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--- - name: stop metrics include_tasks: stop_metrics.yaml - name: remove metrics components command: > {{ openshift_client_binary }} -n {{ openshift_metrics_project }} --config={{ mktemp.stdout }}/admin.kubeconfig delete --ignore-not-found --selector=metrics-infra all,sa,secrets,templates,routes,pvc,rolebindings,clusterrolebindings,clusterrole register: delete_metrics changed_when: delete_metrics.stdout != 'No resources found' - name: remove rolebindings command: > {{ openshift_client_binary }} -n {{ openshift_metrics_project }} --config={{ mktemp.stdout }}/admin.kubeconfig delete --ignore-not-found rolebinding/hawkular-view clusterrolebinding/heapster-cluster-reader clusterrolebinding/hawkular-metrics changed_when: delete_metrics.stdout != 'No resources found' # Update the web config in openshift-web-console namespace - name: Remove metrics route information from the web console config include_role: name: openshift_web_console tasks_from: update_console_config.yml vars: console_config_edits: - key: clusterInfo#metricsPublicURL value: "" when: - openshift_web_console_install | default(true) | bool

Office spaces are now available in the heart of South of Fifth, Miami Beach. Position your company in this renowned location, enhancing your corporate profile with this inspirational work environment. Located on a corner lot, the office spaces are walking distance to everything, right in the middle of luxe residential real estate, innovative restaurants and conveniently next to the MacArthur Causeway and expressways. The information provided is for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. All properties are subject to prior sale or withdrawal. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate, and should be independently verified.

Rickets among children of a coastal area of Bangladesh. Many children with rachitic deformities have been reported in southern coastal area of Bangladesh but the actual rate of prevalence was not known. A survey was conducted to determine the magnitude of rachitic problem among the children of Chakaria thana of Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. Nine hundred children between 1-15 years selected randomly from 30 villages of total 340 villages. Face to face interview of the parents was taken and the children were examined for evidences of rickets. Serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were estimated and radiology of limbs were done in all clinically suspected cases and in a control of every eighth child. Seventy eight children (8.7%) had physical features suggestive of rickets. Fifty eight (6.4%) children had 'clinical rickekts' (positive physical feature(s) but normal ALP and negative radiology), 12 (1.3%) children had 'biochemical rickets' (positive physical features and raised ALP but negative radiology) and 8 (0.9%) children had 'confirmed rickets' (positive physical features, raised ALP and positive radiology). Out of 78 children with rachitic feature(s), Pectus carinatum was found as the most common clinical feature in 26 (33.3%) children followed by genu valgum in 23 (29.4%) cases. Twenty two normal children (2.2%) had raised level of ALP (>300U/L). The prevalence of rickets is high in children of Chakaria and further study is needed to find out the exact aetiology of rickets in children there.

The Arkansas Children’s Research Institute announced today that it has received a $9.4 million grant funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will be used to create a center for the study of childhood obesity. The new center will be part of a an effort to develop a comprehensive pediatric obesity program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Press release after the jump: Arkansas Children’s Research Institute Receives $9.4 Million NIH Award to Establish Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Childhood Obesity Prevention LITTLE ROCK, AR. (Aug. 8, 2016) – The Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) announced today that it is creating a center for the study of childhood obesity with a $9.4 million grant funded by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institutes of Health. The center will be integral to Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s plans to build a statewide network of care, while addressing one of the state’s most daunting public health crises. The award creates the ACRI Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention, established as an IDeA Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) – the first of its kind to be located at ACRI. The IDeA program builds research capacities in states that historically have had low levels of NIH funding by supporting basic, clinical and translational research, faculty development, and infrastructure improvements. Funding will support the center’s creation and operations for the next five years. Led by Judith Weber, PhD, RD, the multidisciplinary Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention will strengthen ACRI’s obesity research capacity and create mentoring pathways for emerging scientists who will focus on pediatric obesity. This new center at ACRI will also serve as an anchor for the development of a comprehensive pediatric obesity program at Arkansas Children’s. “We envision a future where parents don’t have to worry about their child developing any of the countless complications children face because of obesity,” said Dr. Weber, who will serve as director of the ACRI Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention. She is also a professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). “This center will be a prime example of how research translates into interventions, creating a brighter future for kids right here in Arkansas and around the nation.” The award marks the third major childhood obesity initiative this year to receive substantial government backing on the ACRI campus. It will enable Dr. Weber and her colleagues to better understand the origins of pediatric obesity and lead to the development of interventions focused both on prevention and reducing associated complications such as hypertension and diabetes. This work will directly contribute to the Arkansas Children’s mission to make children better today and healthier tomorrow. In establishing the center, Dr. Weber and her research team will work to prevent the rise in Arkansas’ childhood overweight and obesity rates, which now stand at 39 percent for all children, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (Year 12 Report; www.achi.net). The goal is to reduce this rate significantly over the next five to 10 years. “Through the translation of discoveries into new knowledge that can be directly applied for families across the state, this new center will transform the decisions communities make on their children’s behalf,” said Gregory L. Kearns, PharmD, PhD, FAAP, president of ACRI and senior vice president/chief research officer for Arkansas Children’s Hospital and a professor of Pediatrics in the UAMS College of Medicine. “We are thrilled to have the support of NIH as we set out on the next stretch of our journey to prevent childhood obesity.” In its first five years, a COBRE focuses on developing research infrastructure and providing junior investigators with formal mentoring and research project funding to help them acquire preliminary data to successfully compete for independent research grant support. “A COBRE award of this magnitude makes a substantial difference in our ability to tackle a problem as complex and difficult as childhood obesity,” said Pope L. Moseley, MD, executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine. “The mentoring and training programs it supports will boost Arkansas’ scientific capacity in this area for decades to come.” ACRI Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention junior investigators will examine topics such as how interventions during pregnancy can reduce the risk of childhood obesity, how preschool educators can influence obesity prevention, how developmental and environmental influences affect obesity and educational well-being, and how to better inform policies addressing childhood obesity. The center’s junior investigators will have guidance from experienced research mentors to complete these projects and to obtain funding independent of the center. Further, the COBRE award provides two core research units, one in biostatistics and another in metabolism, to support the investigators. Leading the metabolism core will be ACRI Investigator Elisabet Borsheim, PhD, who also directs the Physical Activity, Energetics and Metabolism Lab at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) and is an associate professor of Pediatrics at UAMS. ACRI investigator Mario Cleves, PhD, director and section chief of Pediatric Biostatistics and a professor of Pediatrics at UAMS, will direct the biostatistics core. Unique to the center is the direct involvement of the Arkansas Department of Health. Joy Rockenbach, Act 1220 coordinator for the Arkansas Department of Health, will serve as the deputy director of the center to help guide its scientists to closely align their work with public health initiatives. “It is my hope that the work of the center will help inform and provide the evidence for the obesity prevention strategies included in the Healthy Active Arkansas plan, endorsed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2015,” Dr. Weber said. Dr. Weber and the mentoring teams expect the junior investigators to become independent within two years of support, after which new junior investigators will replace them to establish their own childhood obesity research projects. This will enable continued growth of the program. Following the initial five-year award period, COBRE grants can be renewed for an additional two five-year periods. In addition to ACRI, key institutional and state partners include the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, the UAMS CTSA Translational Research Institute, the UAMS Department of Pediatrics, the UAMS College of Public Health, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Other state and federal institutions and programs, nonprofit organizations, and the public and private business community statewide are also partners, including the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention, the Child Health Advisory Committee, and the School Nurses Association. Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and one of the largest in the United States serving children from birth to age 21. Over the past century, ACH has grown from a small orphanage in Little Rock to a statewide network of care that includes an expansive pediatric teaching hospital and research institute, as well as regional clinics in several counties. ACH also reaches children across the state and nation through a range of telemedicine capabilities that ensures every child has access to the best care available, regardless of location or resources. The hospital's campus in Little Rock spans 36 city blocks and is licensed for 359 beds. ACH has a staff of 505 physicians, more than 200 residents in pediatrics and pediatric specialties and more than 4,000 employees. A campus under development in northwest Arkansas will bring 233,613 square feet of inpatient beds, clinic rooms and diagnostic services to children in that region of the state. A private nonprofit, ACH boasts an internationally renowned reputation for medical breakthroughs and intensive treatments, unique surgical procedures and forward-thinking research — all dedicated to fulfilling its mission of championing children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow. For more info, visit archildrens.org. Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) is a free-standing state-of-the-art pediatric research center which provides a research environment on the ACH campus to foster research and scholarship of faculty members of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences who are investigating questions relative to development, disease and treatment as it relates to the health of infants, children and adolescents. Physician and biomedical scientist investigators at ACRI and the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center (ACNC) conduct clinical, basic science, and health services research for the purpose of treating illnesses and preventing disease and thereby, improving the health of the children of Arkansas and beyond. Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center (ACNC) is a national Human Nutrition Research Center established as a partnership between the Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) and the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). ACNC is a premier research venue for the study of maternal-child health and early childhood development.

Effects of flooding and drought on water quality in Gulf Coastal Plain streams in Georgia. Since 1994, water-quality constituents have been measured monthly in three adjacent Coastal Plain watersheds in southwestern Georgia. During 1994, rainfall was 650 mm above annual average and the highest flows on record were observed. From November 1998 through November 2000, 19 months had below average rainfall. Lowest flows on record were observed during the summer of 2000. The watersheds are human-dominated with row-crop agriculture and managed forestlands being the major land uses. However, one watershed (Chickasawhatchee Creek) had 10 to 13% less agriculture and greater wetland area, especially along the stream. Suspended particles, dissolved organic carbon, NH4-N, and soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations were greater during wet and flood periods compared with dry and drought periods for each stream. Regional hydrologic conditions had little effect on NO3-N or dissolved inorganic carbon. Chickasawhatchee Creek had significantly lower suspended sediment and NO3-N concentrations and greater organic and inorganic carbon concentrations, reflecting greater wetland area and stronger connection to a regional aquifer system. Even though substantial human land use occurred within all watersheds, water quality was generally good and can be attributed to low stream drainage density and relatively intact floodplain forests. Low drainage density minimizes surface run-off into streams. Floodplain forests reduce nonpoint-source pollutants through biological and physical absorption. In addition to preserving water quality, floodplain forests provide important ecological functions through the export of nutrients and organic carbon to streams. Extreme low flows may be disruptive to aquatic life due to both the lack of water and to the scarcity of biologically important materials originating from floodplain forests.

Q: How to join two tables on a condition that may not occur? I have two tables Table User, has ID field Table Options, has userId , optionName, value How to select users that have optionName = 'email' and value = 1 or have no entries for email in the Options table? A: Try this: select * from User u inner join Option o on u.id = o.userid where (o.optionName = 'email' and o.value = 1) or (o.optionName <> 'email')

var api = require('../../utils/api.js') Page({ data: { array: ['中国', '新加坡', '日本', '香港', '韩国', '台湾', '澳门'], arrayNum: ['86', '65', '81', '852', '82', '886', '853'], index: 0, mobile: 0 }, onLoad () { }, onPullDownRefresh () { wx.stopPullDownRefresh() }, bindPickerChange (e) { this.setData({ index: e.detail.value }) }, bindMobileInput (e) { console.log(e.detail.value) this.setData({ mobile: e.detail.value }) }, bindGetVerification () { let that = this api.post(api.GET_VERIFICATION, { area: parseInt(this.data.arrayNum[this.data.index]), mobile: parseInt(this.data.mobile), type: 'sign' }).then(res => { console.log(res) // 后台验证了来源，故无法获取正确返回 }) }, formSubmit: function(e) { console.log(e.detail.value) } })

133 S.W.3d 332 (2004) Jonathan Shane Ross PEAKE, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee. No. 07-03-0216-CR. Court of Appeals of Texas, Amarillo. April 22, 2004. *333 Mark Phillips, Conroe, for appellant. Michael C. Young, Assistant District Attorney, Conroe, for appellee. Before QUINN, REAVIS, and CAMPBELL, JJ. Memorandum Opinion BRIAN QUINN, Justice. Appellant Jonathan Shane Ross Peake appeals his conviction for aggravated robbery. Through two issues, he contends that 1) the trial court abused its discretion when it admitted into evidence expert fingerprint testimony in violation of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.[1] and its progeny, and 2) he received ineffective assistance of counsel. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. Background On May 10, 2002, a black man (Tywon Lang) knocked on the door of the home of Richard Blackmoore who recognized the man as someone who had come to his door several days before with a white man (later identified as appellant). Lang asked to mow Blackmoore's lawn. Blackmoore denied the request. When Lang departed, he failed to shut the gate to the yard. Fearing that his dog would escape, Blackmoore went out the front door several minutes later to rectify Lang's default. At that point, he was confronted by both Lang and appellant. The latter was wearing a ski mask and had a gun which he used to force his way into the residence. The men tied up Blackmoore with a dog leash and took a Rolex watch and some cash. During the robbery, Blackmoore's dog bit Lang on his leg. Lang and appellant attempted to leave the scene in a red pickup, later identified to be owned by appellant's mother, but the engine would not start. In attempting to start the vehicle, Lang pushed the pickup and appellant steered. While doing so, they were observed by a neighbor, Myra Nash. Lang subsequently left the vehicle, was stopped by police on foot, admitted his involvement in the robbery, and showed police where to find the watch. So too did he testify at appellant's trial and expressly inculpate himself and appellant. Issue One—Expert Testimony In his first issue, appellant complains about the admission into evidence of testimony regarding fingerprint analysis conducted by a purported expert. It was allegedly inadmissible because it was "hard to square with Daubert." We overrule the issue for it was waived. During trial, appellant complained of the reliability of the expert testimony with respect to palm print analysis, while on appeal, he complains of the testimony with respect to fingerprint analysis. Furthermore, *334 counsel for appellant took care to distinguish between the two subjects below. Thus, given that the objection uttered below does not comport with the issue asserted on appeal, the purported error was and is waived. Massey v. State, 933 S.W.2d 141, 157 (Tex.Crim.App.1996). Issue Two—Ineffective Assistance In his second issue, appellant contends his trial counsel was ineffective since he failed to object to the identification of him as one of the robbers by Blackmoore and Nash. We overrule the issue. The standard by which we review ineffective assistance of counsel claims is well established. Thus, we will not repeat it, but cite the parties to Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), Tong v. State, 25 S.W.3d 707 (Tex.Crim.App.2000), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 1053, 121 S.Ct. 2196, 149 L.Ed.2d 1027 (2001), and Hernandez v. State, 726 S.W.2d 53, 57 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986) for an explanation of same. Further, claims of ineffective assistance must be firmly founded in the record. Rios v. State, 990 S.W.2d 382, 385 (Tex.App.-Amarillo 1999, no pet.). With regard to the in-court identification by Blackmoore, appellant fails to explain why the testimony was inadmissible. He simply states that it "was so objectionable the ... Court felt it necessary to attempt to clarify" it. Furthermore, the specific objection that counsel was purportedly required to make goes unmentioned, as does any authority supporting the conclusion that the evidence was inadmissible. Thus, we are left to guess at the reasoning underlying appellant's claim and at the legitimacy of that reasoning, if any. And, because of that, the complaint was waived due to insufficient briefing. See Garcia v. State, 887 S.W.2d 862, 880-81 (Tex.Crim. App.1994), overruled in part on other grounds by Hammock v. State, 46 S.W.3d 889 (Tex.Crim.App.2001) (overruling the claim that counsel was ineffective due to his failure to object since the appellant failed to explain "how counsel might have kept the statement out"); Melonson v. State, 942 S.W.2d 777, 782 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 1997, no pet.) (holding that an appellant must not only specifically identify the deficiencies in counsel's performance but also identify the specific objection that should have been made and provide authority in support of his argument that the objection would have been meritorious). As to the out-of-court identification by Nash, we also find it to be insufficiently briefed. Appellant had the burden to prove not only that counsel's performance was deficient but also that the deficiency prejudiced him. Tong v. State, 25 S.W.3d at 712. While the former element is addressed at bar, the latter is not. Nowhere does appellant endeavor to explain how trial counsel's perceived failure to attempt to suppress Nash's testimony created a reasonable probability that but for the supposed error the result would have been different. This is of dire import in view of Lang's testimony and the other evidence directly inculpating appellant. And, given that the burden lies with "[a]ppellant ... [to] prove both prongs of [the test] by a preponderance of the evidence in order to prevail," id. (emphasis added), we have no duty to unilaterally fill the void appellant left. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. NOTES [1] 509 U.S. 579, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993).

Wicked Annabella "Wicked Annabella" is a song by English rock band the Kinks, appearing on their 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.The song was written by main songwriter Ray Davies, although sung by lead guitarist Dave Davies in a rare departure from tradition. Music and lyrics "Wicked Annabella" takes on a rather dark and sinister turn, featuring a dissonant melody and unsettling lyrics. The song is in stark contrast to the rest of the album, which mainly consists of up-beat, lilting tunes about English hamlet life and culture. "Wicked Annabella" features a loud, distorted guitar riff and a Mick Avory drum beat that carries the song. When describing the song's sound, Ray Davies said, "This is rather a crazy track. I just wanted to get one to sound as horrible as it could. I wanted a rude sound - and I got it." The song features a bassline in the style of Bach in the song. Bassist Pete Quaife said positive things about the song, saying, "Oh, great fun. I played a Bach bassline during the middle of that once." Live history The song has never been performed live by The Kinks, but the song has become a life favorite of Dave Davies. Cover version The song was covered later by an American band, The Ophelias, as well as British Doom Metal band, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. Personnel Dave Davies - lead vocals, lead guitar Ray Davies - rhythm guitar, backing vocals Pete Quaife - bass guitar Mick Avory - drums External links References Category:The Kinks songs Category:Songs written by Ray Davies Category:1968 songs Category:Song recordings produced by Ray Davies

142 P.3d 609 (2006) CITY OF SPOKANE v. BECK. No. 78021-8. Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc. September 7, 2006. Disposition of petition for review denied.

Anthrax is primarily a disease of sheep, cattle, horses, goats and swine caused by Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive spore-forming aerobic rod that produces exotoxins. The organism is transmitted to humans by inoculation of broken skin or mucous membranes causing cutaneous or gastrointestinal infections, or by inhalation, causing pulmonary infection. Anthrax is a rare occupational disease of farmers, veterinarians and wool workers. B. anthracis is designated as category A biothreat agent because of the ease of weaponization of spores and its persistence in the environment. The bioterrorism threat from inhaled B. anthracis spores has increased the need for effective treatments and preventions of this deadly disease. Inhalation anthrax is the most deadly form of the disease. The incubation period ranges from 1-43 days, with a mean incubation period of 16 days (Cieslak et al., 1999). The standard course of antibiotic treatment post-exposure is 60 days, but the length of treatment for full protection is currently unknown. The mean duration of non-specific prodromal symptoms is 4.1 days, and the mean duration of the fulminant phase is 1.1 days, after which the death rate approaches 100% in the absence of treatment (Holty et al. 2006). The events leading to death from anthrax in humans are not well understood (Jernigan et al. 2001), but the terminal stages of the disease involve bacteremia with vascular damage and injury to multiple organs. Anthrax pathogenesis has been reviewed (Dixon et al. 1999). B. anthracis produces two exotoxins, Edema Toxin (EdTx) and Lethal Toxin (LeTx). During the initial phases of the disease, the toxins cause destruction of the lymphatic tissue, helping the bacteria gain access to the blood stream (Dixon et al., 1999). They also impair the function of leukocytes that are crucial for phagocytosis and mounting an immune response (O'Brien et al. 1985; Comer et al. 2005; During et al. 2005; Erwin et al. 2001; Fang et al. 2006). EdTx is composed of Edema Factor (EF) and Protective Antigen (PA), and LeTx is composed of Lethal Factor (LF) and PA. As single entities, none of these proteins are known to have any lethal effects. PA is the essential component for EF and LF entry into target cells. PA binds to specific receptors on the host cell surface and after activation by a furin-like protease, forms a heptamer complex and binding sites for either EF or LF are created. The complex (PA+LF or PA+EF) is then taken into the cell via clathrin mediated endocytosis. Upon acidification in the endosomes, the PA heptamer changes conformation, inserts in the membrane forming a channel and allows the two factors to enter the cytosol. Victims of inhalational anthrax do not experience significant symptoms until a late stage in the disease when they are close to sepsis and toxemia. Antibiotic treatment is largely ineffective at the symptomatic stage in preventing death (Holty et al. 2006), in part because antibiotics do not target the anthrax toxins. To be maximally effective, antibiotic therapy must be initiated within hours of exposure to aerosolized B. anthracis spores, prior to the onset of symptoms (Holty et al. 2006). However, in the event of mass exposure to anthrax spores, as could occur in a bioterrorist attack, treatment would most likely not begin until 3 to 6 days post-exposure, on average, owing to the length of time required to identify potential victims and distribute stockpiled medication (Brookmeyer 2005). At that point, upwards of 25% of anthrax cases following exposure to a lethal dose of anthrax spores would fail to be prevented by antibiotics alone (Brookmeyer et al. 2005). Anthrax vaccines, which over the course of several weeks stimulate the immune system to mount a protective response against PA, are effective in pre-exposure prophylaxis, and can afford some protection from breakthrough infection arising from germination of residual spores after withdrawal of antibiotic therapy. Anthrax vaccines are ineffective when used alone in the post-exposure setting. An area of unmet need for anthrax is fast-acting medical countermeasures to infection with antimicrobial-resistant strains. The development of such agents would be of great benefit.

Photon blockade in the ultrastrong coupling regime. We explore photon coincidence counting statistics in the ultrastrong coupling regime, where the atom-cavity coupling rate becomes comparable to the cavity resonance frequency. In this regime, usual normal order correlation functions fail to describe the output photon statistics. By expressing the electric-field operator in the cavity-emitter dressed basis, we are able to propose correlation functions that are valid for arbitrary degrees of light-matter interaction. Our results show that the standard photon blockade scenario is significantly modified for ultrastrong coupling. We observe parametric processes even for two-level emitters and temporal oscillations of intensity correlation functions at a frequency given by the ultrastrong photon emitter coupling. These effects can be traced back to the presence of two-photon cascade decays induced by counterrotating interaction terms.

2010 United States Senate election in Maryland The 2010 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 2, 2010. Primary elections were held on September 14, 2010. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski won re-election to a fifth term. Background According to Baltimore Sun columnist David Nitkin, Mikulski had indicated she planned to seek re-election to a fifth term. If Mikulski were to win re-election and serve the full term, she would tie Paul Sarbanes as the longest-serving senator in state history, and also becoming the longest-serving female senator in history, turning 80 years old in the process. On February 15, 2010, rumors began to circulate that Mikulski would not seek reelection; however, these were denied by Democratic sources soon after. She previously won senate elections in 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004 by margins of 21, 42, 41 and 31 percentage points, respectively. Additionally, in the general election, state parties are expected to focus much of their attention on the seats of Governor Martin O'Malley and first-term Congressman Frank Kratovil, the latter of whom won a surprise victory in a conservative district of the state. Nitkin and Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball consider her seat as overwhelmingly "safe." Primary results Democratic primary Results Republican primary Candidates Joseph Alexander Barry Steve Asbury, newspaper publisher Neil Cohen, dentist Stephens Dempsey Samuel R. Graham, Sr. John B. Kimble, perennial candidate Gregory Kump Daniel W. McAndrew Jim Rutledge, attorney Eddie Vendetti, engineer Eric Wargotz, Queen Anne's County Commissioner Results General election Candidates Major Barbara Mikulski (D), incumbent U.S. Senator Eric Wargotz (R), Queen Anne's County Commissioner and physician Minor Don Kaplan (Independent) Richard Shawver (Constitution) Kenniss Henry (Green) Natasha Pettigrew (deceased) was the Green Party candidate. On September 19, while cycling, Pettigrew was hit by an SUV. Her mother, Kenniss Henry, was chosen by the Green Party to replace Pettigrew on the ballot. Campaign Dr. Eric Wargotz released two television ads, in the first he created and introduced the term "insidersaurus": comparing Mikulski to a dinosaur by calling her a political "insidersaurus" for being in Washington for over thirty years (a long-term political incumbent.) A second ad showed a hammer hitting a brick wall, breaking it down and citing criticisms of Mikulski's record as a U.S. Senator. Mikulski released positive advertisements emphasizing education and job creation. Despite Eric Wargotz's limited campaign and resources he received the highest percentage of votes against Mikulski as an incumbent U.S. Senator (over 20 years.) Debates Despite repeated requests by the Eric Wargotz Campaign formal debate(s) was declined by the incumbent U.S. Senator. The two candidates did appear together on Maryland Public Television (MPT) fielding common questions posed to both by the moderator but no formal debate was held. Predictions Polling Fundraising Results References External links Maryland State Board of Elections U.S. Congress candidates for Maryland at Project Vote Smart Maryland U.S. Senate from OurCampaigns.com Campaign contributions from Open Secrets 2010 Maryland Polls graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Election 2010: Maryland Senate from Rasmussen Reports Maryland Senate from Real Clear Politics 2010 Maryland Senate Race from CQ Politics Race profile from The New York Times Candidate blogs at The Baltimore Sun Official campaign sites Barbara Mikulski for U.S. Senate incumbent Daniel W. McAndrew for U.S. Senate Jim Rutledge for U.S. Senate Vaughn for U.S. Senate Wargotz for U.S. Senate Neil Cohen for U.S. Senate Category:2010 Maryland elections Maryland 2010

Machines, including wheel loaders, on- and off-highway haul trucks, vocational trucks, motor graders, and other types of heavy equipment generally include a brake assembly operatively connected to each traction device of the machine. Typical brake assemblies include a plurality of friction discs connected to rotate with an axle of the machine, a plurality of separator plates disposed between adjacent friction discs and rotationally constrained at their periphery by a brake housing, and a piston configured to push the friction discs and separator plates together, thereby generating frictional torque between the plates and discs that retards rotation of the axle. Brake assemblies that are cooled via fluid are known as wet brake assemblies. Over time, the friction discs and/or separator plates wear and need to be replaced in order for the brake assembly to continue to provide a desired level of braking. Replacing the plates before they are completely worn increases the operating cost of the machine. Delaying replacement of the plates can result in reduced braking and/or damage to the brake assembly. Unfortunately, it may not always be known when the plates and/or discs are fully worn and should be replaced. This may be especially true for wet brake assemblies, as the plates and discs are enclosed and cannot be readily observed without disassembly. The friction discs and/or separator plates can also be damaged before they are completely worn. In particular, if the brake assemblies are actuated excessively and/or without appropriate cooling, the plates can overheat. When the plates and discs overheat, they can warp from the elevated temperatures, causing the brake assemblies to function poorly or not all. Similar to worn plates or discs, damaged plates and discs can be difficult to detect. One way to determine when the friction discs and/or separator plates of a wet brake assembly are worn is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,882 issued to Khuntia et al. on Feb. 5, 1980 (“the '882 patent”). Specifically, the '882 patent discloses an oil cooled disc brake having a disc pack enclosed within a housing. Wear of the disc pack can be checked by a service technician without requiring disassembly of the brake, by insertion of a pin into an existing boss of the housing. When the service brake piston is actuated to squeeze a new disc pack, an extension of the pin from the boss is measured. The measurement is then stamped on the outside of the housing for future reference and the boss is plugged. To measure wear at any time thereafter; the plug is removed, the brakes are actuated, and the pin is reinserted. The extension distance is re-measured and compared with the original measurement. If the difference between measurements is within a specified wear limit, the disc pack need not be replaced. If the difference exceeds the specified wear limit, new plates are required. Although the method disclosed in the '882 patent may be acceptable for some applications, it may also be limited. In particular, the method may not provide an indication of failure that is premature to fully worn conditions. Further, the method may be time intensive and complicated, providing opportunity for error. The brake assembly of the present disclosure is directed toward solving one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.

A disposable amperometric sensor screen printed on a nitrocellulose strip: a glucose biosensor employing lead oxide as an interference-removing agent. A new type of disposable amperometric sensor is devised by screen printing thick-film electrodes directly on a porous nitrocellulose (NC) strip. The chromatographic NC strip is then utilized to introduce various sample pretreatment layers. As a preliminary application, a glucose biosensor based on hydrogen peroxide detection is constructed by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) on the NC electrode strip and by formulating a strong oxidation layer (i.e., PbO2) at the sample loading area, placed below the GOx reaction band. The screen-printed PbO2 paste serves as a sample pretreatment layer that removes interference by its strong oxidizing ability. Samples applied are carried chromatographically, via the PbO2 paste, to the GOx layer, and glucose is catalyzed to liberate hydrogen peroxide, which is then detected at the electrode surface. The proposed NC/PbO2 strip sensor is shown to be virtually insusceptible to interfering species such as acetaminophen and ascorbic and uric acids and to exhibit good performance, in terms of the sensor-to-sensor reproducibility (standard deviation, +/-0.026 - +/-0.086 microA), the sensitivity (slope, -0.183 microA/mM), and the linearity (correlation coefficient, 0.994 in the range of 0-10 mM).

The Code for Sustainable Homes has been introduced to drive a step-change in sustainable home building practice. It is a standard for key elements of design and construction which affect the sustainability of a new home. It will become the single national standard for sustainable homes, used by home designers and builders as a guide to development, and by home-buyers to assist in their choice of home. The code for Sustainable Homes will form the basis for future developments of the Building Regulation's in relation to carbon emissions from, and energy use in homes, therefore offering greater regulatory certainty to developers. And in this era of environmental awareness amongst consumers and increasing demand for a more sustainable product, it will offer a tool for developers to differentiate themselves. If we build the homes we need, then by 2050, as much as one-third of the total housing stock will have been built between now and then. Current house building plans therefore offer an important opportunity to build high standards of sustainability into the homes we will use in the future. The Code for Sustainable Homes will play a key role in enabling us to seize this opportunity, and to build a future housing stock which both meets our needs and protects the environment. The booklet explains what the Code for Sustainable Homes is and how it works. It also includes tables showing the criteria that assessors will use to measure achievement of sustainability performance under the Code. The technical guidance manual sets out the requirements for the Code, and the process by which a Code assessment is reached. It aims to make the system of gaining a Code assessment as simple, transparent and rigorous as possible, a process that inspires confidence in Code assessors, home builders, product manufacturers and, crucially, consumers. The technical guidance manual sets out the requirements for the Code, and the process by which a Code assessment is reached. It aims to make the system of gaining a Code assessment as simple, transparent and rigorous as possible, a process that inspires confidence in Code assessors, home builders, product manufacturers and, crucially, consumers. Evidence indicates we need to set a target now for moving to zero carbon housing within 10 years. It is proposed to achieve this in three steps: moving first, in 2010 to a 25% improvement in the energy/carbon performance set in building regulation's; then second, in 2013, to a 44% improvement; then, finally, in 2016, to zero carbon. Zero carbon means that, over a year, the net carbon emissions from energy use in the home would be zero.

Q: fancybox 3 iframe doesn't work I have a problem with FancyBox 3, probably images works perfectly but iframe doesn't. I've followed all instructions from their site http://fancyapps.com/fancybox/3/docs/#setup But video just cant work, whatever I do, I'm getting this error: http://imgur.com/a/3LUR6. I hope some one already had same problems and know answer :D. thx anyway A: You have to move your code on some webserver or install something like apache on your computer to make it work. btw, ajax will not work for you developing this way, too.

Q: Is there any special graph to stand for the Interface in argoUML tool? I use the argoUML tool to analyses the class architecture . It's easy to find the graph to stand for the Class or Package . But I can't find a special graph to stand for Interface. Is the graph which standing for the Class for Interface ? Thanks ! A: I had found the graph of the Interface . There are a number of different between class and interface. New class New interface

