S. Supreme Court and affirmative action at Stanford byAnnelise Heinzon Thursday, January 24, 2013 - 10:59am “My own view is that color-blind admissions policies come several centuries too late and at least a generation too early,” law professor Deborah Rhode told a Stanford audience, making an ethics-based argument for affirmative action. In the current case Fisher v. University of Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon make a decision that could end or dramatically remake race-based affirmative action admissions at universities, including Stanford. According to legal counsel Tom Fenner, the swing vote “is likely to be Stanford alum Anthony Kennedy.” On Wednesday, a panel of Stanford scholars and legal experts gathered at the Black Community Center to discuss Fisher v. University of Texas and its profound ramifications. Depending on the court's ruling, universities like Stanford might be significantly restricted in their ability to take applicants' race into account in admissions decisions. Such a result, the panelists argued, would have serious consequences for social equity and diversity at Stanford. The panel consisted of legal scholar Deborah Rhode, historian Allyson Hobbs, and legal counsel Tom Fenner. “My own view is that color-blind admissions policies come several centuries too late and at least a generation too early.” Fisher v. University of Texas puts on trial a 2003 precedent that confirmed a limited role for racial considerations in admissions decisions. Although prohibiting universities from using racial quotas, the 2003 decision allows consideration of race as part of a holistic process that includes other factors such as student leadership and family background. Supporters of the University of Texas' current policies argue that removing race from the consideration of applications will not create a better meritocracy but will almost certainly result in a rise in white and Asian representation and a drop in the representation of other student groups, especially black and Latino students. Opponents of affirmative action counter that universities should be challenged to come up with race-blind ways to sustain a diverse student population. The case and its key players Plaintiff Abigail Fisher sued the University of Texas at Austin, or UT Austin, after she was denied admission in 2008. UT Austin follows a Texas legislature-mandated admissions policy of granting automatic acceptance to the top 10 percent of students who graduate from Texas high schools. Over three-quarters of current UT Austin students were admitted through this practice. In the top 12 percent of her class, Fisher was ineligible for automatic acceptance, and she was also denied admission in a supplementary process that took race into consideration, along with other factors such as student leadership and family background. Fisher’s legal team has argued that UT Austin’s “Top Ten Percent Plan” has created a sufficiently diverse student body, negating any further need for considerations of race. UT Austin and other universities, including Stanford, disagree. If prohibited from considering race, Fenner explained, Stanford might adopt best practices implemented by other schools already barred from considering race by laws such as California's Proposition 209. However, he added, those schools have not been very successful at sustaining “the educational benefits from having a racially diverse student body.” Excluded ethics The panelists addressed issues of social justice and discrimination largely absent from the court case itself. In 1978, the Court rejected the idea that correcting historical injustices justified affirmative action, accepting only the argument that diversity provides educational benefits for all students. As a result of this decision, UT Austin has been left to justify its admissions policies by arguing that consideration of race is necessary to achieve a “critical mass” of students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds—and to achieve the educational benefits that flow from having a diverse student body. The inability of UT Austin to pin down a definition for critical mass, opponents say, is a weak link in the university's case. In addition to educational benefits, Rhode and Hobbs emphasized the ethics behind racial considerations. “While preferential admissions criteria in universities are only a small part of the solution,” Rhode said, “they are an extremely necessary one if we are to overcome the history of racial segregation and subordination in this nation.” Rhode also cited research compiled in the amicus briefs filed on behalf of racial preferences, arguing that minority applicants admitted through affirmative action do at least as well as others, according to various measures of academic and career success. Hobbs agreed, saying that test scores alone are not an objective or fair measurement of a candidate’s merit. According to Hobbs, ending affirmative action could effectively “screen out” individuals with diverse skills who would contribute to workplaces or schools. It would also reinforce a history of partial citizenship by limiting access to high-level work for which a college degree is required. “History matters,” Hobbs said, “and history casts a particularly long shadow over the University of Texas.” Affirmative action is necessary, Hobbs argued, in order for society to take responsibility for the effects of long-term exclusion. Hobbs emphasized the long history of discriminatory government policies and exclusion from or limited access to certain federal programs, at times achieved by Southern congressmen to ensure local control over federal dollars to reinforce Jim Crow. The GI Bill, for example, helped widen the racial gap as white veterans used federal money to pay for college, while discrimination in college admissions kept tens of thousands of black veterans out of school. After Brown v. Board of Education, the University of Texas banned black students from residences and sports. Hobbs also cited recent incidents that demonstrate ongoing racial bias and inequality at UT Austin. Affirmative action at Stanford The Court may issue a narrow decision applying only to UT Austin’s admissions policies. Or, it may pass a more sweeping judgment. Fenner, who appeared on the panel as an individual lawyer and was careful to emphasize that he was not speaking as a university representative, walked the audience through several possible outcomes for Stanford. Depending on whether the court upholds UT’s admissions process, invalidates all consideration of race, or falls somewhere in between, Stanford admissions staff could have “a busy summer” scrambling to change policy before the admissions cycle begins again in the fall of 2013. A consistent supporter of affirmative action, Stanford filed an amicus brief in the case pointing out that “race neutral alternatives” such as admitting all applicants in the top ten percent at their high schools would not work for highly selective institutions, and have not yielded racial and ethnic diversity at other institutions. Stanford integrates race as one factor among many, attempting to generate the educational benefits of a student body that is diverse in multiple ways. Rhode ended the panel discussion by supporting the ethical importance of affirmative action in the face of resistance. “People won’t like this,” just as they did not like desegregation, she argued, but the Civil Rights Movement showed “you can change patterns through legal requirements.” -------------- “The Future of Affirmative Action: Fisher v. University of Texas” panel discussion featured law professor Deborah Rhode, assistant professor of history Allyson Hobbs, and Stanford Deputy General Counsel Tom Fenner. The event was hosted by the Faculty Women's Forum and was introduced by Patricia P. Jones, the Dr. Nancy Chang Professor in the department of biology. The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity and the Clayman Institute sponsored the event. Co-sponsors included African & African American Studies, El Centro Chicano, Stanford Engineering Diversity Programs, Stanford Center on the Legal Profession, the School of Education, Black Community Services Center, Women's Community Center, Program in Feminist Studies, Stanford Diversity & Access Office, Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and the American Studies Program. Allyson Hobbs is assistant professor of American history at Stanford. Hobbs, who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, researches American social and cultural history, racial mixture, identity formation, migration and urbanization, and the intersections of race, class and gender. She was a 2011-2012 Clayman Institute Faculty Research Fellow. Tom Fenner joined Stanford’s Office of the General Counsel in 1985, and became Deputy General Counsel in 2001. In his practice, Fenner focuses on the academic areas of the university, including faculty, student, research, and policy matters. He earned his B.A. and J.D from Stanford University. Fenner appeared on the panel as an individual, not as a university representative.

Vehicle Overview The Prius V joined the expanding Prius lineup in 2011 as a 2012 model. For the North American market the “V” is basically a wagon version of the regular Prius. In other markets the Prius V is sold as a three-row multi-person vehicle, which means all versions worldwide include second row seating set… Continue Reading... Naturally racecars are about maximum performance, neck-snapping acceleration, organ-bruising lateral grip and of course enough stopping power to rip the skin off your forehead. The Porsche 919 Hybrid is one such machine, but that’s not all. Continue Reading... Until the mid-1980s, those with large families usually bought station wagons with a who-cares-about-safety rearward facing third row of seats. But then the minivan was introduced and everything changed. For the next fifteen years, troops of kids were transported here and there in these pragmatic boxes on wheels. As is often the case though, consumer… Continue Reading... Not even Porsche is immune to pressure from governments and customers to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The legendary German sports-car builder will offer a four-cylinder engine in future versions of both its Boxster and Cayman models. Continue Reading... Along with media from around the world auto shows host all kinds of product reveals, things like the breathtaking McLaren 650S, the intriguing Jeep Renegade and the obscenely luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. But they all can’t be heart-stopping; sometimes you have to report on vehicles people actually drive. Continue Reading... Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an advanced simulation that projects future emissions in the United States and the results of this study are surprising. Continue Reading... Introduced in 2013, the redesigned Ford Fusion has wowed customers and industry pundits alike with its sexy styling. The Camry, Accord and Malibu aren’t even in the same league as this supermodel sedan. Continue Reading... As it tends to do around this time, the year is steadily drawing to a close; 2013 is dwindling like a tiki torch running out of citronella-scented oil. The last flickers are smoldering, but she burned brightly for 12 months so the end is not in vain. Lots of important car news broke through the… Continue Reading... We use cookies to improve your experience on this website and so that ads you see online can be tailored to your online browsing interests. We use data about you for a number of purposes explained in the links below. By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of data and cookies. Tell me more | Cookie Preferences

#ifdef __OBJC__ #import <UIKit/UIKit.h> #else #ifndef FOUNDATION_EXPORT #if defined(__cplusplus) #define FOUNDATION_EXPORT extern "C" #else #define FOUNDATION_EXPORT extern #endif #endif #endif FOUNDATION_EXPORT double QuickLayoutVersionNumber; FOUNDATION_EXPORT const unsigned char QuickLayoutVersionString[];

Q: Can someone explain how Salesforce works with CTI? (Avaya) I have a client who has Salesforce and uses an Avaya switch to run their call center. They enter in random call information into this old legacy program called Omni and once a week they manually update Salesforce with the info that they gathered from calls that week. I need to track these things: Length of call in seconds Audio recording to call (or at least a link to one) Caller ID (like the auto-generated ID of a user, not necessarily their phone number) Speed to answer (How long a person is on hold before they get an answer) What I am confused about is this. I am pretty sure Avaya tracks these things. What I need is to have a way to have all of these things in Salesforce. I'd like to have fields in certain entities that store the things listed above. So my question is, what is the role of a CTI connector in this process? How does Avaya save it's information for the CTI connector/Salesforce to access it? Maybe these are the wrong questions to ask so if anyone has any insight as to how this works I'd love to know. A: Salesforce doesn't provide any way to track these things. As a developer you have to do this. We have setup for Genesys and Avaya in our organization and we have built CTI adapter for salesforce with genesys. Let me tell you few things, SF doesn't know your dialer. Its your responsibility how you implement it with Open CTI API. Sf will just pop up records which you invoke through Open CTI API. rest you have to decide how you want to handle call flow. In our Genesys CTI Adapter we track talk, ring, warp, etc in out adapter and later we update same in sfdc via API. Sfdc API will help you to search, load customer record based on phone number or other parameters. But its your responsibility how you are going to track it.

Who owns the poem and knows what it means — Who writes the questions on the test — Who chooses what is good and what is best — And understands the truth inside the lean? Oh star crossed letters, I do not know Why ever would I stop to explain When what I know is written plain And never made much sense to me, so Work it out upon a word, these little steps Into the hills, walking round the mountains Where the bird songs should be kept And rainstorms come — Oh, star crossed mountains Every step is lost and lost, inept Others say what footprints planted claim

Q: align two words in a select option I have the select below: <select name="mySelect"> <option value="1">hello [test]</option> <option value="2">hello2 [test2]</option> <option value="3">hello33 [test33]</option> <option value="4">hel [hel]</option> </select> How can I align the text inside the options to appear like this: hello____[test] hello2___[test2] hello33__[test33] hel_____ [hel] I tried adding spaces with JavaScript but they are not visible. ( _ is space char above) A: The only way to do this would be to firstly set your select element to use a monospace font (that is a font whose characters all have the same width), then to pad out your element with the &nbsp; character entity: select { font-family: monospace; } <select name="mySelect"> <option value="1">hello&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[test]</option> <option value="2">hello2&nbsp;&nbsp;[test2]</option> <option value="3">hello33&nbsp;[test33]</option> <option value="4">hel&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[hel]</option> </select> As you can see this does make your markup quite ugly. It also forces you to use a font which probably isn't used site-wide and may be undesirable. I believe this is the only way you can accurately achieve this though, without replacing your select element completely with some JavaScript-controlled element strucutre. Depending on what your hello or [test] texts are supposed to represent, the optgroup element may be what you're looking for: <select name="mySelect"> <optgroup label="[test]"> <option value="1">hello</option> </optgroup> <optgroup label="[test2]"> <option value="2">hello2</option> </optgroup> <optgroup label="[test33]"> <option value="3">hello33</option> </optgroup> <optgroup label="[hel]"> <option value="4">hel</option> </optgroup> </select>

Q: Translating BYTE Reserved1[24] to jsctypes This is the MSDN defintion: typedef struct _SYSTEM_BASIC_INFORMATION { BYTE Reserved1[24]; PVOID Reserved2[4]; CCHAR NumberOfProcessors; } SYSTEM_BASIC_INFORMATION; This guy converted it to this in js-ctypes: var SYSTEM_BASIC_INFORMATION = new ctypes.StructType("SYSTEM_BASIC_INFORMATION", [ {'Reserved': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'TimerResolution': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'PageSize': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'NumberOfPhysicalPages': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'LowestPhysicalPageNumber': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'HighestPhysicalPageNumber': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'AllocationGranularity': ctypes.unsigned_long}, {'MinimumUserModeAddress': ctypes.unsigned_long.ptr}, {'MaximumUserModeAddress': ctypes.unsigned_long.ptr}, {'ActiveProcessorsAffinityMask': ctypes.unsigned_long.ptr}, {'NumberOfProcessors': ctypes.char} ]); //CCHAR I dont understand how he doesnt have 24 entries for BYTE Reserved1[24]; shouldnt he have like: {'Reserved1_1': BYTE}, {'Reserved1_2': BYTE}, {'Reserved1_3': BYTE}, {'Reserved1_4': BYTE}, .... {'Reserved1_24': BYTE}, A: For various reasons Microsoft decides that some info should be kept away from developers. But people through reverse engineering find out what these reserved fields are about and produce their own documentation. Some times people guess correct. Some times Microsoft makes breaking changes, and people scream "How dare you!". And life goes on.

The present invention relates in general to semiconductor devices and their manufacture. More specifically, the present invention relates to the fabrication of vertically stacked nanosheet transistors having inner spacers and improved source to drain sheet resistance. In contemporary semiconductor device fabrication, a large number of semiconductor devices, such as field effect transistors (FETs), are fabricated on a single wafer. Non-planar transistor device architectures, such as vertical field effect transistors (VFETs) and nanosheet (a.k.a., nanowire) transistors, can provide increased device density and increased performance over planar transistors. In nanosheet transistors, in contrast to conventional planar FETs, the gate stack wraps around the full perimeter of multiple nanosheet channel regions, which enables fuller depletion in the channel regions and reduces short-channel effects.

Why I won’t give a sample of my DNA to Decode Genetics Last week I posted a picture on our Facebook page of the contents of an envelope I received from the company Decode Genetics, in which they kindly request that I give them a sample of my DNA. I made some glib remark about swabbing the dog, but didn’t really explain the full story. Basically it is like this: Decode wants 100,000 Icelanders to give them DNA samples to put into their database. Apparently because the Icelandic population is so homogenous, our DNA contains clues as to what causes specific diseases. Decode wants to study this [indeed, Decode’s entire existence is built around studying this] and make tons of money selling their findings to pharmaceutical and other medical sector companies. BUT for Decode to be able to do so they also have to have access to our medical records. In return for our contribution, Decode is offering to give us a t-shirt. Let us just take a moment to contemplate this stellar offer. / a moment. Now, maybe giving up my DNA and a large chunk of my privacy is all very altruistic and everything. Maybe it will help find cures for diseases and save lives. Maybe. But unfortunately there are things in this whole DNA collection shenanigans that I simply cannot accept. Here is why I have decided NOT to give Decode Genetics a sample of my DNA and access to my medical records [as if the last part wasn’t reason enough]. Decode’s little collection of samples began a day or two before their envelope arrived in my mailbox. It was kind of sprung on everyone, by which I mean hardly introduced at all before the packages were sent out. Along with the package and the forms we have to sign [and all the propaganda about how important this all is for medical research], we are told that someone will come by our house “soon” to pick up the sample. That “someone” is in fact someone from ICE-SAR, the Icelandic Search and Rescue organization. That’s correct. Decode is using ICE-SAR, one of the most respected and best-loved institutions in Iceland, as couriers. This because Decode promises that if 100,000 Icelanders give samples, it will donate ISK 200 million to ICE-SAR. The search and rescue team can really use the funds. We know this. We also love ICE-SAR for the amazing work they do and want them to continue doing it without having to beg for donations. Which is why Decode’s manipulation is all the more effective. So people who might be having doubts about giving away their DNA and access to medical records are effectively being told that, if they don’t take part, they are doing ICE-SAR – and by extension everyone else who might ever need rescuing – a really bad turn. Which makes them kinda bad people. Picture it: an ICE-SAR member arrives at Jón or Gunna’s home to pick up Decode’s sample, and Jón or Gunna promptly reach for the swab and guiltily provide the sample because the ICE-SAR guy is standing there waiting and who wants to deprive ICE-SAR of their ISK 2,000? One comment I saw on Facebook was from a woman who had received her package one day, and the following day at 7 pm the ICE-SAR member was on her doorstep to collect the sample. Which brings me to another thing: the urgency with which this whole thing is being conducted. Bam bam – you get the package, then the next day someone is there asking for the sample. No time for contemplation or making an informed decision. It all has to happen NOW. And maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe it’s being done with this urgency precisely because Decode doesn’t want people to have to think about it too much. Now let us digress for a moment, and take a wee look at Decode. It burst onto the scene in the 1990s, all through the efforts of one man, Kári Stefánsson, a MD who had the brilliant idea of turning the Icelandic nation into one big genome database. Everyone thought this was a fabulous idea, and Kári quickly got the backing of the Icelandic government. Before you could say sellmygenestothehighestbidder Decode had access to all Icelanders’ medical records. Yes they did. It was by default. Anyone who objected had to opt out. The onus was on them to do so. I opted out. At this time there was a massive amount of hype around Decode, and the public was urged to buy shares in the company because they were going to be huge. HUGE. Banks were practically throwing loans at people so they could buy shares in Decode. And lots of people did. Lots of people also invested all their savings in Decode shares. Then came the dot-com bust and those shares fell like a lead balloon. Kári’s salary remained one of the highest in Iceland, while those who had bought stock in his company were left practically destitute. In the years since then, there have been bits of news every now and again about some imminent Big Breakthrough at Decode. Wery wery impressive and all that. Then, a few months ago, current affairs programme Kastljós did an interview with Kári where they asked him what all those imminent breakthroughs had actually produced. Kári stuttered, and couldn’t answer the question. Because, as it turns out, there has been hardly anything. A few years ago Decode declared bankruptcy. Enter the US genome company Amgen, which swept in and scooped up Decode, putting still more money into Kári Stefánsson’s pocket. Only, the sale of Decode to Amgen was a tad controversial. One of the things that characterized it, according to this report, was “… the aggressive sale timeline that appeared designed to ‘inhibit potential bidders from gathering enough information to become comfortable with submitting a competing bid.’” Hm. Sounds an awful lot like the DNA collection happening right now, which inhibits potential participants from gathering enough information about the collection to make an informed decision about whether or not to take part. Which brings us to a question: is this DNA collection, which is conducted in such a big hurry, really about medical research? Or might it have something to do with shareholders and stock prices? Because I am guessing that the DNA of 100,000 Icelanders is a fairly valuable commodity, and quite a coup if Decode Amgen manages to get its hands on it. I have no doubt that it will produce a sharp increase in share prices, if nothing else. One last thing. When Decode swept onto the Icelandic market in the 1990s, one of its chief executives was one Hannes Smárason. He later left the company, only to become infamous in Iceland [and beyond] as one of the chief villains in the Icelandic economic collapse. No one around here trusts him. No one except Kári Stefánsson, that is. Hannes Smárason has recently been appointed CEO of a Decode subsidiary called NextGen, the role of which is to “market diagnoses based on Decode research to doctors and hospitals in the USA”. [Source here] Yup. That’s the dude who is going to be trading in our DNA and medical records. Except I heard that he couldn’t start work just yet because he has been formally indicted by the Special Prosecutor for a economic crimes leading up to the meltdown. Predictably there has been a major furore over all this here in Iceland. A group of academics and experts, including the head of the Centre for Ethics at the University of Iceland, have harshly criticized the collection and the way it is being executed. For me personally, the ICE-SAR involvement is the most distasteful element of the whole thing. I resent being manipulated like that, and resent that a wonderful organization like ICE-SAR is being abused in such a manner. Like many others I plan to bin the package from Kári and personally donate ISK 2,000 to ICE-SAR, in lieu of the funds that Kári, Hannes and co. would have donated on my behalf. UPDATE: I’ve made two small amendments to the original post. I initially wrote that Decode would donate ISK 20 million to ICE-SAR, but the correct figure is 200 million. I had also written that Kári Stefánsson had taken millions out of the company and shuffled into his own personal bank account[s], but this is hearsay and not backed up by any concrete evidence. I have therefore removed it.

Q: How to get json data from javascript file help, im using tumblr and connect my twitter account, Tumblr gave me this file example:http://titan-theme.tumblr.com/tweets.js my question is can i get follower_count and screen_name data? if yes how to get it? please help me thanks A: If you have only this file you should define *recent_tweets* function. Of cours you need to import tweets.js. For example: <script> var recent_tweets = function(tweets) { for(var i=0; i<tweets.length; i++) { var tweet = tweets[i]; var followerCounts = tweet.user.followers_count; var screenName = tweet.user.screen_name; } } </script> <script src="tweets.js"></script> However, there is no follower_count available.

// // Deprecated.swift // RxDataSources // // Created by Krunoslav Zaher on 10/8/17. // Copyright © 2017 kzaher. All rights reserved. // #if os(iOS) || os(tvOS) extension CollectionViewSectionedDataSource { @available(*, deprecated, renamed: "configureSupplementaryView") public var supplementaryViewFactory: ConfigureSupplementaryView? { get { return self.configureSupplementaryView } set { self.configureSupplementaryView = newValue } } } #endif

F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS JUL 18 2003 TENTH CIRCUIT PATRICK FISHER Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, No. 02-1522 v. (D. Colorado) SERGIO ORTEGA-GUZMAN, (D.C. No. 02-CR-134-N) Defendant-Appellant. ORDER AND JUDGMENT * Before EBEL, HENRY, and HARTZ, Circuit Judges. After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2)(c); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. Sergio Ortega-Guzman pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation for an aggravated felony in violation of 8 U.S.C. §§ * This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 1326(a) and (b)(2). He appeals the district court's denial of his motion to dismiss the indictment and raises an issue regarding his sentence. Counsel appointed to represent defendant on appeal filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). We affirm the district court’s denial of Mr. Ortega-Guzman’s motion to dismiss the indictment and we affirm the conviction. I. BACKGROUND Mr. Ortega-Guzman, a Mexican citizen, was deported by the United States in August 2001. He had previously been convicted of an aggravated felony in Colorado state court. He subsequently returned to the United States without lawful permission, and, in March of 2002, he was arrested in Weld County, Colorado, where state authorities charged him with driving without a license and without valid insurance. Convicted of both charges, he spent ten days in jail, after which the Immigration and Naturalization Service took him into custody. The federal government indicted him for violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(2), charging that he illegally re-entered the United States after deportation and that he did so after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Mr. Ortega-Guzman moved to dismiss the indictment before trial, claiming that his original deportation proceeding was tainted by a due process violation. The district court denied the motion. -2-  After the district court rejected this motion to dismiss the indictment, Mr. Ortega-Guzman pleaded guilty to the charged offense. His “Rule 11 Plea Statement,” which the parties submitted in lieu of a formal plea agreement, was unconditional, that is, it preserved no issues for appeal. The district court accepted Mr. Ortega-Guzman’s guilty plea, finding that it met all the requirements set forth in Fed. R. Crim. P. 11. After the district court rejected Mr. Ortega-Guzman’s motion for a downward departure, Mr. Ortega-Guzman was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. II. DISCUSSION Mr. Ortega-Guzman has asked his counsel to appeal the district court’s denial of his motion to dismiss the indictment and to challenge the denial of the motion for downward departure. Anders holds that if counsel finds a case to be wholly frivolous after conscientious examination, he should so advise the court and request permission to withdraw. Counsel must in addition submit to both the court and his client a brief referring to anything in the record arguably supportive of the appeal. The client may then raise any points he chooses, and the appellate court thereafter undertakes a complete examination of all proceedings and decides whether the appeal is in fact frivolous. If it so finds, it may grant counsel’s request to withdraw and dismiss the appeal. See Anders, 386 U.S. at 744. -3-  Mr. Ortega-Guzman Defendant was notified of his right to file a pro se brief, and he has chosen not to do so. Accordingly, we turn to an examination of the proceedings below to determine if the appeal is wholly frivolous. In his Anders brief, counsel first dismisses the possibility that the district court erred in denying the motion to dismiss the indictment. As noted above, however, Mr. Ortega-Guzman’s plea agreement preserved no issues for appeal. See United States v. Ryan, 894 F.2d 355, 360-61 (10th Cir. 1990) (Rule 11 requires a defendant to reserve the specific issue to be appealed). In the absence of a conditional plea, a defendant who pleads guilty admits to all of the factual allegations contained in the indictment and the legal consequences of those acts. See United States v. Broce, 488 U.S. 563, 569-70 (1989); see also Tollett v. Henderson, 411 U.S. 258, 267 (1973) (“When a criminal defendant has solemnly admitted in open court that he is in fact guilty of the offense with which he is charged, he may not thereafter raise independent claims relating to the deprivation of constitutional rights that occurred prior to the entry of the guilty plea. He may only attack the voluntary and intelligent character of the guilty plea.”). Mr. Ortega-Guzman does not challenge the “voluntary and intelligent character” of his guilty plea. See id., 411 U.S. at 267. Consequently, Mr. Ortega-Guzman has no basis for collaterally attacking his deportation proceeding. -4-  Next, Mr. Ortega-Guzman challenges the district court’s failure to grant him a downward departure. In so doing, the court clearly recognized that it had the discretion to depart downward but declined to do so. Because the court acknowledged its authority to grant such a departure, we have no jurisdiction to review its decision refusing to exercise that authority. See United States v. Castillo, 140 F.3d 874, 889 (10th Cir. 1998). We have carefully examined the record to ascertain whether any other ground exists to support a challenge to defendant's sentence. We find nothing in the record to indicate that the sentence imposed was in violation of the law or the result of a misapplication of the sentencing guidelines. Accordingly, we are without jurisdiction to consider such a challenge. See United States v. Sanchez, 146 F.3d 796, 796-97 (10th Cir. 1998); 18 U.S.C. § 3742(a). III. CONCLUSION Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court denying Mr. Ortega-Guzman’s motion to dismiss the indictment, we AFFIRM the conviction, and we GRANT counsel’s motion to withdraw. Entered for the Court, Robert H. Henry Circuit Judge -5- 

sqrt(153)/(sqrt(45)/sqrt(5)))**2). 3 Simplify -2*-5*(4 + (sqrt(300) + 5)**2). 1000*sqrt(3) + 3290 Simplify 2*((4*sqrt(3))**2 + -4 + sqrt(108)*-3). -36*sqrt(3) + 88 Simplify 4 + (-2 + 6*(sqrt(1872) - (sqrt(1872) + -2 + sqrt(1872))))**2. -1440*sqrt(13) + 67496 Simplify (((sqrt(352)*2 + sqrt(352))/sqrt(8))/sqrt(144) + 0)**2. 11/4 Simplify ((-1*sqrt(544) + sqrt(544) + sqrt(544))*-1)/(-4*(sqrt(162) + 2*sqrt(162) - sqrt(162))). sqrt(17)/18 Simplify (-4*-3*-1*5*(sqrt(704)*-1 + 1))**2. -57600*sqrt(11) + 2538000 Simplify (3*4*(-1 + 4*sqrt(1300) + sqrt(1300) + 2))**2. 14400*sqrt(13) + 4680144 Simplify (sqrt(540)/(sqrt(192) + sqrt(12) + sqrt(12)))/sqrt(9) - (sqrt(50)/(sqrt(810) + -3*sqrt(810)))**2. -5/324 + sqrt(5)/6 Simplify (-3*sqrt(16)/sqrt(8)*6)**2 - 2*1*sqrt(8)/sqrt(4). -2*sqrt(2) + 648 Simplify 6*-2*((sqrt(144)*-1)/sqrt(12))**2*-5. 720 Simplify -2*(-3*sqrt(150)/sqrt(6))/(sqrt(10)/sqrt(2)*-4)*-5. 15*sqrt(5)/2 Simplify ((sqrt(675) - (sqrt(675) + (-5 + sqrt(675) + -2 - sqrt(675) - sqrt(675))) - -3*(-1 + sqrt(675)))*-5)**2. 12000*sqrt(3) + 270400 Simplify (-1*sqrt(1008)*-4 + sqrt(1008)*-1 + -2 - -6*(sqrt(1008) + 1*(sqrt(1008) + (sqrt(1008) - (sqrt(1008) + 1)))))**2. -2880*sqrt(7) + 226864 Simplify (((sqrt(330)*2)/sqrt(11) + (sqrt(30) - (1*sqrt(30) + sqrt(30))*5 - sqrt(30) - sqrt(30)))/(sqrt(24)*-1 + sqrt(24) + sqrt(72)/sqrt(3)))**2. 405/4 Simplify 2*(sqrt(104)/(sqrt(2)*2*4) + 3). sqrt(13)/2 + 6 Simplify ((sqrt(72)/sqrt(3)*-5)/(sqrt(120)/sqrt(90) + sqrt(12)) + -2)**2 + 2. 15*sqrt(2) + 273/8 Simplify 3*(6*3*sqrt(209) - sqrt(209))/(sqrt(11) - (sqrt(22)/sqrt(2)*3 - sqrt(11))) + 0. -51*sqrt(19) Simplify 2 + (-6*5*sqrt(77)*2)/(sqrt(396) + sqrt(396) + (sqrt(396) + (sqrt(396) - (sqrt(396) + (sqrt(396) - (sqrt(396) - -1*sqrt(396))))))*-2 - sqrt(396)). 2 + 10*sqrt(7)/3 Simplify ((sqrt(88) + sqrt(88)*-3)/sqrt(4))/sqrt(2) - ((4*sqrt(792))/sqrt(2))**2. -6336 - 2*sqrt(11) Simplify (sqrt(3645)*2 + sqrt(720)*-2)/(sqrt(1089) - 5*sqrt(1089)*2). -10*sqrt(5)/99 Simplify (5 + (2*sqrt(200) - sqrt(200)) + -2*(3 + sqrt(200)) + sqrt(200) + 3)**2. 4 Simplify ((sqrt(125) + (sqrt(125) - (-4 + -1 + sqrt(125))) + (-3*(sqrt(125) + 1) - sqrt(125)) + 4)*4)**2. -2880*sqrt(5) + 18576 Simplify (sqrt(325) + -1*sqrt(325))*2 - (-3*sqrt(325)*-5)**2. -73125 Simplify ((sqrt(1600) + sqrt(1600)*-3 + sqrt(1600))*4 - sqrt(1600))/(sqrt(30)/(1*sqrt(6)*-3)). 120*sqrt(5) Simplify -2*(sqrt(22)/(sqrt(1100) + (sqrt(1100) - (2*sqrt(1100) + sqrt(1100)) - sqrt(1100))))**2 + (sqrt(288) - (0 + (sqrt(288)*2 + sqrt(288))**2)) + 2. -259001/100 + 12*sqrt(2) Simplify 3 + (-6*(sqrt(612) - (sqrt(612) + -1)))**2 - ((sqrt(612)*1)**2 + 1 - (sqrt(612) - (-4*(sqrt(612) - (2*sqrt(612) + sqrt(612))))**2)). -39742 + 6*sqrt(17) Simplify (2*sqrt(187))/sqrt(11) + 2 + 1 + (sqrt(17) - (-2 + sqrt(425) + sqrt(425) + sqrt(17)))**2 + 5. -38*sqrt(17) + 1712 Simplify -1*(1*(sqrt(1584) + 2 + sqrt(1584)) + 1)**2. -6345 - 144*sqrt(11) Simplify ((sqrt(180) + sqrt(180)*5)/sqrt(6))/(-5*sqrt(160) + sqrt(10)). -6*sqrt(3)/19 Simplify -1 + (sqrt(42) + (sqrt(42) - (sqrt(5082) + 4*sqrt(5082) - sqrt(5082))))/(sqrt(96)*-3)*4. -1 + 14*sqrt(7) Simplify -2*((sqrt(11) + sqrt(539) + 3)**2 + -6*(-2 + sqrt(11))). -1450 - 84*sqrt(11) Simplify ((((-2*sqrt(420))/sqrt(10))/sqrt(2))/((-4*sqrt(192) + sqrt(192))*3))**2. 7/1296 Simplify (-5 + (sqrt(108) + -1 + sqrt(108))*4*1 + -1)**2. -960*sqrt(3) + 7012 Simplify (sqrt(1500) - -1*sqrt(1500))/sqrt(12) - (2*sqrt(560) - sqrt(560))/sqrt(7). 6*sqrt(5) Simplify -1*(-2 + (sqrt(52)*-3)**2 + 1). -467 Simplify -2 + (((sqrt(567) - 2*sqrt(567)) + sqrt(567))*1 - (1 + sqrt(7) + 1)*-6)**2. 144*sqrt(7) + 394 Simplify (((1 + sqrt(153))*6 + sqrt(153) + sqrt(153) + ((-3 + sqrt(153))*-3 - sqrt(153)))*-1)**2. 360*sqrt(17) + 2673 Simplify (-5*sqrt(153)*1 - -2*((-2*sqrt(153) - sqrt(153)) + sqrt(153)))/(((sqrt(576)*1 - sqrt(576)) + sqrt(576))*-6). 3*sqrt(17)/16 Simplify ((1*(sqrt(567)*2)**2 - sqrt(56)/((sqrt(8) - (sqrt(8) - sqrt(24)/sqrt(3)))*-2 - sqrt(8) - sqrt(8))) + -1)*4. sqrt(7) + 9068 Simplify 3 + (0 + (sqrt(300) - (sqrt(300) + -2 + -1 + sqrt(300) - sqrt(300)))**2)*2. 21 Simplify -4*(-4 + (sqrt(1300))**2*4 + -2). -20776 Simplify ((2 + sqrt(468))*3*-5)**2 - ((sqrt(468) + 0 + sqrt(468) + -4)**2 + (0 + sqrt(468))**2 + 1). 5496*sqrt(13) + 103843 Simplify (sqrt(192) + 1 + -4)**2 + 3 + (sqrt(27))**2*5. -48*sqrt(3) + 339 Simplify 2 + (6*1*sqrt(14))/(sqrt(4)/(sqrt(4)/sqrt(2))) + 4. 6 + 6*sqrt(7) Simplify (-3 + (sqrt(288) + 0 - sqrt(2) - (-4 + sqrt(128)))**2)*3. 93 + 72*sqrt(2) Simplify (sqrt(33)/sqrt(3) + 0)*2 - (-5 + sqrt(11)*-4)**2*4. -804 - 158*sqrt(11) Simplify (-6*(sqrt(108) + sqrt(108) + -1 + 0 + (sqrt(108) - (sqrt(108) + -1 + -1) - sqrt(108))))**2. 432*sqrt(3) + 3924 Simplify ((sqrt(280)/(sqrt(15)/sqrt(3)*-1))/(sqrt(40)/sqrt(5)*6 - sqrt(24)/(sqrt(3)*-1 - sqrt(3))))**2. 28/169 Simplify 0 + ((1 + sqrt(700) + sqrt(28)/(sqrt(4)*1))*-5)**2 + -5. 550*sqrt(7) + 21195 Simplify -3*(5*1*sqrt(110)*2)/((sqrt(480) - (sqrt(480) + sqrt(480) + 1*sqrt(480) + sqrt(480)) - sqrt(480))/sqrt(3)). 15*sqrt(11)/8 Simplify -1 + (sqrt(132)/(3*sqrt(3)) - sqrt(44))/(1*(sqrt(4) + sqrt(28)/sqrt(7))). -sqrt(11)/3 - 1 Simplify ((-1 + (2 + sqrt(170)/sqrt(10) - sqrt(153)/sqrt(9)*-1))*-6)**2. 144*sqrt(17) + 2484 Simplify (5*(1*sqrt(12) - sqrt(3) - sqrt(3) - (sqrt(432) + 2)))**2 + 2. 1200*sqrt(3) + 10902 Simplify ((sqrt(20)*2*-3)/sqrt(4) + (sqrt(450)/(sqrt(9)*-1 - sqrt(9)))/sqrt(10))**2. 845/4 Simplify (-4 + (sqrt(308)/(sqrt(11) - (sqrt(11) - sqrt(176))) - ((sqrt(147) - 1*sqrt(147))/sqrt(7))/sqrt(3)))*-3. -3*sqrt(7)/2 + 12 Simplify -5*2*(-2 + 0 + sqrt(125))*-3*-3. -450*sqrt(5) + 180 Simplify ((-1*sqrt(80) + -2 - sqrt(80))**2 - (3 + sqrt(80) + 1)**2) + ((sqrt(80) + 2 + sqrt(80) + 0)*5)**2. 800*sqrt(5) + 8328 Simplify -1 + (sqrt(475) + 0 + -3 + sqrt(475) + sqrt(475) + sqrt(475) + 0 + -2)**2 + -3. -200*sqrt(19) + 7621 Simplify -1*(sqrt(252) + sqrt(252) + 2 + sqrt(252) - sqrt(252)) - (-5 + sqrt(252) + 1 + sqrt(252))**2. -1026 + 84*sqrt(7) Simplify (sqrt(1872)*-2*-2 - -5*sqrt(1872)*5)**2. 1574352 Simplify (((sqrt(150)/sqrt(3) - sqrt(50)) + 0 + (sqrt(72) + 0 - sqrt(2)) + (sqrt(2) - (sqrt(2)*-1 + -4)))*5)**2. 1400*sqrt(2) + 2850 Simplify 2 + sqrt(7) + 3 + -4 - 5*sqrt(14)/(sqrt(2) - (sqrt(2) + sqrt(8)/sqrt(4))). 1 + 6*sqrt(7) Simplify (5*(sqrt(76) - 1*sqrt(76))*6)/((sqrt(324) + (sqrt(324) - -2*sqrt(324)))*-4). 0 Simplify 3*((0 + 3*sqrt(112) + sqrt(112) - sqrt(112) - sqrt(112)) + 4) + -1. 11 + 24*sqrt(7) Simplify -6*1*((sqrt(2268) + -1)*5)**2*-2. -10800*sqrt(7) + 680700 Simplify (sqrt(187)*-1*4)/(sqrt(22)/sqrt(2)*-6) - (1*sqrt(272)*1)**2*-4. 2*sqrt(17)/3 + 1088 Simplify 0 + sqrt(405) + (sqrt(405)*3 + 3)**2 + 1 + 5 + 2*sqrt(405). 189*sqrt(5) + 3660 Simplify 1*(sqrt(112) + -2 + 1 - -4*(3 + sqrt(112) + sqrt(112)))**2 + -3. 792*sqrt(7) + 9190 Simplify -1*sqrt(55)/(-6*(sqrt(20) - sqrt(5)))*-1. -sqrt(11)/6 Simplify (sqrt(540)/(2*sqrt(12)) - ((sqrt(5445) - (-2*sqrt(5445) + sqrt(5445) + sqrt(5445))) + sqrt(45)))/((sqrt(144) + sqrt(144)*1)*5 + sqrt(144)) + -4. -4 - 23*sqrt(5)/88 Simplify (-2 + sqrt(272)*-5 + sqrt(2448)*1 + 1 + sqrt(425) + sqrt(425))**2. -4*sqrt(17) + 69 Simplify (0 + (sqrt(1584) + 1)*-6 - -1*(3 + (sqrt(1584) - 1*sqrt(1584))))**2. 432*sqrt(11) + 57033 Simplify (sqrt(3) + sqrt(3) + (2*sqrt(27)/sqrt(9) - sqrt(3)) + 2)*-5 + -5. -15*sqrt(3) - 15 Simplify -1*(-6*sqrt(114)*-2 + 1*sqrt(114)*3)/(sqrt(54) + sqrt(108)/sqrt(2)*1). -5*sqrt(19)/2 Simplify -2 + ((sqrt(132) + (sqrt(132)*-1 - sqrt(132)))*6 - sqrt(132))/(sqrt(12) + (sqrt(72)*-1)/sqrt(6) - sqrt(12)). -2 + 7*sqrt(11) Simplify (1*((-2*sqrt(825) - sqrt(825) - sqrt(825)) + sqrt(825)) + sqrt(825) + sqrt(825))/((sqrt(33) - sqrt(4752)*-2)/sqrt(3)). -sqrt(3)/5 Simplify (sqrt(272) - (sqrt(272) - (3*sqrt(272) + sqrt(272))*-1 - sqrt(272))**2) + 0 + -5. -4357 + 4*sqrt(17) Simplify (sqrt(119) - sqrt(119)*4*3)/(sqrt(63)/(sqrt(63)/sqrt(7))). -11*sqrt(17) Simplify ((sqrt(640) + 1*(sqrt(640) - (sqrt(640)*-1 - sqrt(640))) + sqrt(640))/((sqrt(6655)*-2)/sqrt(11)))**2. 800/121 Simplify sqrt(143)/(-2*sqrt(99) + sqrt(11))*-4 - (0 + sqrt(117) + sqrt(91)/(sqrt(28)/sqrt(4)) + -3). -16*sqrt(13)/5 + 3 Simplify (-2 + (-4 + -4*(sqrt(1300) + 1)*1)**2)*6. 3840*sqrt(13) + 125172 Simplify -5 + 2*(sqrt(1539) - (sqrt(1539) - (5*(sqrt(1539) - (0 + sqrt