--- abstract: 'Photoinduced magnetization dynamics is investigated in chemically ordered $(\mathrm{LaMnO}_3)_{2n}/(\mathrm{SrMnO}_3)_n$ superlattices using the time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect. A monotonic frequency-field dependence is observed for the $n=1$ superlattice, indicating a single spin population consistent with a homogeneous hole distribution. In contrast, for $n\geq2$ superlattices, a large precession frequency is observed at low fields indicating the presence of an exchange torque in the dynamic regime. We propose a model that ascribes the emergence of exchange torque to the coupling between two spin populations – viscous and fast spins.' author: - 'H. B. Zhao, K. J. Smith, Y. Fan, G. Lüpke' - 'A. Bhattacharya, S. D. Bader' - 'M. Warusawithana, X. Zhai, J. N. Eckstein' date: 'June 12, 2007' title: | Viscous spin exchange torque on precessional magnetization\ in $(\mathrm{LaMnO}_3)_{2n}/(\mathrm{SrMnO}_3)_{n}$ superlattices --- The manganites exhibit a rich variety of electronic and magnetic phases as a function of doping, or substitution of the A-site cation \[*e.g.* $\mathrm{La}^{3+}$ and $\mathrm{Sr}^{2+}$ in $(\mathrm{La}_{1-x}\mathrm{Sr}_x)\mathrm{MnO}_3]$ to allow the Mn sites to have mixed valence [@R1]. An optimized carrier concentration favors the double exchange interaction which tends to globally align spins on Mn sites ferromagnetically  [@R2]. However, in some doping and temperature ranges, random occupancy on the $A$-site may give rise to coexisting regions with locally ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AF) correlations. In such a regime, a small magnetic field may have dramatic consequences, because it can align the randomly oriented spins and energetically promote ferromagnetism, rendering a global ferromagnetic order out of a mixed phases. The phase complexity in doped manganites makes the investigation of periodic layered structures especially intriguing, given the possibility of engineering charge, spin and orbital ordering in a layer-by-layer manner [@R3; @R4; @R5]. Using ozone assisted oxide-MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy), and a strategy called ’Digital Synthesis’, superlattices can be synthesized using integer unit-cell layers of constituent materials that are fully ordered on the $A$-site [@R6]. First, such structures may lead to novel magnetic interactions due to reconstructions involving charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom across atomically sharp interfaces, which is absent in materials where $3^+$ and $2^+$ cations randomly occupy the $A$-site. Secondly, the coexisting phases would be regularly arranged, allowing characterization with scattering probes that exploit this periodicity [@R7], or via proximity effects. These approaches can be used to investigate the intimate correlation of the magnetic interaction with the ordered electronic structure, and how this influences the phase transitions into the various ordered states. Recently, ferromagnetic order has been realized in superlattices of dissimilar AF insulating manganites, $\mathrm{LaMnO}_3$ (LMO) and $\mathrm{SrMnO}_3$ (SMO), due to charge transfers promoted by the chemical potential difference across the interface [@R4; @R8]. The AF interaction would still be favored in other regions far from the interface, but a region with glassy/frustrated spins may exist between the FM and AF layers. The magnetic coupling between these layers can dramatically affect the magnetization switching and dynamics, which may be of interest in the context of magnetoelectronics [@R9]. Recent studies of the magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic manganite random-alloy films have shown that the uniform spin precession mode is governed by anisotropy and demagnetizing fields [@R10; @R11; @R12; @R13]. Due to a homogeneous hole distribution in these films, spins on all Mn sites are coupled parallel by strong ferromagnetic interactions. Therefore, a single spin population is sufficient to describe both quasi-static and dynamic magnetization measurements. However, this may not be true in manganite superlattices, in which the density of holes is modulated, thus modulating the magnetic interaction and spin character in both the static and dynamic regime. In this Letter, we report on a study of the uniform spin precession dynamics in $(\textrm{LMO})_{2n}/(\textrm{SMO})_n$ superlattices through ultrafast pump-probe measurements of the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (TR-MOKE). We show that the one-spin model typically invoked does not adequately explain the observed frequency-field behavior for the case where $n\geq2$. A large precessional frequency observed at low fields indicates the presence of an exchange torque in the dynamic regime. In contrast, the FM superlattice with $n=1$ and the corresponding random-alloy thin film are shown to have similar precession dynamics, which can be described well by a single spin population and its anisotropy fields. We propose a model that ascribes the emergence of exchange torque in the manganite superlattice to the coupling between two spin populations - viscous and fast spins. TR-MOKE measurements are performed with a Ti:sapphire amplifier laser system providing 150-fs pulses at 1-kHz repetition rate. Figure 1(a) depicts the geometry of our TR-MOKE setup. We use 800-nm pump pulses with fluence of 1 mJ/cm$^2$ to induce magnetization precession in our samples, and the time evolution of the out-of-plane magnetization component $\textrm{M}_z$ is monitored with time-delayed 400-nm probe pulses with fluences on the order of 0.1 mJ/cm$^2$. A split-coil superconducting magnet is employed to study the field dependence of the magnetization precession for both in-plane and out-of-plane sample geometries. All data shown were taken at $\textrm{T}=50 K$. Figure 1(c) shows the time evolution of the out-of-plane magnetization component, as measured by TR-MOKE for the $(\textrm{LMO})_2/(\textrm{SMO})_1$ sample with its spin structure depicted in Fig. 1 (b). All spins are coupled parallel due to strong ferromagnetic exchange interactions in this n=1 superlattice. As a result, an intense oscillation due to the uniform precession of FM spins is observed. The solid line in Fig. 1(c) indicates a fit yielding a precession frequency, $f=6.3$ GHz, and a damping rate, $\Gamma=0.0024$ ps$^{-1}$, defined by $\textrm{M}_z \approx \exp(i2\pi f t-\Gamma t)$. The excitation and precession of the magnetization can be explained by laser-induced demagnetization and anisotropy modulation [@R14; @R15]. When the external field is applied normal to the sample plane, the strong pump pulse instantaneously heats up the sample, which alters the equilibrium direction of the magnetization caused by a sudden change of the demagnetization field. The magnetization subsequently rotates towards the direction of a transient field ($\mathbf{H}_{\textrm{tr}}$), and after the sample cools ($\Delta t>50$ ps), precesses around the original effective field $\mathbf{H}_\textrm{eff}$, as indicated in the inset of Fig. 1(c). {width="\columnwidth"} \[fig:fig1\] Figures 2(a) and (b) show the field dependence of the uniform spin precession for the $(\textrm{LMO})_{2n}/(\textrm{SMO})_{n}$ superlattices with $n=1$ and $n=2$, respectively. The precession frequencies are plotted in Fig. 3. The frequency of the $n=1$ superlattice clearly decreases monotonically to about zero with decreasing field. However, for the $n=2$ superlattice, there is a local minimum at $\mathrm{H}\approx0.8$ T, and an extrapolated non-zero value of $\approx 11$ GHz in the limit $\mathrm{H}=0$. The uniform spin precession in homogeneous ferromagnetic materials can be described by a torque equation: $$\frac{d\mathbf{M}}{d t} = -\gamma \mathbf{M}\times\mathbf{H}_{\mathrm{eff}} \label{torque}$$ where $\mathbf{H}_{\mathrm{eff}} = -\frac{\partial E}{\partial \mathbf{M}}$, and $E$ is the magnetic free energy of the system, which can be written as $E=-\mathbf{H}\cdot\mathbf{M}+2\pi\mathrm{M}_z^2+K_a{\mathrm{M}_z^2}/{\mathrm{M}_s^2}$. The corresponding phenomenological fields are the demagnetizing field $\mathrm{H}_d=4\pi\mathrm{M}_s$ and the out-of-plane anisotropy field $H_a={2K_a}/{\textrm{M}_s}$. $\textrm{H}_d$ is determined independently by SQUID magnetometry measurements. No in-plane anisotropy field needs to be included since the samples are isotropic within the surface plane, as shown in Fig. 4 for the $n=2$ superlattice. {width="\columnwidth"} \[fig:fig2\] The solid lines in Fig. 3 represent fits to the precession frequency using Eq. (1). For the $n=1$ superlattice, both calculated and measured frequencies monotonically decrease with decreasing field to very small values ($< 5$ GHz) at fields below 0.4 T, similar to $\mathrm{La}_{0.67}\mathrm{Sr}_{0.33}\mathrm{MnO}_3$ (LSMO) alloy films [@R12]. An easy plane anisotropy $\mathrm{H}_a = -0.19$ T is obtained for the $n=1$ superlattice, which is comparable to the LSMO alloy film grown on the same $\mathrm{SrTiO}_3$ substrate [@R12]. A small deviation of the measured frequency from the calculated prediction appears at low fields. This discrepancy will be discussed following a description of the $n=2$ superlattice. For the $n=2$ superlattice, the calculated and measured frequency-field dependence shows very good agreement for applied fields larger than 0.8 T. However, a large discrepancy is revealed at low magnetic fields. The measured frequencies increase with decreasing fields while the calculated curve indicates an opposite trend. For a uniform precession mode, a large frequency at very low fields can only be observed in thin films that are anisotropic in the sample plane. In such films, the in-plane anisotropy field acts like an effective field and provides the torque to the magnetization  [@R13; @R16]. However, the ($\mathrm{LMO})_{2n}/(\mathrm{SMO})_n$ superlattices exhibit negligible in-plane anisotropy, as mentioned previously. Nevertheless, a similar effective field must be introduced to account for the large finite frequencies at low fields in the $n=2$ superlattice. Since we excluded an anisotropy field, other possible terms contributing to an effective field are bulk dipolar and exchange fields. However dipolar fields can be neglected in our pump-probe TR-MOKE experiments, since dipolar fields only affect spin waves with nonzero wave vector [@R17]. Moreover, exchange torques are not generated for the uniform mode in systems with a single spin population where all coupled spins are parallel and precess with the same amplitude and phase. We thus conclude that a single spin population is not sufficient to describe the field-frequency dependence for the $n=2$ superlattice. In this structure, spins with different characters may emerge due to variations of magnetic interactions within the different layers. {width="\columnwidth"} \[fig:fig3\] We observe a slight reduction in the magnetic moment per Mn atom in the $n=2$ superlattice, indicating the suppression of ferromagnetic ordering. We suggest that frustrated bonds in regions of varying hole concentration and/or charge carrier mobility result in magnetic disorder and consequently a viscous spin population, as depicted by the blue arrows in Fig. 1(b). In the quasi-static regime, this population is not distinguished from the fast ferromagnetic spins, which constitute a large fraction of Mn sites in the $n=2$ superlattice. A remaining ferromagnetic exchange interaction between viscous and fast spins encourages parallel alignment. Thus, viscous spins rotate with the FM magnetization and applied field; no biased pinning force is produced. This is evident by the absence of an exchange-biased field, as determined from hysteric magnetization curves shown in Fig. 4. However, we notice an increase in coercivity of the $n=2$ superlattice compared to the alloy film and $n=1$ superlattice, as shown in Fig. 4(a). This may be caused by the resistance of viscous spins during the magnetization reversal process, analogous to the phenomenon in FM/AF heterostructures, where the drag of uncompensated AF spins enhances the coercive field but keeps FM and AF spins aligned along the same direction [@R18]. In the dynamic regime, the viscous spins may not readily align with the precessing FM magnetization. FM spins excited by the pump pulse quickly rotate away from the original effective field $\mathbf{H}_\mathrm{eff}$, while viscous spins remain along $\mathbf{H}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ within tens of picoseconds. When the frequency of fast spins (manifest in the magnetization) greatly exceeds the inverse relaxation time of the viscous spins, an exchange torque $\gamma A\mathbf{M}\times\mathbf{M}_v$ is exerted on the precessing magnetization, enhancing the precession frequency. Here, $\mathbf{M}_v$ represents the total magnetization of viscous spins. The exchange field $A\mathrm{M}_v$ exerted on to the FM magnetization is calculated to be $\approx0.20$ T to account for the $\approx 11 $GHz precession frequency of the $n=2$ superlattice in the limit $\mathrm{H_{ext}}=0$. For the $n=1$ superlattice under the same condition, we observe a finite but small frequency ($<5$ GHz); similar calculations indicate a much weaker exchange torque ($<0.03$ T) for this system. The viscous spins rotate in the same manner as the FM magnetization, but on a much longer time scale ($>10$ ns), hence the exchange fields must be isotropic within the sample plane. This interaction is equivalent to a rotational anisotropy or an “isotropic anisotropy” field [@R19]. A similar anisotropy was observed in spin-glass materials in which spin correlations lead to an additional field parallel to the applied field. For example, a spin-glass like phase can exist at a ferromagnetic/superconductor interface, giving rise to a shift in the resonance field of the FMR spectra relative to that observed in the bulk ferromagnetic material [@R20]. An isotropic FMR shift was also observed in FM/AFM heterostructures [@R21]. Although the origin of these fields remains uncertain, some features are linked to spin-glass like phases. At zero field, the exchange interaction between viscous spins and fast spins lies within the sample plane. A strong perpendicular field tilts the FM spins out of the sample plane and reduces magnetic disorder as hole hopping is enhanced concurrently. This might generate an ordered FM state within the whole superlattice, as ferromagnetic interaction between Mn spins is promoted. Hence, the exchange torque is diminished at strong applied fields due to a reduction in the number of viscous spins. This process may explain the observed minimum of the precession frequency around 0.8 T for the $n=2$ superlattice. Using this model, we calculated the frequency-field dependence shown by the dashed line in Fig. 3(b). In this calculation, the exchange torque decreases with increasing applied field and vanishes at $\mathrm{H}=0.8$ T. We neglected the field dependence of $\mathrm{H}_d$ and $\mathrm{H}_a$, since the number of viscous spins is much smaller than the number of free spins. This simulation implies a threshold field at which the viscous spins emerge and an inverse linear dependence of viscous spin population on applied field. The TR-MOKE measurements of the $n=3$ superlattice reveal a similar frequency-field dependence at low fields as for the $n=2$ sample - the precessional frequency increases with decreasing magnetic field, as shown in Fig 3 (c). The same exchange torque generated by viscous spins on the FM magnetization may account for this behavior as well. The overall magnitude of the precession frequency is quite different from that observed in superlattices with $n\leq2$ and LSMO alloy previously discussed. This may be caused by a significant reduction of magnetic moment and demagnetizing field compared to the other structures. The out-of plane anisotropy may also be strongly modified, which dramatically affects the magnitude of the frequency as well. The enhanced damping of the precession in the $n=3$ superlattice is further evidence of the emergence of magnetic disorder. In this superlattice, the large variation of the density of holes may give rise to the coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, which further favors the formation of frustrated bonds at the FM/AF interfaces leading to disordered viscous spins. A strong applied field would align more of these spins, therefore reducing the disorder and exchange torque, similar as in the $n=2$ superlattice. {width="\columnwidth"} \[fig:fig4\] We do not observe magnetization precession in the $n=5$ superlattice. This may be due to the difficulties of exciting a uniform mode in this structure, where the ferromagnetic order is strongly modulated by a periodic modulation of hole density, as evidenced by neutron scattering experiments [@R8]. Fig. 4(a) shows a very high coercive field ($>1$ kOe) in this superlattice, which may point to pinning of the spins due to coexisting FM and AF regions. The strong frustration at FM and AF interfaces creates a large distribution of pinning fields, giving rise to a broad hysteresis loop. This may preclude a coherent rotation of the FM spins. Furthermore, the modulation of magnetism may cause strong magnon scattering [@R22], consequently greatly diminishing the dephasing time for the uniform magnetization precession. Thus, we propose that the increased precessional damping is intimately correlated with increasing magnetic disorder, as manifested in large $n$ superlattices. In conclusion, we have observed coherent spin precession in digital superlattices of $(\mathrm{LMO})_{2n}/(\mathrm{SMO})_n$. The frequency-field dependence for the $n=1$ superlattice is nearly identical to that of random-alloy thin films, consistent with a homogeneous spin character. 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Commentary on the economic , geopolitical and simply fascinating things going on. Served occasionally with a side of snark. Saturday, August 17, 2013 Fukushima endgame and apocalyse looming - how Japan destroys the world - Tepco and Japan , if left to their own devices ( based on the track record for Fukushima ) , will botch fuel rod removal , set off the next major calamity and destroy most of Japan , by extent a large part of Asia and by further extension the planet ...... the question is - does the world plan to sit idly by while Japan screws this up royally ? Radioactive Water Leaking From Fukushima: Why Millions Of Lives Are At Stake In lieu of the Japanese government doing the right thing and finally coming clean about the epic environmental catastrophe that is Fukushima, which it hopes to simply dig under the rug even as the inconvenient reality gets worse and thousands of tons of radioactive water make their way into the ocean, one is forced to rely on third-party sources for information on this tragedy. We present a useful primer from Scientific American on Fukushima "water retention" problem and "what you need to know about the radioactive water leaking from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean." Scientists on both sides of the Pacific have measured changing levels of radioactivity in fish and other ocean life since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. On Aug. 2, 2013, when Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) gave its first estimate of how much radioactive water from the nuclear plant has flowed into the ocean since the disaster, the company was finally facing up to what scientists have recognized for years. "As an oceanographer looking at the reactor, we've known this since 2011," said Ken Buesseler, a marine chemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Woods Hole, Mass. "The news is TEPCO is finally admitting this." TEPCO estimated that between 20 trillion and 40 trillion becquerels (units of radioactivity representing decay per second) of radioactive tritium have leaked into the ocean since the disaster, according to the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. The Fukushima plant is still leaking about 300 tons of radioactive water into the ocean every day, according to Japanese government officials. [Infographic: Inside Japan's Nuclear Reactors] Japan is haunted by two lingering questions from this aftermath of the disaster: First, how the radioactivity might seriously contaminate ocean life that represents a source of seafood for humans; second, whether it can stop the leaks of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant. Radioactivity is not created equal The Fukushima plant is leaking much less contaminated water today compared with the immediate aftermath of the nuclear meltdown in June 2011 — a period when scientists measured 5,000 to 15,000 trillion becquerels of radioactive substances reaching the ocean. Even if radioactivity levels in the groundwater have spiked recently, as reported by Japanese news sources, Buesseler expects the overall amount to remain lower than during the June 2011 period. "The amount of increase is still much smaller today than it was in 2011," Buesseler told LiveScience. "I'm not as concerned about the immediate health threat of human exposure, but I am worried about contamination of marine life in the long run." The biggest threat in the contaminated water that flowed directly from Fukushima's reactors into the sea in June 2011 was huge quantities of the radionuclide called cesium. But the danger has changed over time as groundwater became the main source for leaks into the ocean. Soil can naturally absorb the cesium in groundwater, but other radionuclides, such as strontium and tritium, flow more freely through the soil into the ocean. (TEPCO is still coming up with estimates for how much strontium has reached the ocean.) Tritium represents the lowest radioactive threat to ocean life and humans compared with cesium and strontium. Cesium’s radioactive energy is greater than tritium, but both it and tritium flow in and out of human and fish bodies relatively quickly. By comparison, strontium poses a greater danger because it replaces the calcium in bones and stays for much longer in the body. Not fishing for troubleA number of fish species caught off the coast of the Fukushima Prefecture in 2011 and 2012 had levels of cesium contamination greater than Japan's regulatory limit for seafood (100 becquerels per kilogram), but both U.S. and Japanese scientists have also reported a significant drop in overall cesium contamination of ocean life since the fall of 2011. The biggest contamination risks came from bottom-dwelling fish near the Fukushima site. The radioactive groundwater leaks could still become worse in the future if TEPCO does not contain the problem, U.S. scientists say. But they cautioned against drawing firm conclusions about the latest impacts on ocean life until new peer-reviewed studies come out. "For fish that are harvested 100 miles [160 kilometers] out to sea, I doubt it’d be a problem," said Nicholas Fisher, a marine biologist at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y. "But in the region, yes, it's possible there could be sufficient contamination of local seafood so it'd be unwise to eat that seafood." The overall contamination of ocean life by the Fukushima meltdown still remains very low compared with the effects of naturally occurring radioactivity and leftover contamination from U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons testing in the 1960s. Fisher said he’d be "shocked" if the ongoing leaks of contaminated water had a significant impact on the ocean ecosystems. Source of radioactive water TEPCO is facing two huge issues in stopping the radioactive water leaks. First, groundwater from nearby mountains is becoming contaminated as it flows through the flooded basements of the Fukushima plant's reactor buildings. The water empties into the nuclear plant's man-made harbor at a rate of about 400 tons per day — and TEPCO has struggled to keep the water from leaking beyond existing barriers into the ocean. "This water issue is going to be their biggest challenge for a long time," said Dale Klein, former head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "It was a challenge for the U.S. during Three Mile Island [a partial nuclear meltdown in Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979], and this one is much more challenging." Second, TEPCO must also deal with contaminated water from underground tunnels and pits that hold cables and pipes for the Fukushima nuclear plant’s emergency systems. The underground areas became flooded with highly radioactive water during the initial meltdown of the Fukushima plant’s reactors, and have since leaked water into the ocean despite TEPCO’s efforts to seal off the tunnels and pits. TEPCO has also been racing to deal with the problem of storing hundreds of thousands of tons of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant, said Hiroaki Koide, a nuclear engineer at Kyoto University in Japan. The Japanese utility is testing a water decontamination system called ALPS that can remove almost all radioactive substances except for tritium, but has put much of the contaminated water in storage tanks in the meantime. "The tanks are an emergency solution that is not suitable for long-time storage," Koide said. "Water will leak from any tank, and if that happens, it will merge with the groundwater." What must be done So what solutions exist beyond building more storage tanks? Klein reviewed a number of possible solutions with TEPCO when he was picked to head an independent advisory committee investigating the Fukushima nuclear accident. One possible solution involves using refrigerants to freeze the ground around the Fukushima plant and create a barrier that stops the inflow of groundwater from the mountains. TEPCO is also considering a plan to inject a gel-like material into the ground that hardens into an artificial barrier similar to concrete, so that it can stop the contaminated groundwater from flowing into the ocean. Such barriers could help hold the line while TEPCO pumped out the water, treated it with purification systems such as ALPS, and then figured out how to finally dispose of the decontaminated water. "My priority would be stop the leak from the tunnel immediately," Klein said. "Number two would be to come up with a plan to stop the inflow and infiltration of groundwater. Number three is to come up with an integrated systematic water treatment plan." Meanwhile, both Japanese and U.S. scientists continue to gather fresh scientific data on how the radioactivity impacts ocean life. Despite low contamination levels overall, studies have shown great differences in certain species depending on where they live and feed in the ocean. "The most straightforward thing the Japanese can do now is measure the radionuclides in fish tissue, both at the bottom of the ocean and up in the water column at different distances from the release of contaminated groundwater," Fisher said. There's more: RT interviews fallout researcher Christina Consolo, who says that if Japan continues on its course of doing nothing, then years of "duct tape fixes" could result in millions of death. Some excerpts: RT:How serious is the fuel rod situation compared to the danger of contaminated water build-up which we already know about? Christina Consolo: Although fuel rod removal happens on a daily basis at the 430+ nuclear sites around the world, it is a very delicate procedure even under the best of circumstances. What makes fuel removal at Fukushima so dangerous and complex is that it will be attempted on a fuel pool whose integrity has been severely compromised. However, it must be attempted as Reactor 4 has the most significant problems structurally, and this pool is on the top floor of the building. There are numerous other reasons that this will be a dangerous undertaking. - The racks inside the pool that contain this fuel were damaged by the explosion in the early days of the accident. - Zirconium cladding which encased the rods burned when water levels dropped, but to what extent the rods have been damaged is not known, and probably won't be until removal is attempted. - Saltwater cooling has caused corrosion of the pool walls, and probably the fuel rods and racks. - The building is sinking. - The cranes that normally lift the fuel were destroyed. - Computer-guided removal will not be possible; everything will have to be done manually. - TEPCO cannot attempt this process without humans, which will manage this enormous task while being bombarded with radiation during the extraction and casking. - The process of removing each rod will have to be repeated over 1,300 times without incident. - Moving damaged nuclear fuel under such complex conditions could result in a criticality if the rods come into close proximity to one another, which would then set off a chain reaction that cannot be stopped. What could potentially happen is the contents of the pool could burn and/or explode, and the entire structure sustain further damage or collapse. This chain reaction process could be self-sustaining and go on for a long time. This is the apocalyptic scenario in a nutshell. The water build-up is an extraordinarily difficult problem in and of itself, and as anyone with a leaky basement knows, water always 'finds a way.’ At Fukushima, they are dealing with massive amounts of groundwater that flow through the property, and the endless pouring that must be kept up 24/7/365 to keep things from getting worse. Recently there appears to be subsidence issues and liquefaction under the plant. TEPCO has decided to pump the water out of these buildings. However, pumping water out of the buildings is only going to increase the flow rate and create more of these ground issues around the reactors. An enormous undertaking - but one that needs to be considered for long-term preservation of the integrity of the site - is channelling the water away, like a drain tile installed around the perimeter of a house with a leaky basement, but on an epic scale. Without this effort, the soils will further deteriorate, structural shift will occur, and subsequently the contents of the pools will shift too. Any water that flows into those buildings also becomes highly radioactive, as it is likely coming into contact with melted fuel. Without knowing the extent of the current liquefaction and its location, the location of the melted fuel, how long TEPCO has been pumping out water, or when the next earthquake will hit, it is impossible to predict how soon this could occur from the water problem/subsidence issue alone. But undoubtedly, pumping water out of the buildings is just encouraging the flow, and this water problem needs to be remedied and redirected as soon as possible. RT:Given all the complications that could arise with extracting the fuel rods, which are the most serious, in your opinion? CC: The most serious complication would be anything that leads to a nuclear chain reaction. And as outlined above, there are many different ways this could occur. In a fuel pool containing damaged rods and racks, it could potentially start up on its own at anytime. TEPCO has been incredibly lucky that this hasn't happened so far. My second biggest concern would be the physical and mental fitness of the workers that will be in such close proximity to exposed fuel during this extraction process. They will be the ones guiding this operation, and will need to be in the highest state of alertness to have any chance at all of executing this plan manually and successfully. Many of their senses, most importantly eyesight, will be hindered by the apparatus that will need to be worn during their exposure, to prevent immediate death from lifting compromised fuel rods out of the pool and placing them in casks, or in the common spent fuel pool located a short distance away. Think for a moment what that might be like through the eyes of one of these workers; it will be hot, uncomfortable, your senses shielded, and you would be filled with anxiety. You are standing on a building that is close to collapse. Even with the strongest protection possible, workers will have to be removed and replaced often. So you don't have the benefit of doing such a critical task and knowing and trusting your comrades, as they will frequently have to be replaced when their radiation dose limits are reached. If they exhibit physical or mental signs of radiation exposure, they will have be replaced more often. It will be one of the worst, but most important jobs anyone has ever had to do. And even if executed flawlessly, there are still many things that could go wrong. RT:How do the potential consequences of failure to ensure safe extraction compare to other disasters of the sort – like Chernobyl, or the 2011 Fukushima meltdown? CC: There really is no comparison. This will be an incredibly risky operation, in the presence of an enormous amount of nuclear material in close proximity. And as we have seen in the past, one seemingly innocuous failure at the site often translates into a series of cascading failures. Many of their 'fixes' are only temporary, as there are so many issues to address, and cost always seems to be an enormous factor in what gets implemented and what doesn't. As a comparison: Chernobyl was one reactor, in a rural area, a quarter of the size of one of the reactors at Fukushima. There was no 'spent fuel pool' to worry about. Chernobyl was treated in-situ...meaning everything was pretty much left where it was while the effort to contain it was made (and very expeditiously I might add) not only above ground, but below ground. At Fukushima, we have six top-floor pools all loaded with fuel that eventually will have to be removed, the most important being Reactor 4, although Reactor 3 is in pretty bad shape too. Spent fuel pools were never intended for long-term storage, they were only to assist short-term movement of fuel. Using them as a long-term storage pool is a huge mistake that has become an 'acceptable' practice and repeated at every reactor site worldwide. We have three 100-ton melted fuel blobs underground, but where exactly they are located, no one knows. Whatever 'barriers' TEPCO has put in place so far have failed. Efforts to decontaminate radioactive water have failed. Robots have failed. Camera equipment and temperature gauges...failed. Decontamination of surrounding cities has failed. We have endless releases into the Pacific Ocean that will be ongoing for not only our lifetimes, but our children’s' lifetimes. We have 40 million people living in the Tokyo area nearby. We have continued releases from the underground corium that reminds us it is there occasionally with steam events and huge increases in radiation levels. Across the Pacific, we have at least two peer-reviewed scientific studies so far that have already provided evidence of increased mortality in North America, and thyroid problems in infants on the west coast states from our initial exposures. We have increasing contamination of the food chain, through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. And a newly stated concern is the proximity of melted fuel in relation to the Tokyo aquifer that extends under the plant. If and when the corium reaches the Tokyo aquifer, serious and expedient discussions will have to take place about evacuating 40 million people from the greater metropolitan area. As impossible as this sounds, you cannot live in an area which does not have access to safe water. The operation to begin removing fuel from such a severely damaged pool has never been attempted before. The rods are unwieldy and very heavy, each one weighing two-thirds of a ton. But it has to be done, unless there is some way to encase the entire building in concrete with the pool as it is. I don't know of anyone discussing that option, but it would seem much 'safer' than what they are about to attempt...but not without its own set of risks. And all this collateral damage will continue for decades, if not centuries, even if things stay exactly the way they are now. But that is unlikely, as bad things happen like natural disasters and deterioration with time...earthquakes, subsidence, and corrosion, to name a few. Every day that goes by, the statistical risk increases for this apocalyptic scenario. No one can say or know how this will play out, except that millions of people will probably die even if things stay exactly as they are, and billions could die if things get any worse. RT:Finally, what is the worst case scenario? What level of contamination are we looking at and how dire would the consequences be for the long-term health of the region? CC: Extremely dire. This is a terrible answer to have to give, but the worst case scenario could play out in death to billions of people. A true apocalypse. Since we have been discussing Reactor 4, I'll stick to that problem in particular, but also understand that a weather event, power outage, earthquake, tsunami, cooling system failure, or explosion and fire in any way, shape, or form, at any location on the Fukushima site, could cascade into an event of that magnitude as well. At any time, following any of these possible events, or even all by itself, nuclear fuel in reactor 4's pool could become critical, mostly because it will heat up the pool to a point where water will burn off and the zirconium cladding will catch fire when it is exposed to air. This already happened at least once in this pool that we are aware of. It almost happened again recently after a rodent took out an electrical line and cooling was stopped for days. Once the integrity of the pool is compromised that will likely lead to more criticalities, which then can spread to other fuel. The heat from this reaction would weaken the structure further, which could then collapse and the contents of the pool end up in a pile of rubble on the ground. This would release an enormous amount of radioactivity, which Arnie Gundersen has referred to as a “Gamma Shine Event” without precedence, and Dr. Christopher Busby has deemed an “Open-air super reactor spectacular.” This would preclude anyone from not only being at Reactor 4, but at Reactors 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, the associated pools for each, and the common spent fuel pool. Humans could no longer monitor and continue cooling operations at any of the reactors and pools, thus putting the entire site at risk for a massive radioactive release. Mathematically, it is almost impossible to quantify in terms of resulting contamination, and a separate math problem would need to be performed for every nuclear element contained within the fuel, and whether or not that fuel exploded, burned, fissioned, melted, or was doused with water to try to cool it off and poured into the ocean afterward. Some researchers have even ventured to say that other nuke plants on the east coast of Honshu may need to be evacuated if levels get too high, which will lead to subsequent failures/fires and explosions at these plants as well. Just how profound the effect will be on down-winders in North America, or the entire northern hemisphere for that matter, will literally depend on where the wind blows and where the rain falls, the duration and extent of a nuclear fire or chain-reaction event, and whether or not that reaction becomes self-sustaining. At least the northern half of Japan would be uninhabitable, and some researchers have argued that it already is. This is already happening to the nuclear fuel in the ground under the plant, but now it would be happening above ground as well. There is no example historically to draw from on a scale of this magnitude. Everything is theory. But anyone who says this can't happen is not being truthful, because nobody really knows how bad things could get. The most disturbing part of all of this is that Fukushima has been this dangerous, and precarious, since the second week of March 2011. The ante will definitely be upped once the fuel removal starts. An obvious attempt to downplay this disaster and its consequences have been repeated over and over again from 'experts' in the nuclear industry that also have a vested interest in their industry remaining intact. And, there has been a lot of misleading information released by TEPCO, which an hour or two of reading by a diligent reporter would have uncovered, in particular the definition of 'cold shutdown.’ Over 300 mainstream news outlets worldwide ran the erroneous 'cold shutdown' story repeatedly, which couldn't be further from the truth…[it was] yet another lie that was spun by TEPCO to placate the public, and perpetuated endlessly by the media and nuclear lobby. Unfortunately, TEPCO waited until a severe emergency arose to finally report how bad things really are with this latest groundwater issue...if we are even being told the truth.Historically, everything TEPCO says always turns out to be much worse than they initially admit. I think the best chance of success is…that experts around the world drop everything they are doing to work on this problem, and have Russia either lead the containment effort or consult with them closely. They have the most experience, they have decades of data. They took their accident seriously and made a Herculean effort to contain it. Of course we also know the Chernobyl accident was wrought with deception and lies as well, and some of that continues to this day, especially in terms of the ongoing health effects of children in the region, and monstrous birth defects. Unfortunately there is no one better qualified to deal with this than the Russians, despite their own shortcomings. Gorbachev tried to make up for his part in the cover-up of Chernobyl by opening orphanages throughout the region to deal with the affected children. But as far as Fukushima goes, the only thing that matters now is if world leaders and experts join forces to help fix this situation. Regardless of what agendas they are trying to protect or hide, how much it will cost, the effect on Japan or the world’s economy, or what political chains this will yank. The nuclear industry needs to come clean. If this leads to every reactor in the world being shut down, so be it. If the world governments truly care about their people and this planet, this is what needs to be done. Renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku stated in an interview a few weeks after the initial accident that “TEPCO is literally hanging on by their fingernails.” They still are, and always have been. The Japanese have proven time and time again they are not capable of handling this disaster. Now we are entrusting them to execute the most dangerous fuel removal in history. We are extremely lucky that this apocalyptic scenario hasn't happened yet, considering the state of Reactor 4. But for many, it is already too late. The initial explosions and spent fuel pool fires may have already sealed the fate of millions of people. Time will tell. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not being honest, because there is just no way to know. Even the tiniest mistake during an operation to extract over 1,300 fuel rods at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan could lead to a series of cascading failures with an apocalyptic outcome, fallout researcher Christina Consolo told RT. Fukushima operator TEPCO wants to extract 400 tons worth of spent fuel rods stored in a pool at the plant’s damaged Reactor No. 4. The removal would have to be done manually from the top store of the damaged building in the radiation-contaminated environment. In the worst-case scenario, a mishandled rod may go critical, resulting in an above-ground meltdown releasing radioactive fallout with no way to stop it, said Consolo, who is the founder and host of Nuked Radio. But leaving the things as they are is not an option, because statistical risk of a similarly bad outcome increases every day, she said. RT:How serious is the fuel rod situation compared to the danger of contaminated water build-up which we already know about? Christina Consolo: Although fuel rod removal happens on a daily basis at the 430+ nuclear sites around the world, it is a very delicate procedure even under the best of circumstances. What makes fuel removal at Fukushima so dangerous and complex is that it will be attempted on a fuel pool whose integrity has been severely compromised. However, it must be attempted as Reactor 4 has the most significant problems structurally, and this pool is on the top floor of the building. There are numerous other reasons that this will be a dangerous undertaking. - The racks inside the pool that contain this fuel were damaged by the explosion in the early days of the accident. - Zirconium cladding which encased the rods burned when water levels dropped, but to what extent the rods have been damaged is not known, and probably won't be until removal is attempted. - Saltwater cooling has caused corrosion of the pool walls, and probably the fuel rods and racks. - The building is sinking. - The cranes that normally lift the fuel were destroyed. - Computer-guided removal will not be possible; everything will have to be done manually. - TEPCO cannot attempt this process without humans, which will manage this enormous task while being bombarded - with radiation during the extraction and casking. - The process of removing each rod will have to be repeated over 1,500 times without incident. - Moving damaged nuclear fuel under such complex conditions could result in a criticality if the rods come into close proximity to one another, which would then set off a chain reaction that cannot be stopped. What could potentially happen is the contents of the pool could burn and/or explode, and the entire structure sustain further damage or collapse. This chain reaction process could be self-sustaining and go on for a long time. This is the apocalyptic scenario in a nutshell. The water build-up is an extraordinarily difficult problem in and of itself, and as anyone with a leaky basement knows, water always 'finds a way.’ 'Trivial in light of other problems at Fukushima, water situation could culminate in the chain reaction scenario' At Fukushima, they are dealing with massive amounts of groundwater that flow through the property, and the endless pouring that must be kept up 24/7/365 to keep things from getting worse. Recently there appears to be subsidence issues and liquefaction under the plant. TEPCO has decided to pump the water out of these buildings. However, pumping water out of the buildings is only going to increase the flow rate and create more of these ground issues around the reactors. An enormous undertaking - but one that needs to be considered for long-term preservation of the integrity of the site - is channelling the water away, like a drain tile installed around the perimeter of a house with a leaky basement, but on an epic scale. Without this effort, the soils will further deteriorate, structural shift will occur, and subsequently the contents of the pools will shift too. The damage to TEPCO's No.1 Fukushima nuclear power plant's third reactor building in the town of Okuma, Fubata district in Fukushima prefecture (AFP Photo) Any water that flows into those buildings also becomes highly radioactive, as it is likely coming into contact with melted fuel. Without knowing the extent of the current liquefaction and its location, the location of the melted fuel, how long TEPCO has been pumping out water, or when the next earthquake will hit, it is impossible to predict how soon this could occur from the water problem/subsidence issue alone. But undoubtedly, pumping water out of the buildings is just encouraging the flow, and this water problem needs to be remedied and redirected as soon as possible. RT:Given all the complications that could arise with extracting the fuel rods, which are the most serious, in your opinion? CC: The most serious complication would be anything that leads to a nuclear chain reaction. And as outlined above, there are many different ways this could occur. In a fuel pool containing damaged rods and racks, it could potentially start up on its own at anytime. TEPCO has been incredibly lucky that this hasn't happened so far. 'One of the worst, but most important jobs anyone has ever had to do' My second biggest concern would be the physical and mental fitness of the workers that will be in such close proximity to exposed fuel during this extraction process. They will be the ones guiding this operation, and will need to be in the highest state of alertness to have any chance at all of executing this plan manually and successfully. Many of their senses, most importantly eyesight, will be hindered by the apparatus that will need to be worn during their exposure, to prevent immediate death from lifting compromised fuel rods out of the pool and placing them in casks, or in the common spent fuel pool located a short distance away. Think for a moment what that might be like through the eyes of one of these workers; it will be hot, uncomfortable, your senses shielded, and you would be filled with anxiety. You are standing on a building that is close to collapse. Even with the strongest protection possible, workers will have to be removed and replaced often. So you don't have the benefit of doing such a critical task and knowing and trusting your comrades, as they will frequently have to be replaced when their radiation dose limits are reached. If they exhibit physical or mental signs of radiation exposure, they will have be replaced more often. The stricken Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima daiichi No.1 nuclear power plant reactor number three (L) and four (R), with smoke rising from number three at Okuma town in Fukushima prefecture (AFP Photo) It will be one of the worst, but most important jobs anyone has ever had to do. And even if executed flawlessly, there are still many things that could go wrong. RT:How do the potential consequences of failure to ensure safe extraction compare to other disasters of the sort – like Chernobyl, or the 2011 Fukushima meltdown? CC: There really is no comparison. This will be an incredibly risky operation, in the presence of an enormous amount of nuclear material in close proximity. And as we have seen in the past, one seemingly innocuous failure at the site often translates into a series of cascading failures. 'The site has been propped up with duct tape and a kick-stand for over two years' Many of their 'fixes' are only temporary, as there are so many issues to address, and cost always seems to be an enormous factor in what gets implemented and what doesn't. As a comparison: Chernobyl was one reactor, in a rural area, a quarter of the size of one of the reactors at Fukushima. There was no 'spent fuel pool' to worry about. Chernobyl was treated in-situ...meaning everything was pretty much left where it was while the effort to contain it was made (and very expeditiously I might add) not only above ground, but below ground. At Fukushima, we have six top-floor pools all loaded with fuel that eventually will have to be removed, the most important being Reactor 4, although Reactor 3 is in pretty bad shape too. Spent fuel pools were never intended for long-term storage, they were only to assist short-term movement of fuel. Using them as a long-term storage pool is a huge mistake that has become an 'acceptable' practice and repeated at every reactor site worldwide. A destroyed building of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) atomic power plant at Okuma town in Fukushima prefecture (AFP Photo) We have three 100-ton melted fuel blobs underground, but where exactly they are located, no one knows. Whatever 'barriers' TEPCO has put in place so far have failed. Efforts to decontaminate radioactive water have failed. Robots have failed. Camera equipment and temperature gauges...failed. Decontamination of surrounding cities has failed. 'If and when the corium reaches the Tokyo aquifer, serious and expedient discussions will have to take place about evacuating 40 million people' We have endless releases into the Pacific Ocean that will be ongoing for not only our lifetimes, but our children’s' lifetimes. We have 40 million people living in the Tokyo area nearby. We have continued releases from the underground corium that reminds us it is there occasionally with steam events and huge increases in radiation levels. Across the Pacific, we have at least two peer-reviewed scientific studies so far that have already provided evidence of increased mortality in North America, and thyroid problems in infants on the west coast states from our initial exposures. We have increasing contamination of the food chain, through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. And a newly stated concern is the proximity of melted fuel in relation to the Tokyo aquifer that extends under the plant. If and when the corium reaches the Tokyo aquifer, serious and expedient discussions will have to take place about evacuating 40 million people from the greater metropolitan area. As impossible as this sounds, you cannot live in an area which does not have access to safe water. The operation to begin removing fuel from such a severely damaged pool has never been attempted before. The rods are unwieldy and very heavy, each one weighing two-thirds of a ton. But it has to be done, unless there is some way to encase the entire building in concrete with the pool as it is. I don't know of anyone discussing that option, but it would seem much 'safer' than what they are about to attempt...but not without its own set of risks. And all this collateral damage will continue for decades, if not centuries, even if things stay exactly the way they are now. But that is unlikely, as bad things happen like natural disasters and deterioration with time...earthquakes, subsidence, and corrosion, to name a few. Every day that goes by, the statistical risk increases for this apocalyptic scenario. No one can say or know how this will play out, except that millions of people will probably die even if things stay exactly as they are, and billions could die if things get any worse. Workers spraying resin on the ground near the reactor buildings to protect the spread of radioactive substances at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at Okuma town in Fukushima prefecture (AFP Photo) RT:Are the fuel rods in danger of falling victim to other factors, while the extraction process is ongoing? After all, it’s expected to take years before all 1,300+ rods are pulled out. CC: Unfortunately yes, the fuel rods are in danger every day they remain in the pool. The more variables you add to this equation, and the more time that passes, the more risk you are exposed to. Each reactor and spent fuel pool has its own set of problems, and critical failure with any of them could ultimately have the end result of an above-ground, self-sustaining nuclear reaction. It will not be known if extraction of all the fuel will even be possible, as some of it may be severely damaged, until the attempt is made to remove it. RT:Finally, what is the worst case scenario? What level of contamination are we looking at and how dire would the consequences be for the long-term health of the region? CC: Extremely dire. This is a terrible answer to have to give, but the worst case scenario could play out in death to billions of people. A true apocalypse. Since we have been discussing Reactor 4, I'll stick to that problem in particular, but also understand that a weather event, power outage, earthquake, tsunami, cooling system failure, or explosion and fire in any way, shape, or form, at any location on the Fukushima site, could cascade into an event of that magnitude as well. 'Once the integrity of the pool is compromised that will lead to more criticalities' At any time, following any of these possible events, or even all by itself, nuclear fuel in reactor 4's pool could become critical, mostly because it will heat up the pool to a point where water will burn off and the zirconium cladding will catch fire when it is exposed to air. This already happened at least once in this pool that we are aware of. It almost happened again recently after a rodent took out an electrical line and cooling was stopped for days. Once the integrity of the pool is compromised that will likely lead to more criticalities, which then can spread to other fuel. The heat from this reaction would weaken the structure further, which could then collapse and the contents of the pool end up in a pile of rubble on the ground. This would release an enormous amount of radioactivity, which Arnie Gundersen has referred to as a “Gamma Shine Event” without precedence, and Dr. Christopher Busby has deemed an “Open-air super reactor spectacular.” This would preclude anyone from not only being at Reactor 4, but at Reactors 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, the associated pools for each, and the common spent fuel pool. Humans could no longer monitor and continue cooling operations at any of the reactors and pools, thus putting the entire site at risk for a massive radioactive release. 'At least the northern half of Japan would be uninhabitable, and some researchers have argued that it already is' Mathematically, it is almost impossible to quantify in terms of resulting contamination, and a separate math problem would need to be performed for every nuclear element contained within the fuel, and whether or not that fuel exploded, burned, fissioned, melted, or was doused with water to try to cool it off and poured into the ocean afterward. Workers using a German-made pump to pump water from the spent fuel pool in Unit 4 at Fukushima No.1 (Dai-Ichi) nuclear power plant in the town of Okuma in Fukushima prefecture (AFP Photo) Some researchers have even ventured to say that other nuke plants on the east coast of Honshu may need to be evacuated if levels get too high, which will lead to subsequent failures/fires and explosions at these plants as well. Just how profound the effect will be on down-winders in North America, or the entire northern hemisphere for that matter, will literally depend on where the wind blows and where the rain falls, the duration and extent of a nuclear fire or chain-reaction event, and whether or not that reaction becomes self-sustaining. At least the northern half of Japan would be uninhabitable, and some researchers have argued that it already is. This is already happening to the nuclear fuel in the ground under the plant, but now it would be happening above ground as well. There is no example historically to draw from on a scale of this magnitude. Everything is theory. But anyone who says this can't happen is not being truthful, because nobody really knows how bad things could get. The most disturbing part of all of this is that Fukushima has been this dangerous, and precarious, since the second week of March 2011. The ante will definitely be upped once the fuel removal starts. 'The mainstream media, world governments, nuclear agencies, health organizations, weather reporters, and the health care industry has completely ignored three ongoing triple meltdowns that have never been contained' An obvious attempt to downplay this disaster and its consequences have been repeated over and over again from 'experts' in the nuclear industry that also have a vested interest in their industry remaining intact. And, there has been a lot of misleading information released by TEPCO, which an hour or two of reading by a diligent reporter would have uncovered, in particular the definition of 'cold shutdown.’ Over 300 mainstream news outlets worldwide ran the erroneous 'cold shutdown' story repeatedly, which couldn't be further from the truth…[it was] yet another lie that was spun by TEPCO to placate the public, and perpetuated endlessly by the media and nuclear lobby. Unfortunately, TEPCO waited until a severe emergency arose to finally report how bad things really are with this latest groundwater issue...if we are even being told the truth. Historically, everything TEPCO says always turns out to be much worse than they initially admit. 'Unfortunately there is no one better qualified to deal with this than the Russians, despite their own shortcomings' I think the best chance of success is…that experts around the world drop everything they are doing to work on this problem, and have Russia either lead the containment effort or consult with them closely. They have the most experience, they have decades of data. They took their accident seriously and made a Herculean effort to contain it. Of course we also know the Chernobyl accident was wrought with deception and lies as well, and some of that continues to this day, especially in terms of the ongoing health effects of children in the region, and monstrous birth defects. Unfortunately there is no one better qualified to deal with this than the Russians, despite their own shortcomings. Gorbachev tried to make up for his part in the cover-up of Chernobyl by opening orphanages throughout the region to deal with the affected children. Underwater silt fence with orange floats being set in the sea near the drain of TEPCO's Fukushima nuclear power plant at Okuma town in Fukushima prefecture (AFP Photo) But as far as Fukushima goes, the only thing that matters now is if world leaders and experts join forces to help fix this situation. Regardless of what agendas they are trying to protect or hide, how much it will cost, the effect on Japan or the world’s economy, or what political chains this will yank. The nuclear industry needs to come clean. If this leads to every reactor in the world being shut down, so be it. If the world governments truly care about their people and this planet, this is what needs to be done. Renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku stated in an interview a few weeks after the initial accident that “TEPCO is literally hanging on by their fingernails.” They still are, and always have been. The Japanese have proven time and time again they are not capable of handling this disaster. Now we are entrusting them to execute the most dangerous fuel removal in history. We are extremely lucky that this apocalyptic scenario hasn't happened yet, considering the state of Reactor 4. But for many, it is already too late. The initial explosions and spent fuel pool fires may have already sealed the fate of millions of people. Time will tell. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not being honest, because there is just no way to know. Simply info items...... I( f Hanford solution is being considered , the Hanford experience , endemic problems , ongoing leakage without solutions and major significant differences between Fukushima and Hanford hopefully are being taken into account.....) A recent Bloomberg article documents TEPCO’s efforts to work with the US Department of Energy on ways to deal with the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Much of this cooperative work has centered around the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington state. The site is where the plutonium for the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was produced back in the 1940′s. Hanford has a long history and a legacy of exposing the public to radiation for government experiments and the widespread contamination of the region that is still a major ongoing problem. One of the things TEPCO is now considering is concrete entombment. This would save TEPCO about 11 trillion yen (around US$112 billion) in estimated costs. The DOE has done this with some of the reactors at Hanford but none of these units … Read entire article » TEPCO has discovered a cesium level in a tunnel near the unit 1 reactor building. The recent reading is 11,600 bq/l and the reading taken in March 2011 was 1,490 bq/l. TEPCO blames it on rainwater in the tunnel but doesn’t explain how rainwater would have caused the readings to soar outside the reactor building. The sampling also had high levels of chloride. The 19,500 ppm of chloride is just slightly higher than the levels in seawater. TEPCO has been using the rainwater excuse for everything from the reactor well leak at unit 3 to the now rising holding ponds. TEPCO is working to install steel pipes near the port to pump out water. It is …Read entire article »