2 September 2011 I have been a little obsessed with watching Korean dramas lately and therefore have been craving Korean food every time I see it on screen! 'You know you are a glutton when..' lol :P One Korean snack I found particularly interesting was the Ddukkbokkie which is rice cake in a hot and spicy sauce. It is typically eaten as a snack but if you add more fillers such as vegetables, fish puffs, tofu skin, etc, it can also become a meal... which is what I have done. Trixie and I followed the recipe from Maangchi but modified it a bit to fit what I had in my fridge. I wanted to use traditional Korean rice cakes which are shaped in long tubes, but since I had the sliced ones in my freezer already, I reluctantly substituted them for the tubes. So yeah... that's why it doesn't look very authentic :P I first took out some frozen fish puff and oyster mushrooms. Then, I soaked the fish puff along with the frozen rice cake and fish cake in water to thaw it out a bit. My version of Ddukbokkie did not have the vibrant red colour you normally see in authentic Ddukbokkie because I didn't use the Korean red pepper paste. Instead, I used the Chinese hot chili paste (as shown in the picture). I also used Hon-Dashi to make the broth because I didn't have any dried anchovies, which is what you are suppose to use. If you are wondering what is inside the Ziploc container, it's just ketchup. But uh..don't ask me why it was in there :P Yum... almost done! I garnished it with a little bit of green onion and Ta-Da! Ddukbokkie makes great comfort food and it always warms you up inside. :) Because this version wasn't as authentic as I'd like it to be, I won't post up the instructions for how I did mine. You can follow Maangchi's recipe! When I get better at making Ddukbokkie, I will post up a better recipe for ya'll!

Q: PWM flow control and thrust If I have a water pump and a fast solenoid valve (can be open or closed) and turn on my pump at a constant voltage and apply pulse width modulation to my valve. Would the resulting thrust created at the water output be constant and can it be controlled nicely by the pulse width modulation process? What would be the equations that could model the reaction of such a setup? A: It's not clear, but I think you are asking whether you can control your solenoid valve with pulses instead of steady DC. Yes, above some frequency, the mechanical system actuated by the solenoid won't "see" individual pulses, just the average. Usually at a higher frequency, the solenoid itself will smooth out the pulses and maintain are more average steady current. Electrically, this is basically creating a switching power supply that controls the current thru the solenoid, with the solenoid being the inductor of the switching power supply. This is assuming your "solenoid nozzle" (do you really mean "valve"?) is intended for other than binary on/off operation, often called a proportional valve. Trying to drive a binary mechanism to in-between states may not end well. Constantly banging it between on and off may be even worse.

Association of decreased expression of the macrophage scavenger receptor MARCO with tumor progression and poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma. The macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) belongs to the scavenger receptor family; however, few studies have assessed their potentials in modulating inflammatory signaling other than the typical function of pattern recognition and phagocytic clearance. Interestingly, RNA-Seq analyses of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have identified MARCO as one of the top 30 differentially expressed genes between cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues. However, no research has been performed to study MARCO in liver cancer. MARCO protein expression was evaluated by immunostaining liver tissue specimens collected from 88 HCC patients, 10 liver cirrhosis patients, 6 metastatic patients, and 5 healthy controls. All sections were reviewed by blinded observers followed by the interpretation of integral optical density per area as a measure of protein intensity. We observed significantly decreased expression of MARCO in intratumoral tissues of HCC compared with expression in peritumoral tissues. The expression of MARCO declined progressively as the disease condition was aggravated, with the highest expression found in healthy controls and the lowest found in patients with HCC metastasis. Furthermore, MARCO expression decreased along with tumor progression. MARCO+ cells co-localized with CD68+ cells, indicating predominant expression on macrophages. The overall survival rate was significantly increased in patients with high intratumoral MARCO expression compared with that of patients with low intratumoral MARCO expression. Our study is the first to demonstrate an association between MARCO expression and the progression and prognosis of HCC.

Sermons from February 2017 In 2017, our church’s theme is “Magnify Him.” We can’t make God any bigger than he already is, but we can discover how great he really is. When we Magnify Him, we aren’t using a magnifying glass method (making something tiny look huge); we are using the telescope method (uncovering the gigantic nature of something…

Where To Eat Brick Pit, The Restaurant The Brick Pit is known for its moist, tender barbecue and wet ribs and has been featured on the Travel Channel's "Man vs Food," and in Maxim magazine. Located inside an unassuming, converted house, The Brick Pit boasts a custom smoker built to serve 500 pounds of meat each day.

Self-Healing and Multistimuli-Responsive Hydrogels Formed via a Cooperation Strategy and Their Application in Detecting Biogenic Amines. We reported here a new platform of supramolecular hydrogels cross-linked by the cooperation of metal-ligand coordination and hydrophobic interaction. A salicylaldehyde benzoyl hydrazone-terminal poly(ethylene glycol) (2SBH-PEG) was synthesized and formed small micelles in an aqueous environment. Addition of Ni2+ connected the low-molecular-weight 2SBH-PEG into a metallopolymer via metal-ligand coordination and led to micelle aggregation, resulting in gelation due to the enhancement of hydrophobic interaction. The forming hydrogel, Ni-PEGel, exhibited rapid self-healing ability and reversible pH-responsive property. Because of the containing metal coordination bond, it was also sensitive to the strong competing ligands, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and pyridine. In addition, Ni-PEGel showed colorimetric changes when exposed to biogenic amine (BA) vapor. The color development of Ni-PEGel toward BAs makes it a good candidate in monitoring food spoilage.

The Story Behind Sarah's Goal Publish Date Monday, 20 June 2016, 5:07PM Sarah was pretty chuffed with herself when she arrived at work this week. She recounted with pride the tale of how she won Player of the Day at Football on Sunday and scored a goal. But it turned out there was more to the story...

Chiropractor active in educating against drug useSponsors foundation for drug-free world The Sussex County Foundation for a Drug-Free World helped distribute over 2,000 Truth About Drugs booklets to seventh and eighth graders at Stewart Airport’s annual Y2Kids Career Day event. photo provided Lafayette — The Sussex County Foundation for a Drug-Free World helped distribute over 2,000 Truth About Drugs booklets to seventh and eighth graders at Stewart Airport’s annual Y2Kids Career Day event. According to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, 2018 is on pace to far surpass drug deaths of 2016 and 2017, with an estimated 3,000 drug deaths. Having seen the negative effects of drugs on Sussex County residents, chiropractor and humanitarian Dr. M. Helena Takacs of Takacs Wellness Center located in Lafayette, sponsors the Sussex County Foundation for a Drug-Free World. The foundation is the world’s largest non-profit drug education organization in the world. According to the foundation, an estimated 208 million people internationally consume illegal drugs. “As a mother of three, it is unacceptable to see the negative impact that prescription and illegal drugs, such as heroin and pyschotropics, have had on our youth," Takacs said. "It is my passion to eradicate these societal impacts by educating our local community about these issues and this is why I sponsor the Drug-Free World Program and deliver seminars such as 'How to Know if Your Children Are on Drugs and How You Can Help Them.'”Takacs educates parents and children on the harmful effects of illegal drugs so that they can prevent a family from experiencing these horrors. These free sponsored programs are available for schools, parent groups and community organizations at no charge locally via Takacs as well as nationally via the Foundation for a Drug Free World-- which is a foundation fully supported monetarily from concerned local business owners.The foundation distributes the Truth About Drugs booklet, an informational pamphlet that details short- and long-term effects of drugs, common street names and myths that a dealer might use to make a sale. The foundation offers educational materials free of charge to educators and anyone who wants to learn more about the harmful effects of drugs (www.DrugFreeWorld.org) For more information visit www.DrTakacs.com or contact Dr. Takacs at 973-383-5052 to schedule a free educational program.

Q: Does a concurrect exception happen to both user if a user edits a data record and the same time another user edits the same record too and both save. 1.) Will the concurrency exception ALWAYS happen only for one user? Actually its logical that the first wins but who is the first in a technical aspect... Is it possible both user get this kind of exception? 2.)The one who was too late and getting now the concurrent exception I guess he can access the new updated data record from the other user yes? A: 1) I think so yes. One will always be earlier than the other; there is no other way around it. So one update will work as normal, the other will throw the concurrency exception. This might depend on the data access method you are using, there might be systems that can handle such situations more elegantly. But I doubt there are systems that will give both users the same exception without you building that behaviour on purpose. As Adam Houldsworth says: this could also depend on the way you code it yourself. You could check for multiple users beginning to edit the same record, and then throw the exception to both. But I do not believe that is what you are actually asking. If so; I misunderstood. 2) Of course this is possible, but this is up to you to build in your application. Just catch the concurrency exception and refresh whatever edit form user B was trying to update. He/she can then try again. Generally speaking obviously; I do not know the specifics of your situation.