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Cost effectiveness of cetuximab concurrent with radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in Taiwan: a decision-tree analysis. Concomitant chemotherapy with radiotherapy is considered to be the standard of care for patients with head and neck cancer and good performance status. However, published reports on the cost effectiveness of this therapeutic approach are extremely rare. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost effectiveness of cetuximab combined with radiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A decision-tree analysis was used to compare cetuximab combined with radiotherapy and radiotherapy alone in the treatment of patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck from the perspective of the national health payer (the Bureau of National Health Insurance [BNHI]) in Taiwan. The model was based on individual patient data extracted from an international phase III trial. The direct medical costs of care were estimated by clinical expert panels based on the reimbursement price of the BNHI (2007 values). One-way sensitivity analyses were performed while varying the costs and clinical parameters. The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) for patients receiving radiotherapy in combination with cetuximab compared with radiotherapy alone was $US36 992/QALY in the base-case analysis (2007 values). The sensitivity analysis showed the highest net benefit for radiotherapy alone if the cost of cetuximab increased by 50%. This study demonstrated that the addition of cetuximab to high-dose radiotherapy regimens is likely to be cost effective in Taiwan because the incremental cost per QALY is below the commonly accepted cost-effectiveness threshold.

248 P.3d 689 (2010) Ronald T. WEST, Appellant, v. STATE of Alaska, BOARD OF GAME, and McKie Campbell, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Tom Classen, and Friends of Animals, Appellees. Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, Cross-Appellants, v. Ronald T. West, State of Alaska Board of Game, and McKie Campbell, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game, Sierra Club, Tom Classen, and Friends of Animals, Cross-Appellees. Nos. S-13184, S-13343. Supreme Court of Alaska. August 6, 2010. Rehearing Denied April 5, 2011. *691 Robert C. Erwin, Robert C. Erwin, LLC, Anchorage, and Ronald T. West, Anchorage, for Appellant and Cross-Appellee, Ronald T. West. Michael J. Frank, Trustees for Alaska, Anchorage, and Valerie Brown, Law Office of Valerie Brown, LLC, Anchorage, for Appellees and Cross-Appellants, Defenders of Wildlife and Alaska Wildlife Alliance. Kevin M. Saxby, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Anchorage, and Richard A. Svobodny, Acting Attorney General, Juneau, for Appellee, and Cross-Appellee, State of Alaska. Notice of non-participation filed by Michael A. Grisham, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Anchorage, for Appellees and Cross-Appellees, Friends of Animals, Inc. and Tom Classen. No appearance by Appellee and Cross-Appellee, Sierra Club. Before: CARPENETI, Chief Justice, FABE, and CHRISTEN, Justices. OPINION CHRISTEN, Justice. I. INTRODUCTION Two conservation advocacy groups and Ronald T. West appeal a superior court order granting summary judgment in favor of the Alaska Board of Game ("the Board"). The court ruled that the Board's 2006 predator control plans do not violate article VIII, section 4 of the Alaska Constitution—Alaska's sustained yield clause—and the sustained yield mandate in AS 16.05.255—Alaska's intensive game management statute. Appellants contend the Board failed to consider and apply the principle of sustained yield to its management of wolves and bears affected by predator control plans the Board established in 2006. West also appeals the superior court's denial of his motion for attorney's fees. We conclude that the Board has both a constitutional and statutory duty to apply principles of sustained yield when it establishes predator control plans, but appellants did not meet their burden of demonstrating that the 2006 plans fail to comply with sustained yield principles. We also conclude that the superior court did not abuse its discretion in denying West attorney's fees because West was not a prevailing party. II. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS Controlling predator populations to increase prey populations is a practice with a long and sometimes controversial history in Alaska.[1] Following World War II, the federal government began a far-reaching predator control program that used poison baiting and aerial hunting to control wolf populations throughout Alaska. After statehood, the use of poison baiting was prohibited in Alaska but aerial wolf hunting was not. Concerns over aerial wolf hunting and the use of snares continued in the 1990s, as did the *692 controversy over predator control.[2] Alaska's constitution incorporates principles of natural resource management that serve as the foundation for the management of Alaska's wildlife. Alaska was the first state to have a constitutional article devoted to natural resources, and it is the only state to have a constitutional provision addressing the principle of sustained yield.[3] Alaska's sustained yield clause—article VIII, section 4—provides that: [f]ish, forests, wildlife, grasslands, and all other replenishable resources belonging to the State shall be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle, subject to preferences among beneficial uses. Alaska Statute 16.05.255 is an implementing statute for Alaska's sustained yield clause. In 1994, the Alaska legislature amended AS 16.05.255 to incorporate new principles of intensive management aimed at increasing big game prey populations in areas where the Board determines human consumptive use is preferred.[4] Alaska's intensive management statute requires that the Board adopt regulations "to provide for intensive management programs to restore the abundance or productivity of identified big game prey populations as necessary to achieve human consumptive use goals."[5] The changes to AS 16.05.255 set the stage for the current dispute because the amended statute provides for "control of predation" in areas where the Board determines intensive management is required.[6] When the legislature adopted the intensive management statute in 1994, it expressed a clear policy that "providing for high levels of harvest for human consumptive use in accordance with the sustained yield principle is the highest and best use of identified big game prey populations in most areas of the state."[7] In 1998 AS 16.05.255 was again amended, this time, to include an explicit requirement that intensive game management be "consistent with sustained yield," which the legislature defined as "the achievement and maintenance in perpetuity of the ability to support a high level of human harvest of game, subject to preferences among beneficial uses, on an annual or periodic basis."[8] Until 2006, the Board's general regulatory framework for predator control of wolves and bears was found in 5 AAC 92.110 and .115;[9] specific wolf and bear control plans were set forth in 5 AAC 92.125. Prior to 2006, any regulation adopting a predator control plan, including section .125, was required to address a series of regulatory requirements set forth in sections .110 and .115. One of the regulatory requirements was that the Board consider "sound wildlife management principles based upon sustained yield" for all *693 predator control plans.[10] In a separate and earlier challenge to the Board's wolf control plans, Judge Sharon Gleason issued an order dated January 17, 2006 invalidating the then-existing predator control plans on the basis that the Board "failed to adequately address the regulatory requirements of 5 AAC 92.110."[11] The Board convened an emergency meeting in response to Judge Gleason's order and adopted interim regulations establishing temporary predator control plans to replace those that had been invalidated. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, held just a few days later, the Board eliminated the internal regulatory requirements in sections .110 and.115, including the express requirement that the Board consider sustained yield principles. The Board again considered its predator control plans during meetings it held in March and May of 2006. During these meetings, the Board heard considerable testimony from biologists from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF & G) on the proposed permanent predator control plans. It also received extensive written comments from the public regarding the proposed plans. Ultimately, the Board adopted modified versions of the interim regulations as permanent regulations, although it expanded the coverage of the plans in some areas. Defenders of Wildlife and The Alaska Wildlife Alliance (collectively "Defenders") challenged the validity of the Board's 2006 predator control plans in a complaint filed in August 2006.[12] In the superior court, Defenders' case focused primarily on alleged violations of Alaska's Administrative Procedure Act and an array of other substantive challenges unrelated to sustained yield. Defenders also claimed that the Board's 2006 predator control plans were invalid because the Board failed to apply principles of sustained yield to wolf and bear populations in predator control areas when it adopted its predator control plans. Ronald T. West was allowed to intervene in March 2007. His complaint in intervention adopts all of Defenders' claims by reference and raises two additional claims. West's Count X alleges that "defendants have violated their constitutional duty to manage game populations for the benefit of all citizens" on the grounds that they "did not conduct accurate, scientific studies of prey and predator populations." West's Count XI alleges that the Board's predator control plans "are unconstitutional ... in that [they] do not manage predators for sustained yield." West's Count XI substantially overlaps with Defenders' Count VIII.[13] The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment and in March of 2008 the superior court issued a comprehensive written order addressing all of the parties' outstanding claims. The court dismissed the Administrative Procedure Act claims and most of the other substantive claims unrelated to sustained yield[14] but ruled that article VIII, section 4 of Alaska's Constitution applies to predators, including wolves and bears. The court concluded that the Board's 2006 predator control plans did not violate Alaska's sustained yield clause because "the management of wildlife resources may constitutionally include a selection between predator and prey populations."[15] The court did not examine whether the Board applied the statutory principle of sustained yield when it adopted its plans because it concluded that *694 the sustained yield principle in Alaska's intensive management statute does not apply to predators. Although the superior court agreed with West that Alaska's constitutional sustained yield clause applies to predators, it did not agree that the Board's 2006 plans violate this constitutional provision.[16] The court also denied West's claim that the Board's alleged failure to obtain accurate scientific studies of prey and predator populations violate its constitutional duty.[17] West moved for attorney's fees under Civil Rule 82 and AS 09.60.010 arguing that he prevailed as a public interest litigant on the main issue in the case because the court agreed that Alaska's sustained yield clause applies to predators. The superior court denied West's motion for fees and also denied West's and Defenders' motions for reconsideration of its summary judgment ruling. Defenders and West appeal the superior court's decision that the Board's predator control plans do not violate Alaska's sustained yield clause. Defenders also appeal the superior court's decision that the statutory principle of sustained yield in Alaska's intensive game management statute does not apply to predators, and West appeals the superior court's denial of his motion for attorney's fees. Because West did not appeal his claim that the Board failed to conduct accurate, scientific studies of prey and predator populations, that issue is not before us on appeal. III. STANDARD OF REVIEW We review a grant of summary judgment de novo.[18] Summary judgment is proper if there is no genuine issue of material fact in dispute and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.[19] "In reviewing a summary judgment motion, we draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party."[20] The interpretation of a statute or constitutional provision is a question of law to which we apply our independent judgment.[21] "We interpret the constitution and Alaska law according to reason, practicality, and common sense, taking into account the plain meaning and purpose of the law as well as the intent of the drafters."[22] We review an agency's application of law to a particular set of facts for reasonableness.[23] Under this standard, we "merely determine whether the agency's determination is supported by the facts and is reasonably based in law."[24] We do not substitute our judgment for that of the agency when the agency's decision is based on its expertise.[25] We presume that regulations are valid and we place the burden of proving otherwise on the challenging party.[26] Awards of attorney's fees are reviewed for abuse of discretion.[27] Such abuse exists if the award is "arbitrary, capricious, manifestly unreasonable, or improperly motivated."[28] *695 IV. DISCUSSION Defenders and West argue that the constitutional and statutory principles of sustained yield apply to predators and that the Board did not apply sustained yield when it adopted its 2006 predator control plans. The State counters that it has no constitutional or statutory duty to apply sustained yield to wolves and bears in predator control areas, but that it nonetheless did so. We first consider whether Alaska's sustained yield clause and intensive management statute require that the Board apply principles of sustained yield when it adopts predator control plans. Because we conclude that the Board is bound by both a constitutional and statutory duty to do so, we next consider whether Defenders and West have met their burden of demonstrating that the Board's 2006 predator control plans are invalid under Alaska's sustained yield clause and intensive management statute. Ultimately, we uphold the 2006 plans because Defenders and West failed to meet this burden. A. The Sustained Yield Clause Applies To Predator Control. The superior court concluded that Alaska's sustained yield clause applies to predators, including bears and wolves, but that "the management of wildlife resources may constitutionally include a selection between predator and prey populations." We apply our independent judgment to questions of constitutional interpretation and interpret Alaska's constitution "according to reason, practicality, and common sense, taking into account the plain meaning and purpose of the law as well as the intent of the drafters."[29] 1. The sustained yield clause does not distinguish between predator and prey populations. When we interpret the Alaska Constitution, "[u]nless the context suggests otherwise, words are to be given their natural, obvious[,] and ordinary meaning."[30] The text of Alaska's sustained yield clause provides that "[f]ish, forests, wildlife, grasslands, and all other replenishable resources belonging to the State shall be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle."[31] According to a plain text reading of this clause, the sustained yield principle applies to all "wildlife." The natural, obvious, and ordinary meaning of the term "wildlife" suggests that the drafters of our constitution intended a broad application of the sustained yield principle encompassing all wild animals, including wolves and bears. The definition of "sustained yield principle" provided to the constitutional delegates by the Resources Committee of the Constitutional Convention is also helpful to our inquiry: As to forests, timber volume, rate of growth, and acreage of timber type can be determined with some degree of accuracy. For fish, for wildlife, and for some other replenishable resources such as huckleberries, as an example, it is difficult or even impossible to measure accurately the factors by which a calculated sustained yield could be determined. Yet the term "sustained yield principle" is used in connection with management of such resources. When so used it denotes conscious application insofar as practicable of principles of management intended to sustain the yield of the resource being managed. That broad meaning is the meaning of the term as used in the Article.[[32]] This explanation explicitly states that the term "sustained yield" as used in Alaska's constitution has a "broad meaning." In addition, the statement that the sustained yield principle is used in connection with the management of fish, wildlife—and even huckleberries—suggests a broad application of this principle. *696 After the drafters of Alaska's constitution finished their work, the constitution was ratified by the voters. We have stated that "in construing provisions of the Alaska Constitution, [] the court must look to the meaning that the voters would have placed on its provisions."[33] "[A]bsent some signs that [a] term has acquired a peculiar meaning by statutory definition or judicial construction, we defer to the meaning the people themselves probably placed on the provision."[34] Our inquiry here is aided by the "Report to the People of Alaska" prepared by the Alaska Constitutional Convention delegates in the period leading up to the ratification vote. This report informed the voters that: The [natural resources] article's primary purpose is to balance maximum use of natural resources with their continued availability to future generations. In keeping with that purpose, all replenishable resources are to be administered, insofar as practicable, on the sustained yield principle. This includes fish, forests, wildlife and grasslands, among others.[[35]] The description in the Report to the People of Alaska, like the plain meaning of the sustained yield clause itself, does not suggest any distinction between predator and prey for purposes of applying sustained yield. We find nothing in the plain language of the sustained yield clause suggesting that a distinction should be drawn between predator and prey populations for purposes of applying the sustained yield principle, and there is no such distinction in the descriptions of "sustained yield" supplied by the delegates who drafted the constitution or to the voters who ratified it.[36] We have acknowledged that "the framers of Alaska's constitution intended the sustained yield clause to play a meaningful role in resource management,"[37] and we hold today that the sustained yield clause in Alaska's constitution applies to both predator and prey populations, including populations of wolves and bears. 2. The sustained yield clause permits the State to establish preferences among beneficial uses. Having held that the sustained yield clause applies to predator populations, we must also consider whether the sustained yield clause permits the Board to give preference to populations of moose and caribou over populations of wolves and bears through the use of intensive management practices. The starting point of this analysis is again the text of the sustained yield clause itself, which provides "wildlife ... shall be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle, subject to preferences among beneficial uses."[38] The qualifier that makes sustained yield "subject to preferences among beneficial uses" suggests that the legislature and the Board have some discretion to establish management priorities for Alaska's wildlife. Such a construction is consistent with the constitutional history of the sustained yield clause. As we noted in Native Village of Elim v. State, "the primary emphasis of the framers' discussions and the glossary's definition of sustained yield is on the flexibility of the sustained yield requirement and its status as a guiding principle rather than a concrete, predefined process."[39]*697 This is reflected in the Report to the People of Alaska distributed before ratification of Alaska's constitution, which explains that "all replenishable resources are to be administered, insofar as practicable, on the sustained yield principle."[40] The glossary definition of "sustained yield" provided by the Resources Committee of the Constitutional Convention contains similar language: "[the term sustained yield principle] denotes conscious application insofar as practicable of principles of management intended to sustain the yield of the resource being managed."[41] Based upon the text and constitutional history of the sustained yield clause, the State argues that "it allows for some uses, and therefore some resources, to be preferred over others." And Defenders recognize that "[w]hile [the sustained yield clause] requires that all wildlife, including predators, be managed for sustained yield, that does not mean the sustained yield principle precludes `predator control' in appropriate circumstances." We agree with both these statements and affirm the superior court's ruling "that the management of wildlife resources may constitutionally include a selection between predator and prey populations." B. The Statutory Principle Of Sustained Yield In Alaska's Intensive Management Statute Applies To The Board's Management Of Predator Populations. Consistent with the State's position, the superior court found it "unambiguous" that the sustained yield principle in Alaska's intensive management statute—AS 16.05.255— applies only within the context of the Board's management of moose and caribou populations and is inapplicable to the Board's management of predator populations. Defenders counter that the statutory principle of sustained yield, like the constitutional principle, does not distinguish between predator and prey populations. "The interpretation of a statute is a question of law to which we apply our independent judgment"; we interpret statutes "according to reason, practicality, and common sense, considering the meaning of the statute's language, its legislative history, and its purpose."[42] Alaska's intensive management statute states that "[t]he Board of Game shall adopt regulations to provide for intensive management programs to restore the abundance or productivity of identified big game prey populations as necessary to achieve human consumptive use goals of the board."[43] The statute also provides definitions for key terms. "Intensive management" is defined as "management of an identified big game prey population consistent with sustained yield through active management measures to enhance, extend, and develop the population to maintain high levels or provide for higher levels of human harvest, including control of predation."[44] "Sustained yield" is defined by the statute as "the achievement and maintenance in perpetuity of the ability to support a high level of human harvest of game, subject to preferences among beneficial uses, on an annual or periodic basis."[45] Substituting the meaning of the defined terms into subsection (e) of the statute produces the following legislative mandate for intensive management: *698 The Board of Game shall adopt regulations to provide for [management of an identified big game prey population consistent with [the achievement and maintenance in perpetuity of the ability to support a high level of human harvest of game, subject to preferences among beneficial uses]] to restore the abundance or productivity of identified big game prey populations as necessary to achieve human consumptive use goals of the board.[[46]] From this language it follows that whether or not the statutory principle of sustained yield distinguishes between predator and prey populations depends on the meaning of the word "game." Alaska Statute 16.05.940(19) defines "game" as "any species of bird, reptile, and mammal,"[47] suggesting that intensive management must be consistent with a principle of sustained yield which encompasses all animals, including both predator and prey populations. The State does not provide an alternative construction based upon the statute's language, but argues that Defenders' construction "turns [the] intensive management law into a nonsensical, unworkable mess" by applying the sustained yield principle to predators. According to the State, application of sustained yield to predators requires that the State simultaneously maximize the populations of predators and their prey. We disagree. The language of this implementing legislation does not result in the absurd results the State warns against because the statutory principle of sustained yield, like its constitutional counterpart, contains the qualifier that sustained yield is "subject to preferences among beneficial uses."[48] Based upon the text of Alaska's intensive management statute, as well as the principle that a statutory construction that is consistent with constitutional principles is preferred over one that is inconsistent,[49] we hold that the principle of sustained yield set forth in Alaska's intensive management statute applies to predator populations but that the management of wildlife resources may include a selection between predator and prey populations. C. Defenders And West Failed To Meet Their Burden To Prove That The Board's 2006 Predator Control Plans Violate Principles Of Sustained Yield. Having held that both the constitutional and statutory principles of sustained yield apply to wolf and bear populations, we now consider the contention that the Board failed to apply principles of sustained yield to its 2006 predator control plans. The superior court ruled that "to the extent that [the State's existing management of the predator populations] was challenged by any Plaintiff" it does "not violate th[e] constitutional mandate" of Alaska's sustained yield clause. The court did not reach the question of whether the Board's 2006 plans are consistent with the statutory principle of sustained yield because it determined the statutory mandate did not apply to predators.[50] Appellant and cross-appellants had the burden of demonstrating the invalidity of the Board's 2006 predator control plans.[51] To survive summary judgment, they were required to establish that a genuine issue of material fact was in dispute.[52] *699 Defenders acknowledge that the sustained yield principle does not preclude predator control in appropriate circumstances, but Defenders contend that the Board did not consider or apply the sustained yield principle to wolves and bears when it adopted its 2006 predator control plans.[53] Defenders argue that we should decline to infer that the Board applied sustained yield when there is no mention or discussion of applying sustained yield to wolf and bear populations in either the Board's predator control plans or in the administrative record. Defenders also argue that the Board's repeal of the express sustained yield requirements in 5 AAC 92.110 and .115 along with the statement in its bear management policy that "[g]enerally, bear hunting will be conducted on a sustained yield basis, except in areas where a bear predation control program is authorized"[54] demonstrates that the Board chose not to apply sustained yield to wolf and bear populations. The State argues the Board was not required to apply sustained yield to wolf and bear populations in its predator control plans. Nonetheless, the State maintains that the Board's plans and the supporting administrative record illustrate the conscious application of sustained yield principles, although that term is not used explicitly. In considering whether the Board actually applied principles of sustained yield when it adopted its 2006 predator control plans, we first examine the language of the plans themselves and observe that the plans do not expressly mention the sustained yield mandate. But the regulation adopting the 2006 plans—5 AAC 92.125—sets management objectives for the wolf and bear populations in each predator control area, establishes procedures for tracking when predator populations are in danger of falling below the management objectives, and requires that the Board suspend predator control activities and close hunting and trapping seasons when necessary to ensure that minimum population objectives are met.[55] The regulation also sets specific geographic boundaries for predator control areas[56] and includes sunset provisions establishing expiration dates for the Board's authority to engage in predator control.[57] The regulations also contain numerous statements relating to the continuation and maintenance of wolf and bear populations within predator control areas. For example, the regulations state "it is the intent of this plan to maintain wolves as part of the natural ecosystem within the geographical area described for this plan."[58] In balancing the goal of "substantially reduc[ing] wolf numbers compared to the pre-control level in order to relieve predation pressure on moose and allow for improved recruitment to the moose population" with the goal of "maintain[ing] *700 wolves as part of the natural ecosystem" within the predator control area, the regulation sets a minimum wolf population objective for each plan in order to "ensure that wolves persist within the plan area."[59] The predator control regulation also states that "if wolf predation control efforts continue and the wolf population is reduced according to the wolf population and harvest objectives, the wolf population will be maintained at [the control population objective] for several years, but once the moose population increases and wolf control efforts are discontinued, the wolf population will increase in response to the increased prey base."[60] Even where the regulation sets an objective of reducing black and brown bear populations to "the lowest level possible" within the bear control area in GMU 19(D)-East, the regulation states that "because the [bear control area] is a relatively small geographic area, removing black [and brown] bears from within it will have only a minor effect on the black [and brown] bear population[s] in Unit 19(D)-East overall."[61] The predator control regulation also provides for continued harvest of wolves and bears for human consumption as an integral component of the predator control plans, setting "annual harvest objective[s]"[62] for wolves and bears in the predator control areas and acknowledging that "some hunters and trappers will continue to pursue wolves. . . regardless of same-day-airborne wolf control efforts."[63] We also find it significant that while the Board eliminated the regulatory requirements set forth in sections .110 and .115— including the express requirement that it consider sustained yield—it appears that the Board nonetheless adopted its 2006 predator control plans to be consistent with these requirements. The subsection headings in the Board's predator control plans closely mirror the requirements of subsections.110(b) and .115(b), and the content of the predator control plans reflects the substantive requirements of subsections .110(d) and.115(c).[64] A review of the administrative record demonstrates that the Board considered a great deal of information about how the long-term viability and sustainability of wolf and bear populations would be impacted by predator control efforts. Most significantly with respect to wolf control, the Board heard testimony from ADF & G biologists that wolf populations would recover to, or even exceed, pre-control levels within three to five years after wolf control ends.[65] And while testimony relating to bears suggested that bear recovery would take longer given the lower reproductive and immigration rates of bears, ADF & G biologists did not suggest that the long-term viability or sustainability of bear populations would be put at risk by the 2006 bear control plans. Based on our review of the record, we are unpersuaded by Defenders' argument that the Board failed to apply sustained yield altogether. Failing to show that the Board *701 did not apply sustained yield at all, Defenders' burden was to show that the Board's application of sustained yield to predator populations lacked a reasonable basis, was arbitrary or capricious, or failed to consider important factors[66] by showing, for example, that the Board used incorrect estimates of populations, or because harvest levels were set too high. Defenders did not contend that the Board acted arbitrarily in applying sustained yield principles to its 2006 plans; it focused entirely on its claim that the Board failed to apply the sustained yield principles at all. Defenders did express concern over whether the Board's minimum population objectives "will be large enough to permit a yield, sustained or otherwise, now or in the future" but Defenders did not elaborate or support this concern with evidence. Because the Board is entitled to deference in areas where it has special expertise, such as application of sustained yield, Defenders bore a significant burden in demonstrating that it acted in an arbitrary manner. On this record, we must conclude that Defenders failed to meet their burden, and that the superior court properly declined to vacate the 2006 predator control regulations on those grounds. In reaching this decision, we expressly reject the Board's position that the application of sustained yield to wolf and bear populations in predator control areas is discretionary and based only on its policy view that these "highly valued resources" should be "maintained as healthy and necessary components of our ecosystems," rather than any constitutional or statutory mandate.[67] It is the Board's constitutional and statutory duty to apply principles of sustained yield when it adopts predator control plans; this is not a policy question subject to Board discretion. D. The Superior Court Did Not Err In Denying West Attorney's Fees. West argues that the superior court erred in denying him attorney's fees as a prevailing party under Alaska Civil Rule 82 and AS 09.60.010. The superior court ruled that although West prevailed on his argument that the constitutional principle of sustained yield applies to predators, he failed on the main issue he pursued: invalidating the 2006 predator control regulations. As such, the superior court concluded that he was not a prevailing party entitled to attorney's fees. Our court reviews awards of attorney's fees for abuse of discretion.[68] Abuse of discretion exists if the award is "arbitrary, capricious, manifestly unreasonable, or improperly motivated."[69] West did not prevail on the main issue in this litigation. His claim was that the Board's predator control regulations do not comply with Alaska's sustained yield clause.[70] He did not "successfully prosecute[] or defend[] against the action," nor was he "successful on the `main issue' of the action" and he was not the party "in whose favor the decision or verdict [was] rendered and the judgment entered."[71] We recognize the care West took to research the constitutional question raised in this case, but the "main issue" was whether the adoption of a particular regulation passed constitutional muster; *702 this litigation was not an untethered inquiry into constitutional meaning. The superior court correctly entered summary judgment in the State's favor on West's Count XI. We affirm the superior court's decision denying West attorney's fees. V. CONCLUSION We AFFIRM the superior court's ruling regarding the applicability of Alaska's sustained yield clause to predator populations but REVERSE its ruling that AS 16.05.255 does not apply to predator populations. We AFFIRM the court's ruling that Defenders and West failed to meet their burden to show that the Board's 2006 predator control plans violate Alaska's sustained yield clause, and hold that Defenders and West also failed to show that the plans violate the sustained yield provisions of Alaska's intensive management statute. We AFFIRM the superior court's order denying West's motion for attorney's fees. WINFREE, Justice, not participating. NOTES [1] Some anthropologists believe that, long before European contact, indigenous people in Alaska sought to reduce predator populations, particularly wolf populations, in order to increase their harvest of prey species. See COMM. ON MGMT. OF WOLF AND BEAR POPULATIONS IN ALASKA, NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, WOLVES, BEARS, AND THEIR PREY IN ALASKA: BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES IN WILD LIFE MANAGEMENT 27-28 (1997). [2] A 1996 public initiative banned aerial and land-and-shoot wolf hunting except by state employees when a biological emergency was declared in a specific geographical area. In 1999 the legislature expanded the grounds for authorizing a wolf control program, including to increase prey populations. See AS 16.05.783. The following year, the legislature passed a statute that would have allowed the general public to engage in land-and-shoot wolf hunting in areas where a wolf control program was authorized, but the statute was overturned by public referendum several months later. A 2008 public initiative sought to reimpose strict limits on authorizing predator control programs, but it was defeated. [3] GERALD A. MCBEATH, THE ALASKA STATE CONSTITUTION: A REFERENCE GUIDE 146 (1997); Bret Adams et al., Environmental and Natural Resources Provisions in State Constitutions, 22 J. LAND RESOURCES & ENVTL. L. 73, 255-263 (2002) (listing state constitutional provisions relating to the environment and natural resources). [4] AS 16.05.255(e)(1), as enacted by Ch. 13, § 2, SLA 1994. Before the Board adopts an intensive management program in a given area, it must first determine that reductions in the productivity of big game prey populations may result in reductions in human harvest and that an increase in productivity is feasible using intensive management. AS 16.05.255(e)(2), (3). [5] AS 16.05.255(e). [6] AS 16.05.255(k)(4), as enacted by Ch. 13, § 2, SLA 1994. [7] Ch. 13, § 1, SLA 1994 (emphasis added). [8] AS 16.05.255(k), as amended by Ch. 76, §§ 4, 5, SLA 1998. [9] 5 AAC 92.110 related to control of predation by wolves, .115 related to control of predation by bears. [10] 5 AAC 92.110(d)(3) (repealed 3/10/2006, Register 177); 5 AAC 92.115(c)(3) (repealed 3/10/2006, Register 177) (emphasis added). [11] Friends of Animals v. State, Dep't of Fish & Game, 3AN-03-13489 CI (Alaska Super., January 17, 2006). Friends of Animals did not involve the issue of sustained yield. [12] Sierra Club was also a plaintiff in this action below, but does not participate on appeal. [13] Friends of Animals, Inc. and Tom Classen separately filed suit in November 2006. Most of their claims failed to survive summary judgment, but they do not participate on appeal. [14] The superior court did rule that "to the extent 5 AAC 92.125 authorizes airborne or same day airborne shooting of wolves in subunits 16(A), 20(A)-(D), and 25(C), that authorization is invalid," based on the Board's failure to make the requisite findings under AS 16.05.783(a)(1). [15] In reaching this decision, the superior court noted that it was "making no decision concerning the actual conduct of these or any other predator control programs." [16] The superior court concluded that the plans do not violate the constitutional mandate of the sustained yield clause "to the extent that the [State's existing management of the predator populations] was challenged by any Plaintiff." [17] West does not appeal the superior court's dismissal of this claim. [18] Parson v. State, Dep't of Revenue, Alaska Hous. Fin. Corp., 189 P.3d 1032, 1036 (Alaska 2008). [19] Id.; McCormick v. Reliance Ins. Co., 46 P.3d 1009, 1011 (Alaska 2002). [20] Parson, 189 P.3d at 1036. [21] Id. [22] Native Vill. of Elim v. State, 990 P.2d 1, 5 (Alaska 1999). [23] Koyukuk River Basin Moose Co-Mgmt. Team v. Bd. of Game, 76 P.3d 383, 386 (Alaska 2003) (citing Native Vill. of Elim, 990 P.2d at 5). [24] Id. [25] Id. [26] Lakosh v. Alaska Dep't. of Envtl. Conservation, 49 P.3d 1111, 1114 (Alaska 2002). [27] Rhodes v. Erion, 189 P.3d 1051, 1053 (Alaska 2008). [28] Id. [29] Parson v. State, Dep't. of Revenue, Alaska Hous. Fin. Corp., 189 P.3d 1032, 1036 (Alaska 2008); Native Vill. of Elim v. State, 990 P.2d 1, 5 (Alaska 1999). [30] Hammond v. Hoffbeck, 627 P.2d 1052, 1056 n. 7 (Alaska 1981). [31] Alaska Const. art. VIII, § 4 (emphasis added). [32] Resources Committee, Alaska Constitutional Convention, Terms (1955). [33] Div. of Elections v. Johnstone, 669 P.2d 537, 539 (Alaska 1983) (internal citations and quotations omitted). [34] Hickel v. Halford, 872 P.2d 171, 177 (Alaska 1994). [35] THE ALASKA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, PROPOSED CONSTITUTION FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA: A REPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF ALASKA (1956). [36] The State does not contest the plain meaning of the sustained yield clause, and instead highlights the statement of Delegate Burke Riley, Secretary of the Constitutional Convention's Resources Committee, that "predators would not be maintained on a sustained yield basis." 4 Proceedings of the Alaska Constitutional Convention 2451 (January 17, 1956). But "individual comments from delegates do not necessarily indicate constitutional intent," Glover v. State, Dep't. of Transp., 175 P.3d 1240, 1248 (Alaska 2008), and we conclude that the text of the sustained yield clause itself, along with the descriptions provided to the voters and the delegates, contradicts the view presented by Secretary Riley. [37] Native Vill. of Elim v. State, 990 P.2d 1, 7 (Alaska 1999). [38] Alaska Const. art. VIII, § 4 (emphasis added). [39] 990 P.2d at 7-8. [40] THE ALASKA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, PROPOSED CONSTITUTION FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA: A REPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF ALASKA (1956) (emphasis added). [41] Resources Committee, Alaska Constitutional Convention, Terms (1955) (emphasis added). [42] Parson v. State, Dep't. of Revenue, Alaska Hous. Fin. Corp., 189 P.3d 1032, 1036 (Alaska 2008). [43] AS 16.05.255(e) (emphasis added). The superior court focused its analysis on subsection (g) of the statute, which requires that the Board establish population and harvest goals and seasons for intensive management, rather than subsection (e) of the statute, which establishes the framework under which the Board shall adopt regulations to establish intensive management programs. [44] AS 16.05.255(k)(4) (emphasis added). [45] AS 16.05.255(k)(5) (emphasis added). The superior court's order incorrectly states that the term "sustained yield" is not defined. [46] AS 16.05.255(e), (k)(4), (k)(5) (emphasis added). [47] This definition applies to AS 16.05-16.40, including AS 16.05.255. [48] AS 16.05.255(k)(5). [49] Alaskans for a Common Language, Inc. v. Kritz, 170 P.3d 183, 192 (Alaska 2007) ("[C]ourts should if possible construe statutes so as to avoid the danger of unconstitutionality.") (internal citations and quotations omitted). [50] The question of whether the Board adopted its predator control plans consistent with the statutory principle of sustained yield was argued by the parties below, and neither party suggests that the constitutional and statutory principles of sustained yield demand separate analyses. We therefore examine this question ourselves rather than remanding for further proceedings. [51] Koyukuk River Basin Moose Co-Mgmt. Team v. Bd. of Game, 76 P.3d 383, 389 n. 27 (Alaska 2003). [52] McCormick v. Reliance Ins. Co., 46 P.3d 1009, 1011 (Alaska 2002). [53] We focus on Defenders' arguments here because, on appeal, West primarily focuses his argument on the propriety of the superior court even addressing the issue of whether the Board's plans were adopted in accordance with the sustained yield clause. To the extent the superior court addressed this issue, we conclude that it acted properly. [54] Board of Game Bear Conservation and Management Policy, Findings of the Alaska Board of Game 2004-147-BOG, at 4 (March 8, 2004). [55] For example, 5 AAC 92.125(c)(6) provides that with respect to the predator control area in Game Management Unit (GMU) 13, "the commissioner will suspend wolf control activities when (i) wolf inventories or accumulated information from permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing wolf numbers below the management objective of 135 wolves specified in this subsection." It also provides that "the commissioner will annually close wolf hunting and trapping seasons, as appropriate to ensure that the minimum wolf population objective is met." This regulation is based upon testimony presented by the field biologists covering the GMUs for each of the predator control areas, as well as the Board's prior findings authorizing predator control in these areas. [56] For example, 5 AAC 92.125(c) sets forth the geographic boundaries of the predator control area for GMU 13. [57] For example, 5 AAC 92.125(c)(6)(B)(ii) provides that "wolf control activities will be terminated. . . (ii) upon expiration of the period during which the commissioner is authorized to reduce predator numbers in the predator control plan area." For GMU 13, for example, the commissioner is authorized to engage in predator control efforts "for up to five years. . . ." 5 AAC 92.125(c)(5)(A). [58] 5 AAC 92.125(c)(1)(C)(i). [59] 5 AAC 92.125(c)(2)(B). [60] 5 AAC 92.125(e)(1)(C)(vi). [61] 5 AAC 92.125(f)(3)(E) and (F). [62] 5 AAC 92.125(c)(1)(C)(ix). [63] 5 AAC 92.125(c)(1)(D)(iii). [64] It appears the reason the Board's predator control plans reflect the requirements of 5 AAC 92.110 and .115, even though these requirements were later repealed, is that the permanent regulation was based largely upon the interim regulation adopted when the requirements were still in effect. Judge Gleason issued her ruling that the Board's previous predator control plans were invalid because they failed to address the requirements of .110 on January 17, 2006. The Board adopted its interim regulation during an emergency teleconference meeting on January 25, 2006. The Board did not repeal .110(b) and (d) and .115(b) and (c) until the Board's regularly scheduled meeting on January 29, 2006. [65] ADF & G Wildlife Research Biologist Mark McNay gave a lengthy presentation to the Board during its March 12, 2006 meeting on this topic, and he reported that in studies reviewed by the National Research Council, "wolf populations rebounded to 88 to 112 percent of the precontrolled population size in three to five years." He also highlighted that the National Research Council concluded that "[n]o available data suggests that the killing of wolves by humans has adversely affected the long-term social organization, reproductive rates, or population dynamics of the species." [66] Trustees for Alaska v. State, Dep't of Natural Res., 795 P.2d 805, 809 (Alaska 1990) (stating that "determinations involv[ing] complex subject matter or fundamental policy formulations" are reviewed "only to the extent necessary to ascertain whether the decision has a reasonable basis,. . . was not arbitrary, capricious, or prompted by corruption," and did not "fail[] to consider an important factor in making its decision.") (internal quotations omitted). [67] The State further comments in its brief that despite its position "that predators need not be maintained on a sustained yield basis, the Department and Board, exercising their discretion to manage for beneficial uses of all wildlife, have always maintained that Alaska's wolf and bear populations should be managed in accordance with the sustained yield principle." [68] Rhodes v. Erion, 189 P.3d 1051, 1053 (Alaska 2008). [69] Id. [70] West claims that in his cross-motion for summary judgment he only argued the constitutional issue. While this may be the case, the State sought summary judgment on all of West's claims, and the superior court ruled in its favor. [71] Day v. Moore, 771 P.2d 436, 437 (Alaska 1989).