Q: How to properly chain promises inside of a forEach loop in Javascript I'm using mongo and need to do an async call for each item inside of a loop. I'd like to execute another command once all of the promises inside of the loop have completed, but so far the promises in the loop seem to be completing after the code that's in the then that's after the loop. Essentially i'd like the order to be Loop promises then other code instead of what it is now which is other code Loop promises MongoClient.connect(connecturl) .then((client) => { databases.forEach((val) => { val.collection.forEach((valcol) => { client.db(val.databasename).stats() //(This is the async call) .then((stats) => { //Do stuff here with the stats of each collection }) }) }) }) .then(() => { //Do this stuff after everything is finished above this line }) .catch((error) => { } Any assistance would be appreciated on this one. A: Assuming the things you are using .forEach() on are iterables (arrays or something like that), you can use async/await to serialize a for/of loop: MongoClient.connect(connecturl).then(async (client) => { for (let db of databases) { for (let valcol of db.collection) { let stats = await client.db(db.databasename).stats(); // Do stuff here with the stats of each collection } } }).then(() => { // Do this stuff after everything is finished above this line }).catch((error) => { // process error }) If you wanted to stick with your .forEach() loops, you could make it all work if you did things in parallel and used Promise.all() to know when it's all done: MongoClient.connect(connecturl).then((client) => { let promises = []; databases.forEach((val) => { val.collection.forEach((valcol) => { let p = client.db(val.databasename).stats().then((stats) => { // Do stuff here with the stats of each collection }); promises.push(p); }); }); return Promise.all(promises); }).then(() => { // Do this stuff after everything is finished above this line }).catch((error) => { // process error here });

Introduction {#s1} ============ Iron (Fe) deficiency is among the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in humans. Since plants constitute the primary source of nutrients for a large part of the world's population, the improvement of plants in terms of nutrient bioavailability is considered a priority [@pone.0099234-deBenoist1]. Micronutrients like Fe are often present in an un-soluble form in the soil. Plants are able to mobilize such nutrients for uptake into the roots. Plants can also mobilize Fe from internal stores. Understanding the regulation of Fe acquisition and internal Fe utilization is of high importance for precision breeding of crops that are improved to either tolerate growth on alkaline and calcareous soils with poor Fe bio-availability or to accumulate a higher content of this micronutrient in bio-available form in the edible plant parts. Genetic traits have been associated with micronutrient content and usage in plants, for example [@pone.0099234-Uauy1], [@pone.0099234-Baxter1]. Another trait was found in soybean as being linked to transcription factor genes encoding the soybean homologs of *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* [@pone.0099234-Peiffer1]. The potential importance of these two transcription factor genes for Fe mobilization had previously been uncovered in studies on the plant model *Arabidopsis thaliana*. *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* belong to the so-called subgroup Ib(2) *BHLH* genes [@pone.0099234-Pires1] and they are functionally redundant [@pone.0099234-Wang1]--[@pone.0099234-Wang2]. In fact, *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* are tandem duplicates on the chromosome, and they share similarity with two other *BHLH* genes, namely *BHLH100* and *BHLH101* [@pone.0099234-Wang1], [@pone.0099234-Heim1]--[@pone.0099234-ToledoOrtiz1]. All these four subgroup Ib(2) *BHLH* genes are highly induced by low Fe supply in roots and leaves while they are not usually found expressed under sufficient Fe supply [@pone.0099234-Wang1]. Expression of *BHLH39* and *BHLH101* in response to iron can be followed using the public microarray data in Arabidopsis [@pone.0099234-Bauer1]--[@pone.0099234-Yang1] and it was found that they occur in a co-expression network along with several Fe homeostasis genes like *FERRIC REDUCTASE OXIDASE3* (*FRO3*), *NATURAL RESISTANCE-ASSOCIATED MACROPHAGE PROTEIN4* (*NRAMP4*) and *NICOTIANAMINE SYNTHASE4* (*NAS4*) [@pone.0099234-Ivanov1]. From the co-expression with Fe homeostasis genes it can be concluded that the subgroup Ib(2) *BHLH* transcription factor genes likely perform regulatory functions in the context of Fe homeostasis and internal Fe mobilization. The bHLH protein POPEYE (PYE, belonging to another bHLH subgroup) is also induced by Fe deficiency within this co-expression network and it acts as a negative regulator of *FRO3*, *NRAMP4* and *NAS4,* presumably to avoid over-activation of Fe mobilization [@pone.0099234-Long1]. PYE is regulated by BRUTUS (BTS) that is also found in this co-expression network [@pone.0099234-Ivanov1], [@pone.0099234-Long1]. bHLH subgroup Ib(2) can physically interact with the bHLH FER-LIKE IRON DEFICIENCY-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR (FIT) [@pone.0099234-Wang2], [@pone.0099234-Yuan1]. FIT is expressed specifically in roots and has been shown to be essential for Fe uptake [@pone.0099234-Bauer2]--[@pone.0099234-Yuan2] by regulating the expression of the genes encoding ARABIDOPSIS H^+^-ATPASE2 (AHA2) [@pone.0099234-Ivanov1], Fe reductase FERRIC OXIDASE2 (FRO2) [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1], [@pone.0099234-Robinson1] and the IRON-REGULATED TRANSPORTER1 (IRT1) [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1], [@pone.0099234-Eide1]. From ectopic FIT expression experiments along with yeast promoter activation assays and inducible FIT activation in plants, it can be concluded that FIT targets *FRO2* and *IRT1* gene promoters [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1], [@pone.0099234-Yuan2], [@pone.0099234-Meiser1], [@pone.0099234-Sivitz2]. However, FIT induces *IRT1* and *FRO2* only upon Fe deficiency even when overexpressed [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1], [@pone.0099234-Meiser1]. The activation of FIT at low Fe can be explained with the presence of bHLH subgroup Ib(2) factors. Indeed, the double overexpression of FIT together with either bHLH subgroup Ib(2) protein leads to an increase of Fe acquisition responses under sufficient Fe supply conditions, and it was therefore proposed that the function of bHLH subgroup Ib(2) might be to induce Fe deficiency responses in conjunction with FIT [@pone.0099234-Wang2], [@pone.0099234-Yuan1]. However, the occurrence of *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes in the *PYE* coexpression network, their non-expression upon sufficient Fe (where *FIT* and *IRT1* are active although at low level) and their high induction upon Fe deficiency not only in roots but also in leaves (in contrast to Fe acquisition genes) renders this hypothesis questionable. Moreover, contradictory results have been published with regard to the function of bHLH subgroup Ib(2) proteins. In one report, double *bhlh100 bhlh101* knockout mutants were demonstrated to develop a more severe leaf chlorosis than the wild type upon Fe deficiency, while no phenotype was apparent upon Fe sufficiency. Although some Fe homeostasis genes appeared mis-expressed, the gene knockouts did not affect the plants' abilities for Fe uptake and the regulation of *FRO2* and *IRT1* upon sufficient or deficient Fe supply [@pone.0099234-Sivitz1]. In contrast to that, in another report, bHLH subgroup Ib(2) knockouts including *bhlh100 bhlh101* and a triple knockout *bhlh39 bhlh100 bhlh101* were demonstrated to affect Fe acquisition responses and to have low *FRO2* and *IRT1* expression upon sufficient or deficient Fe supply [@pone.0099234-Wang3]. This latter finding was rather puzzling, and it was not further explained how this finding fits to the observation that the *BHLH* genes are not normally expressed upon sufficient Fe supply, when Fe also needs to be acquired via FRO2 and IRT1 [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1], [@pone.0099234-Vert1]. Thus, the function of the bHLH subgroup Ib(2) transcription factors in Fe uptake is still open for debate. Very interestingly, it has been shown that *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* were induced after application of salicylic acid ( = SA) by the SA-inducible Dof ( = DNA binding with one finger) transcription factor OBF BINDING PROTEIN3 (OBP3) [@pone.0099234-Kang1]. Binding of OBP3 to promoter elements in *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* genes and their subsequent activation was demonstrated (in these studies *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* were named *OBP3 RESPONSIVE GENE2*, *ORG2*, and *OBP3 RESPONSIVE GENE3*, *ORG3*) [@pone.0099234-Kang1]. Jasmonic acid negatively affects the onset of Fe mobilization and the induction of *FRO2* and *IRT1* [@pone.0099234-Maurer1], while ethylene enhances the responses [@pone.0099234-Garca1]--[@pone.0099234-Lingam1]. Since SA, jasmonic acid and ethylene act in stress response networks, the possibility exists that perhaps, there is a link between SA and the up-regulation of Fe deficiency responses. Here, we made use of the triple knockout mutant *bhlh39 bhlh100 bhlh101* (*3xbhlh*) that we constructed to investigate the functions of these *BHLH* genes in the Fe deficiency response and to further shed light on the question whether SA is involved in mediating the onset of Fe uptake via the induction of *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes. We discuss that *BHLH39*, *BHLH100* and *BHLH101* are essential for a subset of Fe deficiency responses but not including up-regulation of *IRT1* and *FRO2*. We suggest that these transcription factors are involved in adapting stress responses and internal metabolic responses to Fe deficiency. Materials and Methods {#s2} ===================== Plant Materials {#s2a} --------------- Wild type was Col-0. The *3xbhlh* mutant line was generated from the single T-DNA insertion mutants *bhlh39-1* (SALK_025676), *bhlh100-1* (SALK_074568) and *bhlh101-1* (SALK_011245) [@pone.0099234-Wang1]. A homozygous *bhlh39-1* plant was crossed with a *bhlh100-1 bhlh10-1* double mutant plant. In the F2 progeny a triple homozygous *bhlh39-1 bhlh100-1 bhlh101-1* plant was identified by genotyping and multiplied to obtain a triple homozygous line, hereafter named *3xbhlh*. The SA mutant line *npr1-1* (hereafter named *npr1*) with a defect in a central regulator component of SA signaling resulting in the failure of the expression of the *PR1* gene was obtained from the NASC stock center (N3726) [@pone.0099234-Cao1]. The lines *NaHG* and *sid2-2* were provided by Fred Ausubel, Massachusetts General Hospital [@pone.0099234-Ferrari1]. Plant Growth {#s2b} ------------ Arabidopsis seeds were surface-sterilized with 6% NaOCl, 0.1% Triton-X for 10 minutes, and washed 5 times with distilled water. Seeds were stratified for 2 days in 0.1% plant agar in the dark at 4°C. For the 6-day growth assay seeds were placed on Hoagland agar medium containing 50 µM FeNaEDTA (sufficient Fe supply, hereafter termed +Fe) or 0 µM FeNaEDTA (deficient Fe supply, hereafter termed −Fe), germinated and grown for 6 d under long-day conditions with 8 h dark and 16 h light [@pone.0099234-Lingam1]. On day 6, seedlings were harvested for analysis. For the 2-week growth assay, seeds were germinated and seedlings grown for 14 d on Hoagland agar medium as described above containing 50 µM FeNaEDTA, then transferred for 3 days to fresh medium containing either 0 µM FeNaEDTA (−Fe) or 50 µM FeNaEDTA (+Fe). Then, leaves and roots were harvested separately for RNA or protein analysis. If indicated in the text 100 µM methyl-salicylic acid (hereafter named SA, Sigma-Aldrich, USA) was added to the growth medium and plants exposed for the indicated time. Physiological Analysis {#s2c} ---------------------- The degree of leaf chlorosis was assessed according to a previously published procedure [@pone.0099234-Schuler2]. The leaf chlorosis scale is mentionned in the figure legend of [Fig. 1](#pone-0099234-g001){ref-type="fig"}. {#pone-0099234-g001} For metal determination, plant parts exposed to plant medium were washed with 100 mM Ca(NO~3~)~2~ prior to harvest to eliminate metal residues from the growth medium. Plant material was dried overnight at room temperature, then for 1 d at 120°C and powdered with an achat mortar. Quantification of metal contents of the plant samples was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy coupled with a graphite tube atomizer as described [@pone.0099234-Lingam1]. Four technical replicate measurements were carried out with weighted samples of 50--120 µg for every atomisation (2300°C) and mean mass per dry weight values were calculated for each biological sample. Four biological replicates were produced and mean values calculated. Iron reductase activity assays were performed using a liquid ferrozine assay [@pone.0099234-Klatte1] and biological replicates were performed as described in the figure legends. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test. Gene Expression using Reverse Transcription-qPCR {#s2d} ------------------------------------------------ Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR was performed as previously described [@pone.0099234-Klatte2]. Briefly, DNase-treated RNA was used for cDNA synthesis. SYBR green I-based real-time PCR analysis was performed by using the TaKaRa Premix (TaKaRa, Japan) in the real-time ICycler (Bio-Rad, USA). For each gene, the absolute quantity of initial transcript was determined by standard curve analysis using mass standards. Absolute expression data was normalized against the averaged expression values of the internal control gene *EF1BALPHA2* [@pone.0099234-Klatte2]. Each biological cDNA sample was tested in two technical replicates and the values averaged. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA using the values of biological replicates. Information on oligonucleotide primer sequences is available in [Table S1](#pone.0099234.s005){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. Gene Expression using Microarray Analysis {#s2e} ----------------------------------------- Wild type and *3xbhlh* seedlings were grown in the 6-day growth system at --Fe, treated for six hours with 100 µM SA or were mock-treated and harvested for RNA preparation. Three biological replicates were generated. RNA was purified using the Qiagen kit and checked for integrity. Microarray hybridization was performed using the Agilent one-color gene expression V4 chip (4×44 k) for *Arabidopsis thaliana*. Microarray chip hybridization and processing were done by ATLAS Biolabs GmbH, Berlin, Germany. The obtained data were further processed, checked for quality and filtered using the GeneSpring Software, Agilent Technologies, USA, according to the GeneSpring protocol. Full microarray data are available from the NCBI site of Gene Expression Omnibus under the series GSE41774. Interesting probes were identified based on fold change analysis with a fold change cut-off of 1.5 in four pairs of conditions which were *3xbhlh* versus wild type, *3xbhlh* + SA versus wild type + SA, wild type + SA versus wild type and *3xbhlh* + SA versus *3xbhlh*. Probes were retained if they passed the moderated t-test with p\<0.05. The differentially regulated probes of the four pairs of conditions were then used to construct Venn diagrams to identify groups with unique and commonly regulated probes. Probe names of these groups were converted into Arabidopsis gene ID numbers. The groups of differentially expressed genes were then further analyzed using Venn diagrams, the ATTED co-expression tool [@pone.0099234-Obayashi1], the GOrilla GO annotation tool [@pone.0099234-Eden1] and the Genevestigator tool [@pone.0099234-Zimmermann1]. Results {#s3} ======= The *3xbhlh* Mutant was Sensitive to Fe Deficiency but not Affected in Fe Acquisition and Fe Transport to Shoots {#s3a} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To analyze the functions of *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes, we generated a multiple loss of function mutant. The triple homozygous *bhlh39-1 bhlh100-1 bhlh101-1* knockout mutant, hereafter named *3xbhlh*, was fully fertile and did not express any full-length *BHLH39*, *BHLH100* and *BHLH101* transcripts while it expressed *BHLH38* at a higher level at Fe deficiency (hereafter termed −Fe) in roots and leaves. *BHLH38* was also found induced in the *3xbhlh* mutant roots at sufficient Fe (hereafter termed +Fe) compared to wild-type roots ([Fig. S1A, B](#pone.0099234.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). In the same experiment, all four *BHLH* genes were highly expressed at --Fe in wild type plants, while they were not expressed or expressed at low level at +Fe ([Fig. S1A, B](#pone.0099234.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}), as expected [@pone.0099234-Wang1]. The increased *BHLH38* expression in the *3xbhlh* mutant especially at --Fe might be due to a feedback control conferred by the triple loss of function phenotype. To determine whether the triple *3xbhlh* mutant had any Fe deficiency phenotype at + or --Fe, we grew *3xbhlh* and wild type plants at +Fe and --Fe. Morphological alterations in root and shoot growth were not apparent at +Fe. However, at --Fe, the *3xbhlh* mutant plants had a stronger leaf chlorosis than wild type, while root growth was normal ([Fig. 1A, B](#pone-0099234-g001){ref-type="fig"}). This observation suggested that *3xbhlh* mutants might be perhaps Fe deficient. This assumption was tested and could be rejected after the determination of shoot Fe contents. Neither under + nor --Fe, we could detect any differences in Fe content in the mutant versus the wild type ([Fig. 1C](#pone-0099234-g001){ref-type="fig"}), suggesting that the mutant was not Fe deficient. After retransfer of *3xbhlh* mutants from --Fe to +Fe the leaf chlorosis phenotype disappeared within 1--2 days (data not shown). This observation confirmed that indeed the triple *3xbhlh* mutant was able to acquire Fe. We verified this point by analyzing gene expression of Fe acquisition genes. We observed that *IRT1*, *FRO2* and *FIT* were significantly up-regulated at --Fe in wild type and *3xbhlh* plants, and that no significant difference in the expression levels between wild type and mutant was detected ([Fig. 2A](#pone-0099234-g002){ref-type="fig"}). A reduced expression of these Fe acquisition genes is typical for mutants affected in the regulation of Fe deficiency responses, such as the chlorotic *fit* mutant [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1]. Fe reductase activity was also detected at comparable levels in mutant and wild type ([Fig. 2B](#pone-0099234-g002){ref-type="fig"}). An increase of Fe reductase activity was noted at --Fe but due to high standard deviations it was not found significant, but clearly was not lower than in the wild type ([Fig. 2B](#pone-0099234-g002){ref-type="fig"}; [@pone.0099234-Jakoby1]). {#pone-0099234-g002} In addition, we tested whether two of the PYE-regulated Fe homeostasis genes of the *PYE*/*BHLH39*/*BHLH101* co-expression network that function in internal Fe mobilization were affected in the mutant. No differences in gene expression were noted for *NRAMP4* and *FRO3* in roots and leaves ([Fig. 2C, D](#pone-0099234-g002){ref-type="fig"}). Taken together, *3xbhlh* mutant plants were fully capable of regulating internal and external Fe mobilization, Fe acquisition and Fe transport genes despite of the lack of the three transcription factors. The *3xbhlh* mutant was also able to mobilize Fe from roots into the shoots. Thus, the strong leaf chlorosis of the triple mutant at --Fe cannot be the consequence of a defect in Fe acquisition and mobilization responses. SA and SA Signaling do not Affect Fe Deficiency Responses {#s3b} --------------------------------------------------------- Since the *BHLH39*, *BHLH100* and *BHLH101* genes were dispensable for Fe uptake, but yet the plants showed a chlorosis phenotype at --Fe, we reasoned that the chlorosis phenotype could be the result of an altered adaptation to Fe deficiency stress. Since previous reports established a connection between the *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes and SA signaling [@pone.0099234-Kang1] we hypothesized that perhaps SA responses interfered with Fe deficiency regulation via the bHLH subgroup Ib(2) proteins in the process of adaptation to --Fe. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed available gene expression data of *OBP3* (At3g55370), the regulator of *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* [@pone.0099234-Kang1]. *OBP3* is not in a co-expression network with any known Fe-regulated metal homeostasis genes. However, its expression was reported to occur in the root stele where the subgroup Ib(2) gene promoters are also active [@pone.0099234-Wang1], [@pone.0099234-Brady1]. SA plays a role throughout plant development and hence this could require an adaptation to Fe homeostasis [@pone.0099234-RivasSanVicente1]. To test a possible interference of SA and Fe signaling, we first tested using the seedling growth assay whether the SA response gene *PATHOGENESIS RELATED1* (*PR1*) as a marker for SA responses [@pone.0099234-Cao1], *OBP3* and *BHLH38* were regulated by SA and Fe deficiency treatments in wild type and *3xbhlh* mutant plants. As expected, *PR1* was induced by 100 µM SA in the wild type, while *BHLH38* was induced by --Fe ([Fig. 3A](#pone-0099234-g003){ref-type="fig"}). These two marker genes were not per se induced by the respective other treatment, and in two out of three experiments, the expression levels were not affected in the *3xbhlh* mutant ([Fig. 3A](#pone-0099234-g003){ref-type="fig"}). *OBP3* was hardly induced by SA treatment and did not show any regulation by Fe or in response to the *3xbhlh* mutant. We did also not detect any differences in gene expression levels of *IRT1*, *FRO2* and *FIT* at + versus --SA treatment ([Fig. 3B](#pone-0099234-g003){ref-type="fig"}). Therefore, we conclude that a clear SA response did not take place upon --Fe and that the *3xbhlh* mutant did not show an altered SA response upon SA application. {#pone-0099234-g003} Since it is possible, that SA might have a more subtle effect in the regulation of Fe deficiency responses, we also tested Fe deficiency gene regulation in various SA mutants grown under + and −Fe supply. The *non-repressor of pr1* (*npr1*) mutant is defective in SA signaling [@pone.0099234-Cao1]. *sid2* mutant plants are defective in SA production due to lack of isochorismate synthesis, and *NahG* plants overexpress a bacterial SA hydroxylase so that SA is rapidly transformed into catechol and consequently does not accumulate [@pone.0099234-Ferrari1]. We found that in these mutants Fe acquisition genes *IRT1*, *FRO2* and *FIT* were up-regulated by --Fe as in the wild type ([Fig. 4A](#pone-0099234-g004){ref-type="fig"}). *IRT1* was slightly up-regulated at +Fe in *npr1* compared to the wild type in one experiment. *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* expression was not affected in the mutants ([Fig. 4B](#pone-0099234-g004){ref-type="fig"}). {#pone-0099234-g004} Hence, we exclude an apparent effect of SA treatment or SA signaling on Fe deficiency regulation. The up-regulation of *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes under --Fe was not likely the consequence of a SA signal. Wild Type and *3xbhlh* Mutants Differ in Gene Expression Patterns at --Fe and in the Presence of SA {#s3c} --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To get further hints on the Fe deficiency phenotype we performed a transcriptome comparison between *3xbhlh* and wild type seedlings ([Fig. S2](#pone.0099234.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). This analysis was conducted under --Fe conditions since we expected most of the differential gene expression to occur at --Fe as deduced from the *3xbhlh* leaf chlorosis phenotype at --Fe. SA was included as a treatment to search for changes in gene expression in response to SA. 6-day old seedlings were grown on --Fe, transferred for 6 h to + or −100 µM SA containing --Fe medium and harvested. Microarray analysis was performed using the Agilent V4 gene chip (26.283 Arabidopsis genes). In parallel, we used the same RNA samples to perform real time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to assess the technical quality of the method and the biological quality of the samples in this experiment ([Fig. S2](#pone.0099234.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). At first, we identified from the microarray data those genes that showed differential regulation at least 1.5-fold between wild type and the *3xbhlh* mutant in the absence and presence of SA in a statistically significant manner. The differentially regulated genes were grouped according to expression patterns using Venn diagrams ([Fig. 5](#pone-0099234-g005){ref-type="fig"}). 198 genes were identified as being regulated between mutant and wild type ([Table S2](#pone.0099234.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}; [Fig. 5](#pone-0099234-g005){ref-type="fig"}). 25 of these genes were only found deregulated in the mutant in the absence of SA (group I) and 61 genes only in the presence of SA (group II). 112 genes were regulated between mutant and wild type in the presence and absence of SA (group III). An important control for the quality of our microarray hybridization experiment was represented by the *BHLH39*, *BHLH100* and *BHLH101* genes which we found down-regulated in the *3xbhlh* mutant compared to the wild type in the group III, as was expected ([Table S2](#pone.0099234.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). On the other hand, 9892 genes were differentially regulated between + and − SA in the wild type or in the *3xbhlh* mutant ([Fig. 5](#pone-0099234-g005){ref-type="fig"}). Among these latter genes 1718 were only differentially expressed in response to SA in the wild type (group IV), while 1472 other genes were specifically affected by SA in the mutant (group V) ([Table S3](#pone.0099234.s007){ref-type="supplementary-material"}; [Fig. 5](#pone-0099234-g005){ref-type="fig"}). 6702 genes were regulated by SA in wild type and in the *3xbhlh* mutant (group VI) and were not further investigated as they reflected purely SA-dependent genes. ([Fig. 5](#pone-0099234-g005){ref-type="fig"}). The high numbers of SA-regulated genes might indicate that the SA treatment affected the transcriptomes in a strong manner than did the *3xbhlh* mutations. However, we found that genes of groups IV and V were only mis-regulated by a maximum level of 5-fold ([Table S3](#pone.0099234.s007){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). On the other hand, among the small number of genes mis-regulated between mutant and wild type (groups I--III) some genes reached differential expression up to 60-fold ([Table S2](#pone.0099234.