plant_tags You were smart to bring them in. You don't want the roots to freeze. Once they are in the ground, I would try to protect the tops for about a week to let them settle in. (The traditional vegetable garden protection is bed sheets from the house. You could also use the pot they just [...] Planted Colchicum atropurpureum in the ell of the house this past Saturday, and I see something, either cat or renegade chicken, has dug up the tag. {Sigh} This is especially a problem as I've planted many different varieties in the spot. It's sort of a nursery bed for my pet colchicums, as I think it [...] Friends of ​ ​Cold Climate Gardening​ get their first issue free when they subscribe! Treat yourself or give that really special gardener in your life a gift that lasts all year! I read Garden Design cover to cover and it always ends too soon! Coming March 29th! Let me make this easy for you! You don't have to check here for new content. Sign up and you'll get an email every time I publish a new blog post!

951 F.2d 435 Ronald HAZZARD, Petitioner,v.IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE, Respondent. No. 91-1338. United States Court of Appeals,First Circuit. Heard Nov. 7, 1991.Decided Dec. 18, 1991. Jeremiah Friedman with whom Harvey Kaplan and Kaplan, O'Sullivan & Friedman, Boston, Mass., were on brief, for petitioner. Charles E. Pazar, Atty., Office of Immigration Litigation, with whom Stuart M. Gerson, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Robert Kendall, Jr., Asst. Director, Washington, D.C., were on brief, for respondent. Before BREYER, Chief Judge, SELYA and CYR, Circuit Judges. CYR, Circuit Judge. 1 Petitioner Ronald Hazzard, also known as John Hazan, seeks review of a final order of the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") affirming an immigration judge's denial of petitioner's application for discretionary relief from deportation under section 212(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("Act"), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c).1 Upon rehearing, we affirm.2 2 * BACKGROUND 3 Petitioner came to the United States in 1969 at the age of twelve and is a lawful permanent resident. Since entering the United States, petitioner has been convicted of three state drug charges.3 In 1984, he pled guilty to a federal cocaine distribution charge. Petitioner received suspended sentences on each state charge, and a two-year prison term, followed by a three-year special parole term, on the federal drug charge. 4 Following the federal conviction, the Immigration and Naturalization Service ("INS") ordered petitioner to show cause why he should not be deported pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(11), which empowers the Attorney General to deport an alien convicted of a controlled substance offense. Petitioner conceded deportability but requested discretionary relief pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c). After several hearings, at which petitioner and his mother and father testified, the immigration judge reviewed the evidence and found several factors favoring relief: extended residence in the United States; extensive family ties in the United States, with parents, several siblings and a natural child who is a United States citizen; numerous favorable character references; and a worthy employment history. The immigration judge found, however, that these positive factors were outweighed by the "adverse factors of respondent's involvement [in] distribution of narcotics." The immigration judge further found that petitioner's "recidivist behavior" indicated an absence of rehabilitation, and concluded that the application for discretionary relief from deportation should be denied. 5 Petitioner appealed to the BIA, claiming that the immigration judge had assigned insufficient weight to the favorable factors and requesting the BIA to consider petitioner's changed circumstances following the immigration judge's decision, including the birth of two children (also U.S. citizens), the successful completion of the special parole term, the absence of any new criminal charges, and petitioner's establishment of a house painting business. Based on its review of all the evidence, including the new evidence adduced by petitioner, the BIA found that 6 the adverse factors in this case, i.e., the respondent's criminal convictions for distribution of controlled substances are weighty evidence of the respondent's undesirability as a permanent resident. The pernicious effects of drugs on American society are well documented. Therefore, we cannot state that the immigration judge's decision to deny 212(c) relief in the exercise of discretion was error, as a matter of law. II DISCUSSION 7 At the discretion of the Attorney General, section 212(c) of the Act permits a waiver of excludability to otherwise inadmissible aliens. 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c). The discretionary authority vested in the Attorney General is delegated to the BIA, which determines its exercise by "balanc[ing] the adverse factors evidencing an alien's undesirability as a permanent resident with the social and humane considerations presented in his behalf." Matter of Marin, 16 I. & N. Dec. 581, 584 (BIA 1978). 8 The petitioner bears the burden of demonstrating that he merits a discretionary waiver of excludability. Id. at 583. Ordinarily, a petitioner with a criminal record is required to demonstrate rehabilitation in order to qualify for discretionary relief, id. at 588, although rehabilitation is not an absolute prerequisite to relief, Matter of Edwards, Interim Decision 3134 (BIA 1990). Moreover, a petitioner who stands convicted of serious drug offenses, especially drug trafficking offenses, must demonstrate "unusual or outstanding countervailing equities," Marin, 16 I. & N. Dec. at 586 n. 4. Yet even "such a showing does not compel" a waiver of excludability. Matter of Buscemi, 19 I. & N. Dec. 628, 634 (BIA 1988). Due to its discretionary nature, we consider only whether the BIA's denial of a waiver of excludability was "arbitrary, capricious or an abuse of discretion." McLean v. INS, 901 F.2d 204, 205 (1st Cir.1990). "The denial will be upheld unless it was made without a rational explanation, inexplicably departed from established policies, or rested on an impermissible basis." Id., quoting Williams v. INS, 773 F.2d 8, 9 (1st Cir.1985). 9 Petitioner presents three claims: (1) the BIA improperly denied a waiver solely on the basis of petitioner's drug convictions and thereby deviated from the intent of Congress; (2) the BIA abused its discretion by inexplicably departing from established policy; and (3) the BIA did not conduct proper review of the decision of the immigration judge. 10 A. "Outstanding Equities" 11 The BIA determination that the "outstanding equities" demonstrated by petitioner were insufficient to overcome his four drug convictions did not constitute an abuse of discretion. Neither the BIA, Matter of Buscemi, 19 I. & N. Dec. at 635, nor this court, see Joseph, 909 F.2d at 607 (denial of § 212(c) relief held proper despite BIA finding of "outstanding equities"), has ever held that a finding of "outstanding equities" compels allowance of a waiver of excludability. Rather, the BIA is required to evaluate each individual petitioner's desirability as a permanent resident and to provide a rational explanation of its decision. In the present case, following a thorough review of the record, the BIA found that petitioner did not merit discretionary relief, despite the "outstanding equities," due to his numerous drug convictions. As there was no abuse of discretion in the BIA's balancing of the favorable and unfavorable factors relating to the petitioner, we decline to interpose the more lenient disposition sought by petitioner. See id. at 607. 12 Petitioner contends, nonetheless, that a denial of discretionary relief, due solely to his drug convictions, distorts the intent of Congress. Although petitioner concedes that "the immigration laws clearly reflect the strong Congressional policy against lenient treatment of drug trafficking offenders," Blackwood v. INS, 803 F.2d 1165, 1167 (11th Cir.1986); Ayala-Chavez v. INS, 944 F.2d 638, 641 (9th Cir.1991), he contends that Congress nevertheless intended that otherwise inadmissible aliens who have been convicted of drug offenses remain eligible for a waiver of excludability. According to petitioner, the BIA effectively precludes drug offenders from a meaningful opportunity to obtain discretionary relief. Petitioner insists that he demonstrated all that could reasonably be required to merit discretionary relief, since the BIA found that he possessed "outstanding equities" and, according to petitioner, implicitly found that he was rehabilitated. We must disagree. 13 First, contrary to petitioner's assertion, the BIA made no rehabilitation finding, either explicit or implicit. The BIA did state that "respondent testified that he is sincerely remorseful for his past criminal behavior and maintains that he is completely rehabilitated." But the BIA made no determination that rehabilitation had taken place, nor did it take issue with the contrary finding explicitly made by the immigration judge--that petitioner had not demonstrated rehabilitation. Second, the BIA's determination that the "outstanding equities" were insufficient to overcome petitioner's four drug convictions was in no sense tantamount to a disentitlement of drug offenders generally, or petitioner in particular, to a meaningful opportunity to seek discretionary relief. The BIA is required to make a case-by-case determination. See, e.g., Marin, 16 I. & N. Dec. at 584 ("it has been held that each case must be judged on its own merits"). Drug offenders demonstrating either more outstanding equities or less serious criminal records might well be accorded discretionary relief. The BIA did no more than determine that relief was not warranted in petitioner's case. We find no distortion of congressional intent. B. Departure from BIA Policies 14 Petitioner alleges abuse of discretion based on an inexplicable departure from established BIA policies, see McLean, 901 F.2d at 205; Williams, 773 F.2d at 9, relating to BIA procedures for considering discretionary relief for drug offenders. Petitioner perceives two recent policy shifts: one relating to the manner in which the BIA evaluates the applications of petitioners who are required to demonstrate outstanding equities; and a second policy relating to the demonstration of rehabilitation. Since both of the alleged shifts are seen as emanating from the same decision, we discuss them together. 15 Petitioner argues that the recent BIA decision in Matter of Edwards, Int.Dec. 3134, modifies BIA procedure in cases like the present. The BIA made clear in Edwards that the BIA is required to conduct a "full examination of an alien's equities" in all cases, including those involving drug offenders. Id. The Edwards clarification was considered appropriate because the BIA believed that certain language in an earlier case, Buscemi, was potentially "misleading." Id. Buscemi indicated, in effect, that an alien who established unusual or outstanding equities had not thereby demonstrated that discretionary relief was merited, but had merely met the "threshold test for having a favorable exercise of discretion considered in his case." Buscemi, 19 I. & N. Dec. at 634. The Edwards decision expressed concern that Buscemi might have been taken to imply that "a full examination of an alien's equities can somehow be pretermitted." Edwards, Int.Dec. 3134. Edwards disavowed the potentially misleading language and confirmed that a proper merit determination "can only be made after a complete review of the favorable factors in [each] case." Id. Edwards also made clear that certain language in Marin, 16 I. & N. Dec. at 588, and Buscemi, 19 I. & N. Dec. at 635--stating, in effect, that a petitioner with a criminal record "ordinarily" is required to demonstrate rehabilitation before relief can be granted--did not mean that rehabilitation was an "absolute prerequisite" to relief, but a factor to be considered in exercising discretion. Edwards, Int.Dec. 3134. 16 We cannot agree that Edwards represents an inexplicable shift in BIA policy or, for that matter, any significant shift at all. Edwards did no more than clarify ambiguous language in earlier BIA decisions. See Ayala-Chavez, 944 F.2d at 641 n. 3 (Edwards "merely explained Buscemi and made it clear that a full examination of an alien's equities could not be pretermitted"). Nor did the potentially misleading language improperly influence the BIA in its disposition of petitioner's application. The BIA in the instant case considered all relevant factors, balanced the equities and did not treat rehabilitation as an absolute prerequisite to relief. C. Standard of Review by BIA 17 Finally, petitioner asserts that the BIA deferred to the decision of the immigration judge, whereas it should have conducted de novo review. Although petitioner concedes that the BIA is under no legal obligation to conduct de novo review,4 he argues that de novo review was required because the BIA made findings of fact which differed from those of the immigration judge and because it made supplemental findings based on the new evidence petitioner submitted to the BIA. 18 We discern no contradiction between the findings of the BIA and those of the immigration judge. Petitioner argues that, unlike the immigration judge, the BIA explicitly found that the petitioner possessed "outstanding equities" and implicitly found that petitioner had been rehabilitated. As previously explained, we cannot agree with petitioner's contention that the BIA made an implicit finding of rehabilitation. Moreover, while the immigration judge did not make an explicit finding of "outstanding equities," he found that several factors favored discretionary relief, and there is nothing in the immigration judge's opinion which would suggest that these favorable factors were not "outstanding equities." 19 Finally, while the BIA made supplemental findings, we perceive no sound basis, either in law or reason, for concluding that the BIA was thereby disabled from upholding the immigration judge's decision. The BIA "has full power to determine factual issues in cases before it," 1 C. Gordon & S. Mailman, Immigration Law and Procedure, § 3.05[b] at p. 3-57; see, e.g., Matter of B., 7 I. & N. Dec. 1, 14 (BIA 1956), and may consider new evidence not presented to the immigration judge, Matter of Demosthenes, 13 I. & N. Dec. 345, 346 n. 1 (BIA 1969); Matter of Godfrey, 13 I. & N. Dec. 790, 791 n. 1 (BIA 1971). Moreover, at least in cases where no new ground for deportation is presented, see, e.g., Matter of Rios-Carrillo, 10 I. & N. Dec. 291 (BIA 1963) (remanding after presentation of new ground for deportation), the BIA may uphold an immigration judge's decision even after considering new evidence in favor of petitioner, see, e.g., Matter of Reyes, 16 I. & N. Dec. 475 (BIA 1978) (affirming decision by District Director after considering legal memoranda and affidavit of foreign lawyer). The BIA made an extensive review of the evidence presented before the immigration judge, as well as the newly-presented evidence in favor of petitioner's request for discretionary relief. It then made its determination that the immigration judge's denial of discretionary relief under section 212(c) did not constitute an abuse of discretion. We find no error in this determination. Accordingly, we uphold the deportation decision of the BIA. 20 The petition for review is denied and the deportation order is enforced. 1 We have jurisdiction to review final orders for deportation. See Joseph v. INS, 909 F.2d 605, 606 (1st Cir.1990) 2 We affirmed the BIA order in an earlier, unpublished per curiam decision, see Hazzard v. INS, 940 F.2d 647 (1st Cir.1991) (Table), but thereafter granted rehearing 3 In 1976 petitioner was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and of possessing marijuana, with intent to distribute. In 1983, he was convicted of possessing marijuana, with intent to distribute 4 The BIA has the discretionary power to conduct de novo review of an immigration judge's decision. See, e.g., Damaize-Job v. INS, 787 F.2d 1332, 1338 (9th Cir.1986); Matter of Vilanova-Gonzalez, 13 I. & N. Dec. 399, 402 (BIA 1969). Of course, the BIA does not invariably do so. See, e.g., Matter of Marinho, 10 I. & N. Dec. 214, 218 (BIA 1963) (BIA acknowledges its authority to make findings of fact and conclusions of law, but decides to defer to factfinder in the first instance); Matter of T----, 7 I. & N. Dec. 417, 419 (BIA 1957) (deferring to findings of special inquiry officer)

Motivating Employees Without Money – The Psychology Of Behavior Change I wrote a blog post recently on Motivating Employees Without Money where I talk about different techniques you can use to motivate your workforce without giving out money. You have to understand how to motivate people from a psychological standpoint. Motivation comes from several factors but how do you keep behaviors going after motivation fades? Motivation does fade but habits are more permanent. You have to make tasks that are done through motivation into a habit. For example: your staff goes from having a staff meeting a day where you just make excuses about issues to having 2-3 shorter staff meetings where you find root causes and fix the root cause instead of ignoring the problem or putting in a band-aid. How do you make sure you make these behavior changes permanent because it is hard to fix root cause issues? Here is a simple model to use: Behavior changes = Attitude changes & Attitude changes = Behavior changes. What this means is that if you change your behaviors your attitude will eventually change to match your behaviors and if you change your attitude your behaviors change to match your attitude. This can be a powerful tool for you if you have behavior and/or attitude changes due to motivation to change. What I have noticed is that you have to keep the behavior going and If you can you will have a much easier time to make changes permanent. Here are four ways to make the transition easier: 1) Standardize = Make your changes permanent by making it the standard. Tasks are performed in an x,y,z manner.2) Make changes visible = Making things visible makes people accountable. If you are not fixing root causes to your problems it is much harder to do than band aid a process. To make sure you keep fixing root cause have a tracking board that is reviewed daily with status updates and owners.3) Measure the right things = People respect what you inspect. It depends on what you want to change but you may consider going from machine utilization as a metric to total facility processing type.4) Provide quick and accurate feedback = The longer you wait to teach after a mistake the less effective the feedback. Feedback should be as close to instant as possible to drive true change.

Q: How should I store an object in an asp.net web service so that business objects can reference the object? I am building an ASP.NET web service that will be used internally in my company. Exception and trace/audit logging will be performed by the web service class as well as the business objects that the web service will call. The logging is handled by an instance of an internally developed log helper class. The log helper must be an instance as it tracks state and a reference guid that is used to relate the log messages into groups. In the past we handled this situation by passing references to the log helper instance from class to class using the method parameters. I am trying to find a reliable way to find a way to store and access the instance throughout the call without having to explicitly pass it around. I am attempting to store the instance in the HTTPContext during the early stages of the web service call. When my business objects need it later during the call, they will access it as a property of a base class that all my objects inherit from. Initially I tried storing the instance in the web service's Context.Cache. This seemed to work and my research led me to believe that the Cache would be thread safe. It wasn't until I started calling the web service from more than 3 concurrent sessions that the instance of the logger would be shared from call to call rather than be recreated new for each call. I tried Context.Application and found very similar results to the Cache storage. I was able to find what looks like a usable solution with Context.Session. This requires me to use EnableSession = true in the attributes of each method but it does seem to keep the instance unique per call. I do not have a need to track data between calls so I am not storing session cookies in the client space. Is session the optimal storage point for my needs? It seems a little heavy given that I don't need to track session between calls. I'm open to suggestions or criticism. I'm sure someone will suggest using the built in Trace logging or systems like Elmah. Those might be an option for the future but right now I don't have the time required to go down that path. Update: I should clarify that this service will need to run on .Net Framework 2.0. We are in the process of moving to 3.5/4.0 but our current production server is Win2000 with a max of 2.0. A: I take it that, in the past, you have used these business objects in a Windows Forms application? You should not have your business objects dependent on some ambient object. Instead, you should use either constructor injection or property injection to pass the logger object to the business objects. The logger should be represented by an interface, not by a concrete class. The business objects should be passed a reference to some class that implements this interface. They should never know where this object is stored. This will enable you to test the business objects outside of the web service. You can then store the logging object wherever you like. I'd suggest storing it in HttpContext.Current.Items, which is only valid for the current request. public interface ILogger { void Log(string message); } public class Logger : ILogger { public void Log(string message) {} } public class BusinessObjectBase { public BusinessObjectbase(ILogger logger) { Logger = logger; } protected ILogger Logger {get;set;} } public class BusinessObject : BusinessObjectBase { public void DoSomething() { Logger.Log("Doing something"); } }

Introduction ============ *Staphylococcus aureus* is a commensal organism found in the nasopharynx and on the skin of humans and other mammals. It can also cause infections in these hosts and cause a range of diseases from mild skin and soft tissue infections to severe systemic infections. The treatment of *S. aureus* infections is hampered by the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in these isolates, such as the acquisition of the SCC*mec* element, which confers methicillin resistance. These isolates are designated as methicillin resistant *S. aureus* (MRSA) and have become a significant burden for the health care system ([@B30]; [@B7]). Methicillin resistant *S. aureus* isolates are classified based on epidemiologic characteristics into hospital acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA), community acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA), and livestock associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) ([@B46]). These subsets are defined by the source of the isolate and the isolates within each subset tend to share genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, such as degree of AMR and virulence factors. Specific lineages or sequence types (STs) tend to predominate within each group, although there are regional variations. For example, in the United States, ST5 and ST8 are major HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA clones, respectively ([@B3]). Livestock associated MRSA became a significant public health concern in 2005, when the first report linked MRSA ST398 to swine production facilities ([@B50]). Further investigations indicated swine may serve as the largest reservoir for MRSA outside of hospital settings and motivated considerable research into the potential health risks associated with LA-MRSA ([@B42]). Subsequent research showed the most prevalent lineage of LA-MRSA varied based on geographic location. In European swine populations, ST398 is the most common lineage ([@B2]), while the ST9 lineage predominates in swine in most Asian countries ([@B51]). In the United States, the swine population was found to harbor more diverse STs with isolates of the ST398, ST9, and ST5 lineages ([@B35]; [@B12]; [@B48]). The presence of MRSA ST5 isolates in United States swine herds raised additional public health concerns because the ST5 lineage, unlike the ST398 and ST9 lineages, is not considered livestock adapted but is a highly successful and globally disseminated MRSA lineage in and out of hospital settings ([@B36]; [@B11]; [@B38]). The widespread success of the ST5 lineage has been attributed to its capacity to acquire mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that harbor virulence factors or AMR genes ([@B36]). Phylogenetic studies employ whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology and data analysis to better understand the epidemiology, origin, and evolution of bacteria ([@B39]; [@B49]; [@B10]; [@B41]). In the case of LA-MRSA, these techniques have been used to assess the relatedness of isolates from the ST398 lineage. LA-MRSA ST398 isolates clustered separately from human ST398 isolates and are suspected to have evolved from an ancestral methicillin susceptible ST398 clade in humans ([@B39]). Similar investigations into the CC97 lineage indicated that isolates causing clinical disease in humans comprise a sub-clade of the LA-MRSA isolates that may have developed an increased capacity for infecting and causing disease in humans ([@B44]). WGS analysis can be used to assess isolate relatedness or determine genetic characteristics that define subsets of isolates, including information about the MGEs harboring virulence factors or AMR genes. Through single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery within the core genome, the accuracy and resolution power is available to determine phylogenetic relationships and distinguish isolates within highly homogenous lineages, which provides insight in epidemiological investigations ([@B9], [@B10]; [@B40]; [@B41]). Although previous reports have examined the genetic diversity and relatedness of MRSA isolates from livestock species and humans within the ST398 and CC97 lineages ([@B39]; [@B44]), to date there are no reports using WGS data to evaluate the genetic diversity of MRSA ST5 isolates obtained from swine and human sources. In this study, we used SNP analysis of the core genome to evaluate the population structure and genetic diversity of LA-MRSA ST5 isolates from a variety of swine associated sources and clinical MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact to investigate the potential for LA-MRSA ST5 isolates to act as a source for human infections or as a source for MGEs harboring virulence factors or AMR. Materials and Methods {#s1} ===================== Isolate Acquisition ------------------- Swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates were obtained from samples collected while visiting pork farms in the Midwest United States as part of field case investigations completed by Iowa State University (ISU) ([@B12]). Sources for these isolates were swine nasal swabs (38 isolates), the environment within swine facilities (25 isolates), and humans with short-term contact with swine (9 isolates) ([@B12]). Isolates from healthy practicing swine veterinarians were provided by the University of Minnesota (UMN). The isolates (*n* = 9) were acquired from swine veterinarians who participated in a longitudinal study focusing on *S. aureus*. Veterinarians resided in areas of intensive swine production in the Midwest and Southeast United States and had regular (i.e., greater than twice per week) professional contact with pigs ([@B47]). MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact were obtained from medical centers associated with the University of California Irvine (UCI) (*n* = 64) ([@B28]) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) (*n* = 8). Isolates were characterized for MLST and *Spa* typed prior to acquisition (Frana et al., 2013; [@B28]; [@B47]). Specific isolate information can be found in **Supplementary Table [S1](#SM2){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**. All isolates were either obtained from samples collected as part of previous studies and obtained through written consistent ([@B12]; [@B28]; [@B47]) or were obtained from samples submitted as part of field case investigations and did not require Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval. Whole Genome Sequencing ----------------------- Draft genomes were generated as previously described ([@B18],[@B19],[@B20],[@B21],[@B22],[@B23]). Briefly, total genomic DNA was extracted from isolates grown in Trypticase Soy Broth (BD Biosciences, Sparks, MD, United States) using a High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit (Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, IN, United States). The Nextera XT DNA sample preparation and index kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, United States) was used to generate paired-end DNA libraries with 250-bp read length that were sequenced using the MiSeq v2 500 Cycle reagent kit on the Illumina MiSeq platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, United States). Sequence reads were assembled with MIRA v. 4.0.2^[1](#fn01){ref-type="fn"}^ and annotated using the NCBI Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline^[2](#fn02){ref-type="fn"}^. Draft genomes and sequence reads have been submitted to GenBank and the Sequence Read Archive (SRA). Accession numbers are provided in **Supplementary Table [S1](#SM2){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**. Core Genome SNP Discovery ------------------------- For reference based SNP discovery we used a custom developed pipeline implemented on Galaxy ([@B15]), that was successfully applied for the high resolution genomic epidemiology profiling of various microbial human pathogens ([@B9], [@B10]; [@B40]). Strategies and phylogenetic principles have been described in detail in [@B40]. The MRSA core genome in this study is defined in the samples as the set of genic and intragenic regions that are present in all genomes, not repeated, and do not contain MGEs (which evolve at different rates and are not indicative of evolutionary relationships), such as phages, IS elements, genomic islands or plasmids. These excluded regions were determined for the reference genome Mu50 as follows: NUCmer was used to detect repeat regions by running the reference against itself ([@B6]), integrated bacteriophages were identified using PHAST ([@B54]), ISFinder was used for detection of insertion sequences ([@B43]), and antibiotic resistance cassettes were detected with ResFinder ([@B53]). The SNP discovery and verification pipelines are implemented on Galaxy, and contain the following modules: (i) SNP discovery and typing, (ii) SNP curation, (iii) SNP annotation, (iv) SNP distribution, and (v) SNP phylogeny. ### SNP Discovery and Typing Illumina reads of the 72 MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact and 82 LA-MRSA ST5 were uploaded into Galaxy along with two ST5 representative closed genomes: a HA-MRSA isolate from Japan (Mu3) and a representative poultry-adapted MRSA ST5 isolate (ED98) ([@B27]; [@B33]). For read-based SNP discovery, reads were aligned with Bowtie2 to the reference genome Mu50 ([@B31]). The resulting alignments were processed with Freebayes using the following threshold settings: mapping quality 30, base quality 20, coverage 30, and allelic frequency 0.9 ([@B13]). The two closed representative genomes, Mu3 and ED98, were analyzed using the contig-based workflow. Briefly, a panel of SNPs for each genome was obtained by aligning the genome against the reference strain, Mu50, using NUCmer. SNPs were called with delta-filter and show-snps distributed with the MUMmer package ([@B6]). ### SNP Curation Several SNP curation strategies were used to correct for false positive calls ([@B9], [@B10]). First, reads were mapped against the reference genome Mu50 and false positives identified by Freebayes with the settings described. If reads were unavailable (Mu3 and ED98), the post-assembly workflow generated a reference-based NUCmer alignment and extracted SNPs as described above with filtering of false SNPs. SNPs located within excluded regions (repeat regions, bacteriophages, resistance cassettes, and IS elements) were removed. SNPs were further curated by extracting the 40 nucleotides surrounding each predicted SNP in the reference genome and completing a nucleotide BLAST against the query genomes ([@B1]). Finally, resulting alignments were parsed to remove SNP locations derived from ambiguous hits (≥2), low alignment quality or misalignments, non-uniformly distributed regions, and InDels, as previously described ([@B37]; [@B9], [@B10]). Also, multinucleotide insertions and deletions of polymorphic bases were not considered SNPs and were excluded. ### SNP Annotation The curated cataloged SNPs from each query genome were merged into a single SNP panel that reported the allele, genic/intergenic status, SNP position, and annotation ([@B49]; [@B44]; [@B40]). This SNP discovery and validation pipeline allows for rapid typing of strains of unknown provenance by interrogating the captured allelic states from established SNP panels ([@B9]). ### SNP Distribution From the distribution of SNPs along the Mu50 chromosome, potential mutational hotspots and genes under positive selection could be identified using custom scripts implemented on Galaxy ([@B14]; [@B37]; [@B15]). ### SNP Phylogeny The identified curated SNP panel was used for phylogenetic reconstruction by maximum parsimony with PAUP v4.0a146 with 100 bootstrap replicates ([@B52]). The SNP tree was visualized in Geneious (vR9) and the majority consensus tree was built in Mesquite ([@B29]; [@B34]). Tree decorations were added using Evolview ([@B26]). Calculation of the consistency index for each SNP allowed for identification of parsimony informative SNPs and flag homoplastic SNPs, as described in our previous works ([@B10]; [@B40]). A Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree was additionally inferred using RAxML v8.2.11 with the GTR CAT model and 100 bootstrap replicates ([@B45]). The consensus tree was built and visualized in Geneious (vR9) ([@B29]). Mobile Genetic Element Analysis ------------------------------- Mobile genetic elements harboring AMR genes and virulence factors were detected as described previously and verified using Geneious 9.0.5 ([@B25], [@B24]; [@B17]). AMR genes detected with ResFinder were verified through draft genome analysis ([@B17]). The SCC*mec* type was determined using PCR and confirmed *in silico* ([@B24]). Immune evasion genes associated with the β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage were identified in these isolates using PCR and confirmed *in silico* ([@B25]). Results ======= Isolate Provenance and Sequence Information ------------------------------------------- Swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates were obtained from nasal swabs of healthy pigs or humans, none of which exhibited signs of MRSA infection, or from swabs of the environment within swine facilities. Clinical MRSA ST5 isolates were obtained from patients with MRSA related disease at two urban, university affiliated hospitals in California where the likelihood that patients had contact with swine was considered negligible. Draft genomes confirmed the MLST data indicating all isolates were ST5. Draft genome sequences were generated for the 81 LA-MRSA ST5 isolates and 72 MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact (**Supplementary Table [S1](#SM2){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). Genome statistics are summarized in **Supplementary Table [S1](#SM2){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Typing ------------------------------------- For reference based SNP discovery, genomes were aligned to the closed genome of reference strain Mu50, a vancomycin resistant HA-MRSA isolate from Japan ([@B27]). The core genome was determined by excluding identified MGEs and repeats. Core genome SNP discovery identified 764 SNPs comprised of: 154 intergenic, 186 synonymous, and 424 non-synonymous SNPs (**Supplementary Tables [S2](#SM3){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**, **[S3](#SM4){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). Further evaluation of non-synonymous SNPs indicated that eight were shared by swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates and not present in isolates from humans with no swine contact, as listed in **Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}**. There were also two SNPs found only in MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact (**Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}**) that were specific to clinical isolates. The genes harboring the non-synonymous SNPs distinct to each subset of isolates have not been implicated in virulence of *S. aureus* and are unlikely to contribute to the pathogenicity of these isolates. SNPs were distributed throughout the Mu50 reference genome and no mutational hotspots were observed (**Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**). ###### Non-synonymous SNPs unique to LA-MRSA ST5 isolates or MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact. Number of swine associated isolates Number of isolates from humans with no swine contact SNP position^a^ Gene product^b^ ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ ----------------- ---------------------------------------------- 82/82 0/72 160799 2′-3′-Cyclic-nucleotide 2′-phosphodiesterase 82/82 0/72 292343 Sorbitol dehydrogenase homolog 82/82 0/72 806489 Putative transporter 82/82 0/72 848820 Putative P-loop-containing kinase 82/82 0/72 1012841 Similar to ATP-dependent nuclease subunit A 82/82 0/72 1928498 *O*-Succinylbenzoic acid-CoA ligase 82/82 0/72 2695325 Ferrous iron transport protein B homolog 82/82 0/72 2720180 Regulatory protein 0/82 69/72 192929 Hypothetical protein 0/82 69/72 2277937 Conserved hypothetical protein a SNP position indicates the location of the SNP in the reference genome of Mu50. b Gene product represents the protein produced by the gene containing the SNP of interest. {#F1} Phylogenetic Analysis --------------------- A phylogenetic hypothesis was constructed from the identified core genome SNPs and rooted using the MRSA ST5 isolate Mu50. This tree depicts the evolutionary relationships between the 153 MRSA ST5 isolates and the reference isolates Mu3 and ED98 (**Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}**). The tree topology shows that swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates cluster together and are separated from MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact. These groups will be referred to as Clades I and II, representing MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact and LA-MRSA ST5, respectively. A single MRSA ST5 isolate (UCSF14436) from a human with no swine contact was contained within Clade II. This isolate was the most distantly related of the Clade II isolates, harboring 24 unique/strain-specific SNPs. USCF14436 harbors a type IV SCC*mec* element and two AMR genes (*mecA* and *blaZ*), which is a strong indication this isolate is a CA-MRSA strain (**Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}**). ![Maximum parsimony SNP tree of ST5 MRSA isolates. Comparison of 156 genomes, including 153 MRSA ST5 isolates, Mu3, ED98, and Mu50, yielded a total of 764 SNPs, of which 247 were parsimony informative. The tree shown is a majority-consensus tree of 4,440 equally parsimonious trees with a consistency index of 0.9428. Trees were recovered using a heuristic search in Paup 4.0b10 ([@B52]). This tree is broken into clades, with Clade I representing clinical MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact and Clade II representing LA-MRSA ST5 isolates. Clade IIa--d are subsets of LA-MRSA ST5 isolates and each subclade represents an individual farm or production system.](fmicb-09-02078-g002){#F2} {ref-type="fig"}** was decorated using Evolview ([@B26]). The tree shows the MGE complement of these isolates, specifically describing the SCC*mec* element, the β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage (harboring virulence factors involved in innate immune evasion), and antimicrobial resistance genes involved in tetracycline resistance (*tetT/tetL*) and macrolide resistance (*ermA* and *ermC*).](fmicb-09-02078-g003){#F3} Methicillin resistant *S. aureus* ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact (Clade I) are divided into subclades Ia and Ib. The SNP-level plasticity between MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact is greater than that from LA-MRSA ST5 isolates. Despite the northern and southern geographic regions represented by the two groups of California isolates, the tree topology shows that UCSF isolates were found interspersed throughout Clade I and did not cluster by geographic location. The swine associated isolates within Clade II formed four subclades, IIa--d. Each subclade represents a subset of isolates from a specific farm or farms; such that, Clade IIa represents isolates from Farm 10, Clade IIb represents isolates from Farm 24, Clade IIc represents isolates from Farm 46, and Clade IId represents isolates from Farms 38--42. Isolates originating from individual farms were genetically homogenous, possessing fewer than five SNPs (distinguishing them from other isolates from the same farm). These results suggest that LA-MRSA ST5 populations residing on farms are clonal and intermingling/transfer of isolates among farms or reintroduction of MRSA ST5 onto farms had likely not occurred. This was true for all swine associated isolates except those from Farms 38--42 (Clade IId). The high degree of genetic relatedness of the isolates within Clade IId suggests these farms are likely from a single production system or share a common genetic source, with exposure of pigs to LA-MRSA ST5 early in the production system (farrowing unit) and disseminated throughout the later stages as pigs are moved (finishing barns). High resolution profiling provides important phylogenetic signals for strain attribution ([@B10]; [@B40]). In this case, isolates from humans with short-term contact with swine farms could be traced back to a specific farm or production system. For example, isolates ISU886-ISU889 were traced to Farm 24, through SNP analysis. These isolates possessed the unique pattern of SNPs present on that farm or within that production system (Clade IIb, IIc, and IId), indicating exposure to the farm harboring that specific clone. The remaining isolates in Clade II include the isolates from humans with long-term swine contact and UCSF14436. Isolates from humans with long term swine contact did not cluster with isolates from the tested farms (**Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}**). This is consistent with the source of these isolates as it was unlikely the swine veterinarians sampled had contact with the specific farms sourcing the other swine associated isolates in this study. Though these isolates were distinct from the isolates obtained from swine, swine facilities, and humans with short term swine contact, they clustered together within Clade II and were representative of the livestock associated ST5 genotype. A Maximum-likelihood SNP tree was additionally constructed and revealed identical phylogenetic relationship between the MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact and the swine-associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates (**Supplementary Figure [S1](#SM1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}**). Mobile Genetic Element Analysis ------------------------------- The draft genomes of both LA-MRSA ST5 isolates and clinical MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact were evaluated for MGEs. LA-MRSA ST5 isolates could also be distinguished from clinical MRSA ST5 isolates by the AMR genes and virulence factors they harbored (**Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}**). For LA-MRSA ST5 isolates, the SCC*mec* elements were of type III, IV, or untypable. Alternatively, clinical MRSA ST5 isolates harbored predominantly type II SCC*mec* elements and two type IV elements. Evaluation of the AMR genes revealed the primary macrolide resistance gene was *ermA* in clinical MRSA ST5 isolates, while LA-MRSA ST5 isolates harbored *ermC*. Additionally, tetracycline resistance genes were found exclusively in LA-MRSA ST5 isolates. Virulence factors harbored by the subsets were also different, with the majority (65/72, 90.3%) of clinical MRSA ST5 isolates harboring innate immune evasion genes within the β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage and none of the LA-MRSA ST5 isolates harboring these genes. This analysis revealed that MGE were not commonly shared between the two subsets of isolates. Discussion ========== Methicillin resistant *S. aureus* in livestock species was first identified in the 1970s ([@B8]); however, discovery of a high prevalence of MRSA ST398 in swine in 2005, and subsequently in other livestock, brought debate over its public health implications to the forefront ([@B50]). Previous studies investigating LA-MRSA ST398 demonstrated these isolates have adapted to livestock hosts. This was represented by the absence of human specific virulence factors, such as the β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage ([@B39]), and reduced adherence and transmission among humans ([@B16]; [@B49]). LA-MRSA ST9 isolates, similar to ST398, are thought to be livestock adapted, and clinical cases appear to be rare and attributed to animal contact ([@B5]). While the ST5 lineage in humans is globally distributed and successful in both the hospital and community settings ([@B36]), there are currently no reports of MRSA ST5 related disease occurring due to contact with livestock species; however, the genetic potential for swine isolates to adhere, invade, and cause disease in humans has not been investigated. Here, we examined the phylogenetic relatedness applying high resolution core genome SNP profiling strategies on MRSA ST5 isolates from swine associated sources and humans with no swine contact to determine if distinct subpopulations of ST5 isolates exist within different host populations, which may provide evidence of host adaption. Similar analyses have been conducted for the ST398 lineage, where researchers identified that the studied LA-MRSA ST398 isolates were within the same clade and that clade appeared to have evolved from an ancestral human methicillin susceptible *S. aureus* (MSSA) ST398 clade ([@B39]). In this study, isolates from humans with no swine contact clustered distinctly from swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates. All swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates were contained within Clade II, while all but one MRSA ST5 from humans with no swine contact belonged to Clade I. The MGE complement of this clinical MRSA ST5 isolate (UCSF14436) suggests that it is likely a CA-MRSA isolate. CA-MRSA isolates tend to be genetically distinct from HA-MRSA isolates ([@B46]), which may explain why UCSF14436 is found within the LA-MRSA clade. The separation of LA-MRSA ST5 isolates from clinical MRSA ST5 isolates based on their core genome relatedness supports our previous work, which indicated that swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates harbor different MGEs containing virulence and resistance genes than MRSA ST5 from humans with no swine contact ([@B25], [@B24]; [@B17]). The data reported here further demonstrate the phylogenetic distinction of isolates into different groups and may reflect the adaptation of LA-MRSA ST5 isolates to colonization of swine. This distinction is based on focusing on MGEs harboring virulence factors and/or AMR and not on the full complement of all MGEs. This focus was warranted to begin evaluating the potential of LA-MRSA ST5 isolates to serve as a source for human infections or as a source for MGEs harboring virulence factors or AMR based on the isolates included in this study. Furthermore, similar to LA-MRSA ST398, evaluation of known virulence genes provides evidence that swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 may be less capable of causing disease in humans (**Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}**) ([@B25]). The *dN*/*dS* ratio observed within the core genome of the isolates was 2.3, which could potentially indicate that these strains recently evolved or underwent initial stages of diversification ([@B4]). Our results indicate frequent introduction of MRSA ST5 onto swine farms is unlikely and dominant clones of MRSA ST5 circulated within each farm at the time of sampling. A high degree of genetic relatedness was identified among swine-associated isolates. As expected, the population of isolates found on individual farms were dominated by clonal populations. This indicates either a single introduction of LA-MRSA ST5 onto a farm or dominance of a single variant that precludes colonization with alternative isolates introduced by human caretakers. However, multiple *S. aureus* lineages and spa types often occur simultaneously on swine farms and in individual pigs ([@B32]), so the diversity of *S. aureus* in these animals may be underrepresented when looking specifically at MRSA ST5 isolates. This clonality was not present in isolates from humans with no swine contact, where genome plasticity was greater and individual isolates showed more diversity than that observed among LA-MRSA ST5 isolates. While the evidence here suggests the populations of LA-MRSA ST5 and MRSA ST5 from humans with no swine contact are distinct, the isolates used in this analysis were sourced from geographically separated regions to ensure the clinical isolates were from patients with no swine contact. This design was utilized to build a solid reference point for comparing MRSA ST5 isolates from clinical and agricultural sources; however, because of the unlikelihood of these populations mingling, the SNPs identified can be attributed to either the geographic separation or the host species of the isolates. Future studies are warranted that include clinical MRSA ST5 isolates obtained from the hospital and community setting in areas of dense swine production, enabling further elucidation of the potential of LA-MRSA ST5 isolates to serve as a source for human infections or as a source for MGEs harboring virulence factors or AMR. As evidenced in this study, WGS followed by high resolution SNP profiling is a powerful molecular genomic epidemiology approach to gain insights into the population structure of LA-, CA-, and HA-MRSA and can provide important phylogenetic indicators for strain attribution. Author Contributions ==================== SH, AA-G, BR, JH, PD, TF, ME, and TN conceived and designed the experiments, contributed reagents, materials, and analysis tools, and wrote the paper. SH, AA-G, and BR performed the experiments. SH, AA-G, BR, ME, and TN analyzed the data. All authors gave approval of the final version to be published and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work. Conflict of Interest Statement ============================== The authors acknowledge receiving funding from the National Pork Board, however, declare that the funding sources in no way impacted experimental design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, or the decision to publish. **Funding.** This research was conducted in part with funding from the National Pork Board and the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service. The authors would like to thank Dr. Susan Huang from the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine and Dr. Binh Diep from the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco for providing the clinical strains used in this study. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. This research was originally published as a component of the Ph.D. dissertation of SH ([@B17]) and is available online through Iowa State University's Digital Repository. <http://mira-assembler.sourceforge.net/docs/DefinitiveGuideToMIRA.html> <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/annotation_prok/> Supplementary Material ====================== The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02078/full#supplementary-material> ###### Maximum-likelihood (ML) SNP tree of ST5 MRSA isolates obtained by RAxML. A Maximum-likelihood SNP tree was constructed from the 764 SNPs identified from the comparison of 156 genomes, including 153 MRSA ST5 isolates, Mu3, ED98, and Mu50. ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Genome sequencing statistics and MGE composition for all isolates used in study. ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### General features linked to identified SNPs. ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Specific genomic features linked to identified SNPs. ###### Click here for additional data file. [^1]: Edited by: Eric Altermann, AgResearch, New Zealand [^2]: Reviewed by: Santiago Castillo Ramírez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico; Francisco Rodriguez-Valera, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Spain [^3]: This article was submitted to Evolutionary and Genomic Microbiology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Microbiology

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN NO. 03-11-00301-CV Appellants, Henry L. Zumwalt and H.L. Zumwalt Construction, Inc. // Cross-Appellant, The City of San Antonio, acting by and through its San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees v. Appellee, The City of San Antonio, acting by and through its San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees// Cross-Appellees, Henry L. Zumwalt and H.L. Zumwalt Construction, Inc. FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, 345TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT NO. D-1-GV-08-001195, HONORABLE JOHN K. DIETZ, JUDGE PRESIDING PER CURIAM O R D E R This interlocutory appeal challenges the trial court's grant of a plea to the jurisdiction that dismissed Henry L. Zumwalt and H.L. Zumwalt Construction, Inc.'s third-party claims against the San Antonio Water System in the underlying suit. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 51.014(a)(8) (West 2008). Trial court proceedings were automatically stayed. See id. § 51.014(b). Certain parties to the underlying litigation, the State of Texas, on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; Henry L. Zumwalt; H.L. Zumwalt Construction, Inc.; Oil Mop, L.L.C.; and Williams Fire and Hazard Control, Inc. filed an unopposed joint motion to lift the stay of trial court proceedings for the limited purpose of allowing the court to enter an agreed final judgment on a settlement between these parties and to sever them from the underlying suit. See Tex. R. App. P. 10.1(a), 29.5; Oryx Capital Int'l v. Sage Apartments, 167 S.W.3d 432, 438 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2005, no pet.) (noting that party should have requested that appellate court lift its stay to allow party's filing of nonsuit in trial court). We grant the joint motion to lift the stay of trial court proceedings for the limited purpose of allowing the trial court to enter an agreed final judgment and sever the settling parties from the underlying suit. It is ordered on November 29, 2011. Before Chief Justice Jones, Justices Puryear and Goodwin

package token import "fmt" // Pos describes an arbitrary source position // including the file, line, and column location. // A Position is valid if the line number is > 0. type Pos struct { Filename string // filename, if any Offset int // offset, starting at 0 Line int // line number, starting at 1 Column int // column number, starting at 1 (character count) } // IsValid returns true if the position is valid. func (p *Pos) IsValid() bool { return p.Line > 0 } // String returns a string in one of several forms: // // file:line:column valid position with file name // line:column valid position without file name // file invalid position with file name // - invalid position without file name func (p Pos) String() string { s := p.Filename if p.IsValid() { if s != "" { s += ":" } s += fmt.Sprintf("%d:%d", p.Line, p.Column) } if s == "" { s = "-" } return s } // Before reports whether the position p is before u. func (p Pos) Before(u Pos) bool { return u.Offset > p.Offset || u.Line > p.Line } // After reports whether the position p is after u. func (p Pos) After(u Pos) bool { return u.Offset < p.Offset || u.Line < p.Line }

Prenatal and postnatal development of synapses and acetylcholinesterase staining in the dentate gyrus of the rhesus monkey. Morphogenesis, distribution of cholinergic enzyme acetylcholinesterase and synaptogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the rhesus monkey during the pre- and postnatal periods of development were examined using histological, histochemical and ultrastructural methods. The pattern of neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus demonstrated distinct superficial-to-deep and lateral-to-medial gradients. The histochemical reaction for acetylcholinesterase was present on gestation day 120 as minimal staining in the supragranular band and in the inner one-third of the dentate molecular layer. At term, the laminar distribution of the enzyme assumed mature pattern although considerable enhancement in staining intensity was achieved postnatally. At term and at 9 months of postnatal age, the most pronounced enzyme activity was found in the supragranular band and in the inner one-third of the molecular layer. Synaptogenesis in the dentate molecular layer was characterized by the early formation of axo-dendritic contacts on dendritic trunks and branches followed by the appearance of synapses on simple and complex spines. Spines were detected infrequently on gestation day 132. On day 148, they ranged in morphology from short stubby protrusions to pedunculated, triangular processes. The majority of the spines exhibited flat postsynaptic surfaces. Complex, synapse-bearing U- and W-shaped spines were observed rarely at this age but appeared more frequently at term and at 15 months of postnatal age. However, at all ages, including 15 months postnatally, synapses on flat-surfaced simple spines predominated. Most synapses were of the asymmetric variety. With certain exceptions, these features of development of the rhesus dentate gyrus resemble the reported patterns of postnatal ontogenesis of this structure in the rat. However, the ingrowth of cholinergic afferents and the major modifications in synapse structure occur prenatally in the rhesus monkey during the second half of the gestation period. This temporal difference between the two species should receive consideration in the planning of neuroplasticity experiments designed to explore lesion-induced adaptations in afferent growth and synaptogenesis in the rhesus dentate gyrus.

Discover Kitty Pryde’s First Romance in X-MEN GOLD ANNUAL #2 This summer, Kitty Pryde will make the biggest romantic leap of her life – but what about Kitty’s first romantic adventure? Hugo and Nebula Award-winning writer Seanan McGuire (October Daye, Wayward Children series) and celebrated artist Marco Failla (Ms. Marvel, All-New Wolverine) are bringing you the Kitty before Colossus in X-MEN GOLD ANNUAL #2! “I am over the moon to be working with this amazing creative team and in this world that I have wanted to be a part of for most of my life,” shared McGuire. “Like so many of us, I started reading the X-Men before I was old enough to have been a student at Xavier’s Academy. Kitty Pryde was my hero for most of my childhood. She was smart, she was curious, she got to be an X-Man and go to space and have a dragon for a friend–she was basically everything I wanted to be.” “The thing about Kitty is that she was the only teenager on the team for a long time, and so she didn’t really get to do a lot of what we’d consider to be normal teenage things,” said McGuire. “Or maybe she did, and it just wasn’t the focus, since it wouldn’t involve the rest of the X-Men. This book is filling in one of those gaps. It’s part teen camp comedy, part heist, and part reminder that the X-Men aren’t the entire world, whether you’re a human, a mutant, or still too young to know.” Why has Kitty kept this early days story to herself until now? Find out in X-MEN GOLD ANNUAL #2, coming to comic shops this August! About the Author Richard Boom Richard is the driving force behind Comics for Sinners. His love and admiration for female comic book characters is virtually unparalleled, which immediately explains his biggest 'sin': his Hot Mummy fetish. This sketchbook theme is philogynistic in nature and even the source of his WIP comic book series "The Sisterhood". Comics for Sinners showcases the femmes fatales in comics through art, news and previews. That's right, we're here to spotlight the Bad Girls that put the 'pretty' in pretty pictures! Confess Thy Sin! Submit your favorite artwork or your story featuring gorgeous comics babes, cosplay photos or confessions to be featured on the site. Tell the WWWorld why you had a crush on Wonder Woman, why you dress up as Emma Frost, why you created thát specific comic, why you only play Tomb Raider, why you started reading Cavewoman or what your babe-infested monthly dose of comics entails… Send your confession to us at [email protected].

Results: Patients with ON had higher median plasma NfHSMI35 values than controls (0.17 versus 0.005 ng/ml; p < 0.05) and higher NOx values (49 versus 35.5μM; p < 0.001). Plasma NfHSMI35 values correlated inversely with visual acuity at presentation (R = −0.67; p = 0.01). NfHSMI35 was higher in patients with poor recovery of visual acuity than in those with good recovery (0.25 ng/ml versus 0.09 ng/ml; p < 0.05). Three of four patients with high NfHSMI35 and high NOx values experienced a poor recovery as opposed to only one of five with high NOx but normal NfHSMI35 values. Conclusions: NfHSMI35, a surrogate marker for axonal damage, is a prognostic indicator and should be considered in the design of neuroprotective treatment strategies. The “axonal death cascade”1 has been associated with nitric oxide (NO) mediated damage in vitro.2 However, the relation of axonal degeneration to NO release in vivo is not known. Acute optic neuritis provides a useful model because of the defined onset and the anatomically restricted area of neuronal damage.3,4 Increased concentrations of the NO metabolites (NOx) nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−) were found in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of patients with optic neuritis (ON).5,6 Axonal loss appears to be linked to the acquisition of a permanent deficit.2,7–12 However, the role of inflammation in demyelinating disease is less well defined, and there is accumulating evidence that immune mediated inflammation has neuroprotective properties.1,13 Our study aimed to investigate the relation between the loss and recovery of optic nerve function with surrogate markers of inflammation (citrulline and the NO metabolites NO2− and NO3−)2,14–16 and for axonal injury (neurofilaments17) in patients with acute optic neuritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute unilateral ON (n = 18) and age matched healthy controls (n = 14) were investigated in this prospective study (table 1). Inclusion criteria for patients with ON were: progressive loss of vision over a few days, decreased visual acuity (VA; Snellen chart), decreased colour vision (Ishihara colour plates), and relative afferent pupillary defect.3 Because VA was severely affected in most cases, the visual fields were usually assessed by confrontation. Because this is not a quantitative method, this precluded the use of perimetry in the quantitative assessment. Exclusion criteria were: any other macular or retinal pathology, contemporaneous symptoms suggestive of demyelination elsewhere, or lack of spontaneous recovery. Our study was approved by the local ethics committee. Recovery of VA and colour vision was assessed at each visit and once recovery stabilised no further follow up was arranged. The last recorded VA was taken as the final outcome. Brain and optic nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using a 1.5 Tesla system (Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany) and consisted of axial T1 and T2 weighted spin echo MRI.3,5 Plasma was taken at the first visit and concentrations of the phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (NfHSMI35), NOx, and citrulline were measured as described previously.14,16,17 Data analysis was performed using SAS. Because of non-Gaussian data distribution the medians and interquartile ranges are shown. All correlations were studied using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Differences between groups were compared using the two sided Wilcoxon two sample test. Significances based on small numbers were checked on a categorical level using the two sided Fischer’s exact test. Trend analysis was carried out using the Mantel-Haenzel χ2 test. A 5% level of significance was used throughout. RESULTS The diagnosis of ON was confirmed in all 18 patients during follow up. However, in four patients the blood sample was taken over four weeks after onset of symptoms. Therefore, these patients were excluded from our analysis. The remaining 14 patients presented with a median time from onset of two weeks (table 1). At presentation, 10 of 14 of the patients had a VA of less then 0.33 (6/18, 20/60 Snellen equivalent). In total, 13 of 14 patients showed sustained improvement of their VA during follow up. A minor degree of optic atrophy was seen in four of nine patients whose VA recovered to over 0.33 (6/18). Optic nerve atrophy was more severe in those five of the patients who did not recover their VA above 0.33. Plasma concentrations of NfHSMI35 (fig 1 A) and NOx (fig 1B) were significantly higher in patients with ON than in controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). No such difference was found for citrulline (table 1). There was a negative correlation between NfHSMI35 and VA at the time of first presentation (R = −0.67; p = 0.01; fig 1C). One outlier with NfHSMI35 values of 0.65 ng/ml was seen. This 48 old male patient presented with a right ON, VA was reduced to hand movement (6/60, 20/200 Snellen equivalent), colour vision to 0/17, and there was a right relative afferent pupillary deficit. This patient had suffered from an episode of myelitis two years previously. In the absence of clinical signs of myelitis, no spinal MRI was performed. After the removal of this patient from our study the correlation between NfHSMI35 and VA remained significant (R = −0.60; p < 0.05), but the slope of the linear regression decreased from −0.22 to −0.145. No correlation between VA and either NOx or citrulline was found at presentation. There was no correlation between NfHSMI35, NOx, or citrulline and age or time from onset; in addition, there were no sex differences. Plasma NfHSMI35 concentrations at presentation were significantly higher (mean, 0.25 ng/ml) in the patients with poor recovery of visual function (0.33; 6/18, 20/60 Snellen equivalent) when compared with those whose VA recovered to above 0.33 (mean, 0.09 ng/ml; p⩽0.05). The difference remained significant when comparing proportions of patients with NfHSMI35 values above the cut off value (fig 1A; p = 0.015; two sided Fisher’s exact test). There were no differences in NOx values at presentation between those with good versus poor visual recovery at follow up (54.2 versus 44.6μM; p = 0.1). The combined association between raised NOx and NfHSMI35 concentrations and recovery of visual function was investigated by comparing proportions of patients with high values (raised above the top value of the control group; NfHSMI35, > 0.17 ng/ml; NOx, > 43.8μM). There was a significant trend for increased proportion of patients experiencing a poor recovery (Mantel-Haenzel χ2 = 4.6; p < 0.05) across the following categories: NfHSMI35 normal and NOx normal (none of three, 0% poor recovery), NfHSMI35 normal and NOx high (one of five, 20% poor recovery), NfHSMI35 high and NOx normal (one of two, 50% poor recovery), NfHSMI35 high and NOx high (three of four, 75% poor recovery). MRI results were available in 10 of 14 patients; six had an isolated ON lesion (mean NfHSMI35, 0.12 ng/ml; mean NOx, 40.7μM), as opposed to four with disseminated brain lesions (mean NfHSMI35, 0.17 ng/ml; mean NOx, 52.9μM). Although NfHSMI35 and NOx seemed to be marginally higher in patients with disseminated brain lesions this did not reach significance. DISCUSSION Ours is the first study to measure biomarkers for axonal injury (NfHSMI35) and inflammation (NOx, citrulline) in the plasma of patients with acute ON. The main findings were that NfHSMI35 concentrations were higher in patients with ON than in controls, they were inversely correlated with VA at presentation, and they were of prognostic relevance. This suggests the presence of axonal damage in the acute phase. The results are in line with clinical, MRI, and electrophysiological evidence of optic nerve fibre loss following a single episode of ON and insidiously in multiple sclerosis (MS).18–20 Recovery of the VA to > 6/18 (20/60) was achieved by fewer patients (36%) than recovery of the VA to > 20/50 (88%) in the optic neuritis treatment trial after five years of follow up.4 Bradley and Whitty (1967) found that recovery of VA to > 20/30 was achieved by 50% of patients after one month and 75% after six months.21 The results of our present study may relate to the small sample size and the relatively short period of follow up (25–189 days). Recovery of VA in MS related ON has been attributed to resolution of the conduction block caused by acute inflammation.19,20 NO mediated conduction block also seems to be the initial mechanism in in vitro studies.2,22,23 Our present study and one other study5 failed to show a significant relation between serum NOx values and outcome. In addition, NOx and NfHSMI35 did not correlate with MRI parameters, but this could be a result of the small study population. The almost 30–40% higher values, if true, might indicate that demyelinating activity elsewhere is contributing to the worse outcome. Citrulline is thought to be another marker of NO mediated inflammation, but it did not correlate with NOx and no differences were seen between patients with ON and controls. This finding is in keeping with one study comparing cerebrospinal fluid and serum citrulline concentrations between patients with Lewy body dementia and healthy controls.18 We agree with these authors that citrulline is not a good surrogate marker for NO metabolism because it is also a substrate for enzymes other than inducible nitrogen oxide synthetase. In MS, it appears that inflammatory markers are predominately related to disease activity and the MRI lesion load but not to outcome.5,24 In addition, epidemiological data suggest that inflammation in MS has only a limited effect on the course of neurodegeneration.25 In placebo controlled trials and clinical experience with ON, anti-inflammatory treatment with steroids does not influence outcome in most cases.3 The destructive and neuroprotective aspects of inflammation have stimulated a controversial discussion.1,5,13,25–27 Therefore, it is interesting that in this small group, four of five of the patients with raised NOx concentrations but normal NfHSMI35 values made a good recovery. This finding highlights the potential for selection bias in treatment trials for neuroprotective drugs by inclusion of those patients with evidence of inflammation only. Taken together, these findings support the concept that sustained loss of optic nerve function relates to axonal degeneration and that NO might contribute, at least in part, to the “axonal death cascade”.1,2,7–9 Footnotes Competing interests: none declared Request Permissions If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Diagnostic outcomes associated with ankle synovitis in early inflammatory arthritis: a cohort study. To examine the diagnostic outcomes associated with clinical ankle synovitis in an early inflammatory arthritis cohort. Data from the Birmingham early inflammatory arthritis cohort (BEACON) were used to obtain information about baseline disease and demographic variables and diagnostic outcomes at 18 month follow-up. The prevalence of clinical ankle synovitis (defined as joint swelling on examination) was calculated. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to estimate whether clinical ankle synovitis at baseline predicts diagnostic outcomes independent of age, sex, baseline 66-joint swollen joint count, and presence of either rheumatoid factor (RF) or anti-CCP antibody. 324 patients (52% women) were included. 103 had clinical ankle synovitis at the first clinic visit. Patients with bilateral ankle synovitis were more likely to be classified as having acute sarcoid arthritis (aRR (95%CI) 10.15 (1.13-90.89)). Among patients presenting with oligoarthritis and seronegative for RF and anti-CCP antibodies those with ankle synovitis were significantly more likely to be classified as having seronegative spondyloarthritis (RR (95%CI) 6.15 (1.58-23.88) and unclassified arthritis (RR (95%CI) 4.07 (1.05-15.81)) than RA. Current predictive algorithms for patients with early arthritis focus on the prediction of RA or persistent arthritis. This alternative approach focused on a specific joint shows that baseline ankle synovitis predicts specific diagnostic outcomes besides RA. Future work should address the development of models to predict the totality of potential outcomes based on clinical phenotype and the results of routinely available investigations and clinical data.

I would like to start this post with saying, ” It was a dirty job but somebody’s gotta do it.” This wasn’t an easy task but with a little trifle comes much prevail. The hardest part was finding the oyster and wish bone hidden within the chicken. I pushed through steadily until grasping the outer edge of the wish bone. It was like a game of tug-of- war but fortunately…I won. The oyster however, was camouflaged incredibly so. We sectioned the different parts of the chicken and roasted the chicken legs for 15-20 minutes until Al Dente’. Then we diced it for our Chicken salad sandwiches. It was challenging but I had fun doing it.

This invention relates to a microtome for continuously cutting thin sections of specimens for electronmicroscopic examination. More particularly, it relates to a microtome employing electromagnetic means for the control of specimen cutting. In a conventional microtome as illustrated in FIG. 1, a schematic front view of a conventional microtome, one end 4a of a lever 4 is fitted through a hinge 3 to a lever support 2 on a base 1. To the other end 4b of the lever 4 is attached a specimen holder 7 that holds a specimen 7a opposite to a knife 6 mounted on an inching stand 5. The specimen 7a is shown as being cut by moving up and down the lever 4 by means of a cord 9 having one end connected to a pulley 8 adapted to be reciprocatingly turned through a desired angle as indicated by the arrow, and having another end connected to lever 4 between hinge 3 and specimen holder 7. In continuous cutting, the second and subsequent thin sections of the specimen 7a have been obtained by similarly operating the pulley 8 after sliding the inching stand 5 little toward the specimen 7a or thermally expanding the lever 4 by energizing an electric heater 10 wound therearound. In such a known microtome, only the apparent cutting speed is controlled by externally regulating the motion of the lever 4 by its own weight. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately control the speed with which the specimen 7a is cut. Further, external vibrations add to the motion of the lever 4 because only one end thereof is cantilevered by the hinge 3. It has consequently been difficult to stably obtain continuously cut thin sections of the specimen 7a. This invention is intended for solving the aforementioned problems. The object of this invention is to provide such a microtome as permits accurate control of the specimen cutting speed irrespective of its posture, stable production of continuously cut thin sections of specimen, and realization of an automated specimen cutting cycle, by use of electromagnetic means for the control of specimen cutting.

Nintendo's next console, the Wii U, has got us excited. It combines the best parts of the Wii with the graphical power of the other consoles and throws in the most insanest, ridiculously awesome controller we've ever played for good measure. But I'm sure you guys have questions. Here's what we know about the Wii U so…

Biomembrane affinity chromatographic analysis of nitrobenzylthioinosine binding to the reconstituted human red cell nucleoside transporter. Solute interactions with membrane proteins can be analyzed by biomembrane affinity chromatography (BAC), previously applied to the human red cell glucose transporter. As a novel example, frontal BAC analysis of interactions between the nucleoside transport inhibitor nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBTI) and immobilized reconstituted nucleoside and glucose transporters from human red cells revealed two binding sites, presumably corresponding to the two transporters. The affinities and amounts of sites were determined by use of a double rectangular hyperbolic equation. The Kd value for NBTI binding to the nucleoside transporter in egg phospholipid proteoliposomes was 0.38 +/- 0.08 nM (22 degrees C, I = 0.16, pH 7.4), lower than previously reported for reconstituted systems. The molar ratio between the amounts of nucleoside transporter sites for NBTI and glucose transporter sites for cytochalasin B was 4.5 +/- 0.6%.

Green and ecofriendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles: Characterization, biocompatibility studies and gel formulation for treatment of infections in burns. The current study summarizes a unique green process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by simple treatment of silver nitrate with aqueous extract of Ammania baccifera. Phytosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by various advanced analytical methods and studied for its use against infections associated with burns. Formation of AgNPs was observed by visual color change from colorless to dark brown and confirmed by UV-visible characteristic peak at 436 nm. Zeta potential, particle size and polydispersity index of nano-silver were found to be -33.1 ± 1.12, 112.6 ± 6.8 nm and 0.3 ± 0.06 respectively. XRD spectra revealed crystalline nature of AgNPs whereas TEM confirmed the presence of mixed morphology of AgNPs. The overall approach designated in the present research investigation for the synthesis of AgNPs is based on all 12 principles of green chemistry, in which no man-made chemical other than the silver nitrate was used. Synthesized nano-silver colloidal dispersion was initially tested for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against a panel of organisms involved in infections associated with burns (Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA)). MIC and MBC were found to be in range of 0.992 to 7.93 and 7.93 to 31.75 μg/mL respectively. MBC was used for formulation of AgNP gel and tested for its efficacy using agar well diffusion method against PA, SA and MRSA. Comparative bactericidal efficacy of formulated gel (0.03% w/w) and marked formulation Silverex™ ionic (silver nitrate gel 0.2% w/w) showed equal zone of inhibition against all pathogenic bacteria. Formulated AgNP gel consisting of 95% lesser concentration of silver compared to marketed formulation was found to be equally effective against all organisms. Hence, the formulated AgNP gel could serve as a better alternative with least toxicity towards the treatment presently available for infections in burns.

Q: iOS Swift get JSON data into tableView I have a JSON Data which I want to get into UITable. The data is dynamic so table should update every time view loads. Can anyone help? { data = ( { id = 102076330; name = "Vicky Arora"; } ) } A: try this.... When you receive response,get the whole array of dictionary if let arr = response["data"] as? [[String:String]] { YourArray = arr // Define YourArray globally } Then in tableview cell,cellForRowAtIndexPath method if let name = YourArray[indexpath.row]["name"] as? String{ label.text = name } //Same You can done with id And don't forget to set number of rows override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int { // #warning Incomplete method implementation. // Return the number of rows in the section. return YourArray.count }

What’s been said about day off for FDWs Over the years, TWC2 has collected some figures relating to the issue of a weekly day off for domestic workers. — Sunday Times, 28/7/2002: ‘Most foreign maids happy working here’ Dawn Wong and Lee Hui Chieh “More than half Filipinas interviewed had every Sunday off, and a handful, public holidays as well. Again, this was in marked contrast to what the Indonesians get. Almost half of them were allowed to take a day off only once a month. Also, slightly more than a quarter of them had no day off at all, working even on festive occasions such as Hari Raya” (Based on a survey of 100 workers) — Sunday Times, 28/12/2003: ‘Maid abuse not rampant here: Survey’ Arlina Arshad “Maids here work long hours. Most are up by 6am and finish work between 9pm and 11pm, although about seven in 10 are able to take breaks during the day. Only half get days off, and usually only once a month.” (Based on research carried out by Singapore Press Holdings’ research arm. Poll of 284 domestic workers carried out between November 24th and December 14th 2003) The report listed ‘Ten Main Problems Faced by Migrant Domestic Workers in Employment’ in section 3.2. The first problem was ‘No holidays’, a complaint raised by 80 per cent of the workers interviewed. The survey was based on interviews with 120 women who had been employed as domestic workers in Singapore. (Working Forum for Justice of Migrant Domestic Workers (FOKER)- Working Team on Information and Documentation, Institute for Ecosoc Rights, 2005.) — Lianhe Zaobao, August 2, 2006: ‘When there is mutual communication and understanding with the employer, domestic workers can still get resting time without a day off’ Loo Li San and Zheng Li Rong “The Feedback Unit has surveyed 526 foreign domestic workers to understand their working condition and their relationship with their employers. The results showed that 55% of domestic workers did not get a day off at all while 28% had one day off a month. Only a very small minority of domestic workers enjoyed definite time off every week. 7% had 2 days off a month and 6% had a weekly day off. On the surface, some domestic workers have “no days off in a year”, but the reality is if they are able to communicate with their employers, even if they do not have a fixed day off, they still have time to take a good rest.” (The Feedback Unit was a government body. It surveyed 526 Indonesian, Filipina and Indian domestic workers) The MOM’s 2010 survey showed that slightly over half of all foreign domestic workers in Singapore already enjoy at least one day off a month. (MOM reviewing call for weekly rest day for maids (21 Jun 2011) — Headline, Straits Times, June 25, 2011 Only 12% of maids in S’pore get a weekly day off: Survey — First Key Recommendation, Made to Work: Attitudes towards Granting Regular Days off to Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore’, The Singapore National Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, Transient Workers Count Too, 2011: ‘As an immediate first step, a weekly day off for domestic workers should be made mandatory in Singapore. To address the concern that a mandatory weekly day off could deny domestic workers the opportunity to earn extra through overtime work, we recommend legislating fair terms of compensation on par with the benchmarks made in the Employment Act for other workers. The compensation must be equivalent to a day’s wage should it be the choice of the domestic worker to work on the day off and it must be double her daily wage should the employer request the worker to work on the day off.’ TWC2 is an organization that is dedicated to assisting low-wage migrant workers when they are in difficulty. We are motivated by a sense of fairness and humanity, though our caseload often exceeds our means.

Q: Why is there a separate message for WM_ERASEBKGND I've never quite understood why erasing the background has a separate windows message. I looks a bit redundant to me. When I've created owner-drawn buttons, I've always ended up erasing the background from inside WM_PAINT. I have sometimes even done all the painting from inside WM_ERASEBKGND and left WM_PAINT empty. Both seem to work fine. Is there any advantage to separating the painting into 2 operations? A: This is entirely guesses: Back in the olden days, filling a rectangle with colour was a relatively slow operation. But filling one big rectangle was still a lot quicker than filling lots of little rectangles. I guess that if you had a window with a child window, and both had the same registered background brush, then Windows was smart enough to realise it didn't need to send a WM_ERASEBKGND to the child when it had already cleared the parent. With a moderately complex dialog box on a very slow PC, this might be a significant improvement.

High homocysteine and low folate concentrations in acute aortic dissection. Biomarkers for monitoring progression and prognosis of thoracic aneurysm are of great interest. Homocysteine (Hcy) induces elastolysis in arterial media and may directly affect fibrillin-1 or collagen whereas lipoprotein (Lp) (a) inhibits elastolysis by reducing activation of matrix metallopeptidase-9. We studied 31 consecutive patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) admitted for emergency surgery (group I, 60 ± 13 years old, 25 men), 30 consecutive patients with chronic aneurysms of the ascending aorta (group II, 67 ± 12 years old, 24 men) and 20 healthy controls (group III, 58 ± 15 years old, 14 men). We evaluated Hcy, folate, B12, Lp(a) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism at baseline. Hcy, folate and B12 differed significantly among the 3 studied groups (P=0.016, P=0.004 and P=0.001, respectively). The levels of Hcy and B12 were significantly higher in group I compared to both groups II and III (P=0.05 and P=0.002, P<0.001 and P=0.017, respectively) and without significant differences between groups II and III (P=0.083 and P=0.124). Folate was significantly lower in group I compared to both groups II and III (P=0.001 and P=0.006, respectively) and without marked difference between groups II and III (P=0.409). No significant difference was found in serum levels of Lp (a) (P=0.074) or among the frequency of MTHFR C677T genotypes. Patients with AAD present with higher Hcy and lower folate compared to both chronic aneurysms and controls.