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). {ref-type="supplementary-material"}, [S4](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. Groups I to III contain genes differentially expressed between *3xbhlh* and wild type. Groups IV and V contain genes that show differential regulation between + and --SA treatment but not between wild type and mutant.](pone.0099234.g005){#pone-0099234-g005} Analysis of Functional Categories Differentially Regulated between *3xbhlh* and Wild Type Plants (Groups I to III) {#s3d} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next, we assessed whether any specific functional pathways were affected in the *3xbhlh* mutant. At first, we analyzed the functions of the genes of groups I, II and III by analyzing whether specific gene ontology categories were hit among them using the GOrilla tool [@pone.0099234-Eden1]. Among the DOWN-regulated genes of group I we found weak enrichment of categories related to lactate metabolism and cell wall, and among the UP-regulated genes of group I of categories RNA metabolism and transcription ([Table S4](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}-1, S4-2). In group II we found an enrichment for the categories flavonoid biosynthesis, UV responses, inositol metabolism and transpiration among the UP-regulated genes ([Table S4-1](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, [S4-2](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). In group III the categories metal response and copper binding were among the DOWN-regulated genes and again inositol metabolism among the UP-regulated genes ([Table S4-1, 4-2](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). This analysis indicates that loss of the BHLH subgroup Ib(2) functions in the *3xbhlh* mutant at --Fe resulted in altered stress regulation and adaptation to stress. Then, we checked whether the three groups I--III contained known Fe-regulated genes. In a previous work, we have grown six day-old Arabidopsis seedlings in + and −Fe conditions in the same system as utilized here. From these previous experiments we have obtained a list of iron-regulated genes in the seedlings [@pone.0099234-Bauer1], [@pone.0099234-Schuler1], [@pone.0099234-Ivanov1]. The list of Fe-regulated genes in wild type seedlings published in [@pone.0099234-Bauer1] was used to compare with the list of genes in groups I--III. To our surprise we could only find 29 Fe-regulated genes among the 197 genes of the groups I--III, which corresponded to only 15% of these genes ([Fig. 6A](#pone-0099234-g006){ref-type="fig"}). Interestingly, these 15% of the *3xbhlh*-regulated genes could be further subdivided into 9 genes that were up-regulated by --Fe in the wild type and up-regulated in the mutant versus the wild type at --Fe as well as 15 genes that were down-regulated by --Fe in the wild type and down-regulated in the mutant versus the wild type at --Fe. Hence, the expression patterns of these 24 genes reflected the situation that the *3xbhlh* mutant was more sensitive to Fe deficiency than the wild type and that the Fe deficiency leaf chlorosis response was enhanced. Very interestingly, five genes showed an opposite expression pattern of being highly expressed at --Fe in the wild type, but expressed at low level in the *3xbhlh* mutant versus the wild type. These five genes were At1g53310 encoding PPC1, At3g07720, encoding a putative Kelch-repeat protein, At3g12900, an oxidoreductase gene, At4g31940 encoding CYP82C4 and At3g58810 encoding the metal transporter MTPA2. Therefore, it can be assumed that these five genes could represent specific target genes of the transcription factors bHLH39, bHLH100 and bHLH101. We also noted that the genes encoding the Fe acquisition machinery in Arabidopsis like *IRT1* and *FRO2* were not found among the differentially expressed genes which confirms above expression studies. We used the 29 genes to build co-expression networks using the ATTED tool [@pone.0099234-Obayashi1], and in total we could identify four co-expression networks ([Fig. 6B](#pone-0099234-g006){ref-type="fig"}, [Fig. S3](#pone.0099234.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). One network contained four out of the five putative bHLH targets. As mentioned above, this co-expression network was previously identified as the FIT target network [@pone.0099234-Ivanov1]. Another network contained six genes up-regulated at --Fe and in the chlorotic triple mutant and one gene down-regulated in these respective conditions. This network was enriched with gene functions in flavonoid synthesis, secondary metabolism and circadian rhythm. A third network contained seven genes being down-regulated by --Fe and in the triple mutant, and this network was enriched for circadian rhythm functions. The fourth co-expression network comprised another five genes that were down-regulated at --Fe and in the *3xbhlh* mutant, and enrichment was found for photosynthetic functions and secondary metabolism. Similar functional categories were also evident for the 29 genes when using GOrilla as a GO annotation tool, namely metal response, inositol metabolism, protein folding, photosystem II and other chloroplast functions and circadian clock ([Table S4-3, S4-4](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). In summary, co-expression analysis, functional annotation and enrichment analysis indicated that the expression of the 24 Fe-regulated genes was different in *3xbhlh* as a consequence of the increased leaf chlorosis of the triple mutant at --Fe, while the expression of five co-expressed genes indicates that they might be targets of the transcription factors in roots. ![Regulation of the subset of 29 Fe-regulated genes out of groups I, II and III identified in microarray analysis.\ The list of Fe-regulated genes in wild type seedlings that we had published earlier [@pone.0099234-Bauer1] was used to compare with the list obtained in this work for the groups I--III. 29 genes of the groups I--III were found Fe-regulated in [@pone.0099234-Bauer1]. A, Regulation patterns, annotation and co-expression of the subset of 29 genes; the regulation at +Fe versus --Fe in the wild type is represented in the left-most column (in dark green up = up-regulated, in red down = down-regulated); the regulation in the *3xbhlh* mutant versus WT is shown in the middle column (in light green up = up-regulated and in yellow or violet down = down-regulated; note that the yellow color indicates that these genes do not follow in the *3xbhlh* mutant the regulation expected from --Fe versus +Fe in the left column and hence could be direct targets of bHLH39, bHLH100 and bHLH101). The Arabidopsis gene identification (AGI) numbers and annotations are shown on the right side, whereby the color code indicates the belonging to different co-expression networks as determined using the ATTED tool (ref), represented in B; B, Co-expression network analysis of the 29 genes; the ATTED tool was utilized for construction; the different networks are highlighted in color and the AGI numbers belonging to those networks are highlighted by the same color in A. The grey color indicates genes that are part of isolated co-expression networks. A high-resolution image of the co-expression networks is shown in [Fig. S3](#pone.0099234.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.](pone.0099234.g006){#pone-0099234-g006} On the other hand, 85% of the genes of group I--III were not regulated by Fe deficiency. It was then interesting to determine whether these genes represented specific pathways. The functional categories were again related to inositol metabolism, circadian rhythm and UV response ([Table S4-3, S4-4](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Hence, the Fe-regulated and non-Fe-regulated genes of groups I to III play functions in regulating adaptive stress processes suggesting that these functions are central for the bHLH proteins. Validation of Differential Gene Expression in Groups I to III by Reverse Transcription-qPCR {#s3e} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To verify the regulatory expression patterns identified in the microarray experiments, we verified some of the gene expression results by reverse transcription-qPCR studies, especially by studying the Fe-regulated genes. Reverse transcription-qPCR was performed on the same biological samples as used for the microarray ([Fig. S2](#pone.0099234.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We also used the samples derived from plants grown at +Fe that we had raised in parallel. Three biological replicates have been analyzed. Due to the low number of three samples the differences were not found to be significant with p\<0.05 in all expected cases, which we designated then as "tendency". We found a tendency for up-regulation of *IRT1*, *FRO2* and *BHLH038* at --Fe versus +Fe irrespective of genotype and SA treatment which was significant for *IRT1* at −Fe versus +Fe in the *3xbhlh* mutant ([Fig. S4A](#pone.0099234.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, B, C). *PR1* expression was significantly increased in all +SA versus --SA samples, as expected ([Fig. S4D](#pone.0099234.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Hence, these control gene expression results confirm that the plants had reacted as expected to Fe and salicylic acid supply in the experiment. Then, we studied gene expression of the Fe-regulated targets of the bHLH factors from groups I--III, namely of the four coexpressed genes At3g07720, *CYP82C4*, At3g12900 and *MTPA2* as well as of *PPC1*. All five genes showed a tendency to be up-regulated by --Fe in the wild type and in the *3xbhlh* mutant compared to +Fe, which was significant with p\<0.05 for *CYP82C4* in *3xbhlh* and for At3g12900 ([Fig. 7A--E](#pone-0099234-g007){ref-type="fig"}; compare to [Fig. 6](#pone-0099234-g006){ref-type="fig"}, yellow co-expression network and *PPC1*). The expression of these five genes had a tendency to be lower in the mutant than in the wild type at --Fe. In the presence of SA the five genes were similarly regulated than in the absence of SA, whereby the basal expression levels at +Fe in the wild type were found higher in tendency at +SA than at −SA for At3g07720 and *MTPA2*. {ref-type="fig"}). *3xbhlh* and wild type seedlings were grown for 6 d at + and −Fe and exposed for 6 h to 100 µM SA (+SA) or were mock-treated (−SA). Whole seedlings were harvested for analysis. n = 3; the --Fe cDNA samples were derived from the RNAs used in the microarray ([Fig. S2](#pone.0099234.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}); \* indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of −Fe versus +Fe; + indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of *3xbhlh* versus WT; § indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of +SA versus --SA. Gene expression was studied using reverse transcription-qPCR.](pone.0099234.g007){#pone-0099234-g007} Next, we verified gene expression of the Fe-regulated group III genes, namely *LHY1*, *PSAF* and At1g07050 ([Fig. 7F--H](#pone-0099234-g007){ref-type="fig"}; compare to [Fig. 6](#pone-0099234-g006){ref-type="fig"}, green, violet and pink coexpression networks, respectively). We found that *LHY1* followed a tendency to be more expressed at --Fe versus +Fe in the mutant and in the presence of SA. At1g07050 and *PSAF* followed a tendency to be expressed at lower level at --Fe versus +Fe, especially in the *3xbhlh* mutant. Taken together, the reverse transcription-qPCR data confirmed in their tendency the gene regulation changes detected in the comparative transcriptome analysis. This result underlined the technical and biological reproducibility, however the number of only three biological replicates did not allow obtention of p\<0.05 statistical values in each comparison. Analysis of Functional Categories Differentially Regulated between + and −SA (Groups IV and V) {#s3f} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Different genes were regulated by SA in the wild type (group IV) and *3xbhlh* plants (group V). We used again the GOrilla tool [@pone.0099234-Eden1] to analyze whether specific categories were hit in the two cases. In group IV we identified the categories RNA and post-transcriptional genes silencing, organelle organization, GTP activity and chloroplast functions among the DOWN-regulated genes in the wild type, while the categories lipid metabolism, cellular starvation response and transition metal transport were hit among the UP-regulated genes ([Table S4-1, 4-2](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). In group V the categories DNA replication, transmembrane receptor signaling, cell division, histone modification, protein binding and chloroplast thylakoid were hit among the DOWN-regulated genes and defense and heat response, signaling, kinase activity and ADP binding were identified as pathways among the UP-regulated genes ([Table S4-1, 4-2](#pone.0099234.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Hence from the high number of regulated genes and the categories we deduce that SA affects stress responses and cell division in a different manner in the wild type and the *3xbhlh* mutant upon SA treatment. Thus, the *3xbhlh* mutant is in a different manner sensitive to SA than the wild type. Discussion {#s4} ========== In this report we show that *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes *BHLH39*, *BHLH100* and *BHLH101* acted in the adaptation to the stress caused by the Fe deficiency but not for Fe acquisition itself. Although *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* may act in the SA pathway we did not find any evidence that SA responses interfered with Fe deficiency regulation via the *BHLH* genes. Contradictory reports in the literature rendered it difficult to establish a clear function for *BHLH* subgroup Ib(2) genes in the regulation of Fe deficiency responses in Arabidopsis. On one side, it was shown that a triple mutant *bhlh39 bhlh100 bhlh101* was affected in the ability to up-regulate Fe reductase activity upon --Fe [@pone.0099234-Wang3], while a double mutant *bhlh100 bhlh101* was not [@pone.0099234-Sivitz1]. However, in both these studies the mutants were described to display a leaf chlorosis at --Fe but not at +Fe. Here we demonstrate that the *3xbhlh* triple mutant *bhlh39 bhlh100 bhlh101* developed a leaf chlorosis only at --Fe but not at +Fe. We found and confirmed that this phenotype was clearly not associated with a reduced uptake of Fe. When we analyzed the triple *3xbhlh* mutant we observed that this mutant was able to mobilize and acquire Fe, in contrast to the report mentioned above [@pone.0099234-Wang3]. The first evidence came from the fact that the leaf chlorosis was restrained to --Fe, while no such phenotype was observed at +Fe. The *3xbhlh* mutants had similar Fe levels as the wild type, and hence, these plants were able to utilize Fe at +Fe like the wild type. In addition, the *3xbhlh* mutants were able to induce *FIT*, *IRT1* and *FRO2* at --Fe versus +Fe. The three Fe uptake genes did also not occur among the groups I--III that comprised the genes differentially expressed between mutant and wild type. Fe reductase activity was clearly inducible in the triple mutant at least to the same extent as in the wild type. An alternative possibility to explain the increased leaf chlorosis of *3xbhlh* mutant compared to wild type plants at --Fe could be linked with a reduced ability of the mutant to utilise internal iron. However, we did not find evidence that typical genes for internal Fe utilization were changed in their expression, like *NRAMP4* [@pone.0099234-Lanquar1], *FRO3* [@pone.0099234-Mukherjee1], *OPT3* [@pone.0099234-Stacey1] and *NAS4* [@pone.0099234-Koen1], [@pone.0099234-Palmer1]. Taken together, we can say that the leaf chlorosis of *3xbhlh* plants was not the consequence of impaired Fe uptake and utilisation. Since *BHLH38* was still expressed in the *3xbhlh* mutant, even to a higher level than in the wild type, we cannot conclude that none of the subgroup Ib(2) *BHLH* genes are required for Fe uptake or Fe mislocalization. Since *BHLH38* is hardly expressed at +Fe (when Fe is available for uptake), it is not likely required for Fe uptake, either. Due to the tandem location of *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* in the genome, a quadruple insertion mutant with a full knockout of all *BHLH* functions cannot be readily generated to confirm this. We predict that a quadruple mutant would have more severe leaf chlorosis symptoms than the wild type at --Fe. The question remains what is the cause of the increased leaf chlorosis of *3xbhlh* mutants at --Fe. One clue to that question could come from the functions of the genes that we found differentially expressed in the mutant versus the wild type. Five genes were regulated in an opposite manner in the *3xbhlh* mutant than in the wild type in response to iron. These genes might be targets for bHLH39, bHLH100 and bHLH101, namely *PPC1*, At3g07720, the oxidoreductase At3g12900, *CYP82C4* and *MTPA2*. The latter four are coexpressed with target genes of the transcription factor FIT, such as *IRT1*. However, some of the FIT targets of the co-expression network were found here not be mis-regulated in the *3xbhlh* mutant. This result can be explained. We suggest that the four bHLH transcription factors of the subgroup Ib(2) show functional divergence. bHLH38 in conjunction with FIT namely acts on the induction of the targets *IRT1* and *FRO2*, while bHLH39, bHLH100 and bHLH101 presumably together with FIT more specifically target the other genes in this co-expression network that we have found here. Another set of Fe-regulated genes of groups I--III, which are differentially expressed in the mutant versus the wild type, indicated that the Fe deficiency responses were augmented in the mutant. For example, genes which are up-regulated at --Fe versus +Fe in the wild type showed an exaggerated up-regulation response in the comparison of mutant versus wild type at --Fe. Or, genes which are down-regulated at --Fe versus +Fe in the wild type showed a stronger down-regulation response in the mutant versus wild type at --Fe. From these expression patterns it is unlikely that these genes are regulated directly by the bHLH subgroup Ib proteins since otherwise we would have expected opposite trends of regulation between +/−Fe and mutant/wild type. The differential regulation of these genes is rather a pleiotropic effect due to the *3xbHLH* mutations. Since the most obvious phenotype was the increased leaf chlorosis, the differential regulation of these genes was likely an effect of the severe leaf chlorosis. Indeed, several of these genes have functions in the leaves related to the clock and in chloroplasts. Previous reports have established an effect of iron deficiency on the biological clock [@pone.0099234-Chen1]--[@pone.0099234-Salome1]. On the other hand, 170 genes were differentially expressed between mutant and wild type without that any differential expression of these genes had been noted in response to Fe supply in previous experiments [@pone.0099234-Bauer1]. Therefore, we deduce that the three *BHLH* genes regulate an adaptation response to the stress caused by the Fe deficiency. This would also explain why these *BHLH* genes are only activated at --Fe, but not at +Fe, and why they are induced in leaves and in roots. And in addition, it explains that in the absence of the genes in the *3xbhlh* mutant such a high number of genes are differentially expressed whereby in the wild type the expression appears unchanged. A further question is what could be the function of the 170 genes not regulated by Fe supply. One possibility could have been that these 170 genes are regulated by salicylic acid, a stress hormone. *BHLH38* and *BHLH39* have been brought into the context of SA regulation [@pone.0099234-Kang1], and as a stress hormone SA signaling could be effective upon Fe deficiency stress. However, we exclude that the 170 genes are SA-regulated since none of them was in the intersections with the 50 times higher number of SA-regulated genes in the Venn diagrams, as revealed in our microarray experiments. The main functional categories that these 170 genes belong to are inositol metabolism, circadian rhythm again and UV responses. Hence, it can be concluded that the bhlh functions are important for adapting leaf responses to Fe deficiency stress. The absence of proper regulation would thus result in a more increased leaf chlorosis due to improper adaptation. Since the bHLH genes of the subgroup Ib(2) are expressed in leaves and there induced by Fe deficiency, it is plausible to predict that the leaf regulation is the main function of the bHLH genes which takes place independent of FIT. In conclusion, it will be very interesting in the future to study the connection between leaf responses as an adaptation to Fe deficiency conferred by bHLH subgroup Ib(2) proteins. Supporting Information {#s5} ====================== ###### Gene expression of *BHLH* subgroup Ib genes in *3xbhlh* and wild type plants in response to Fe. A, in roots; B, in leaves; *3xbhlh* and wild type seedlings were grown for 14 d at +Fe and exposed for 3 d to + or −Fe. Roots and leaves were harvested for analysis. n = 4; \* indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of −Fe versus +Fe; + indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of *3xbhlh* versus WT. Gene expression was studied by reverse transcription-qPCR. (TIFF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Overview of one biological replicate set of microarray and reverse transcription-qPCR experiments; *3xbhlh* and wild type seedlings were grown for 6 d at + and −Fe and exposed for 6 h to 100 µM SA (+SA) or were mock-treated (−SA). RNA and cDNA was prepared from all samples for use in reverse transcription-qPCR analysis (see [Fig. 7](#pone-0099234-g007){ref-type="fig"}). Microarray analysis was only conducted with --Fe samples (see [Fig. 5](#pone-0099234-g005){ref-type="fig"}, [6](#pone-0099234-g006){ref-type="fig"}). For reverse transcription-PCR and microarray analysis a total of three biological replicates was performed. (TIFF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### High-resolution image of the co-expression network analysis of the 29 Fe-regulated genes out of groups I, II and III. The ATTED tool was utilized for construction. Further analysis and additional information are provided in [Fig. 6](#pone-0099234-g006){ref-type="fig"}. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Gene expression of Fe deficiency and SA marker genes in the samples used for microarray analysis. A, *FIT*; B, *IRT1*; C, *FRO2*; D, *PR1*; *3xbhlh* and wild type seedlings were grown for 6 d at + and −Fe and exposed for 6 h to 100 µM SA (+SA) or were mock-treated (−SA). Whole seedlings were harvested for analysis. n = 3; the --Fe cDNA samples were derived from the RNAs used in the microarray ([Fig. S2](#pone.0099234.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}); \* indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of −Fe versus +Fe; + indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of *3xbhlh* versus WT; § indicates a significant change (p\<0.05) of +SA versus --SA. Gene expression was studied using reverse transcription-qPCR. (TIF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Primer sequences. (DOT) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### List of genes of the groups I, II and III with differential expression between *3xbhlh* and wild type at --Fe in the presence and absence of 100 µM SA. (XLS) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### List of genes of the groups IV and V with differential expression of either *3xbhlh* or wild type at --Fe in the presence and absence of 100 µM SA. (XLS) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### GO annotation of the differentially regulated genes of groups I to V. (XLS) ###### Click here for additional data file. This work has been funded by the Saarland University and the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant No. DFG-Ba1610/5-1 to PB is kindly acknowledged. The authors thank Dr. Claudia Fink-Straube, Saarbrücken, for iron content determination. We thank Angelika Anna for excellent technical assistance regarding plant growth. [^1]: **Competing Interests:**The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. [^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: PB. Performed the experiments: FM MN. Analyzed the data: FM MN PB. Wrote the paper: PB. [^3]: Current address: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, Saarland University Medical Center and Saarland University Faculty of Medicine, Homburg, Germany