1. Technical Field This invention relates generally to public key cryptography, digital signatures and public key infrastructure (PKI). More specifically, it relates to the generation and use of records and digital receipts for transactions. 2. Background Art As a result of the increasing popularity and acceptance of the computer and the Internet and other forms of networked communications, electronic transactions and documents are increasing in number and significance. For example, the volume of consumer purchases, business to business commerce, and stock trading and other forms of investing which occur over the Internet and/or wireless networks is steadily increasing, as are other forms of online commerce. In addition, the number of documents which are generated or available electronically and the number of documents which exist only in electronic form (e.g., the paperless office) are also steadily increasing. The increasing number of electronic transactions and documents leads to a corresponding need for reliable methods for making records of these transactions and documents. For example, when a consumer purchases an item over the Internet using his credit card, it is desirable to make a reliable, non-disputable record of the purchase. If two corporations electronically “sign” a contract, it is desirable to record both the act of signing and the contents of the contract. In the paperless office, it is desirable to “digitally notarize” certain documents, thus ensuring that their existence at a specific time can be proved at a later date. One approach to the records problem makes use of cryptography. The characteristics of pubic key cryptography in particular may be used in various ways to make strong records of transactions. For example, in the consumer Internet example, a consumer with a digital certificate might create a digital signature of his order including the credit card number, thus creating a record of the purchase. In the contract example, the two corporations might similarly create a two-party digital signature of the contract, each corporation using its digital certificate. In the digital notary example, a third party (i.e., the notary) might witness the document by affixing a time stamp and a digital signature to the document. However, in order to gain widespread acceptance, these approaches should be intuitive and easy to use. One problem with past attempts to create an infrastructure of transaction records is that they were too cumbersome and difficult to use. For example, in many approaches, a digital signature is generated to witness a transaction and these digital signatures are stored in case there is a future need for them. However, digital signatures are unintelligible to humans. Thus, in order to find the correct digital signature for a specific case, the digital signatures must be securely stored with a description of the transaction. Once the correct digital signature is located, further processing is required to make the contents of the digital signature useful to humans. These functions are often performed by separate pieces of software. For example, database software may be used to store the digital signatures and their corresponding software in a large central database. Browser plug-in software may be used to process the correct digital signature once it is located. However, this approach may be both cumbersome and non-intuitive. The central database requires access to the database in order to locate the correct records. Thus, it is difficult for one entity to send a copy of the record of the transaction to another entity, particularly if either entity does not have access to the database at the time. A similar problem occurs if an entity does not have the correct browser plug-in or does not know how to use the plug-in. Thus, there is a need for simple and intuitive approaches to making and using records of transactions and documents. There is a further need for approaches which allow these records to be easily moved around without compromising their integrity.

Q: how to compress more jquery file? is there any way to compress more jquery base file? what i have is about 56K and i need a more light file because of dial-up speed(56k). A: You can also check the The JavaScript CompressorRater and see how different tools will compress jQuery. The rule of thumb however is to enable GZIP compression for browsers that support it. A: jquery 1.4 compressed with JSMin is close to 56K. packer by dean edwards generally gives a little better compression but would take longer to decompress on client side. you can compare both at jscompress haven't seen jquery compressed with closure being used anywhere. Personally I'd go with JSMin and serve with gzip compression. That brings it down to ~23K

Q: Messagebox comes up twice and emptying textbox with backspace gives error Thanks for your time on reading this. My problem is that if i use texbox.Clear(); that the messagebox shows 2 times. Here is my code: private void textBox3_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e) { int val = 0; bool res = Int32.TryParse(textBox3.Text, out val); if (res == true && val > -1 && val < 101) { // add record } else { textBox3.Clear(); MessageBox.Show("Please input 0 to 100 only."); return; } } AND if i use this: if (textBox3.Text == "") { MessageBox.Show("Vul aub iets in", "Lege invoer", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning); } Then I will get a System.FormatException error for using this straal = int.Parse(textBox3.Text); ALSO When I am in the textbox and I enter a number and enter backspace the alert comes up. A: Your problem is textBox3.Clear(). If there is text it is firing the TextChanged event again. I would suggest, you use the Validate event instead of the TextChanged event. This way you don't check the value until the user exits the textbox and changing the value in the event handler, won't fire the event again *Correction - I should have said "Validating event". Assuming you know how to assign an event handler to a specific event, you can use the same code with some small changes. Something like this should work: private void textBox3_Validating(object sender, CancelEventArgs e) { int val = 0; bool res = Int32.TryParse(textBox3.Text, out val); if (res == true && val > -1 && val < 101) { // add record e.Cancel = false; } else { textBox3.Clear(); e.Cancel = true; MessageBox.Show("Please input 0 to 100 only."); } } If you need help assigning the event handler, you can easily assign the handler and create a code stub, by finding the proper event in the events list, in the property grid, and double-clicking it. Simply copy the contents of this method into the new one. It looks like you're modifying the generated code directly. This is not a good idea. Use the method I described above to add the new event handler. To delete the existing one, erase the method name saved with that event in the events list, then delete the code itself if necessary. To get rid of the extra firings of the event handler, reset the textbox to a default acceptable value(textBox3.Text = "0"), instead of clearing it. On a side note. Have you considered using a NumericUpDown control instead?

Q: FileInfo.MoveTo generating error in C#.Net script in SSIS package I have a C#.Net script that moves a file to a directory and adds an increment to the file name if the file already exists. It works perfectly in one of my packages, but I copied it for another package and it fails with the following error message: DTS SCript Task has encounter an exception in user code: Project name: ST_<blablabla> Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target,Object[] arguments,Signature si, Boolean constructor) at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object[] paramters, Object[] arguments) at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) at System.RuntimeType.InvokeMember(String name, BindingsFlags bindingFlags, Binder binder, Object target, Object[] providedArgs, ParameterModifier[] modifiers, CultureInfo culture, String[] namedParams) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.VSTATaskScriptingEngine ExecuteScript() Here's the actual code: public void Main() { // TODO: Add your code here string fileName = Dts.Variables["LoopFiles"].Value.ToString(); System.IO.FileInfo file2 = new System.IO.FileInfo(Dts.Variables["FolderPath"].Value + fileName); int count = 1; string fullPath =Dts.Variables["FolderPath"].Value.ToString() + Dts.Variables["LoopFiles"].Value.ToString(); string fileNameOnly = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fullPath); string extension = Path.GetExtension(fullPath); string path = Path.GetDirectoryName(fullPath); string newFullPath = fullPath; while (File.Exists(newFullPath)) { string tempFileName = string.Format("{0}({1})", fileNameOnly, count++); newFullPath = Path.Combine(path, tempFileName + extension); } DialogResult button3 = MessageBox.Show(file2.ToString()); file2.MoveTo(newFullPath); DialogResult button5 = MessageBox.Show("Last Step"); Dts.TaskResult = (int)ScriptResults.Success; } As a note, button3 pops up as it should in the routine at runtime, but the error comes up before button5 displays. Any information as to why this is being difficult would help considerably. Thanks! A: So we have to see exception - rewrite code to catch it: try{ file2.MoveTo(newFullPath); DialogResult button5 = MessageBox.Show("Last Step"); }catch(Exception ex){ DialogResult button6 = MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString()); } and i think that it's bad idea to use MessageBoxes at all - it's much better to use console applications and write messages to StdOut

Punic language The Punic language, also called Canaanite or Phoenicio-Punic, is an extinct variety of the Phoenician language, a Canaanite language of the Semitic family. It was spoken in Northwest Africa and several Mediterranean islands by the Punic people throughout Classical antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 6th century AD. History The Punics stayed in contact with Phoenicia until the destruction of Carthage by the Roman Republic in 146 BC. At first, there was not much difference between Phoenician and Punic, but as time went on Punic began to become influenced less by Phoenicia and more by the Berber languages spoken in and around Carthage by the ancient Libyans. The term Neo-Punic is used in two senses: One pertaining to the Phoenician alphabet and the other to the language itself. In the present context, Neo-Punic refers to the dialect of Punic spoken after the fall of Carthage and after the Roman conquest of the former Punic territories in 146 BC. The dialect differed from the earlier Punic language, as is evident from divergent spelling compared to earlier Punic and by the use of non-Semitic names, mostly of Libyco-Berber origin. The difference was due to the dialectal changes that Punic underwent as it spread among the North-African peoples. Neo-Punic works include Lepcis Magna N 19 (92 AD). By around the fourth century AD, Punic was still spoken in what is now Tunisia, other parts of Northwest Africa, and the Mediterranean. The Neo-Punic alphabet also descended from the Punic language. By around 400, the first meaning of Punic was used mainly for monumental inscriptions, replaced by the cursive Neo-Punic alphabet elsewhere. Examples of Punic literary works cover the topic of Mago, a Punic general with great notoriety, who spread Carthage's influence as much through writing books as he did fighting. Mago wrote 28 volumes about animal husbandry. The Roman Senate appreciated the works so much that after taking Carthage, they presented them to Berber princes who owned libraries there. Mago's work was translated into Greek by Cassius Dionysius of Utica. The Latin version was probably translated from the Greek version. Further examples of Punic works of literature include the works of Hanno the Navigator, who wrote about his encounters during his naval voyages around Africa and about the settling of new colonies. A third version of Punic would be Latino-Punic, a Punic written in the Latin alphabet, but all of the spellings favoured the Northwest African pronunciation. Latino-Punic was spoken until the 3rd and the 4th centuries and was recorded in seventy recovered texts. The surprising survival of Punic under Roman rule was because the people speaking it did not have much contact with Rome, and so did not need to learn Latin. Latino-Punic texts include the 1st-century Zliten LP1, or the second-century Lepcis Magna LP1. They were even written as late as the 4th century, Bir ed-Dreder LP2. Classical sources such as Strabo (63/4 BC – AD 24), mention the Phoenician conquest of Libya. There is evidence that every form of Punic changed after 146 BC according to Sallust (86 – 34 BC), who claims Punic was "altered by their intermarriages with the Numidians". That account agrees with other evidence found to suggest a North-African influence on Punic, such as Libyco-Berber names in the Onomasticon of Eusebius. The last known testimony reporting Punic as a living language is that of Augustine of Hippo (d. 430). Today there are a number of common Berber roots that descend from Punic, including the word for "learn" (*almid, *yulmad; compare Hebrew למד). Description Punic is known from inscriptions (most of them religious formulae) and personal name evidence. The play Poenulus by Plautus contains a few lines of vernacular Punic which have been subject to some research because unlike inscriptions, they largely preserve the vowels. Augustine of Hippo is generally considered the last major ancient writer to have some knowledge of Punic and is considered the "primary source on the survival of [late] Punic". According to him, Punic was still spoken in his region (Northern Africa) in the 5th century, centuries after the fall of Carthage, and there were still people who called themselves "chanani" (Canaanite: Carthaginian) at that time. He wrote around 401: Besides Augustine, the only proof of Punic-speaking communities at such a late period is a series of trilingual funerary texts found in the Christian catacombs of Sirte, Libya: the gravestones are carved in Ancient Greek, Latin and Punic. It may have even survived the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, as the geographer al-Bakri describes a people speaking a language that was not Berber, Latin or Coptic in Sirte, where spoken Punic survived well past written use. However, it is likely that Arabization of the Punics was facilitated by their language belonging to the same group (both were Semitic languages) as that of the conquerors and so they had many grammatical and lexical similarities. The idea that Punic was the origin of Maltese was first raised in 1565. Modern linguistics has proved that Maltese is in fact derived from Arabic, probably Siculo-Arabic specifically, with a large number of loanwords from Italian. However, Punic was indeed spoken on the island of Malta at some point in its history, as evidenced by both the Cippi of Melqart, which is integral to the decipherment of Punic after its extinction, and other inscriptions that were found on the islands. Punic itself, being Canaanite, was more similar to Modern Hebrew than to Arabic. Like its Phoenician parent, Punic was written from right to left, in horizontal lines, without vowels. Phonology Punic has 22 consonants. Examples Act V of Poenulus opens with Hanno speaking in Punic, his native language. The language of the next few lines (italicized) is uncertain but is believed to be Hebrew or "Lybic" (likely a misspelling of Libyc, a reference to one of the Berber languages), if not Punic. Plautus then provides a Latin translation of the preceding lines: An English translation is as follows: I worship the gods and goddesses who preside over this city, that I may have come hither with good omen as to this business of mine, on which I have come; and, ye gods, lend me your aid, that you may permit me to find my daughters and the son of my cousin; those who were stolen away from me, and his son from my cousin. But here lived formerly my guest Antidamas. They say that he has done that which he was doomed to do. They say that his son Agorastocles lives here. To him am I carrying with me this token of hospitality. He has been pointed as living in this neighbourhood. I'll make enquiry of these who are coming hither out of doors. As a Latin transliteration, the text recorded necessarily departs from the original Punic speech. In addition, the "unknown" text differs in different manuscript sources, with the P ("Palatine") script showing some words being split out and some mis-interpretations. The "unknown" text used here is from the A (Ambrosian Palimpsest) family; both families have lost small chunks of text over time. Some efforts have been made to, among other things, fill in the redactions in the "unknown language" part and to properly split the morphemes. The close mirroring between lines 930-931a/940 and lines 937/947 (underlined above) appear to suggest that the "unknown language" text is also Punic. It is usually assumed that the more corrupted "unknown" form is earlier. Some punic phrases known in the text include: 930-931a/940: . The "z" () comes from an "esse" kept in the P version. "mucom" in 949 is also MQM. 937/947: . Same "esse". "duber" in 940-949: Semitic root DBR "read". "fel": Semitic root P'L "do". References Further reading Hoftijzer, Jacob, and Karel Jongeling. 1985. Dictionary of the north-west Semitic inscriptions. With appendices by R. C. Steiner, A. Mosak-Moshavi, and B. Porten. 2 vols. Handbuch der Orienatlistik, Erste Abteilung: Der Nahe und Mittlere Osten 2. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Jongeling, K. 2008. Handbook of Neo-Punic Inscriptions. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. Jongeling, K., and Robert M Kerr. 2005. Late Punic Epigraphy: An Introduction to the Study of Neo-Punic and Latino-Punic Inscriptions. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. Kerr, Robert M. 2010. Latino-Punic Epigraphy: A Descriptive Study of the Inscriptions. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. Krahmalkov, Charles. 1970. "Studies in Phoenician and Punic Grammar." Journal of Semitic Studies 15, no.2: 181–88. --. 2000. Phoenician-Punic dictionary. Studia Phoenicia 15. Leuven, Belgium: Peeters. --. 2001. A Phoenician-Punic grammar. Handbook of Oriental Studies: Section One, the Near East and the Middle East 54. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Schmitz, Philip C. "Phoenician-Punic Grammar and Lexicography in the New Millennium." Journal of the American Oriental Society 124, no. 3 (2004): 533-47. doi:10.2307/4132279. Segert, Stanislav. 1976. A Grammar of Phoenician and Punic. München: C.H. Beck. --. 2003. "Phoenician-punic: Grammar and dictionary." Archív Orientální 71. no. 4: 551–56. Tomback, Richard S. 1978. A comparative Semitic lexicon of the Phoenician and Punic languages. Missoula, MT: Scholars. External links Punic alphabet on Omniglot.com Phoenician fonts from unicode Category:Extinct languages of Africa Category:Extinct languages of Europe Category:Phoenician language Category:Canaanite languages Category:Carthage Category:Languages attested from the 8th century BC Category:Languages extinct in the 5th century Category:Languages of Sicily

Highlights Hop on our 1-hour Panoramic Night Tour of San Francisco See all the top Landmarks Enjoy the city's sights by night. Beginning at Fisherman's Wharf, our Night Tour of San Francisco climbs historic Nob Hill for a magnificent close up of Grace Cathedral. The tour then makes its way across the Bay Bridge to Treasure Island for picturesque views of the city skyline. Back in the city, the tour concludes along the Embarcadero for stunning views of the glittering lights on the Port of San Francisco. Live Guides Live English-speaking guides on all buses. Our entertaining and experienced English-speaking guides offer an exciting and educational commentary throughout the duration of your tour. Our San Francisco Sightseeing Routes One of the undeniable highlights of our San Francisco Bus Tour is the journey across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, with top-deck views across the bay. However, with its diverse neighborhoods, lively entertainment hub and bustling shopping district, there are so many other great areas of the Golden City to explore. Hop on with us to discover the best of San Francisco.

1. Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly to, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a facet phenomenon generated by a selective epitaxial growth (called SEG hereinafter) used in forming a Lightly Doped Drain (LDD) structure and an elevated source/drain structure of a semiconductor device is used, thus obtaining a junction region having a very shallow depth. 2. Description of the Prior Art As a semiconductor device is highly integrated, the depth of a device junction becomes also shallow. Thus, in order to shallow the depth of the junction region, a method of lowering the amount of the energy when ion injection process is applied, is used. However, this method has the following problems that it could not obtain a sufficient beam current upon ion injection and it will increase the possibility of channeling in a low ion injection energy etc. In order to solve these problems, a SEG method has been proposed, by which a gate electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate and then a silicon layer is selectively formed only on source and drain regions so as to increase the height of the source and drain regions. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a device for illustrating a method of manufacturing a conventional semiconductor device. First a semiconductor device 11 is thermally oxidized to form a gate oxide film 12. Then a conductive layer 13 for use in a gate electrode and a first insulating film 14 are sequentially formed on the entire structure. Thereafter, a portion in which the gate electrode will be formed is defined by photolithography process and etching process. Then the first insulating film 14 and the conductive layer 13 are sequentially removed to form a gate electrode. Next, a LDD region 16 is formed by means of ion injection process using a low concentration impurity. Then, after forming a second insulating film 15 on the entire structure a blanket etching is performed to form spacers on both sides of the gate electrode. Thereafter, in order to form an elevated source/drain structure, a SEG process is performed to form a SEG layer 17. Finally, a high concentration ion injection process is performed to form a junction region 18. In case of the method of forming a LDD structure of a semiconductor device as explained above as SEG process is performed after ion injection process for forming the LDD region 16 is performed, it could not solve the above mentioned problems that it could not obtain a sufficient beam current upon ion injection process and that it may increase the possibility of channeling in a low energy. Further, due to inherent SEG process, there are problems that a facet phenomenon (marked A) is occurred at the edge portion of the gate electrode and that the depth of junction is partially deepened (marked 13) at the place (marked A) where the facet phenomenon was occurred upon ion injection process for forming a subsequent junction regions 18. As the facet phenomenon occurs at the edge portion of the gate electrode, it is difficult to form a LDD structure in which the junction depth at the edge portion of the gate electrode is shallow and that at the other region of the gate electrode is deep.

Barbiturate end-capped non-fullerene acceptors for organic solar cells: tuning acceptor energetics to suppress geminate recombination losses. We report the synthesis of two barbiturate end-capped non-fullerene acceptors and demonstrate their efficient function in high voltage output organic solar cells. The acceptor with the lower LUMO level is shown to exhibit suppressed geminate recombination losses, resulting in enhanced photocurrent generation and higher overall device efficiency.

Dead or Alive has never been a series that focuses on, uh, the fundamentals, but that doesn't explain the baffling video that game developer Koei-Tecmo released this week comparing the PS3 and PS4 versions of Dead or Alive 5: Last Round.

529 F.Supp.2d 1342 (2007) Alexander Milligan SHARP, Plaintiff, v. CITY OF PALATKA, et al., Defendants. No. 3:06-cv-200-J-TEM. United States District Court, M.D. Florida, Jacksonville Division. December 20, 2007. *1343 John L. Key, II, Law Office of John Key, PA., Palatka, FL, for Plaintiff. Susan S. Erdelyi, Marks Gray, PA, Jacksonville, FL, for Defendants. ORDER THOMAS E. MORRIS, United States Magistrate Judge. This case is before the Court on Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment *1344 on Count II of Amended Complaint with Supportive Memorandum of Law (Doc. # 67), filed October 5, 2007 by Defendants Gary S. Getchell and James Griffith. Plaintiff filed a response in opposition to the sought relief (Doc. # 71) on October 23, 2007. The parties have each filed supplemental documents, such as affidavits and deposition testimony, in support of their respective positions (see, e.g., Docs. # 65, # 66, # 72). As will be discussed in more detail below, Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment shall be GRANTED. STATUS Plaintiff initiated this action with the filing of a complaint against the City of Palatka on March 2, 2006 (Doc. # 1, Complaint). Plaintiff sought damages and injunctive relief against the City of Palatka for violations of his freedom of speech and right of association under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and for violations of his rights under the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights contained in Section 112.532, Florida Statutes. Id. The City of Palatka moved to dismiss Plaintiffs claim asserted under Florida Statutes § 112.532 and that motion was granted on May 16, 2006 (Doc. # 7, Court Order). Thereafter, Plaintiff moved the Court for leave to file an amended complaint to state a claim for malicious prosecution against Palatka Chief of Police, Gary S. Getchell, and Assistant Chief of Police, James Griffith, in their individual capacities (see Doc. # 14, Motion to Amend). The Court ultimately granted the motion to amend (Doc. # 52). Defendants Getchell and Griffith now seek summary judgment in their favor on Count II of the Amended Complaint, which alleges the state common law tort of malicious prosecution against them (Doc. # 67, Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Count II of the Amended Complaint).[1] FACTS Plaintiff Sharp was employed with the Palatka Police Department (PPD) from 1991 until March 13, 2004, when Plaintiff tendered his resignation under what he characterized as "extreme duress." (Sharp Aff. [Doc. # 36-2] at ¶ 31). Plaintiff was last employed as a police officer in the capacity of sergeant, serving in the patrol, detective, administrative and other divisions. (Doc. # 53, Amended Complaint). Pertinent to the instant motion is the general knowledge that tensions existed between Plaintiff and non-party Lynn Hoffman, dating back to early 2002. (See Doc. # 24, Defendant's [First] Motion for Summary Judgment, pp. 6-7; Doc. # 67, Defendant's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, pp. 1-5). These tensions took the form of complaints filed with the PPD concerning Sharp and actual litigation wherein Sharp sued Hoffman. Id.; see also, Sharp Aff. at ¶¶ 10-18. Furthermore, tensions were generally known also to exist between Plaintiff Sharp and Chief of Police Gary S. Getchell dating back to 2001, when Getchell was appointed Chief. (Sharp Aff. at ¶¶ 4-9). However, the events leading up to the instant action occurred primarily between September 2003 and March 2004. (See generally Sharp Dep. [Doc. # 80-6] at 25; Sharp Aff. at ¶¶ 24-30; Cheatham Aff. [Doc. # 26-3]; Getchell Aff. [Doc. # 26-4] at ¶¶ 18-33). *1345 On September 15, 2003, Plaintiff Sharp received a complaint from Nancy Johnson, the girlfriend of Sharp's outside, business partner Russell Kohuth. Ms. Johnson, who reportedly owned the Palatka Forum at that point in time,[2] claimed someone was repetitively posting messages on the internet bulletin board that rendered the forum unuseable. (Cheatham Aff., Exh. B). Sharp had Cpl. Poole officially take the criminal complaint and forward it to Detective Cheatham for investigation. Id. Upon learning of the Johnson complaint, Assistant Chief James Griffith directed Sharp not to involve himself in the investigation. (Second Griffith Aff. [Doc. 26-13] at ¶ 7). However, on October 25, 2003, Sharp issued a supplemental' PPD report on the Johnson complaint, in which he reported that he and his business partner Russell Kohuth were also victims of the computer crime and in which Sharp implicated Lynn Hoffman as a criminal suspect. (See Cheatham Aff., Exh. B). On October 24, 2003, Russell Kohuth and attorney John Key met with city officials and accused Lynn Hoffman of committing computer crimes against them. (Bush Aff. [Doc. 26-2] at ¶ 9). City Manager Allen Bush was present at the meeting. Kohuth and Key told the officials that Hoffman was a suspect in a criminal matter under investigation by the PPD and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Id. After Kohuth and Key left the meeting, Chief Getchell was called in to discuss what transpired during the Kohuth/Key meeting. Id. Chief Getchell asked the officials enough questions to satisfy himself that Plaintiff Sharp may have revealed confidential information about the ongoing criminal investigation by the PPD and FDLE. (Getchell ME at ¶ 18). On December 19, 2003, Chief Getchell announced an opening in the PPD for the position of lieutenant. The posting for the lieutenant's position required qualified applicants to have, among other things, a college degree (see Doc. # 50, Exh. 16). Sharp aspired to obtain the promotion to lieutenant and submitted his request and resume. (Sharp Aff. at ¶ 25). Chief Getchell stated he was "bewildered" by Plaintiffs application that was submitted on January 8, 2004, because it indicated that Plaintiff had not yet received his college degree and Chief Getchell recalled from earlier paperwork that Plaintiff had received his college degree a few years earlier. Getchell questioned Plaintiff about the discrepancy, who, responded he had some additional tests to take to obtain his degree. (Getchell Aff. at ¶ 20). Plaintiff later submitted paperwork showing he earned his bachelor's degree in December 2003. Id. Also in mid-December 2003, Plaintiff told some of his fellow officers that he was thinking about running for Sheriff of Putnam County. (Sharp Dep. at 50-51). At least three other officers were present during this conversation, however, Chief Getchell was not among them. (Sharp Dep. at 51). Plaintiff testified that his intention to run for Sheriff was "common knowledge throughout the department." (Sharp Dep. at 110-111). Plaintiffs candidacy for Sheriff became official on January 7, 2004, when Plaintiff officially qualified to run. (Sharp Aff. ¶ 1). As to his campaign, Plaintiff believed that consolidation of the PPD and the Putnam County Sheriffs Office would provide "one centralized law enforcement agency for the entire county." (Sharp Aff. at ¶ 1). Plaintiff considered this idea "an integral part" of his candidacy. (Sharp Aff. at ¶ 1). *1346 On March 3,2004, Plaintiff was informed that an internal affairs investigation (hereafter "IA 1106") had been initiated regarding his conduct and possible violations of PPD policies. (Griffith Second Aff. [Doc. 26-13] at ¶ 10 and Exh. C). IA 1106 pertained to the possibility that in October 2003 Plaintiff had revealed information to individuals outside the police department about an ongoing criminal investigation, in violation of city policy. Id., see also Sharp Aff. at ¶ 26. The crux of this investigation initially centered around the confidential information relayed to the city officials by Kohuth and Key about the Johnson computer crime complaint that was being actively investigated at the time of the October 24, 2003 meeting. During the course of his investigation, Assistant Chief Griffith uncovered information concerning the origin of a certain email in the Johnson case that led Griffith to believe Plaintiff Sharp may have falsified information on a police report. (Second Griffith Aff. at ¶ 13; Miller Aff. [Doc. 66-3][3]). Also during the course of inquiry into IA 1106, Griffith discovered information that led to the commencement of two additional internal affairs investigations (hereafter "IA 1107" and "IA1108"). IA 1107 was initiated to determine whether Plaintiff had falsified documents by including inaccurate information about the status and date of his college degree. (Getchell Aff. at ¶ 20 and Exh's. K & P). IA 1108 was opened and centered around whether several months earlier Plaintiff had given false testimony in a deposition in a civil matter concerning Plaintiffs ownership in the Palatka Forum.[4] (Second Griffith Aff. at ¶ 14 and Exh. I). These three internal affairs investigations led to the charging affidavit ultimately filed with the State Attorney's Office concerning Plaintiff Sharp's possible criminal violations. (See generally Willis Aff. [Doc. # 66-2]; Third Griffith Aff. [Doc. # 66-4]). Prior to filing the Form 798, charging affidavit, Defendants Getchell and Griffith met with Assistant State Attorney Robin Strickler to discuss the instances wherein they (the Defendants) believed Plaintiff Alex Sharp had violated the law. (Strickler Dep. [Doc. # 65-2] at 6-11; Griffith Aff. [Doc. # 17-2]; Second Getchell Aff. [Doc. # 66-5]). Plaintiff claims that in retaliation.for his political speech, the PPD falsely accused him of a crime by Ming a complaint affidavit, falsely accused him of violations of City Police Department policies with initiation of internal investigations lacking in merit, demoted him without cause with the reassignment to the records section of the PPD on March 12, 2004, and ultimately forced him to resign. (See generally, Amended Complaint). Plaintiff also accuses Assistant Chief Griffith and Chief Getchell individually of malicious prosecution in violation of Florida, common law by filing the reportedly false complaint affidavit with the State Attorney's Office. Id. at ¶ 10. Defendants Getchell and Griffith deny the allegations and seek summary judgment in their favor on Count II of the amended complaint. STANDARD OF REVIEW Summary judgment is appropriate only when a court is satisfied "that there is no *1347 genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) (2007). The Court's task is not "to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The burden of establishing the absence of a genuine issue is on the moving party. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(e) states in relevant part: When a motion for summary judgment is properly made and supported, an opposing party may not rely merely on allegations or denials in its own pleading; rather its response must ___ by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule ___ set out specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. If the opposing party does not so respond, summary judgment should, if appropriate, be entered against that party. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e)(2) (2007). The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of demonstrating to the Court "by reference to materials on file, that there are no genuine issues of material fact that should be decided at trial." Clark v. Coats & Clark, Inc., 929 F.2d 604, 608"(11th Cir.1991). A court "must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party, and it may not make credibility determinations or weigh the evidence." Reeves v. Sanderson. Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133, 149-150, 120 S.Ct. 2097, 147 L.Ed.2d 105 (2000) (discussing standard for granting judgment as a matter of law, under Fed. R.Civ.P. 50, which mirrors the standard for granting summary judgment under Rule 56); Hinson v. Clinch County Bd. of Educ., 231 F.3d 821, 826-27 (11th Cir. 2000). The Court considers the entire record, but must disregard all evidence favorable to the moving party that the jury is not required to believe. Reeves, 530 U.S. at 151, 120 S.Ct. 2097; Hinson, 231 F.3d at 827. Once the moving party has met its "burden, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to show that there is a material issue of fact that precludes summary judgment. Clark, 929 F.2d at 608. The non-moving party may not rest upon mere allegations or denials in the pleadings, but must set forth specific facts, through affidavits or other forms of evidence provided for by the rules. Adickes v. SH. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). "[T]he inquiry is whether the evidence presents sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law." Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252-52, 106 S.Ct. 2505. A genuine issue of material fact exists where there is sufficient evidence favoring the nonmoving party for a reasonable jury to return a verdict in its favor. Haves v. City of Miami, 52 F.3d 918, 921 (11th Cir.1995); United States v. Four Parcels of Real Property, 941 F.2d 1428, 1437 (11th Cir.1991) (en bane). As the Supreme Court has stated, if the record as a whole could not lead a rational fact-finder to fmd for the nonmoving party, there is no genuine issue for trial. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (19865. MALICIOUS PROSECUTION Under Florida law, a plaintiff must establish each of six elements to support a claim of malicious prosecution: (1) an original judicial proceeding against the present plaintiff was commenced or continued; (2) the present defendant was the legal cause *1348 of the original proceeding; (3) the termination of the original proceeding constituted a bona fide termination of that proceeding in favor of the present plaintiff; (4) there was an absence of probable cause for the original proceeding; (5) there was malice on the part of the present defendant; and, (6) the plaintiff suffered damages as a result of the original proceeding. Kingsland v. City of Miami, 382 F.3d 1220, 1234 (11th Cir.2004) (internal citations omitted); Burns v. GCC Beverages, Inc., 502 So.2d 1217, 1218 (Fla.1986). "The failure of a plaintiff to establish any one of these six elements is fatal to a claim of malicious prosecution." Alamo Rent-A-Car, Inc. v. Mancusi, 632 So.2d 1352, 1355 (Fla.1994). Plaintiff implicitly asserts the filing of the charging affidavit, Wherein he is accused of official misconduct, with the State Attorney's Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit constituted the initiation.of an original judicial proceeding. (See Amended Complaint at ¶ 26). Plaintiff unequivocally states Defendants Getchell and Griffith were the legal cause of a criminal case for official misconduct that was brought against Plaintiff in March 2004. (Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 26, 41-43). Plaintiff alleges the State Attorney dismissed the criminal charge filed by Defendants against Plaintiff on July 29, 2004, and the dismissal constituted a bona fide termination of the original proceeding in favor of Plaintiff. (Amended Complaint at ¶ 28). Plaintiff claims there was a complete absence of probable cause for the case, which was brought with legal malice and willful and wanton disregard of Plaintiffs rights (Amended Complaint at ¶¶ 44-51). Thus, Plaintiff declares he has suffered damages, including loss of income, loss of fringe benefits, loss of reputation and career, humiliation, embarrassment, mental and emotional distress and anguish, loss of self-esteem and harm to personal and business reputation. (Amended Complaint at ¶ 52). In the present action, it. is questionable whether Plaintiff can establish the first element for malicious prosecution. Some question may exist as to whether Plaintiff has established a bona fide termination of the original proceeding in his favor: However, because Plaintiff has failed to establish the fourth `and fifth elements, Defendants are entitled to summary judgment. The Commencement or continuation of an original judicial proceeding against Plaintiff is the first element that must be established before a malicious prosecution claim will stand under Florida common law. In this case it is undisputed that Defendant Griffith filed a charging affidavit with the State Attorney's Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court. The charging affidavit is a sworn statement setting forth the facts a police officer, or private citizen with direct knowledge, believes establish probable cause that a crime has been committed. (Strickler Dep. at 18-21, 36-37). In this case, Griffith stated there was probable cause to believe Plaintiff Sharp had falsified information in his police report, PPD# 03-05904, and used that false information to justify listing Lynn Hoffman as a criminal suspect in the case. (See Charging Affidavit, Doc. # 66-2 at 4).[5] If proven, the actions of Plaintiff Sharp would constitute official misconduct in violation of Florida Statutes § 838.022(1)(a).[6] The charging *1349 affidavit and the "no irifmnatiim" document were filed on July 29, 2004. (Willis Aff. at ¶ 4). The no information document lets the Clerk's office know that it may close the file because the State Attorney will not prosecute the matter. Id. Plaintiff posits that the action of filing a charging affidavit, the assignment of a case number and a judge to the case, represent the initiation of an original jriclicial proceeding for purposes of a malicious prosecution action. (Doc. # 71, Plaintiffs Response, pp. 2-4). Plaintiff also points out, correctly the Court notes, that actual prosecution is not an element of the malicious prosecution common law tort. Id. Defendants counter that "no judicial criminal proceeding ever commenced against [P]laintiff' as the no information document and the charging affidavit were filed together' with the Clerk of Court. (Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, pp. 2, 11-13). Defendants theorize that because no information or indictment were ever issued against Plaintiff Sharp for the offense of official misconduct or for any other charge, and because Sharp was never arrested and never required to appear in court, no judicial proceeding was actually initiated. Defendants point out that Fla. Stat. § 775.15(4)(b) provides that "prosecution on a charge on which the defendant has not previously been arrested or served with a summons is commenced when either an indictment or information is filed . ." (Motion for Partial Summary Judgment at 16). Assistant State Attorney Strickler testified that the filing of an information formally charges an individual who has not been previously arrested. (Strickler Dep. at 18-19). Defendants assert that because Plaintiff Sharp was not formally charged or prosecuted with the claimed offense, no judicial proceeding was ever commenced. The Court finds both arguments have some merit. The parties have not presented, and the Court has not found, any legal authority directly on point for this issue. On the one hand, the assignment of a case number by a clerk of court and assignment of a judge to that case would arguably, constitute the commencement of a judicial proceeding. Moreover, at some point the complaint becomes a public record, thus indicating the existence of a case. On the other hand, if no formal charge is Med because the State Attorney declines to prosecute, a plea is not entered and no case proceeds. Because an actual prosecution of a crime is not an element of the common law tort of malicious prosecution in Florida, there is some logic to Plaintiffs argument that the first element is satisfied with the assignment of a case number and judge to the case by the. Putnam County Clerk's Office in the Seventh Judicial Circuit. However, since Plaintiffs malicious prosecution claim clearly fails on other grounds, the Court determines it is unnecessary to issue an initial ruling on a matter of state law and therefore declines to make a finding on this, matter. Under the third element for malicious prosecution Plaintiff must show that the termination of the original proceeding constituted a bona fide termination of that proceeding in his favor. A Florida district court of appeal has held the essential element of a bona fide. termination of the criminal prosecution in favor of the person bringing the malicious prosecution action has been satisfied if there has been an adjudication on the merits favorable to him or if there is a good faith nolle prosequi or declination to prosecute, Gatto v. Publix Supermarket, Inc., 387 So.2d 377, 380-81 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980) (internal citations omitted). In Gatto, the plaintiff had been arrested for shoplifting some paperback *1350 books on the basis of a sworn complaint by the Publix store manager and executed by the arresting officer. Id. at 379-80. Similar to the instant action, the State Attorney in Gatto filed an announcement of no information and Gatto sued for malicious prosecution. Id. at 380. In the Sharp matter, no arrest occurred and the State Attorney declined to prosecute the criminal activity alleged in the charging affidavit with the filing of an Announcement of No Information. (See Willis Aff. Attachments). The Court agrees with the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, that a declination to prosecution establishes a bona fide termination in favor of the plaintiff suing for malicious prosecution. Although Plaintiff properly alleged there was a complete absence of probable cause for Defendants Getchell and Griffith to file the criminal complaint[7] against Plaintiff (see Amended Complaint at ¶ 44), the undisputed facts reveal probable cause to believe a crime had been committed existed at the time the complaint was filed on March 30, 2004. When the evidence is in dispute, the want of probable cause is a question of fact for the jury. Kingsland v. City of Miami, 382 F.3d 1220, 1235 (11th Cir. 2004). In this case, however, it is the interpretation of the evidence concerning the malicious prosecution claim that is in dispute, not the actual evidence. Probable cause is purely a matter of law for the court where the material facts are, as here, undisputed. Martinez v. Brink's Inc., No. 04-14609, 2006 WL 551239 at *3 (11th Cir. Mar.8, 2006) (citing Endacott v. Int'l Hospitality Inc., 910 So.2d 915, 922 (Fla. 3d DCA 2005) and Beizer v. Judge, 743 So.2d 134, 137 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)).[8] It is undisputed Hoffman and Plaintiff Sharp have a long, contentious history of controversies with each other, which have escalated into formal complaints and litigation at times. (Sharp Aff. at ¶¶ 10-18). It is undisputed that Russell Kohuth and John Key, Plaintiffs present counsel of record, held a meeting with city officials on October 24, 2003 to accuse Lynn Hoffman of computer crimes against them and to advise they would not sue the City of Palatka if Hoffman was fired.[9] (Bush Aff. at ¶ 9). It is undisputed that Kohuth and Key made statements during the October 24th meeting indicating personal knowledge that Hoffman was under investigation by the PPD and FDLE. It is further undisputed that the referenced criminal investigation was ongoing and the involvement of any particular individual was not public knowledge. Plaintiff Sharp's ties to Kohuth and Key were known to Defendants Getchell and Griffith. It has not been disputed that Plaintiff Sharp placed a phone call on his PPD issued cell phone at 11:10 a.m. on October 23, 2003, to a telephone number listed to R.T. Kohuth, believed to be Russell Kohuth. (Second Griffith Aff., Exh. C). The time of the call coincides closely with the Kohuth/Key meeting. Plaintiff Sharp testified he called Russell Kohuth to make a lunch date with him (Sharp Dep. at 153). No one disputes that Plaintiff Sharp filed a supplemental police report on October 25, 2003 in which he named Lynn Hoffman as *1351 a suspect of a computer crime and in which he stated he had traced the originating IP address of a private email between Russell Kohuth and John Key back to the St. Johns River Community College public library computers. (Second Griffith Aff. at Exhs. D-F). In the supplemental report, Sharp did not detail how he traced the IP address to the St. Johns River Community College (SJRCC) library. The general counsel for St. Johns River Community College, Ms. Melissa Miller, Esq., advised Assistant Chief Griffith that the IP address Sharp claimed to trace (169.139.172.2) would not be traceable to any particular computer at the college. (Miller Aff. at ¶ 3). Griffith recalled being advised the referenced IP address was to the firewall at the college and it would be impossible to trace the IP address to a specific location such as the library without directly contacting the IT people at the college and obtaining their logs. (Second Griffith Aff. at ¶ 13; see also Miller Aff. at ¶ 3). There is no evidence in the record that Sharp made such contact.[10] There is, however, evidence in the record that the firewall logs in the IT department at St. Johns River Community College are deleted frequently and had been deleted at least prior to December 3, 2003. (See Miller Aff. Attachments). A reasonably cautious person would be suspicious of possible wrongdoing by Plaintiff Sharp as of March 30, 2007, when the charging affidavit was filed with the State Attorney's Office. The standard for probable cause to arrest an individual is met when the facts and circumstances within the officer's knowledge would cause a reasonably prudent person to believe, under the circumstances shown, that the suspect has committed, is committing, or is about to commit an offense. Wood v. Kesler, 323 F.3d 872, 878 (11th Cir.2003) (internal citations omitted); Fernander v. Bonis, 947 So.2d 584, 588 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007). Florida courts have found probable cause exists when circumstances are sufficient to cause a reasonably cautious person to believe that the accused is guilty of the charged offense. Fla. Game & Freshwater Fish Comm'n v. Dockery, 676 So.2d 471, 473 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996) (defining probable cause in the context of an arrest); Fernander v. Bonis, 947 So.2d at 588 (discussing probable cause in the context of an arrest warrant where the arresting officer was accused of malicious prosecution and false imprisonment, among other allegations). Although probable cause requires more than suspicion, it does not require convincing proof. Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d 1188, 1195 (11th Cir. 2002). On the facts herein noted, reasonable cause existed for the initial internal affairs investigation (IA 1106), which revealed the factual basis for the subsequent internal affairs, investigations (IA 1107 & IA 1108). Utilizing the guidance found in Wood and Fernander, the Court finds the requisite probable cause existed for filing of the charging affidavit to allege Plaintiff Sharp had been involved in the commission of a crime under Florida law. Thus, Plaintiff's malicious prosecution claim fails as to the element of absence of probable cause. Further, following the analysis stated in Wood v. Kesler, 323 F.3d at 884, the Court *1352 finds the facts showing probable cause refute Plaintiffs attempt to establish Defendants acted with malice. As stated in Wood, "[t]he existence of probable cause, and in particular the facts showing that probable cause, contradict any suggestion of malicious intent or bad faith." Id. In this case, the malicious prosecution claim fails as to the fifth element; Plaintiff has not established there was malice on the part of the present Defendants. QUALIFIED IMMUNITY Irrespective of whether Plaintiff Sharp could establish a prima facie case for malicious prosecution, the Court finds Defendants Getchell and Griffith are entitled to qualified immunity under both common law and Fla. Stat. § 768.28(9)(a) (2006). As Defendants correctly note, Florida courts have looked to the federal bench for direction when ruling on qualified immunity issues. Lemay v. Kondrk, 923 So.2d 1188, 1191 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006); see also Fernander v. Bonis, 947 So.2d 584, 588-89 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007). Both Defendant Getchell and Defendant Griffith have claimed qualified immunity from the allegations in Plaintiffs amended complaint. Defendants aver that as city employees they are not liable for any tort claim unless they acted "in bad faith or with malicious purpose or in a manner exhibiting wanton and willful disregard of human rights, safety, or property." Fla. Stat. § 768.28(9)(a) (2006). Plaintiff has asserted the acts of Defendants Getchell and Griffith were done with legal malice, and with willful and wanton disregard of Plaintiffs rights. (Amended Complaint at ¶ 46). Plaintiff alternatively pleads that Getchell and Griffith's conduct in filing an unsubstantiated criminal charge was so reckless or wanting in care that it constituted a conscious disregard or indifference for the rights of Plaintiff. (Amended Complaint at ¶ 49). These allegations hinge on the asserted lack of probable cause for the filing of the charging affidavit against Plaintiff. To be entitled to qualified immunity from suit against his or her person, an arresting officer is only required to show arguable probable cause. Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d 1188, 1195 (11th Cir.2002) (emphasis in the original). If the probable cause to support an arrest warrant is challenged in a suit against the officer who obtained the warrant, then that officer is entitled to qualified immunity if the warrant is supported by arguable, rather than actual, probable cause. Brown v. Abercrombie, 151 Fed.Appx. 892, 893 (11th Cir. 2005).[11] In this case, the Defendants seeking qualified immunity are accused of malicious prosecution on the basis of a charging affidavit filed with the State Attorney's Office, but which was not used to arrest Plaintiff or to prosecute Plaintiff in any fashion. Thus, Defendants Getchell and Griffith need show only that the charging affidavit was supported by arguable probable cause. "Arguable probable cause exists where reasonable officers in the same circumstances and possessing the same knowledge as the [Defendants] could have believed that probable cause existed to arrest." Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d at 1195 (internal citations omitted). In determining whether arguable probable cause exists, the Court must "apply an objective standard, asking whether the officer's actions are objectively reasonable . . . regardless of the officer's underlying intent or motivation." Id. (internal quotations/citations omitted). As noted earlier, the Court finds actual probable cause existed for the filing *1353 of the charging affidavit with The "State Attorney's Office. Under the broader standard of arguable probable cause, Defendants Getchell and Griffith are clearly entitled to qualified immunity from the tort of malicious prosecution. The actions of Defendants Getchell and Griffith in meeting with a member of the State Attorney's Office and ultimately filing the charging affidavit were objectively reasonable on the facts of this case. See Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d at 1195. Thus, at the least, arguable probable cause existed for the filing of the charging, affidavit. Under both federal and Florida law, actual probable cause is considered based on the totality of the circumstances and is judged by the facts and legal state of affairs that existed at the time of the alleged violation of Plaintiffs rights. Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d at 1195; Fernander v. Bonis, 947 So.2d at 588. Here, Defendants Getchell and Griffith had the discretion to investigate possible violations of police procedure and to investigate possible violations of law committed by PPD officers. See Palatka Mun.Code part II, ch. 42, art. II, § 42-31 (2006); see also, Palatka Police Dept. Gen. Orders, section 26.2.2, pp 5-6 (Doc. # 50, Exh. 12). Plaintiff Sharp was such an officer. Defendants were cautious in their investigations, as evidenced by delaying any internal affairs investigation until resolution of the actual criminal complaint of Johnson and after the posted lieutenant's position closed. (Getchell Att. at ¶ 25). Defendants conduct in conferring with the State Attorney's Office prior to filing a charging affidavit further illustrates the degree of restraint and circumspection Defendants exercised before filing the charging affidavit. Police officers are not required to consult with the State Attorney's Office before filing a Form 798, charging affidavit. (See Third Griffith Aff. [Doc. # 66-4], generally and at ¶ 6 specifically). The evidence of possible wrong-doing on the part of Sharp led to the internal affairs investigations and established probable cause for the resulting charging affidavit. On the undisputed facts, the actions of Defendants Getchell and Griffith belie Plaintiff's efforts to establish bad faith or malicious purpose in filing of the charging affidavit with the State Attorney's Office. In interpreting § 768.28, Fla. Stat., the Florida supreme court has concluded that the intent behind amendments made to the statute in 1980 was to extend the veil of sovereign immunity to specified governmental employees when they are acting within the scope of employment, with the employing agency alone remaining liable up to the limits provided by statute. McGhee v. Volusia County, 679 So.2d 729, 733 (Fla.1996). The court held that the veil is lifted only where the employee's act fell outside the scope of employment. Id. Here, Defendants have established, and Plaintiff has failed to refute, that the internal affairs investigations and the filing of the Form 798 charging affidavit with the State Attorney were conducted within the discretionary functions of their jobs. Probable cause existed for the filing of the charging affidavit. Defendants Getchell and Griffith are therefore entitled to qualified immunity from Plaintiffs claim of malicious prosecution. CONCLUSION Based on the preceding analysis, Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Count II of Amended Complaint with Supportive Memorandum of Law (Doc. # 67) is GRANTED. The Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment accordingly. DONE AND ORDERED. NOTES [1] Much earlier in these proceedings, Defendant City of Palatka filed its Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. # 24). For purposes of clarity, the Court will refer to the City of Palatka's motion as the First Motion for Sum mary Judgment. This Order rules only the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment filed by Defendants Getchell and Griffith (Doc. # 67). [2] Plaintiff Sharp created a web site called the "Palatka Forum" sometime in January 2002. (Sharp Aff. at ¶ 12). Sharp stated he sold the Palatka Forum to Russell Kohuth in February 2002., (Sharp Aff. at ¶ 14; Second Griffith Aff. at ¶ 6 and Exh. C). [3] Doc. # 66-3 is the affidavit of Melissa Miller, general counsel for the St. John's River Community College. Attached to the affidavit is the email correspondence verifying the site of IP address 169.139.172.2. [4] The civil matter involved the litigation initiated by Plaintiff Sharp against Lynn Hoffman. During his May 5, 2003 deposition, Sharp reportedly stated that he no longer owned the Palatka Forum and was not involved in any way with the Palatka Forum. (Second Griffith Aff. at Exh. I). The Court notes a copy of the referenced deposition has not been filed in the instant action. [5] Doc. # 66-2 is the affidavit of Gail Willis, Criminal Division Supervisor, Putnam Count Clerk's Office in the Seventh Judicial Circuit. The charging affidavit and the entire contents of the file in criminal case number 04-1375-CF-53 are attached thereto. [6] Fla. Stat. § 838.022 (2003) states in relevant part: "It is unlawful for a public servant, with corrupt intent to obtain a benefit for any person or to cause harm to another, to [f]alsify, or cause another person to falsify, any official record or official document. . . ." Fla. Stat. § 838.022(1)(a). [7] Throughout this Order, the terms "charging affidavit," "Form 798," and "criminal complaint against Plaintiff" have been used interchangeably. All references are to the same document, attached to the affidavit of Gail Willis (Doc. # 66-2). [8] Martinez v. Brink's Inc., No. 04-14609, 2006 WL 551239 at *3 (11th Cir. Mar.8, 2006) is cited for its persuasive authority in accordance with the Eleventh Circuit Rules. 11th Cir. R. 36-2. [9] City Manager Bush noted Lynn Hoffman was an independent contractor to the City of Palatka and not an employee. (Bush Aff. at ¶ 9). [10] There is a written statement within the record wherein Plaintiff Sharp states he contacted Hayes Computer Services, a business that reportedly provides networking for the Florida Information Resource Network and a person at Hayes told him the IP address belonged to the SJRCC library. (Second Griffith Aff., Exh. H, Documentation for the 7th Judicial Circuit by Alex Sharp; dated April 13, 2004, pp. 14, 16). However, other evidence in the record disputes that Hayes personnel have access to make such a determination. (Second Griffith Aff. at ¶ 13, Exh. 14 at p. D3510). [11] Brown v. Abercrombie, 151 Fed.Appx. 892 (11th Cir. Sept.30, 2005) is cited for its persuasive authority in accordance with the Eleventh Circuit Rules. 11th Cir. R. 36-2.

Magneto-Fluorescent Microbeads for Bacteria Detection Constructed from Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and AIS/ZnS Quantum Dots. The efficient and sensitive detection of pathogenic microorganisms in aqueous environments, such as water used in medical applications, drinking water, and cooling water of industrial plants, requires simple and fast methods suitable for multiplexed detection such as flow cytometry (FCM) with optically encoded carrier beads. For this purpose, we combine fluorescent Cd-free Ag-In-S ternary quantum dots (t-QDs) with fluorescence lifetimes (LTs) of several hundred nanoseconds and superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (SPIONs) with mesoporous CaCO3 microbeads to a magneto-fluorescent bead platform that can be surface-functionalized with bioligands, such as antibodies. This inorganic bead platform enables immuno-magnetic separation, target enrichment, and target quantification with optical readout. The beads can be detected with steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry (FCM). Moreover, they are suited for readout by time gated emission. In the following, the preparation of these magneto-fluorescent CaCO3 beads, their spectroscopic and analytic characterization, and their conjugation with bacteria-specific antibodies are presented as well as proof-of-concept measurements with Legionella pneumophila including cell cultivation and plating experiments for bacteria quantification. Additionally, the possibility to discriminate between the long-lived emission of the LT-encoded capture and carrier CaCO3 beads and the short-lived emission of the dye-stained bacteria with time-resolved fluorescence techniques and single wavelength excitation is demonstrated.

--- abstract: 'This paper considers the realizability of quantum gates from the perspective of information complexity. Since the gate is a physical device that must be controlled classically, it is subject to random error. We define the complexity of gate operation in terms of the difference between the entropy of the variables associated with initial and final states of the computation. We argue that the gate operations are irreversible if there is a difference in the accuracy associated with input and output variables. It is shown that under some conditions the gate operation may be associated with unbounded entropy, implying impossibility of implementation.' author: - | Subhash Kak\ Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering\ Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA title: Information Complexity of Quantum Gates --- psfig \#1 Introduction {#introduction .unnumbered} ------------ In this paper, we consider complexity and realizability of quantum gates from the point of view of information theory. A gate is a physical system that is controlled by varying some input variables, which are classical. In principle, such a physical system could implement a variety of operators based on the control variables. The gate functions may be also implemented by a single physical system that operates sequentially on the qubits in the quantum register. The complexity of the gate will be defined in terms of the entropy associated with its control. From a practical point of view, one is interested in asking how easy it is to control a gate. As no analog system can have infinite precision, we investigate what happens if the precision levels at the input and the output are different. The complexity of the gate, defined in terms of entropy, will be examined for the rotation and [cnot]{} gates in certain circuits. Information processing by gate {#information-processing-by-gate .unnumbered} ------------------------------ One aspect of gate performance is its accuracy. Researchers on quantum information science have given much attention to the question of errors and their correction \[1-3\] by drawing upon parallels with classical information. Quantum error-correction coding works like classical error-correction to correct some large errors. But the framework of quantum information is distinct from that of classical information. In the classical case, it is implicitly assumed that there occurs an automatic correction of errors that are smaller than a threshold by means of clipping or by the use of a decision circuit. In the case of quantum information, the input data is nominally discrete, but in reality its precision cannot be absolute in any actual realization. Furthermore, unknown small errors in quantum information cannot be corrected \[4-5\]. Consequently, proposals for error correction and fault tolerance (such as \[6-8\]) remain unrealistic. Classical analog computation and quantum processing do have parallels. In general, fixed errors in gate operation could become irreversible due to actual small nonlinearity of nominally linear elements. Analog computing is not practical to implement because noise cannot be separated from useful signal and it accumulates, degrading the system performance in an uncorrectable manner. If there were no noise, the practicality of analog computing would depend on the feasibility of the gate implementation over the expected input-output range. This feasibility must be checked in the context of the limitations on information processing by the gate. Consider the gate G of Figure 1. It may be assumed that it is a physical system which is controlled by means of some variable. This control is implemented by choosing a setting on an instrument, and this choice is associated with random error. If one views the circuit operations to be implemented by the same device transitioning through various states in sequence, then one can determine the distribution of the control variable states, and compute its entropy. This entropy, when determined for the entire computing circuit, may be taken to represent its complexity. Information is preserved, therefore one can define the following relationship for the entropy expressions for the input $X$, the gate control information $C$, and the output $Y$: $$H(Y) = H(X) + H(C).$$ Although it is assumed that the variable $X$ is discrete, in reality the lack of perfect precision at the state preparation state makes it a continuous variable \[9-11\]. The lack of precision may not affect the measurement variables, but it would introduce continuous phase error. Similarly, the output variable $Y$ has discrete measurement associated with it, but it may come with additional component states and many unknown, continuous phase terms. This has implications for quantum amplitudes and, consequently, with the probabilities associated with the states. As an aside, equation (1) provides an explanation for the no-cloning theorem. A gate cannot clone a state since this would require the gate to supply information equal to that of the unknown state, which, by virtue of its being unknown, is impossible. As the variables $X$ and $Y$ (defined together with associated continuous phase terms) are continuous, the classical variable $C$ must also be continuous. The entropy associated with a continuous variable $Z$ is given by the expression: $$H (Z) = h(Z) - \lim_{\Delta z \rightarrow 0} log_2 \Delta z$$ where $h(Z)$ is the differential entropy: $$h(Z) = \int_{- \infty}^{\infty} f_Z (z) log_2 \left[\frac{1}{f_Z (z)}\right] dz$$ and $\Delta z$ is the precision associated with the variable. If the precision is the same at both input and output, the term $\lim_{\Delta z \rightarrow 0} log_2 \Delta z$ will cancel out and the differential entropies would be a proper measure of the entropy of $X$ and $Y$. In other words, $$H(C) = h(Y) - h(X).$$ The entropy associated with H(C) is the information lost in the computation process and it may be converted to heat according to thermodynamic laws \[12-14\]. If $H(C)$ is non-zero, error-free quantum computation is impossible, since this is associated with loss of information. Multiplication by constant {#multiplication-by-constant .unnumbered} -------------------------- [**Example 1.**]{} Consider a gate which multiples the inputs by a fixed constant $k > 1$. If the input $X$ is distributed uniformly over the interval $(0,a)$, then the output $Y$ is distributed uniformly over $(0,ka)$. The differential entropy values of the input and the output are: $$h(X) = log_2 a$$ $$h(Y) = log_2 ka$$ Assuming the same precision at input and output, the gate needs to supply entropy equal to $ H(C) = log_2 ka -log_2 a = log_2 k$, which become large as $k$ increases. This supply of entropy will have to be done in terms of interpolation or other processing which cannot be perfect. If $k < 1$, then the output entropy is smaller than input entropy and, therefore, $H(C)$ represents loss of information in the output. In effect, the assumption of fixed amplification of a variable with the same absolute precision at the output amounts to a nonlinear, irreversible process. For example, when a picture is compressed, one cannot obtain the original to the earlier precision by amplifying it back. In practical terms, the precision needed for the realization of a universal gate will be unattainable for a variety of reasons: one cannot have perfectly linear behavior in an electrical circuit over an unrestricted range. Unrestricted multiplication of a continuous variable is not implementable if the precision remains unchanged. In quantum computing, problems that somewhat parallel this above example are the implementation of rotation and [cnot]{} gates, two operators that are basic to the computation process \[15\]. The necessarily classical control of the gate is marred by random errors as well as calibration errors. Rotation {#rotation .unnumbered} -------- [**Example 2.**]{} Consider a quantum gate that rotates the input qubit by a fixed angle. Since the input $X$ and the output $Y$ will be distributed uniformly over the same interval $(0,a)$, the entropy associated with this gate will be $0$ (as per equation 4) as is required by the reversible nature of the assumed quantum evolution. But if the precision associated with the measurement and initialization processes at the input and the output is different, then lossless (or, equivalently, error-free) evolution cannot be assumed. [cnot]{} and Hadamard gates {#cnot-and-hadamard-gates .unnumbered} --------------------------- Consider the [cnot]{} gate together with a companion Hadamard gate. The errors in the device implementation of the [cnot]{} gate may make the gate effectively nonlinear and hence nonunitary. The matrix values that the device embodies may be different from the nominal ones below: $$\left[ \begin{array}{cccc} 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \\ \end{array} \right]$$ For simplicity, we consider a very straightforward situation which does not affect the [cnot]{} gate, but where its companion Hadamard gate is off the correct value, stuck in the state $$H_s = \left[ \begin{array}{cc} cos \theta & sin \theta \\ sin \theta & -cos \theta \\ \end{array} \right]$$ where $\theta \neq 45^o$. ### Stuck Hadamard gate before a [cnot]{} {#stuck-hadamard-gate-before-a-cnot .unnumbered} [**Example 3.**]{} Consider the arrangement of Figure 2, where the stuck gate $H_s$ ($\theta \neq \pi /4$, but its value is known) is to the left of the [cnot]{} gate; this circuit demonstrates that quantum processing can compute a global property of a function by a single measurement \[1\]. It will be seen that at the output of the [cnot]{} gate, the state is: $ \frac{1}{\sqrt 2}~(cos \theta |0\rangle - sin \theta |1\rangle ) ~ (|0\rangle - |1\rangle)$ The state $|a\rangle = (cos \theta |0\rangle - sin \theta |1\rangle )$, which is in error, may be passed through the gate $ \left[ \begin{array}{cc} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & -1 \\ \end{array} \right]$ followed by another $H_s$ to yield $|0\rangle$, which can be transformed to the correct $|a\rangle= \frac{1}{\sqrt 2} (|0\rangle - |1\rangle)$. In this example, the state $|b\rangle= \frac{1}{\sqrt 2} (|0\rangle - |1\rangle)$ was not affected by the stuck gate $H_s$. When the stuck gate is the lower Hadamard gate, as in Figure 3, the state at the output of the [cnot]{} gate is: $\frac{1}{\sqrt 2} (sin \theta |00\rangle - cos \theta |01\rangle + sin \theta |11\rangle - cos \theta |10\rangle )$ Corresponding to this we have the density function $\rho^{ab}$ given below: $\rho^{ab} = \frac{1}{2} \left[ \begin{array}{cccc} sin^2 \theta & -sin \theta cos \theta & -sin \theta cos \theta & sin^2 \theta \\ -sin \theta cos \theta & cos^2 \theta & \cos^2 \theta & -sin \theta cos \theta \\ -sin \theta cos \theta & \cos^2 \theta & \cos^2 \theta & -sin \theta cos \theta \\ sin^2 \theta & -sin \theta cos \theta & -sin \theta cos \theta & sin^2 \theta \\ \end{array} \right]$ It follows that the reduced density matrix for the state $|a\rangle$ is: $ \rho^a =\frac{1}{2} \left[ \begin{array}{cc} 1 & -sin 2\theta \\ -sin 2\theta & 1 \\ \end{array} \right]$ Therefore, when $\theta \neq \pi /4 $, $\rho^{ab}$ is a mixture, and we cannot perform any local correction to $|a \rangle$ to obtain the correct product state, for a unitary transformation on a mixture will keep it as a mixture. In other words, this error is not locally correctable. Stuck Hadamard gate in the teleportation protocol {#stuck-hadamard-gate-in-the-teleportation-protocol .unnumbered} ------------------------------------------------- [**Example 4.**]{} In the teleportation protocol, an unknown quantum state (of particle $X$) is teleported to a remote location using two entangled particles ($Y$ and $Z$) and classical information. Here, for convenience, we use the variant teleportation protocol \[16\] which requires only one classical bit in its classical information link (Figure 4). But instead of the Hadamard operator, we consider $H_s$ to be the rotation operator with angle $\theta$. We assume that the receiver has a copy of $H_s$ available for local processing, and we would like to estimate what would happen if this copy is not identical to the one used at the transmitting end. The state $X$ is $|\phi\rangle = \alpha |0\rangle + \beta |1\rangle $, where $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are unknown amplitudes, and $Y$ and $Z$ are in the pure entangled state $ \frac{1}{\sqrt 2} (| 00 \rangle~ +~ | 11\rangle )$. The initial state of the three particles is: $\frac{1}{\sqrt 2} (\alpha~ |000\rangle + \beta~ |100\rangle + \alpha~ |011\rangle + \beta~ |111\rangle $ The sequence of steps in Figure 4 is as follows: 1. Apply chained transformations: [cnot]{} on $X$ and $Y$, followed by [cnot]{} on $Y$ and $Z$. 2. Apply $H_s$ on the state of $X$. 3. Measure the state of $X$ and transfer information regarding it. 4. Apply appropriate operator $G$ to complete teleportation of the unknown state. A simple calculation will show that the state before the measurement is: $ \frac{1}{\sqrt 2} |0\rangle ( |0\rangle + |1\rangle ) (\alpha~cos \theta~ |0\rangle~ +~ \beta~sin \theta~ |1\rangle ) +\frac{1}{\sqrt 2} |1\rangle ( |0\rangle~ +~ |1\rangle ) (\alpha~sin \theta~ |0\rangle~ -~ \beta~cos \theta~ |1\rangle )$ Therefore, after the measurement, we get either $ X^+ = \alpha~cos \theta~ |0\rangle + \beta~sin \theta~ |1\rangle$ or $X^- = \alpha~sin \theta~ |0\rangle - \beta~cos \theta~ |1\rangle$ based on whether the measurement was $0$ or $1$. Assuming that the value of $\theta$ is also communicated to it, the receiver can recover the unknown $X$ probabilistically; when the value of $\theta$ is $45^o$, then the inversion is trivially simple. For simplicity, assume that the receiver needs to invert $X^+ $. He will replicate Figure 4 at his end which means that the Hadamard gate that he would use would have identical characteristics (the same precision) to the one used during the earlier operation. He would now obtain either $ X^{++} = \alpha~cos^2 \theta~ |0\rangle + \beta~sin^2 \theta~ |1\rangle$ or $ X^{+-} = \alpha~ |0\rangle + \beta~ |1\rangle$ Similarly, $X^-$ will, in the next iteration, lead to: $ X^{-+} = \alpha~ |0\rangle + \beta~ |1\rangle$ or $ X^{--} = \alpha~sin^2 \theta~ |0\rangle + \beta~cos^2 \theta~ |1\rangle$ This procedure may be extended, and the probability of recovering the unknown state $X$ can be shown to be given by the tree diagram of Figure 5. In the first pass, there is a fifty percent probability of getting the correct state, and this probability reduces in further passes (Figure 5). The probability of recovering the state $X$ is thus: $$\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2}\frac{1}{4} + \frac{1}{2}\frac{3}{4}\frac{1}{6} + \frac{1}{2}\frac{3}{4}\frac{5}{6} \frac{1}{8} +\frac{1}{2}\frac{3}{4}\frac{5}{6} \frac{7}{8} \frac{1}{10} + ...$$ The ability of the receiver to implement the needed transformation will depend on the precision available in its gate control mechanism. If the value of $\theta$ at the sending point is smaller than the precision available to the receiver, then the state $X$ cannot be recovered. It is interesting that as long as the receiver possesses a rotation operator $H_s$ that is identical to the one used at the sending point, there is no need to know the value of $\theta$ and still obtain the unknown state $X$ probabilistically, as in expression (9). Conclusion {#conclusion .unnumbered} ---------- We have considered the problem of gate complexity in quantum systems. The control of the gate – a physical device – is by modifying some classical variable, which is subject to error. Since one cannot assume infinite precision in any control system, the implications of varying accuracy emongst different gates becomes an important problem. We have shown that in certain arrangements a stuck fault cannot be reversed down the circuit stream using a single qubit operator, for it converted a pure state into a mixed state. We considered the case of the teleportation circuit with the rotation gate stuck at $\theta$. When $\theta = 0^o$, the state $X$ collapses to $0$ or $1$. When $\theta \neq 0^o$ or $ 90^o$, one may obtain the unknown state back probabilistically by passing $X^+$ or $X^-$ back through the circuit of Figure 4 iteratively. Consider two parties, $A$ and $B$, who are both presented with the state $X^+$ or $X^-$. If the precision available to one of them is greater than or equal to that of the sender, and that of the other is less, then one of them can recover the state, whereas the other cannot. It is essential that the entropy rate associated with the quantum circuit be smaller than what can be implemented by the information capacity of the controller. This perspective may be useful in evaluating proposals \[17\] for quantum computing with noisy components. References {#references .unnumbered} ========== 1 : M.A. Nielsen and I.L. Chuang, [*Quantum Computation and Quantum Information*]{}. Cambridge University Press, 2000. 2 : A.Y. Kitaev, “Quantum computations: algorithms and error correction.” [Russ. Math. Surv.]{}, 52, 1191-1249 (1997). 3 : E. Knill and R. Laflamme, “A theory of quantum error-correcting codes.” [*Phys. Rev. A,*]{} 55, 900-906 (1997). 4 : S. Kak, “General qubit errors cannot be corrected.” [*Information Sciences,*]{} 152, 195-202 (2003); quant-ph/0206144. 5 : S. Kak, “The initialization problem in quantum computing.” [*Foundations of Physics,*]{} 29, 267-279 (1999); quant-ph/9805002. 6 : A.M. Steane, “Efficient fault-tolerant quantum computing.” [*Nature,*]{} 399, 124-126 (1999). 7 : E. Knill, “Fault tolerant post-selected quantum computation." Physics Arxiv: quant-ph/0404104. 8 : K. Svore, B.M. Terhal, D. P. DiVincenzo, “Local fault-tolerant quantum computation.” Physics Arxiv: quant-ph/0410047. 9 : S. Kak, “Rotating a qubit.” [*Information Sciences,*]{} 128, 149-154 (2000); quant-ph/9910107. 10 : S. Kak, “Statistical constraints on state preparation for a quantum computer.” [*Pramana,*]{} 57, 683-688 (2001); quant-ph/0010109. 11 : S. Kak, “Are quantum computing models realistic?” Physics Arxiv: quant-ph/0110040. 12 : R. Landauer, “Irreversibility and heat generation in the computing process.” [*IBM J. Res. Dev.,*]{} 5, 183 (1961). 13 : C.H. Bennett, “The thermodynamics of computation – a review.” [*Int. J. Theor. Phys.,*]{} 21, 905-940 (1982). 14 : S. Kak, “Quantum information in a distributed apparatus.” [*Foundations of Physics*]{} 28, 1005 (1998); Physics Archive: quant-ph/9804047. (1998); quant-ph/9804047. 15 : D.P. DiVincenzo, “Two-bit gates are universal for quantum computation.” [*Phys. Rev. A,*]{} 51, 1015-1022 (1995). 16 : S. Kak, “Teleportation protocols requiring only one classical bit." Physics Arxiv: quant-ph/0305085. 17 : E. Knill, “Quantum computing with very noisy devices.” Physics Arxiv: quant-ph/0410199.

Autumn Leaves - Yoga Mat $7500$75.00 Our premium yoga mats are 24" wide x 72" tall x 0.25" thick and made from environmentally friendly eco-PVC. The top of the mat has the image printed on it, and the back is solid black with textured dimples for better floor grip. Each yoga mat includes a black carrying bag with a black shoulder strap.

Q: Regular expression syntax in python I try to write a python scripts to analys a data txt.I want the script to do such things: find all the time data in one line, and compare them.but this is my first time to write RE syntax.so I write a small script at 1st. and my script is: import sys txt = open('1.txt','r') a = [] for eachLine in txt: a.append(eachLine) import re pattern = re.compile('\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}') for i in xrange(len(a)): print pattern.match(a[i]) #print a and the output is always None. my txt is just like the picture: what's the problem? plz help me. thx a lot. and my python is python 2.7.2.my os is windows xp sp3. A: Didn't you miss one of the ":" in you regex? I think you meant re.compile('\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}') The other problems are: First, if you want to search in the hole text, use search instead of match. Second, to access your result you need to call group() in the match object returned by your search. Try it: import sys txt = open('1.txt','r') a = [] for eachLine in txt: a.append(eachLine) import re pattern = re.compile('\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}') for i in xrange(len(a)): match = pattern.search(a[i]) print match.group() #print a

Menu Monthly Archives: December 2011 You know that episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, where Deborah turns on the Theme from Ice Castles so she can have a good cry? Yeah, that. I remember reading something about the different temperaments of children when Max was around age 2 I think. I believe it was Happiest Baby or Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp. The one temperament that I associated with Max was one in which the child held his sh!t together all day for school or child care but then completely lost it at home when back in the safe arms of his parents. Max was and still is totally like that, and I’m beginning to think I am too. I have a lot swirling around in my brain. I’m having dreams about work every night, causing me interrupted sleep. We’re dealing with some unsettling news about Max (more to come on that in a later post) and I’m just feeling run down. I need to figure out a way to motivate and push myself to eat better and sleep more. I know that will help, but right now, I’m just so grumpy and I can’t shake it. I’m losing it at home. I’m hoping getting out for some fresh air and the change in routine for Christmas will help. Fingers crossed. Santa came to Mimi’s house on his fire truck this weekend. I try not to, and feel silly for doing so, but I cry every time he comes. The emotion of witnessing the pure joy that Max and Ben express just before you can see the truck but can already hear the sirens and music is unbearable. It doesn’t happen very often. In fact, Ben has nightmares at night of me yelling at him. I know he does because he’s repeating things I’ve said in his sleep. It’s a different kind of unbearable. It’s heartbreaking and makes me truly question my ability to be a good parent. But on Saturday, after a rough morning and threats of going home before Santa even arrived, I got to experience what it feels like to be a kid at Christmas. That magic that everyone talks about isn’t always just a cliché.

/* -*- Mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*- */ /* * This file is part of the LibreOffice project. * * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. * * This file incorporates work covered by the following license notice: * * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more * contributor license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed * with this work for additional information regarding copyright * ownership. The ASF licenses this file to you under the Apache * License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file * except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of * the License at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 . */ module ooo { module vba { module word { constants WdEnableCancelKey { const long wdCancelDisabled = 0; const long wdCancelInterrupt = 1; }; }; }; }; /* vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab: */

Impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome care on the general health status of healthcare workers in taiwan. The impact of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was enormous, but few studies have focused on the infectious and general health status of healthcare workers (HCWs) who treated patients with SARS. We prospectively evaluated the general health status of HCWs during the SARS epidemic. The Medical Outcome Study Short-Form 36 Survey was given to all HCWs immediately after caring for patients with SARS and 4 weeks after self-quarantine and off-duty shifts. Tests for detection of SARS coronavirus antibody were performed for HCWs at these 2 time points and for control subjects during the SARS epidemic. Tertiary care referral center in Taipei, Taiwan. Ninety SARS-care task force members (SARS HCWs) and 82 control subjects. All serum specimens tested negative for SARS antibody. Survey scores for SARS HCWs immediately after care were significantly lower than those for the control group (P<.05 by the t test) in 6 categories. Vitality, social functioning, and mental health immediately after care and vitality and mental health after self-quarantine and off-duty shifts were among the worst subscales. The social functioning, role emotional, and role physical subscales significantly improved after self-quarantine and off-duty shifts (P<.05, by paired t test). The length of contact time (mean number of contact-hours per day) with patients with SARS was associated with some subscales (role emotional, role physical, and mental health) to a mild extent. The total number of contact-hours with symptomatic patients with SARS was a borderline predictor (adjusted R2=0.069; P=.038) of mental health score. The impact of the SARS outbreak on SARS HCWs was significant in many dimensions of general health. The vitality and mental health status of SARS HCWs 1 month after self-quarantine and off-duty shifts remained inferior to those of the control group.

Q: What is this kanji ? Looks like 七 three times Tonight I went to a sushi restaurant. It's called かね喜{き} as is visible on their inkan and in the company name. However, on their website it seems calligraphied differently but maybe I am just bad at identifying handwriting. Even more strange is the sign there that does not look like 喜 at all. According to the website it seems to be the way the sushi bar of the chain are called, but that does not help with why it is written this way. Can anyone help me ? I have looked around in my phone (Aedict) on on Weblio, to no avail. Thanks a lot ! A: That is the [草書体]{そうしょたい} (= "cursive script") for the kanji 「喜」, meaning "happiness", "delight", etc. http://image.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?rkf=2&ei=UTF-8&p=%E5%96%9C+%E8%8D%89%E6%9B%B8%E4%BD%93 This is the reason that one's 77th birthday is called 「[喜寿]{きじゅ}」. More technically speaking, though, it is the "re-block-ized" and stylized form of the original cursive script for 「喜」. The original cursive is shown at top left of the web page above.