Q: Stripe: How to set up recurring payments without plan? First time working with Stripe API. Implementing it on WordPress using PHP and JS. Working on a donation form. Donor should be able to choose a suggested amount (radio buttons-25,50,75,100) or pay as he/she wishes (text field after selecting 'other'). I was able to get this working. There is a check box to set the amount up as a recurring payment. I created recurring payment plans for the fixed options like 25, 50, 100 etc. How do I set up a recurring payment if the donor chooses a custom amount? Can't find the relevant API. Please help. A: Another approach that Stripe suggests is to setup a plan with a recurring amount of $1 (or $0.01 for more flexibility) and then vary the quantity as needed. e.g. Using the $0.01 plan approach, if I wanted to charge 12.50/month I could adjust the quantity like so: $customer->subscriptions->create(array("plan" => "basic", "quantity" => "1250")); Stripe Support How can I create plans that don't have a fixed price? Subscription Quantities A: First, you'll need to create a new customer. On submit, you could use the custom amount to create a new plan: $current_time = time(); $plan_name = strval( $current_time ); Stripe_Plan::create(array( "amount" => $_POST['custom-amount'], "interval" => "month", "name" => "Some Plan Name " . $_POST['customer-name'], "currency" => "usd", "id" => $plan_name ) ); Keep in mind that the 'id' needs to be unique. You could use the customer's name, a time stamp, or some other random method to ensure that this is always the case. You'd then just create the subscription on the newly-added customer: $customer = Stripe_Customer::retrieve($customer_just_created); $customer->subscriptions->create(array("plan" => $plan_name)); You probably will be able to omit the first line above, as you should already have a customer variable assigned from when the customer was actually created.

Diglyceride kinase in human platelets. Human platelets contain diglyceride kinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of diacylglycerol by adenosine 5'-triphosphate to yield phosphatidic acid. The majority of the platelet enzyme is particulate-bound, and membrane fractions of platelet homogenates have a higher specific activity than granule fractions. Both deoxycholate and magnesium are necessary for optimal enzyme activity. The K(m) of the enzyme for adenosine 5'-triphosphate is 1.3 mm, and the apparent K(m) for diacylglycerol is 0.4 mm. The pH optimum is 6.6-6.8 in imidazole-HCl or maleate-NaOH buffer. The enzyme activity of platelets from normal subjects was similar to the activity from patients with renal and hepatic failure.

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addi Click by Woolly Hugs Interchangeable Knitting System $15000$150.00 Save $50 The new, very extensive addiClick case addiClick by Woolly Hugs, will make any craft lover's heart beat faster. Developed in cooperation with the craft expert Veronika Hug from “Woolly Hugs”, it also contains original addi accessories, as well as a large range of needles. All addiClick products are compatible.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating which is fixed to the surface of material from which a deposit is easily removed with water, such that the coated material can be repeatedly cleaned easily. 2. Description of Related Art Hitherto it was difficult to remove a water-insoluble deposit from a material surface. For example, liquid oil should be cleaned by water containing a surfactant with considerable labor, or by an organic solvent which is harmful to both the human body and the environment. Since a waxy or solid deposit is difficult to remove using the surfactant, it should be removed by the organic solvent or mechanically scraped off, which requires heavy work. But such deposit may not be completely removed, or the material to which the deposit is adhered may be damaged. In many cases, the waxy or solid deposit may not be removed. It is possible to remove the deposit by forming a releasable or soluble coating on the material and removing the deposit together with the coating. However, whenever the coating is removed, a fresh coating must be reformed, or the removed coating generates an additional waste. Therefore, this technique does not provide a viable solution. As a coating from which the deposit can be repeatedly removed, a coating of polyterafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "PTFE", (for example, TEFLON.TM. of DuPont is known. However, it is not widely used since it is expensive, the kind of surface on which the PTFE coating can be formed is limited, and it has poor transparency. It is greatly desired to develop a coating such that a deposit can be repeatedly removed from the material surface and which solves the above problems. As explained above, to remove the deposit from the material's surface, a large amount of work is required, or some other methods applied which use an organic solvent which is harmful to the human body and the environment. In the case of Over Head Project or (OHP) films or office automation papers such as copying papers, they are used and wasted in a large scale to cause a environmental problem, since ink cannot be removed from their surfaces. This is because there is no coating from which the deposit, such as the ink, is repeatedly removed with ease and which is cheap and has good flexibility in use.

'use strict'; angular.module("ngLocale", [], ["$provide", function($provide) { var PLURAL_CATEGORY = {ZERO: "zero", ONE: "one", TWO: "two", FEW: "few", MANY: "many", OTHER: "other"}; $provide.value("$locale", { "DATETIME_FORMATS": { "AMPMS": [ "AM", "PM" ], "DAY": [ "dimanche", "lundi", "mardi", "mercredi", "jeudi", "vendredi", "samedi" ], "ERANAMES": [ "avant J\u00e9sus-Christ", "apr\u00e8s J\u00e9sus-Christ" ], "ERAS": [ "av. J.-C.", "ap. J.-C." ], "FIRSTDAYOFWEEK": 0, "MONTH": [ "janvier", "f\u00e9vrier", "mars", "avril", "mai", "juin", "juillet", "ao\u00fbt", "septembre", "octobre", "novembre", "d\u00e9cembre" ], "SHORTDAY": [ "dim.", "lun.", "mar.", "mer.", "jeu.", "ven.", "sam." ], "SHORTMONTH": [ "janv.", "f\u00e9vr.", "mars", "avr.", "mai", "juin", "juil.", "ao\u00fbt", "sept.", "oct.", "nov.", "d\u00e9c." ], "STANDALONEMONTH": [ "janvier", "f\u00e9vrier", "mars", "avril", "mai", "juin", "juillet", "ao\u00fbt", "septembre", "octobre", "novembre", "d\u00e9cembre" ], "WEEKENDRANGE": [ 5, 6 ], "fullDate": "EEEE d MMMM y", "longDate": "d MMMM y", "medium": "d MMM y HH:mm:ss", "mediumDate": "d MMM y", "mediumTime": "HH:mm:ss", "short": "dd/MM/y HH:mm", "shortDate": "dd/MM/y", "shortTime": "HH:mm" }, "NUMBER_FORMATS": { "CURRENCY_SYM": "\u20ac", "DECIMAL_SEP": ",", "GROUP_SEP": "\u00a0", "PATTERNS": [ { "gSize": 3, "lgSize": 3, "maxFrac": 3, "minFrac": 0, "minInt": 1, "negPre": "-", "negSuf": "", "posPre": "", "posSuf": "" }, { "gSize": 3, "lgSize": 3, "maxFrac": 2, "minFrac": 2, "minInt": 1, "negPre": "-", "negSuf": "\u00a0\u00a4", "posPre": "", "posSuf": "\u00a0\u00a4" } ] }, "id": "fr-gp", "localeID": "fr_GP", "pluralCat": function(n, opt_precision) { var i = n | 0; if (i == 0 || i == 1) { return PLURAL_CATEGORY.ONE; } return PLURAL_CATEGORY.OTHER;} }); }]);

Q: grails 3.0.0 I can not create an application I just downloaded Grails 3.0.0 (hoping to see my problems with CAS magically disappearing ;) ) I installed it under windows and then: D:\GrailsProjects> grails -version | Grails Version: 3.0.0 | Groovy Version: 2.4.3 | JVM Version: 1.7.0_51 and then: D:\IntelliJProjects>grails create-app helloworld | Error Command not found create-app Did you mean: create-script or create-taglib or create-unit-test? also clean and compile don't work What am I missing? A: ok that was trivial (and rather stupid). In the "project directory" among other projects there was a directory called grails-app, probably leftover of some porting. This caused the create-app to fail. Removed the directory everything works fine.

Q: Show that $\lim_{x\to \infty} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=1$ Consider $f(x)=\ln(\ln(\zeta(\exp(\exp(-x)))))$ and $g(x)=\ln(x),$ where $\zeta(x)=\sum n^{-x}$ for $\Re(x)>1.$ Show that $$\lim_{x\to \infty} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=1$$ I obtained $f(x)$ from $\zeta(x)$ after performing two consecutive log-log coordinate transforms on $\zeta(x).$ $f(x)$ appears to converge, quite quickly, to $\ln(x)$ as $x$ increases. I've numerically verified several values such as: $$f(2) \approx 0.69978 $$ $$g(2)\approx 0.69315 $$ $$ f(8)\approx 2.07944 $$ $$ g(8)\approx 2.07944$$ A: Let $x=-\log(\log(t))$ so that $$\log\left(\log\left(\zeta\left(e^{e^{-x}}\right)\right)\right)=\log\left(\log\left(\zeta\left(t\right)\right)\right)$$ and as $x\to \infty$, $t\to 1^+$. Then, we wish to evaluate the limit $$\lim_{t\to 1^+}\frac{\log\left(\log\left(\zeta\left(t\right)\right)\right)}{\log(-\log(\log(t)))}$$ Recalling that near $t=1^+$, we have $\zeta(t)=\frac1{t-1}+O(1)$ and $\frac1{\log(t)}=\frac1{t-1}+O(1)$, it is straightforward to see that the value of the limit of interest is $1$.

374 So.2d 929 (1979) Richard GRAHAM v. STATE. 4 Div. 685. Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama. March 27, 1979. Rehearing Denied April 17, 1979. *930 David C. Emery, Ozark, for appellant. William J. Baxley, Atty. Gen., and Edwin L. Yates, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State, appellee. LEIGH M. CLARK, Retired Circuit Judge. Appellant was indicted for murder in the first degree of "Donna M. Wilcynski, by stabbing her with a knife or other sharp instrument." A jury found him guilty of murder in the first degree as charged and fixed his punishment at life imprisonment. He was sentenced accordingly. Appellant submits as the only issue on appeal: "Whether or not sufficient evidence was presented to sustain the verdict of first degree murder." We have no doubt that there was bountiful evidence that the alleged victim was brutally slain, in the manner charged in the indictment, by some fiend, and that the homicide was murder in the first degree. The only controverted issue on the trial was whether defendant-appellant committed the homicide. The record indicates, and almost conclusively shows, that there was no eyewitness to the homicide other than the victim and her murderer(s); that they were the only persons in the apartment of the victim at Byrd Apartments, Ozark, when she was killed, between 11:00 P.M. and midnight on April 11, 1978. Her death resulted from multiple stab wounds in various parts of her body, from front to back and from head to feet. They were so extensive and numerous that the physician who examined her body was unable to number them. He grouped them in a description of them in his testimony as shown by six complete pages of the record. That she was dead before or immediately after the completion of the stabbing of her, there can hardly be any doubt. Her body was not discovered until late in the afternoon on April 12, 1978, after neighboring apartment dwellers had become concerned about her, one of them noting that her automobile was at its accustomed place at the apartment, that she was nowhere to be seen, that her apartment was locked and that efforts to get her to the door were futile. One of them called an officer and soon thereafter a number of them arrived. Upon arrival of the officers, a master key was obtained, and thereby her apartment was entered by one of the officers, who found her body in the bathtub. He promptly secured the scene and sent for an investigator of the Police Department of Ozark, *931 who soon arrived; he looked at the body in the bathtub, and then observed a three-year-old child in the bedroom of the apartment. He then called the coroner and personnel from the crime laboratory and secured the building for a thorough and accurate on-the-premises criminal investigation by experienced personnel, which was assiduously performed, continuing for about two hours at the scene. Blood samples were obtained, latent fingerprints were lifted, numerous photographs were taken, samples of hair were gathered from the apartment and other physical items of evidence were taken into custody. The victim's body in the bathtub was lying on its back. All but the face was covered with sheets and other coverings from her bed. Upon removal of the bed coverings, her body was completely nude. There was no water in the bathtub; the drain thereof was closed. The floor of the bathroom was dry, but the carpet or rug in the hall was soaked with water, and the carpet or rugs in the victim's bedroom and in the child's bedroom were wet. A test made by an officer showed that water from the overflowing bathtub would run into portions of the floor of the apartment that were wet. Bloodstains were found at several places in the apartment, including the mattress and the box springs of victim's bed, the floor, walls, curtains, and on the outside handle of the door to the apartment. The furniture in the bedroom appeared to be ransacked. The living room appeared to be normal. There were pry marks on the outside of a window to the apartment. The evidence, consisting of the testimony of twenty-seven witnesses and numerous exhibits, is almost, if not entirely, free of substantial conflict. Witnesses for the State may be grouped: (1) Those testifying as to conduct of defendant while at Byrd Apartments on Sunday, April 9, 1978, (2) Those testifying as to his conduct at Byrd Apartments the night of the murder, April 11, 1978, (3) A few who heard noises in the victim's apartment between 11:00 P.M. and midnight, April 11, (4) Expert and lay witnesses as to the condition and contents of the victim's apartment at the time her body was discovered therein in the late afternoon of April 12, (5) Witnesses, chiefly expert witnesses, as to (a) the condition of the corpse, (b) fingerprints, (c) samples of blood found in the victim's apartment, (d) samples of hair from victim's apartment, (e) what was revealed by a search of defendant and his home, (f) statements made by defendant after the murder and (g) what was found in defendant's automobile that he was driving the night of the murder. Evidence on behalf of defendant consisted of defendant's own testimony as to his conduct on Sunday, April 9, and on the night of the murder and the testimony of his wife, which pertained chiefly to his conduct prior to his going to the Byrd Apartments on April 11 and his return to their home after midnight of the night of the murder. Some of the witnesses for the State who testified as to the presence and conduct of defendant at the Byrd Apartments on Sunday, April 9, 1978, said they saw him at the courtyard with his young son Sunday morning; that there was a "cookout" party that afternoon and that defendant and his son and the victim and her daughter, the child who was in the victim's apartment the night of the murder, were at the party; that defendant played with Mrs. Wilcynski's child, and inquired of some at the party as to Mrs. Wilcynski. There was some evidence that he attempted to converse with Mrs. Wilcynski but that she did not talk with him. Captain William Dortch, of the United States Army, a friend of appellant (a warrant officer of the Army) had an apartment at the Byrd Apartments. Defendant was visiting Captain Dortch on Sunday, April 9. According to defendant's testimony, he was invited by Captain Dortch to stay for the cookout late that afternoon. *932 Appellant returned to the apartment complex on the evening of April 11. As much of the testimony is merely cumulative as to undisputed facts, no attempt will be made to particularize the testimony of all of the individual witnesses or to name all of them. Mrs. June Napier, who had seen appellant in the courtyard on Sunday afternoon, testified also that as she was unloading groceries from her automobile on the night of the murder, appellant approached her, picked up a bag of groceries and stated that he would help her take them up the stairs. She said, "I told him that was all right, that I could get them and he said, `Well, I understand how it is. It's awful hard to raise children alone, isn't it?' and I told him that I wasn't alone. ". . . "I took the groceries in the house and he just came in with a sack of groceries and put them down and— ". . . "He was talking to me and I can't remember what he was saying, because I was in a hurry and trying to get dinner ready before Vincent [her husband] came home. I was a few minutes late, and— my little girl cut her finger. She just came out of the bathroom, and I hadn't put up Vincent's things, and she got a razor blade and cut her finger with it, and he picked her up and took her in the bathroom and fixed it up. Then he was just talking to her and I was putting away my groceries and stuff, and a while later Vincent came in." Mrs. Napier further testified that while defendant was in the apartment and before her husband returned, she was going "back and forth getting things out of the car and trying to get dinner ready" and that she noticed defendant drinking a bottle of beer. She said that when her husband arrived, a friend, Jeff Parker, was with him and that defendant remained at the apartment and sat down and talked with Mr. Napier and Jeff Parker. She did not stay with the three men but went into the bedroom. While the door of the bedroom was closed, she heard her husband say, "Don't go in there, because my wife is nursing the baby," and when she heard him say that she "just pulled my blouse down and laid the baby down, and he came in there and put his arm around me, and he said, `Which way is the bathroom.'" She then left the bedroom and went into the room where her husband was, and she assumed defendant went into the bathroom, which other evidence shows that he did. According to additional testimony of Mrs. Napier, she was not certain as to the time defendant left the apartment of the Napiers'. She remembered that he was still there at 10:00 o'clock, and that she had gone downstairs to get some clothes out of the drier and when she returned he had gone. She said he must have gone "around 10:45, or something like that" or that it "must have been about 10:30." She said that "about a quarter to eleven," while she was returning from her automobile with some clothes of her husband to be washed, and was going up the stairs to the floor of her apartment, she saw defendant near the stairwell across from Mrs. Wilcynski's apartment. While at or near the stairwell he said to Mrs. Napier: "What hours does your husband work? When can I see you again? What is your phone number?" Instead of replying to defendant, Mrs. Napier said that she just "went on up the stairs," that "I didn't say anything to him, it scared me." She saw him no more that night. Mr. Vincent Napier testified that as he returned to the apartment that night, accompanied by Jeff Parker, he saw defendant sitting at the table in the dining room with a beer; he walked past defendant, went to the kitchen and talked with his wife and returned and introduced himself to the defendant. They sat and talked, and Napier and Parker and defendant played dominoes. Mrs. Napier had gone into the back bedroom where the baby was; the defendant went toward the bathroom, and he told defendant to knock on the door, that *933 his wife might be nursing the baby; after two or three minutes defendant came back to the table where they were playing dominoes. He said that about nine o'clock, defendant went for a can opener and returned in about five minutes, that defendant left "around eleven ... maybe a little before or after." His wife returned to the apartment from her trip downstairs to the automobile, shortly after the defendant left. Captain Bill Dortch testified that he lived on the same floor of the apartment as Mrs. Wilcynski and about three or four apartments from her. He had known defendant in connection with their military work. He had not lived at the Byrd Apartments long. He lived alone. Defendant had visited him the Sunday before the murder and had helped him move to the apartment. On the day of the murder, defendant came to the apartment at about 5:30 P.M. Dortch owned a motorcycle that he "used to store... right under the stairwell." Defendant left Dortch's apartment "around 7:30 or 8:00." He was going to get something to eat, some hamburgers for both of them; he returned "between 8:30 and 9:00" but only stayed a few minutes. Further testimony was as follows: "Q He came back to your apartment at what time? "A He came back—you mean after the second time? "Q Right. "A That was 10:30, because I was laying on the couch waiting for him to bring the food, and when the door opened I got up. "Q Is there any special reason that you know it was 10:30? "A Yeah, because I was lying on the couch and I was expecting hamburgers, and I checked my watch, and I said, `Well, it is kind of late to worry about the hamburgers.' "Q When he came back at 10:30 what did you and he do? "A Well, just discussed what he was doing and why he didn't have the hamburgers. "Q Okay, did you—how many drinks had you had that night? "A Maybe—I would say about two drinks that night, because I wasn't feeling good. That's why I was lying on the couch. "Q Okay, and you say that Mr. Graham left your apartment some time between 12:00 and 12:30, is this correct? "A That is correct. "Q But you are not sure of the time between 12:00 and 12:30? "A That is correct. "Q Is there any special way that you could point down that he left your apartment between 12:00 and 12:30? "A Well, the reason why I say between 12:00 and 12:30 is because after he left, I went in the ice box and got something to eat, and then—see my door was still unlocked, because I didn't walk with him to the door. He just closed the door himself, and after I finished eating, then I went and locked the door and checked the time and it was 12:35. I know it didn't take that long for me to go right to the refrigerator—." At one time during the testimony of Captain Dortch, he said: "Q Did you go to sleep during the time that he was there and the time he— "A Yeah, I was sleeping part of the time." Clyde Hamilton, Jr., seven years old, testified that on the night of the murder, while he was looking for his frisbee in the apartment house hallway, he saw defendant come out of an apartment at the same time that Mrs. Wilcynski came out of her apartment and defendant "went up to her and started talking to her, but then when he went up, I left." He didn't know the time that this occurred, but stated it was after dark. Clyde's father testified that Clyde, Jr., was out of the apartment looking for his frisbee from "almost exactly 8:30 by my watch" and came back in about fifteen or twenty minutes with his frisbee. He had previously seen defendant at Byrd Apartments, once at the cookout on April 9 and again in between "7:10 and 7:30" when *934 defendant was "with—I don't know the man's name but he was a captain and he lived in apartment 15; a black man, and they were outside, on the sidewalk and I spoke to them as I went by." John McGraw, who lived in apartment No. 9 next door to Mrs. Wilcynski's apartment, testified that as he returned to his apartment from work "about 10:30" he saw defendant standing in front of the victim's door next to the stairwell talking to some lady. He said the lady was going up the stairs; that defendant asked the lady if she would like to go to "a party or park" but that the lady said "something like, `I will have to ask my husband'"; that the lady went up the stairs. There were three witnesses as to noises in the victim's apartment on the night of the murder: (a) Mrs. Rose Teich testified that between 11:00 and 11:30 she heard Mrs. Wilcynski scream, a short, sharp scream. She said she screamed about four or five times; that her husband went downstairs to investigate and returned saying "I can't see anything." (b) John Hamby, who also lived in an apartment next to the victim's, testified that about "11:40 or 11:41" he heard noise, a banging, in her apartment, and he thought "somebody was taking a shower in the apartment." (c) A stipulation between the parties was agreed upon and admitted in evidence as the sworn testimony of William Tharp, that "about 11:35 or 11:37" when he returned to his apartment the night of the murder he heard "a long lingering scream next door, then it got quiet." The victim's mother testified that no jewelry was missing from the apartment after the murder. A large number of hairs were obtained from the scene of the murder, some from the victim, some from the bed and some from other places in the apartment. Many hairs were obtained from defendant, after he was taken into custody, from various portions of his body. There were also some hairs taken from defendant's dog. State Toxicologist John Kilborn examined the hairs taken from the apartment and the hairs obtained from the head and other areas of defendant and compared the two groups of hairs. He testified in part as follows: "Q Will you tell the jury the similarities that you found from the known hairs from Richard Graham's head and from the scene; step by step, the things that were identical. "A Well, out of all the 286 hairs I found, there were 3 that can be identified as Negroid hairs. Two of these are very small and really considered too small to make any type of comparison; only identified the race. The third hair which was submitted, contained in a plastic bag, labeled `from the top sheet,' this hair was compared with the hair of Mr. Graham, found that all of these characteristics were identical. We found that there was a medium type cuticle with ragged scale pattern, and the diameter was identical and the variation in diameter was very little, it was identical between the known and the unknown, the pigmentation of the hair—there extreme clumping of the pigment granules and these granules were located on the edge of the hair. The medulla was absent. There was no evidence of artificial treatment, like dying or bleaching. On the cross section, both hairs were extremely flat, and the pigmentation was identical. In the hair received from the scene, or submitted to me as identified from the scene, hair was not a complete hair, it was a broken hair. There was no root to examine, and the tip—the tip was indeed present, it was very frayed, and I couldn't ascertain whether or not the tip was present. "Q Then your conclusion of comparison is what? "A That microscopically the hair identified to me from the top sheet is identical to that of Mr. Graham's head hair." On cross-examination of Mr. Kilborn he testified that hair can be transferred from person to person and as to the possibility thereof without any physical contact. The latter part of his testimony on cross-examination was as follows: *935 "Q Johnny, if on 9 April, 1978, Rick Graham had been playing with the child of Donna Wilkinski, is it possible that a hair from his head was transferred to the child, who in turn, transferred it to that apartment? "A Well, without actual knowledge of the circumstances it would be difficult for me to say. I would once again say that hairs can be transferred. "Q Johnny, is it possible that this hair came from another individual other than Rick Graham? "A Yes, sir, this is possible." M. R. Nowicki testified that he was with defendant on the day before defendant was arrested, which other evidence shows was approximately one week after the murder, at the office of the Ft. Rucker preschool, that they discussed some matters at the preschool with reference to the work there and in the course of the conversation, the witness asked defendant to call him thereafter and defendant then asked for the phone number of the witness. His testimony continued as follows: "I gave it to him, and he said, `Where is that?', and I said, `It's at the Headquarters Building,' and he said, `Oh, you are up there now?', and I said, `Yes.' He went on to say, `I suppose you have heard my name mentioned up there lately?', I said in a kidding manner, `No more than usual, what did you do this time?' I had not heard anything prior to that time. He said to me, `Well, I am the number one suspect in a murder case in Ozark.' . . . "A He further said to me, `I was there.' He paused and he said, `I was at her apartment that night.'" State Toxicologist Chap McCracken, Jr., who performed an autopsy on the body of Mrs. Wilcynski and testified extensively as to his examination of her body and the scene of the murder, testified also that in the process of the investigation of the murder he examined the automobile that defendant had purportedly driven the night of the murder. As to this, his testimony was in part as follows: "Q Did you find any bloodstains in Richard Graham's automobile? "A Yes, I did. "Q And where did you find them? "A I found two small red-brown stains on the steering wheel of the automobile. They gave a positive presumptive test for the presence of blood, and small sizes of stains precluded more specific examination. "Q Could you tell the age of that? "A They were relatively fresh. "Q What? "A Relatively fresh, not ancient. "Q Did you find any more blood in there? "A No, sir." By the testimony of State's witnesses, it was shown that the initial investigators of the crime found a "partial shoe print" on the carpet of the apartment of the victim. The section of the carpet with the partial shoe print was removed and admitted in evidence. As to it, Mr. Dale Carter, a criminalist and director of the Enterprise Laboratory of the Alabama Department of Toxicology and Criminal Investigation, testified: "A It's a piece of carpet with a partial footprint—reddish stained footprint on it. "Q And do the reddish stains show positive presumptive tests for blood? "A Yes, sir. "Q And where did you extract that piece of carpet? "A It was identified as being from the living room by the wall of the outside window. "Q Now, on this piece of carpet, did you measure the size of the partial shoe print? "A Yes, sir, I did as best I could. "Q Okay. "A Three and a half inches at the widest and eight and a half at the longest. ". . . . "Q Now, in your opinion, was this print made by a tennis shoe? "A In my opinion, this print was made by a shoe having a smooth sole and heel with no pattern. *936 "Q So then you would further state in your opinion that this print was not made by a tennis shoe? "A I can't state that because I have seen smooth bottom tennis shoes, even though they are not common. I myself own a pair." When State Toxicologist McCracken was asked on cross-examination whether the shoe print in the carpet was made by a tennis shoe, he replied, "If it were a flat soled tennis shoe, it could have. They are not common, but they are not uncommon." When asked whether it matched any of the shoes in the apartment occupied by the victim, he said, "I did not see anything it matched." Mrs. Graham, wife of defendant, testified that her husband came home "around one o'clock" the night of the murder. He ate something and went to bed. She said he had on "a white sweat shirt, a blue jeans, and sneakers" or tennis shoes. She did not wash any of the clothes prior to the time the search warrant was executed; "his blue jeans were still on the bar where he left it at, I did not wash it."; his shirt and his socks were sitting on the table when the search was commenced. She said that one of the officers looked at the same pants he had on the night of the murder. She said that the officers executing the search warrant went "through all of his shoes and all of his clothes and everything." According to her testimony, defendant had not worn the pants introduced in evidence, upon which there was testimony as to blood, in a "long time," that the pants were in a small box sitting in the corner in the kitchen on the floor, when the officers found them, that they were with a bunch of old clothes that she had taken to a garage sale to try to sell and had brought back home. Her husband was not wearing the pants the night of the murder. On the day before the search was made, her husband was in the kitchen cutting a cake and cut his finger. She told him to put a bandage on his finger, but he said, "It will heal faster if you don't put something on it." On cross-examination, she said she did not know whether her husband washed the shirt he wore the night of the murder between that time and the day of the search. According to the testimony of defendant, he and his son spent most of Sunday morning and afternoon at the Byrd Apartments, where he went to visit Captain Dortch, who asked him to stay over for the cookout. Except in the respect that he claimed that he was not as immodest and extrovertive in his behaviour as some of the testimony for the State indicated, there was no substantial conflict between his testimony and that of witnesses for the State. He said that his son, Christopher, played with "Therese," the victim's daughter. After some time he went outside and played with them and other children. He gave them "pony rides on my knee." He said, "I had my son sitting on one lap and had "Teresa" over here to get her up on the other leg and give them a ride. She didn't want to get up at one time, so I didn't force her." Mrs. Wilcynsky came out and brought some cold drinks for all the children. He had a conversation with Mrs. Wilcynski and asked one of the men he knew about her. He said he left the apartments about 5:00 P.M., which was earlier than some of the witnesses for the State said he left. According to the testimony of defendant, he arrived at Captain Dortch's apartment about 5:20 or 5:25 P.M. April 11. They sat around and talked until between 7:30 and 8:00. He had had a drink with Captain Dortch. Captain Dortch suggested at that time that defendant get them something to eat. As he went out of the apartment, he saw Mrs. Napier's daughter, Emily, and was having a conversation with her, when he saw Mrs. Napier arrive. He went into detail as to his conversation with Mrs. Napier. He started up the stairs with the bag of groceries and went with her and Emily into the apartment. There was little difference between his testimony and the testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Napier as to what happened at the apartment of the Napiers. He left about 9:00 P.M. to go to Captain Dortch's apartment to get a can opener, and as he left Captain Dortch's apartment with the *937 can opener, he saw Mrs. Wilcynski at the stairwell next to her apartment. He mentioned to her about the good time that his son had had playing with Mrs. Wilcynski's daughter the preceding Sunday. He said he did not go into Mrs. Wilcynski's apartment but went directly back to the apartment of the Napiers. He left that apartment again "shortly after 10:00." While going to Captain Dortch's apartment, he saw Mrs. Napier coming into the apartment building near the stairwell next to Mrs. Wilcynski's apartment and had conversation with her for a few moments and went to Captain Dortch's apartment and stayed there until "about 12:30." There was little difference between the testimony of defendant and that of Mr. Nowicki as to the conversation between the two. The defendant knew at that time that he was a suspect; his house had been searched and he had heard his name called in connection with the murder. The chief difference in his testimony and that of Mr. Nowicki was that defendant said that he had been at the "apartments where she lived on that night," instead of "at her apartment." According to further testimony of defendant, he wears a "size 10 or 10 ½" shoe. The shoes he had on at trial were eleven and five-eights inches long and four inches wide on the outside. On the night of the murder he had on a white sweat shirt, with the emblem "U. S. Army Aviation School" on it, a pair of athletic shorts with a similar emblem on the corner in white print and a pair of black and white sneakers, or "tennis shoes, or gym shoes, or whatever you call them." He exhibited to the jury his finger that he said he cut with a knife on Thursday morning after the murder. He did not put a bandaid on it right away but did after he saw that it wasn't going to stay closed. When the officers came out and searched his house they looked at about everything there, about all his clothes, "at least one of every pair of my shoes," took them out to the driveway and examined them and then started "bringing it back in one by one after they were satisfied with it, until they finally got to that light pair of pants that they found in the kitchen." They had obtained the pants from a box in the kitchen with a bunch of old clothes. His testimony as to them was substantially the same as that of his wife. He had not worn the particular pants, according to his recollection, since about six months or a year prior to the murder. Defendant moved for an exclusion of the evidence at the end of State's evidence, requested in writing and was refused the general affirmative charge in the defendant's favor at the conclusion of all the evidence, and filed a motion for a new trial, which the trial court overruled. There seems to be little difference of view between the parties as to the applicable principles to be applied as to the sufficiency of the evidence to justify denial of a motion to exclude the evidence, the refusal of the general affirmative charge requested in writing, or the denial of a motion for a new trial presenting an issue as to the sufficiency or weight of the evidence. The difference between them is as to the application of those principles to the evidence in this case, each arguing for his [its] side of the issue, without reference to any precedent in which the evidence was similar or the circumstances comparable. In most cases in which there is a serious dispute as to the sufficiency of the evidence to support a guilty verdict, there is a sharp conflict in the evidence as to material facts, some of the witnesses swearing one way and others another. In such cases, the task of an appellate court is generally easier than otherwise, for it can then lean more comfortably upon the responsibility of the trial court, as well as the trial jury, both of whom are in a better position to determine which witnesses have testified truthfully and which falsely. We do not have such a situation in the instant case, in which there is little, if any, material conflict in the evidence. On the question of the guilt or innocence of defendant of the crime charged, the evidence against him is entirely circumstantial; the evidence in his favor is both direct and circumstantial. It is a mistake, a common one, to denigrate the nature of circumstantial *938 evidence by considering it as inferior to direct evidence. That fallacy has been denounced, with the clarity of a clarion, by some of the greatest judicial minds of Alabama, state and federal, speaking from a wealth of wisdom and experience. Included, in the sequence of their statements, are Judge Seybourn H. Lynne, in United States v. Bostwick, N.D.Ala. (on appeal at 5 Cir., 218 F.2d 790); the late Judge Aubrey M. Cates, Jr., in Sumeral v. State, 39 Ala.App. 638, 106 So.2d 270; Judge J. Russell McElroy, as now found in the third edition of his treatise on Alabama evidence, Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence, § 212.01, and Judge John O. Harris, now our Presiding Judge, in Creel v. State, 53 Ala.App. 504, 301 So.2d 267, and subsequent cases. In comparing the relative strength of circumstantial and direct evidence and in declining to give preference to either, the reference is to the two kinds of evidence in general. It is axiomatic that in some cases the direct evidence may be stronger than the circumstantial evidence therein and in other cases the circumstantial evidence may be stronger than the direct evidence therein. At times, where there are both kinds of evidence that are irreconcilable and lead to opposite determinations as to the truth that is proved by the evidence taken as a whole, either direct evidence or circumstantial evidence may prevail over the other. To say that each "is entitled to the same weight" as the other is not to say that in every case each has the same weight as the other. It can be readily seen that circumstantial evidence can be more credible than direct evidence, for circumstances, when shown to be true, are disinterested and unbiased, while direct evidence must come from witnesses who are often either interested or biased, or both, or for other innate human weakness are unreliable in purportedly stating what they have seen or heard. Circumstantial evidence is often strong enough to so discredit direct evidence as to show that the direct evidence is not true, whether intentionally or mistakenly untrue. But if there is true direct evidence, such as truthful testimony of a witness that he, in fact, saw a person commit a crime, such testimony is not vitiated by circumstantial evidence, however unquestionably true it is and however strong it may be to the contrary. To conclude otherwise is to defy the principle that truth is never inconsistent with truth. The foregoing considerations lead us to special consideration of direct evidence in the case that is in conflict with strong circumstantial evidence of defendant's guilt. We should, and we do, in our general consideration of the evidence, include the direct evidence of defendant that is diametrically opposed to a conclusion of guilt, but for the special consideration of this time we refer particularly to the testimony of one of the witnesses for the State, Captain Bill Dortch. In its argument in its brief on appeal as to the testimony of Captain Dortch, appellee states: "Bill Dortch stated that Appellant returned to his apartment at approximately 10:30 p. m. and stayed until 12:00 or 12:30 a. m. Dortch also testified that he was sleeping during part of this time. Appellant, in his brief, maintains that this testimony established his alibi. This testimony, however, was contradicted by Mrs. Napier, who stated that she encountered the Appellant at 11:00 p. m. while she was returning from her car...." Although Dortch's answer to one question asked him on direct examination could understandably lead to the conclusion reached in the second sentence of the above quoted statement in appellee's brief, such conclusion is shown to be incorrect by a consideration of his testimony as a whole. By this it is not meant that there was any conflict in his testimony, merely that an answer of the witness, when considered in connection with the question asked him, was ambiguous, which ambiguity was clarified by other testimony of the witness. We have hereinabove set forth the particular question and answer and now repeat it: "Q Did you go to sleep during the time that he was there and the time he— "A Yeah, I was sleeping part of the time." *939 It is to be observed that the witness by his answer interrupted counsel before he had completed the question. The witness obviously jumped at his conclusion as to what was meant by the question, which conceivably could be reasonably interpreted as appellee has done, but for other testimony that leads to a different conclusion: "Q Okay, did Mr. Graham, between 10:30 and whatever time he left, did he leave at any time when he was in your apartment? "A No. "Q Were you and him carrying on a conversation the whole time? "A Yes, sir. "Q Were you looking at him this whole time? "A He was physically there. "Q And you were not asleep any of this time between 10:30 and 12:00? "A When he came in the door, he woke me up. "Q Between 10:30 and the time he left your apartment; you testified to between 12:00 and 12:30, not leave your apartment between 12:00 and 12:30. "A That's correct." The weakness of alibi testimony generally has been perennially considered. In many, if not most, cases there was such uncertainty or vagueness about the time of the crime or the time of the presence of defendant at another place that it could reasonably be said that he could have been at the place of the crime at the time of its commission. In many of the cases witnesses testifying as to an alibi were closely related to defendant and their interest in the outcome tended to discredit them. In almost all of such cases, the witnesses were not witnesses called by the State. The fact that Captain Dortch was called by the State as a witness does not in and of itself make his testimony any more credible than if he had been called by defendant, but it is a factor to be considered, along with all the other evidence and the respective contentions of the parties. It is to be seen that appellant's argument to the discredit of his alibi testimony is not correctly premised. Different from most cases in which an alibi is claimed and supported by considerable evidence, it seems to us that we are here faced with the positive testimony of a witness which, if true, establishes the presence of defendant at an apartment different from the one in which the murder was committed at the same time the murder was committed, and that fact would establish his innocence. It seems to us that the most reasonable conclusion to reach from the testimony of Captain Dortch is that defendant was not in the apartment of the victim of the murder at the time she was killed and, therefore, he did not kill her, or that Captain Dortch knowingly testified falsely. Whatever our individual thoughts may be on the subject, the record in and of itself, to which alone we can look, does not support the latter alternative. We view his evidence as strongly in favor of defendant on the merits of the case. There is nothing in the evidence or in the briefs of parties to lead us otherwise. We would not be justified in looking elsewhere for an answer. One of the grounds of the motion for a new trial referred to the evidence as to part of a hair from the bed of the victim that expert testimony showed had the same physical qualities and characteristics as hair from defendant's head. The Court in its order overruling defendant's motion for a new trial said: "The Court will take judicial notice of the scientific fact that a positive identification cannot be made by comparing a hair sample of an unknown origin with a hair sample of known origin. However, hair does possess a unique series of characteristics and a disputed hair can be compared for similarities with other human hair whose origin is known. Therefore, the Court finds that it was competent for the State Toxicologist, who was familiar with and an expert on the properties of human hair, to testify as to his analysis of the hair found at the scene of the crime and the hair taken from the body and head of the defendant." Though there was some value to the State in the testimony as to the resemblance of a *940 piece of hair taken from the bed of the victim and hair from defendant's head, it seems that it is not questioned that "positive identification" of defendant was not made by that comparison. It seems to us that neither side gained much by such testimony, even though each side gained some. The gain for the State is emphasized by the State's insistence as to the amount of its value as evidence. On the other hand, there is something to be said for the fact that out of the large number of hairs that were taken from the scene of the crime, there was only one piece of a hair tested that resembled defendant's hair and that only three hairs were Negroid. Moreover, the presence of a piece of defendant's hair in the bed of the victim is not irreconcilable with his claimed innocence, when due consideration is given to the undisputed evidence that defendant had played with the victim's three-year-old child two days before the murder. The evidence as to small stains on the steering wheel of defendant's automobile a few days after the murder that "gave a positive presumptive test for the presence of blood" is heavily relied upon by appellee, as it doubtless was on the trial. The toxicologist said that the "small sizes of stains precluded more specific examination," that the stains were relatively fresh. Whether fresher than the blood of the victim murdered two days before, there is no evidence. Appellee also refers to the blood upon a leg of appellant's pants as evidence in its favor. It is a circumstance calculated to be in favor of appellee when considered in connection with all the other evidence, but we find no answer to the position taken by appellant that the particular trousers were not the trousers that were worn by him the night of the murder. Whether true or not and whether strong or not, the evidence is undisputed that he was wearing shorts.[1] Not only did he say so, but Clyde Hamilton, Jr., when questioned about seeing defendant talking with Mrs. Wilcynski at the door of her apartment, testified: "Q Clyde, you say you saw him talking with her there at the door, and you didn't see him go in, did you? "A (Shaking head negatively). "Q Did you see Donna when she came walking around the apartment? "A No, she came out and she had short cut pants—Levis, she cut them and I didn't know where she was going. "Q And what did this man sitting here have on, do you remember? "A He had short blue pants, and I don't remember what kind. "Q Do you remember his shirt? Was it a white shirt, a sweat shirt, do you know what I mean? "A Yeah, but it wasn't—I don't—it was a short sleeve shirt, you know, what you said, but I don't know what color it was." On the subject of the clothing worn by defendant the night of the murder, the following testimony was given by Mr. Vincent Napier, with whom defendant spent considerable time: "Q Okay, what kind of clothes was Mr. Graham wearing that night? "A He had a sweat shirt, and maybe jeans or something casual [which we interpret casual]. I'm not sure. He was dressed like he might have been working out or something. "Q Okay, do you recall if he had on jeans? "A No, I couldn't say jeans or—I'm not for sure. "Q What about his shoes? "A No, sir. "Q But you say you do remember he looked like he had been working out or jogging? "A Something like that, or exercising. "Q Those are the type of clothes he had on that night? "A Yes, sir." The jury was entitled to the evidence presented to it as to that which stood the presumptive test as to blood on the steering wheel and on the trousers, but in our effort *941 to determine whether the evidence is sufficient to meet the test to which it must be subjected on this appeal, it is our view that it is not strong. This in light of all the evidence but without giving much weight to the evidence as to defendant's having cut his finger as constituting the source of any blood upon his trousers. Although the prosecution obtained an order of court requiring fingerprints of defendant that were made, there is no evidence tending to connect defendant with the crime by any of the numerous fingerprints lifted from the scene of the crime. No effort is attempted to be made to explain the presence of the partial footprint on the carpet of the victim's apartment. To say that it was defendant's would be purely a guess. The evidence indicates, although it does not conclusively show, that it was not. We conclude that there is much circumstantial evidence to support the verdict. A determination of its exact weight as compared with direct evidence, and some circumstantial evidence, to the contrary, may be extremely difficult, but it cannot prevail unless it is so strong that it cannot reasonably be reconciled with the theory that defendant is innocent. It is not sufficient to support a conviction if it does not exclude to a moral certainty every other reasonable hypothesis but that of the guilt of the accused. Failure to meet that test resulted in a reversal in Sumeral v. State, supra, and such test has heretofore been uniformly applied. Ellison v. State, 254 Ala. 428, 48 So.2d 176 (1950); Burgett v. State, 37 Ala.App. 469, 70 So.2d 429 (1954); Byrd v. State, 37 Ala.App. 121, 73 So.2d 376, cert. denied 261 Ala. 697, 73 So.2d 378 (1954); Whatley v. State, 37 Ala.App. 706, 75 So.2d 182 (1954); Bluth v. State, 38 Ala.App. 692, 92 So.2d 685 (1957); Smith v. State, Ala.Cr.App., 342 So.2d 422 (1977). We would be required to say, as difficult as it may be to do so with satisfaction, whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant a refusal of the general affirmative charge in favor of defendant, if there had been no motion for a new trial raising the question of the sufficiency of the evidence. As there was such a motion for a new trial and it was overruled, we need only apply the test whether, after giving the learned trial judge the favorable presumption that is due him, the verdict is so contrary to the weight of the evidence that it is clear that it is palpably wrong or unjust. Skinner v. State, 22 Ala.App. 457, 116 So. 806 (1928); Davis v. State, 33 Ala. App. 299, 34 So.2d 15, cert. denied, 250 Ala. 240, 34 So.2d 17 (1948); Barker v. State, 55 Ala.App. 322, 315 So.2d 129, cert. denied, 294 Ala. 752, 315 So.2d 130 (1975); Smith v. State, Ala.Cr.App., 342 So.2d 422 (1977). The test we are to apply is not whether we think that appellant is guilty. A verdict finding a defendant guilty in a criminal case is wrong and unjust, even though defendant is guilty, if the evidence of his guilt is not strong enough to meet the legal test required as stated above. Such a verdict, when properly challenged, cannot stand, even though there is strong reason to believe that if all of the true facts were known and shown in evidence guilt would be conclusively established. After giving the trial court the favorable presumption to which it is entitled, we conclude that, irrespective of whether appellant is guilty, the verdict is so contrary to the weight of the evidence that it is clear that the verdict is palpably wrong and unjust. By so holding we do not say that there is disagreement between us and the jury as to the guilt of defendant, but that the verdict is palpably wrong and unjust by reason of the extent of its contrariety to the weight of the evidence now before us. The defendant's motion for a new trial should have been granted. The foregoing opinion was prepared by Retired Circuit Judge LEIGH M. CLARK, serving as a judge of this Court under the provisions of § 6.10 of the New Judicial Article (Constitutional Amendment No. 328). His opinion is hereby adopted as that of the Court. The judgment of the trial court is hereby reversed and rendered. REVERSED AND RENDERED. *942 HARRIS, P. J., and BOOKOUT and BOWEN, JJ., concur. TYSON and DeCARLO, JJ., dissent. TYSON and DeCARLO, Judges, dissenting. While we agree that the evidence in this cause against the appellant is largely circumstantial, nevertheless we are of the opinion that the evidence is sufficient to support the verdict. NOTES [1] The writer has examined the exhibit that constitutes the pants upon which the stain of blood was found. They are ankle-length and are labeled, "100% polyester."

Tag Archives: salinity Salt Mouth Unlike Third Spacing of Fluids, salt mouth is one of the most common and least visible or appreciated effects of marathon swimming and can cause the swimmer great distress and discomfort, and yet it’s invisible to everyone else. Salt Mouth is the effect of salt build up on the tongue and in the… EDIT: Yes, this post has been published twice. There was a backend problem on WordPress. Sorry. NASA just released a cool new map of the world’s ocean’s salinity. I wish we could see the North Atlantic in better detail. It’s still early days for this though so there’ll be more to come. I look forward…