A gentle wreath of soft pink white blooms is a special way for loved ones to remember how dear the deceased was. Assorted pink white flowers are gathered in a sympathy wreath to warm hearts and lend comfort to those grieving. Bows and Ribbons depicted in this arrangement are not included. Add an air of passion to a room with a Pink Spring Wreath. This decorative wreath sizzles with dark pink pepperberries, pink larkspur, pink globes, coxcomb, and salal, all of which rest attractively against a background of verdant moss and sage with highlights of white savory. Each plant is grown and harvested on a family-owned farm, after which point they are carefully arranged while fresh. Once dry, the wreath will last for up to 12 months. Our Pink White Sympathy Heart Wreath is a standing arrangement that is created to lend comfort during a difficult time. This lovely tribute features soft shades of pink and white flowers. It is a beautiful and feminine way to convey your most heartfelt condolences. Bows and Ribbons depicted in this arrangement are not included. Finding the perfect expression of your care and concern during difficult times requires thoughtful consideration. This standing wreath, crafted from exquisite pink and white roses, carnations and more, beautifully reflects all the love and sympathy that is in your heart. Standing wreath arrangement of fresh pink and white flowers such as roses, alstroemeria, carnations and more Accented by baby's breath, salal, heather and more Appropriate for family, friends and business associates to send directly to the funeral home Our florists use only the freshest flowers available, so colors and assortment may vary Large measures approximately 34H x 34W without easel Small measures approximately 30H x 30W without easel Easel may not be available in all areas Celebrate the colors and good feelings of springtime all year long with this stunning Peony Wreath. With a virtual cornucopia of warm, vibrant hues and differing textures, this is THE perfect wreath for those who appreciate the delicate beauty that nature provides. The wispy green leaves and stems provide the perfect visual offset, making this an ideal display piece for all seasons! Fragrant and ethereal white blossoms set among a ring of soothing greens form a classic wreath certain to evoke the pure heart and gentle spirit of a loved one - and offer consolation during a funeral or wake. This handcrafted pink rose wreath is a delicate blend of pinks, whites, and greens woven together into the shape of a heart. Two carefully freeze-dried roses adorn the peak of the heart, while fresh marjoram, sage, pink larkspur, bay, gyp, and statice compose the body-a stimulating array of herbs and flowers that will quickly dry into a striking decoration that lasts for up to a year. It's the perfect wreath delivery for Valentine's Day. Find me on Facebook at Sassy Crafts in KY for sneak peeks of new creations and contests to win free products. This wreath is a made to order wreath. The one pictured was a special order from my baby girl. I have Belle, Snow White, Tiana, Cinderella (in a wedding dress), Sleeping Beauty in a blue dress and a Minnie Mouse to choose from. Send a message with payment of what 5 characters you would like on your wreath. This wreath is made on a wire frame with metallic pink ribbon. Princess crown Grown, dried, and preserved in the Pacific Northwest, using only natural preservatives. Imaginatively designed and hand-assembled. Secured on a wire frame. Will maintain its fresh-picked appearance year after year. Only display in a covered area away from outdoor elements. A perfect blend of silk and dried flowers romances our Pretty in Pink Wreath. Bold pinks and purples are arranged in a full, lush arrangement that includes gerbera daisies, pink and purple cosmos, pale blue veronica, salal, echinops, quail brush twigs, artemisia, pink larkspur, and pearly everlasting. . . . . . Made in USA. FTD proudly presents the Jane Seymour Botanicals Pink Silk Garden Rose Wreath. Inspired by Jane Seymour's beautiful garden of roses, this colorful wreath is bedecked with an assortment of silk roses in hues of pinks, creams and peach tones. Accented with faux rose hips and given a natural look to make it feel as if it came straight from the garden, this wreath is sure to brighten any spot in your home.For indoor use or in a sheltered outdoor location. Avoid placing in strong direct sunlight to avoid colors from fading.16-inches in diameter. Is it springtime yet? Have the Cherry Blossoms bloomed? That s the feeling this stunning 24 Cherry Blossom Wreath will bring forth, no matter what time of year it is. People flock from all over to see the Cherry Blossoms every year, and just one look at this wreath will reveal why. The delicate beauty the warm feeling all wrapped up in a circle of goodness. Buy one for your home, and another as a gift. Handmade of 40% Rattail Statice, 40% Assorted Globe Amaranth and 20% Lemon Mint. All elements are grown in the Pacific Northwest. Designed for interior use only. Our Pink Spring Extravaganza Wreath features dried Globe Amaranth and Rattail Statice with a touch of Lemon Mint popping through the foliage. Made exclusively for Frontgate, this romantic wreath will quickly become a favorite long-term accent in your home. . . . Made in the USA. A pure and delicate expression of adoration. Accented with a sheer pink organza bow, this wreath of white, crème, and pale pink petals gently embraces loving memories, and offers solace and sweet thoughts at a time of loss. Handmade of 40% Rattail Statice, 40% Assorted Globe Amaranth and 20% Lemon Mint. All elements are grown in the Pacific Northwest. Designed for interior use only. Our Pink Spring Extravaganza Wreath features dried Globe Amaranth and Rattail Statice with a touch of Lemon Mint popping through the foliage. Made exclusively for Frontgate, this romantic wreath will quickly become a favorite long-term accent in your home. . . . Made in the USA. Family and friends will recollect how special their loved one was with this gentle ring of pastel blooms. Highlighted with a pink satin ribbon, it is a lovely reminder of sweet memories and beautiful times shared. A gentle wreath of soft colorful blooms is a special way for loved ones to remember how dear the deceased was. Assorted colorful flowers are gathered in a sympathy wreath to warm hearts and lend comfort to those grieving. Bows and Ribbons depicted in this arrangement are not included. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter -- make their home welcoming inside and out four times a year with our Preserved Seasonal Wreath gift program. Ready to greet guests with everlasting elegance and continuous smiles, these four seasonal wreaths combine to create 12 months of enjoyment. Equally at home on a covered front door and indoors on a wall or above a mantel, our wreaths strike the right tone for any occasion. Hand-crafted with care, these truly original gifts are made to last. Four seasonal wreaths will be delivered over the next year, each one individually billed at $59.98 per shipment For indoor or outdoor use on a door, wall or over a mantel To help preserve their beauty, the wreaths can be sprayed lightly with hair spray every few months Please select your first delivery date from... Less With a refreshing arrangement of lavender blossoms, our Lavender Wreath appears to have been handpicked just for you! Featuring an array of soft, purple hues, this wreath has a whimsical allure. Wreath measures 22 in. in diameter. Artificial arrangement of lavender and leaves Features a stable base of woven branches Hues of purple and green Comes ready for wall mount; no hanging hardware required Care: Recommended for indoor or covered outdoor use This item is available at Kirklands.com only, not available in stores. They will love decorating with this embroidered Christmas Wreath pillow!. We love to personalize this classic wreath with their family name. Whether it's for their first Christmas in their new home, or a thoughtful holiday hostess gift, it will be a memorable present they'll use year after year.-Screen-print ed design with gold cord trim around the edges-Pair it with the matching guest towel for a complete present-Also makes a great gift for a favorite teacher or co-worker Engraved Gift. Taking down the holiday wreath need not be a typical seasonal downer. This good-looking holiday wreath storage bag is a joy to use. It holds a wreath up to 35in. and includes everything you need to store it safely until next holiday season. An interior adjustable strap secures various-sized wreaths, while the top features carrying handles with comfort pads, an easy-view window lid with dual zippers for easy access and a clear ID sleeve. 35in.D x 9 1/2in.H. A gentle wreath of soft orange peach and blooms accented with white mums is a special way for loved ones to remember how dear the deceased was. The flowers are gathered in a sympathy wreath to warm hearts and lend comfort to those grieving. Bows and Ribbons depicted in this arrangement are not included. A gentle wreath of soft lavender blooms is a special way for loved ones to remember how dear the deceased was. Assorted lavender flowers are gathered in a sympathy wreath to warm hearts and lend comfort to those grieving. Bows and Ribbons depicted in this arrangement are not included. Nearly Natural - Wreaths - 4661 - Measuring 22 inches round, this festive holiday wreath incorporates magnificent red hydrangeas, evergreen sprigs, pinecones, and sprays of luscious berries. While it will look fabulous on a wall or door, hang it over a mirror for a truly one of a kind decoration! It can also be used as a table centerpiece by placing a large candle and holder in the middle. Gorgeous deep red hydrangeasThis is the perfect holiday welcoming plantThis incredible wreath embodies the holidaysSpecifica tions:Diameter: 22 Perfectly pink. Add a warm and welcoming touch to your home with this lifelike pink hydrangea wreath. Crafted with lovely, natural-looking pink and light green hydrangeas, ivy, and berries on a grapevine base, it adds floral flair to your decor. From the Valerie Parr Hill Collection. A gentle wreath of soft red white blooms is a special way for loved ones to remember how dear the deceased was. Assorted red white flowers are gathered in a sympathy wreath to warm hearts and lend comfort to those grieving. Bows and Ribbons depicted in this arrangement are not included. Large, lovely wreath with exuberant color and depth. Premium faux flowers are paired with lifelike vines and greenery. Hang it on a wall, or use it as a centerpiece. Insist that colorful blossoms be a part of your next occasion with our Spring Blossom Wreath. It offers that special something extra by featuring exquisite hydrangeas, peonies, roses and other flowers in shades of pink and yellow. Berries, grapevines, and greenery complete the look. . . . Celebrate a New York City-style Christmas! The Met Fresh Wreath echoes the distinct holiday decorations used by the New York City landmark and brings that style right to your home. The Met Christmas Fresh Wreath is fashioned by hand from genuine evergreen cuttings. A six-loop burgundy bow is featured at the top of the live wreath and along the bottom half triple pinecones and red poinsettias add to the appeal of this holiday decoration. 24 diam. Orders may be shipped to PO boxes. Orders may not be shipped to APO/FPO addresses.. Color: Green. Holidays: Christmas. Room: Living Room, Outdoor/Patio. Season: Winter. Now On Sale: Sale. Prices are provided by the merchants. We assume no responsibility for accuracy of price information provided by merchants. Please alert us to any pricing discrepancies and we will alert the merchant. Sales taxes are estimated at the zip code level. Shipping costs are estimates. Please check store for exact shipping costs. To learn more about why certain stores are listed on the site, click here Product specifications are obtained from third parties, and while we make every effort to assure the accuracy of product information, we do not assume any liability for inaccuracies. Store ratings and product reviews are written and submitted by online shoppers to assist you as you shop. They do not reflect our opinions. We take no responsibility for the content of ratings and reviews submitted by users.

Cortinarius luteicolor Cortinarius luteicolor is a species of fungus in the large mushroom genus Cortinarius (subgenus Phlegmacium). It was described as new to science in 1944 by American mycologist Alexander H. Smith, who called it Cortinarius orichalceus var. olympianus f. luteifolius. Molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer DNA regions demonstrated that this taxon was sufficiently distinct genetically to warrant designation as a species, and it was renamed in 2014. The mushroom is found in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, and British Columbia in Canada. The specific epithet luteicolor refers to yellowish colors of the cap and gills. See also List of Cortinarius species References External links luteicolor Category:Fungi described in 1944 Category:Fungi of Canada Category:Fungi of the United States

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2014) - Started the 2014 season with a 14th place finish at the Nevada Twilight Classic completing the course in a time of 15:28 ... Competed at the Roy Griak Invitational finishing 288th out of 390 with a time of 25:02. REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2013) - Finished tenth at the Nature's Bakery Nevada Twilight completing the four kilometer course in a time of 16:24.0 ... Ran 18:51.2 at the Sacramento State NCAA Inter-Regional Jamboree 5K ... Finished 52nd at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships ... Competed at the NCAA Mountain Region Cross Country Championships finishing with a time of 22:47.8 ... Named to the 2013 fall Academic All-Mountain West team FRESHMAN (2012) -Redshirt (did not compete) HIGH SCHOOL -Earned a letter in track and field and cross country at Robert McQueen High School in Reno, Nev. ... Top times include: 1600m (5:18.95); 3200m (11:45.20); 800m (2:23.40); and 5000m (19:24) ... Member of the state winning 4x800 relay team, first team 3200m, and 1600m ... Participated in Mock Trial for three years PERSONAL -Wants to attend law school and become a lawyer ... Daughter of Guillermo and Elizabeth Palacios ... Has one sister, Samantha ... Enjoys reading, hanging out with family and her dogs ... Loves to watch law shows on television

I toasted a few slices of bread in the oven (you can toast them in toaster-I do not have because I felt that I became addicted to it and that we eat too much bread: P) then arrange the slices. On each slice of bread put a few drops of oil, rub garlic on it then we put on slices of eggplant, diced tomatoes, oregano and a some grated cheese. For decoration you can use whatever herbs you have. We think you’ll love this recipe as we did! We love Mediterranean food, especially Greek and Italian inspiration. I didn’t have the opportunity so far to visit Greece or Italy. The opportunity arose to go to Greece when I was least expecting it and I’m so glad I went because it was very nice. And I didn’t came back empty handed – I brought some pictures for you. Am fost impresionata de multitudinea de flori colorate si arbusti de pe strazile Atenei. Sunt indragostita de putina si spectaculoasa vegetatie pe care o au! I was impressed by the multitude of colorful flowers and shrubs on the streets of Athens. I love rare and spectacular vegetation they have! Panorama orasului este extraordinara, Lycabettus avand chiar un loc destinat special pentru observarea acesteia (fotografia de mai sus este realizata de acolo, noaptea). In fiecare dimineata admiram Atena de la etajul 6 al hotelului, marea si desigur, Acropole. City panorama is great, Lycabettus having even a special place for its observation(photo above is made there at night). Every morning we admired Athens from the 6th floor of the hotel, the sea and of course, the Acropolis.

Q: Hadoop: Where does the job first execute before the map tasks? This is a typical main method of a Hadoop Job: public class MyHadoopJobDriver extends Configured implements Tool { public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { int exitCode = ToolRunner.run(new MyHadoopJobDriver(), args); System.exit(exitCode); } ... } When I run this job hadoop MyHadoopJobDriver, Is the code above executing in its own JVM on the task tracker? Then once the job is scheduled, the map tasks are distributed to the task trackers? A: Yes, usually. Note that if you "Debug -> as Java Application" that class in Eclipse then you can use the debugger for testing, setting breakpoints, etc. Note Note that even if you run the driver class and the mapper/reducer in Eclipse, you still need hadoop running on your machine in support of HDFS.

Former leader says in video message that Smith can unite Labour and 'reach out to every part of Britain'. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has thrown his support behind Owen Smith, claiming the former shadow cabinet minister can unite his embattled party and "reach out to every part of Britain". The Doncaster North MP, who resigned as leader of the opposition in the wake of the 2015 general election, added: "My choice in this leadership election is based on what our country needs at this extraordinary time after the European Union referendum. The decisions we make in the next months and years could define our country for decades to come. "We've got a new Tory prime minister, Theresa May, who is claiming the language of the left but could take our country further right with a hard-Brexit plan. "I want a Labour leader who can rise to the challenge of this moment, I want a Labour leader who can unite our party and make us a serious alternative government and I want a Labour leader who will reach out to every part of Britain and can do what Labour has done in the past, which is out of this crisis make it a progress moment. That's why my choice for Labour leader is Owen Smith." The endorsement comes amid a war of words between Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson and Jeremy Corbyn's campaign, following a critical interview the West Bromwich MP gave to The Guardian newspaper. Watson claimed Trotskyist entryists were seeking to undermine Labour by "twisting the arms" of younger members. But a spokesman for Jeremy for Labour hit back, accusing Watson of indulging in conspiracy theories and backing Smith's "Project Fear". "Rather than patronising members and peddling baseless conspiracy theories about "Trotsky entryists", he should be working with Jeremy to unite our party so that we can get back to campaigning to dislodge this Tory government, and help elect a Labour government in its place," the spokesperson said. The fiery exchange comes after a High Court gave Corbyn a boost yesterday (8 August) after it ruled new Labour members who joined after 12 January could have a say in the leadership contest without paying a £25 fee. The decision could override Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), but the party has vowed to appeal the decision at a hearing as early as Thursday (11 August). The latest opinion poll from YouGov for The Times, of more than 1,000 Labour members between 15 and 18 July, put Corbyn on 56% and Smith on 34% based on first preference votes.

Class-DE Ultrasound Transducer Driver for HIFU Therapy. This paper presents a practical implementation of an integrated MRI-compatible CMOS amplifier capable of directly driving a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer suitable for high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy. The amplifier operates in Class DE mode without the need for an output matching network. The integrated amplifier has been implemented with the AMS AG H35 CMOS process. A class DE amplifier design methodology for driving unmatched piezoelectric loads is presented along with simulation and experimental results. The proposed design achieves approximately 90% efficiency with over 800 mW of output power at 1010 kHz. The total die area including pads is 2 mm(2). Compatibility with MRI was validated with B1 imaging of a phantom and the amplifier circuit.

260 A.2d 219 (1969) Richard William BURNS b/n/f Paul Burns v. Dorothy C. BOMBARD. No. 32-68. Supreme Court of Vermont. Chittenden. December 2, 1969. Wick, Dinse & Allen, Burlington, for plaintiff. Coffrin & Pierson, Burlington, for defendant. Before HOLDEN, C. J., and SHANGRAW, BARNEY, SMITH and KEYSER, JJ. BARNEY, Justice. The impact of the motorcycle on her right front fender, with rider and passenger catapulted across the hood to the left side of the street, was the first inkling the defendant *220 had that an accident was to happen. The suit was brought by the injured operator of the motorcycle, went to trial, and resulted in a defendant's verdict. The plaintiff has appealed. Many of the crucial facts are controverted by completely contradictory testimony from witnesses who saw all or part of the actual accident. Indeed, there is little question but what the essential facts were so much in dispute as to require submission to a jury. But a description of the accident is possible. North Avenue is a principal street running generally northerly out of the City of Burlington to certain residential areas. The defendant, Mrs. Bombard, with a car full of children, was waiting at a stop sign on an intersecting street, Shore Road, on the west side of North Avenue. She intended to cross North Avenue and enter Heineberg Road. Although Shore Road and Heineberg Road are more or less opposite each other, that opposition is not exact in that a car going across North Avenue to enter Heineberg Road from Shore Road has to angle slightly to its left. Mrs. Bombard waited for traffic to clear before crossing North Avenue. A Mr. Ploof, coming northerly on North Avenue, turned right into Heineberg Road, and Mrs. Bombard, seeing no approaching traffic, crossed North Avenue and entered Heineberg Road behind him. It was just as the front of her car entered Heineberg Road that the impact occurred. As a consequence of the accident and injuries both the plaintiff motorcycle operator and his passenger have no recollection of the events leading up to the collision. Witnesses at the scene place the motorcycle in various locations. Some say it came northerly down North Avenue, and thus was to Mrs. Bombard's right behind Mr. Ploof. Others have it coming westerly on Heineberg Road ahead of Mrs. Bombard and toward her, but apparently on her right side of the street as she entered it. Neither Mr. Ploof nor the defendant, Mrs. Bombard, saw the motorcycle at any time prior to impact. Since the matter was so much in dispute, the plaintiff sought to introduce a right front fender which was claimed to be the Bombard fender. Offered on that ground, it was objected to as not properly authenticated, and excluded. It was then offered as a model or representation of the damaged fender, all for the purpose of demonstrating the place and angle of impact. This offer was also rejected and the fender excluded. The preliminary question of the adequacy of the foundation laid by the evidence for the purpose of making this exhibit admissible on either ground is conceded to be for the trial court and not ordinarily subject to review. For this Court to interfere with the determination below the complaining party must demonstrate that the ruling amounts to an abuse of discretion. Knight v. Willey, 120 Vt. 256, 262-263, 138 A.2d 596. The exhibit in this case was neither positively identified nor unqualifiedly acknowledged to exhibit the identical damage done by the accident. In such a case the ruling below must stand. We agree with the defendant, furthermore, that with the proposed exhibit before the jury during the trial and the descriptive references made to it in the examination of witnesses, the plaintiff cannot show that its exclusion amounted to prejudice, in any event. The other aspect of the plaintiff's appeal relates to the adequacy of the charge. The plaintiff's dissatisfaction centers on the trial court's treatment of the rule as to rights of way and the legal effects of safety statutes. Both matters were alluded to in the charge, but not in the precise language requested by the plaintiff. The plaintiff did no more than object *221 to the failure of the trial court to charge in accordance with his requests on these issues. No attempt was made to point out any fault in the charge actually given on these matters. This, alone, would justify turning aside the plaintiff's allegations of error in the charge. Pond v. Carter, 126 Vt. 299, 310, 229 A.2d 248. But furthermore, the argued criticism that the charge fails to refer to the effect of a claimed violation of a safety statute specifically in terms of "prima facie" evidence of negligence does not support reversal in this case. Our law is that the duties of the parties and the effect of safety statutes are all merged in the establishment of the standard of conduct of prudent persons in the same circumstances. Beaucage v. Russell, 127 Vt. 58, 62, 238 A.2d 631. This is the standard by which the actions of the parties are to be tested from the standpoint of due care, and by which liability for negligent actions is to be determined. Smith v. Blow & Cote, Inc., 124 Vt. 64, 69, 196 A.2d 489. This test was adequately charged by the trial court on the basis of the facts in this case. The plaintiff also contends that the instruction given as to the rule governing the rights of way of the parties was insufficient. Again his exception to this charge took the form only of an objection to the failure to comply with his requests. These, in the main, presumed the defendant's vehicle to be the burdened one, an issue that was strongly controverted in the evidence at the trial. In fact, the court fully charged the elements of rights of way at intersections and quoted the applicable statutes. The substance of the law was covered and the plaintiff has pointed out no valid shortcoming either to the lower court or to us. No grounds for reversal have been made to appear. Morgan v. Renehan-Akers Co., 126 Vt. 494, 497-498, 236 A.2d 645. Judgment affirmed.

Moody's downgrades Chicago schools, park district ratings May. 13, 2015 CHICAGO (AP) — Moody's Investors Service downgraded the debt of both the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District on Wednesday, a day after it downgraded the city's bond rating to junk status. Moody's has given a Ba3 rating to the school district's debt, down from a Baa3 rating, saying the district faces "increased strain on its precarious financial position" due to last week's Illinois Supreme Court decision overturning state pension reform. It reduced the Chicago Park District's rating to from Baa1 to Ba1, one notch below investment grade. The rating service's moves affect the school district's $6.2 billion in general obligation debt and the park district's $616 million in general obligation debt. Jesse Ruiz, interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools, said the court's decision shouldn't have impacted the school district's credit rating, noting the rating agency did not downgrade the state when the court ruled the Legislature's restructuring of Illinois' pension obligations violated the state constitution. However, Ruiz said Moody's action reaffirms why lawmakers must make changes to help the school district address its financial crisis. "Despite cutting more than $740 million from the central office and operations, we are projecting a deficit of $1.1 billion, driven by $700 million in pension costs," Ruiz said. Moody's acknowledges school officials are working to find ways to cover increased pension payments but said "solutions remain uncertain." A park district spokesman did not immediately return telephone calls for comment. The bond rating determines how much governmental agencies must pay to borrow money, with a lower rating increasing the cost of borrowing. When Moody's lowered the city's bond rating on Tuesday, it noted Chicago's tax base is "highly leveraged by the debt and unfunded pension obligations" of the city and overlapping governments.

6 Reasons Plus-Size Women Will Never Look Good in Bikinis Some people have bikini bodies and some people don't. Bikinis aren't something that just anyone can wear and feel good in. It takes a lot of eating right and working out to have the perfect summer body, and if you can't achieve it, then why bother swimsuit shopping at all? Here are 6 completely valid reasons* why a plus-size woman will never look good in a bikini.

Combined testing for antibodies to rubella non-structural and envelope proteins sentinels infections in two outbreaks. Two separate outbreaks of Rubella occurred in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 7 yrs apart, with a peak incidence for both in the month of April. A total of 138 cases, 51 in 1978 and 87 in 1985, was observed, the majority being in adolescents and young adults 15-25 years of age. Cases were diagnosed by the presence of Rubella IgM antibody or the combination of a negative passive hemagglutination (Rubacell-Abbott) and a positive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test on a single serum or by seroconversion for Rubella IgG antibody. Routine screening of sera with the Rubacell test, which measures antibodies to nonstructural rubella proteins together with HI or EIA testing of the negatives, served as a sentinel for rubella infection in the community during both outbreaks. Rubacell antibodies usually appeared 2-3 wk after onset of infections, and when present contained either or both IgG and IgM. Only 8/103 cases had a history of Rubella vaccination. Two of three products of conception yielded rubella virus in cell culture.

[FGF23 and bone metabolism]. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 was recently shown to alter serum phosphate level by modulating renal tubular phosphate reabsorption and production of active vitamin D independently of parathyroid hormone action. In addition, FGF23 was shown to be involved in the development of several diseases including autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets/osteomalacia (ADHR), X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets/osteomalacia (XLH) and tumor-induced rickets/osteomalacia (TIO). It has also been suggested that FGF23 physiologically regulates serum phosphate level because FGF23 null mice show high serum concentration of phosphate.

Q: Python mkdir giving me wrong permissions I'm trying to create a folder and create a file within it. Whenever i create that folder (via Python), it creates a folder that gives me no permissions at all and read-only mode. When i try to create the file i get an IOError. Error: <type 'exceptions.IOError'> I tried creating (and searching) for a description of all other modes (besides 0770). Can anyone give me light? What are the other mode codes? A: After you create the folder you can set the permissions with os.chmod The mod is written in base 8, if you convert it to binary it would be 000 111 111 000 rwx rwx rwx The first rwx is for owner, the second is for the group and the third is for world r=read,w=write,x=execute The permissions you see most often are 7 read/write/execute - you need execute for directories to see the contents 6 read/write 4 readonly When you use os.chmod it makes most sense to use octal notation so os.chmod('myfile',0o666) # read/write by everyone os.chmod('myfile',0o644) # read/write by me, readable for everone else Remember I said you usually want directories to be "executable" so you can see the contents. os.chmod('mydir',0o777) # read/write by everyone os.chmod('mydir',0o755) # read/write by me, readable for everone else Note: The syntax of 0o777 is for Python 2.6 and 3+. otherwise for the 2 series it is 0777. 2.6 accepts either syntax so the one you choose will depend on whether you want to be forward or backward compatible. A: You've probably got a funky umask. Try os.umask(0002) before making your directory. A: The Python manual says: os.mkdir(path[, mode]) Create a directory named path with numeric mode mode. The default mode is 0777 (octal). On some systems, mode is ignored. Where it is used, the current umask value is first masked out. Availability: Unix, Windows. Have you specified a mode - which mode did you specify. Did you consider specifying a mode explicitly? And what is the program's umask value set to"

Impact of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy on treatment delivery in nonmetastatic breast cancer. To determine the incidence of dose-limiting (DL) chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) events in clinical practice. This retrospective cohort study included 488 women who received docetaxel or paclitaxel. The primary outcome was a DL event (dose delay, dose reduction, or treatment discontinuation) attributed to CIPN (DL CIPN). The paired t test was used to test the difference in received cumulative dose and planned cumulative dose by dose reduction and treatment discontinuation status. A total of 150 unique DL events occurred in 120 women (24.6%). More than one third (37.3%; n=56) of the events were attributed to CIPN. The 56 DL CIPN events occurred in 50 women (10.2%). DL CIPN incidence differed significantly by agent (docetaxel, 2.4%; n=five of 209; paclitaxel, 16.1%; n=45 of 279; P<.001). DL CIPN occurred in 24.5% and 14.4% of women who received paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 weekly for 12 cycles and 175 mg/m2 biweekly for four cycles, respectively (adjusted odds ratio, 2.11; 95% CI, 0.97 to 4.60; P=.06). The cumulative dose actually received was significantly lower than the planned cumulative dose among women who had a dose reduction or treatment termination attributed to CIPN (9.4% less; P<.001 and 28.4% less; P<.001, respectively). Oncologists limited the dosing of chemotherapy because of CIPN in a significant proportion of paclitaxel recipients, most frequently in those who received a weekly regimen. Patients who had their dose reduced or discontinued received significantly less cumulative chemotherapy than planned. The implications of these DL CIPN events on treatment outcomes must be investigated.

Summary Our Score User Score Best Deals LG G3: Performance and Benchmarks There’s very little to choose between top range Android phones these days. They almost all pack Qualcomm’s latest system on a chip and it’s no surprise that the LG G3 follows suit. The quad-core Snapdragon 801 runs at up to 2.5Ghz and is backed up by 2GB or RAM for the 16GB version and 3GB RAM for the 32 GB one. Preliminary reports suggest the extra 1GB of RAM makes little difference to performance. Just to confuse matters a little the Snapdragon 801 comes in a few variations, here we have the faster one that the Galaxy S5 uses. It is 200Mhz quicker than the variant in the HTC One M8 and the Sony Xperia Z2, which means that it should perform better in our standard benchmark tests. However, this is not the case. The LG G3 scores 2,425 in Geekbench 3, a fair bit lower than the 2,908 of the Galaxy S5 and 2,840 of the HTC One M8. It also trails more than 10 per cent behind the other two in the 3DMark Unlimited benchmark with a score of 16,382. We’re not quite sure why this is the case. We know that HTC has ‘optimised’ the HTC One M8 to perform well in benchmark tests so we always take its results with a pinch of salt. While we have had no confirmation on this there is the possibility that LG are holding a little back from the processor to ensure the LG G3 doesn’t overheat or use too much battery. During our testing we were stopped several times from upping the brightness of the screen to 100 per cent with the message “Unable to brighten more due to temperature increase”. It may be that LG has opted for keeping the internal temperature down over eking every last bit of power out of the processor. If so it’s an admirable sentiment, we have often found stability issues with phones that overheat and we’d take a small performance hit in exchange for the boost in reliability. In real world use you’ll notice very little wrong with the LG G3’s performance. Aside from the occasional tiny UI stutter, which happens with every Android phone we’ve used. The LG G3 is slick and powerful. Heavy duty 3D games like Asphalt 8 play smoothly and look stunning on that amazing QHD screen. LG G3: Connectivity and storage The LG G3 has resolved one of the main complaints buyers had of the LG G2. It now comes with a microSD card slot that accepts cards up to 128GB in size. This means that it makes little difference whether you opt for the 16GB or 32GB model, aside from RAM. You can always add extra storage later. The full host of wireless connectivity we’ve come to expect from high-end phones is present and correct. There’s a wide range of 4G connectivity bands, as well as Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. It also comes with an Infrared blaster and one of the more usable IR remote apps we’ve experienced. Setting up our home entertainment system was quick and slick and it’s one of the rare IR apps we actually find ourselves using when we are too lazy to track down a remote. While Samsung opted to kit out the Galaxy S5 with a microUSB 3.0 port the LG G3 has a more standard microUSB 2.0 one. This means you won’t get the same blistering data transfer rates, but in all other respects the LG G3’s microUSB port is comprehensive. It is Slimport compatible, which means you can connect it to your TV with an adapter, and is USB on-the-go enabled so that it can read from USB storage devices.

Tarafpur Union Tarafpur Union () is a union of Mirzapur Upazila, Tangail District, Bangladesh. It is situated 21 km north of Mirzapur and 52 km southeast of Tangail, The district headquarter. Demographics According to Population Census 2011 performed by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, The total population of Tarafpur union is 23169. There are 5168 households in total. Education The literacy rate of Tarafpur Union is 47.3% (Male-50.6%, Female-44.4%). See also Union Councils of Tangail District References Category:Populated places in Dhaka Division Category:Populated places in Tangail District Category:Unions of Mirzapur Upazila

Curriculum English/Literature DepartmentBanyan High School Language Arts curriculum is designed to provide services to a broad range of students within a challenging academic curriculum. Literature and writing are taught in an integrated, sequential, comprehensive program that is both developmental and progressive in nature. In addition, to meet individual needs within the core curriculum, we have included a selection of mandatory courses with a variety of instructional options and optional remedial and supplemental courses, including English I, English II, English III, English IV and PSAT/SAT Preparation. Reading Essentials/Reading EnrichmentOur Reading Essentials/Enrichment curriculum consists of two reading teachers and a reading specialist. The reading specialist evaluates each student to determine his or her individual needs. Students are then offered individual and small group instruction in decoding, vocabulary development, and comprehension. Reading instruction emphasizes Orton-Gillingham and Wilson Reading. Additional recognized research based programs are used as well. These programs are based on a structured, systematic phonetic method for decoding and encoding. Trained teachers utilize a multi-sensory approach to enable students to use their visual, auditory, and kinesthetic abilities to build their reading skills, enhance their vocabulary, and improve their spelling. The reading program is designed to meet individual learning needs and IEP goals. In our classes, we utilize various technology including laptops, iPads, and kindles to enhance our curriculum. Mathematics DepartmentThe Math curriculum at Banyan High School places an emphasis on differentiated instruction to develop a math experience tailor fit to the student’s individual needs. Instruction incorporates a hands-on multisensory approach with small class sizes and direct instruction. The curriculum is based on teacher modeling, manipulatives, visual aides, and technology (Smartboards, calculators, and iPads). A wide variety of classes are offered that include Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus and Consumer Math. All classes are designed to foster application skills with an eye on preparing the student for life after Banyan. History DepartmentThe History curriculum is designed to allow students to see how the events of the past have shaped the world we live in today. Throughout the course of the school year, students read historical documents, complete various projects, and utilize different forms of technology to enhance the curriculum. In order to expand their critical thinking skills and stay on top on the history being made today, students also have the opportunity complete a monthly current event. Courses in the History curriculum include World History, United States History, Civics, and Economics. Science DepartmentThe Science curriculum presently offers studies in four science disciplines: biology, chemistry, environmental science, and anatomy and physiology. The courses offered are designed to provide students with a comprehensive and well-rounded conceptual understanding of each science discipline. This is achieved by employing classroom discussions, model manipulatives, hands-on lab investigations, field trips, and the most up to date technology (Smartboards interactives, virtual labs, and iPad applications), all of which can be modified to accommodate individual student needs. The scientific method is applied consistently throughout each of the courses to help students develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Engineering practices and design, in accordance with New Generation Science Standards (NGSS), are addressed in each course to provide a student-centered experience and relate conceptual learning to “real-life” applications of science. Science literacy is integrated within the science curriculum to enhance our students’ literacy and communication skills. World LanguageThe World Language curriculum offers basic and advanced courses, through the use of Rosetta Stone. The coursework allows the students to move at their individual ability levels. Students learn pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, reading, and writing in the target language. FinanceBanyan High School’s Economics course provides our students with the skills to make appropriate personal financial choices, understand the role of these choices in society, and use these skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options. Health & WellnessThe overall purpose of Banyan High School’s Health and Wellness classes is to instill knowledge of life long health & wellness. The Physical Education curriculum exposes our students to various activities, games, sports, and skills. Our health classroom provides a safe environment for our students to speak freely on health concerns and issues. Music DepartmentThe Banyan High School Music curriculum offers students the opportunity to experience music through performance, music creation, and technology. Students have the opportunity to perform in the chorus where they prepare for Banyan and community vocal performances, along with a year-end vocal competition at the Music in the Parks Festival. Instrumental lessons are offered to all students interested in piano and guitar. These classes offer individualized instruction in a private or semi-private setting. Instrumental lessons include instruction in beginning theory, music reading, music writing, and ensemble performance. In addition, these classes provide students with the opportunity to compose, record, and edit their performances for self-critique and as a means of personal creation. Art DepartmentBanyan High School’s Art curriculum empowers our students to explore, learn, and most of all enjoy a sense of accomplishment. The curriculum incorporates the fine arts/crafts, photography, and computer graphics. Beginning with conceiving ideas at our studio art table to a finished painting, or scanning a drawing into our Photoshop Suite for graphic embellishment, students are able to create a one of a kind work of art. In addition, students in photography classes learn to use our cameras to focus and compose artistically pleasing photographs. Students have the opportunity to take photos of the natural environment or transport themselves into any environment using our green screen. ElectivesAt Banyan High School, we offer a variety of electives in fine and practical arts, and higher level language, such as, Guitar, Chorus Rock Band, Psychology, and World Languages. Electives can be used to build or increase a specific skill set or just to explore new hobbies. Realtime (Student Information System) Realtime is Banyan High School’s online grading and report card software program. This program is an excellent tool not only for teachers, but also for parents to monitor their student’s work. Additionally, Realtime SIS encourages students to self-monitor and become more responsible as they learn time and work management. Realtime allows students, parents, and teachers to track student progress easily, while helping students keep up with their assignments. Extended School Year (ESY) Banyan High School’s Extended School Year (ESY) program focuses on the retention and strengthening of skills in the areas of decoding, reading comprehension, language arts and math. The program is open to current Banyan students, as well as students attending other schools. Classes are small to ensure individualized attention for all students. The “Summer of Learning” is a four-day a week program beginning in the month of July. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. Related ServicesBased upon individual needs, the related services of Counseling, Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy are all available for students.

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Understanding the Collaborative Planning Process in Homeless Services: Networking, Advocacy, and Local Government Support May Reduce Service Gaps. The Continuum of Care (CoC) process-a nationwide system of regional collaborative planning networks addressing homelessness-is the chief administrative method utilized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to prevent and reduce homelessness in the United States. The objective of this study is to provide a benchmark comprehensive picture of the structure and practices of CoC networks, as well as information about which of those factors are associated with lower service gaps, a key goal of the initiative. A national survey of the complete population of CoCs in the United States was conducted in 2014 (n = 312, 75% response rate). This survey is the first to gather information on all available CoC networks. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to determine the relationship between internal networking, advocacy frequency, government investment, and degree of service gaps for CoCs of different sizes. United States. Lead contacts for CoCs (n = 312) that responded to the 2014 survey. Severity of regional service gaps for people who are homeless. Descriptive statistics show that CoCs vary considerably in regard to size, leadership, membership, and other organizational characteristics. Several independent variables were associated with reduced regional service gaps: networking for small CoCs (β = -.39, P < .05) and local government support for midsized CoCs (β = -.10, P < .05). For large CoCs, local government support was again significantly associated with lower service gaps, but there was also a significant interaction effect between advocacy and networking (β = .04, P < .05). To reduce service gaps and better serve the homeless, CoCs should consider taking steps to improve networking, particularly when advocacy is out of reach, and cultivate local government investment and support.

Effect of hyperconjugation on ionization energies of hydroxyalkyl radicals. On the basis of electronic structure calculations and molecular orbital analysis, we offer a physical explanation of the observed large decrease (0.9 eV) in ionization energies (IE) in going from hydroxymethyl to hydroxyethyl radical. The effect is attributed to hyperconjugative interactions between the sigma CH orbitals of the methyl group in hydroxyethyl, the singly occupied p orbital of carbon, and the lone pair p orbital of oxygen. Analyses of vertical and adiabatic IEs and hyperconjugation energies computed by the natural bond orbital (NBO) procedure reveal that the decrease is due to the destabilization of the singly occupied molecular orbital in hydroxyethyl radical as well as structural relaxation of the cation maximizing the hyperconjugative interactions. The stabilization is achieved due to the contraction of the CO and CC bonds, whereas large changes in torsional angles bear little effect on the total hyperconjugation energies and, consequently, IEs.

/* * Copyright (c) 2015 Kaprica Security, Inc. * * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: * * The above copyright notice and this permission 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. * */ #ifndef STRING_H_ #define STRING_H_ #include "cgc_stdlib.h" void *cgc_memcpy(void *dst, const void *src, cgc_size_t n); void *cgc_memmove(void *dst, const void *src, cgc_size_t n); int cgc_memcmp(const void *s1, const void *s2, cgc_size_t n); void *cgc_memchr(const void *s, int c, cgc_size_t n); void *cgc_memset(void *s, int c, cgc_size_t n); cgc_size_t cgc_strlen(const char *s); char *cgc_strcpy(char *dst, const char *src); char *cgc_strncpy(char *dst, const char *src, cgc_size_t len); char *cgc_strchr(const char *s, int c); char *cgc_strsep(char **stringp, const char *delim); char *cgc_strstr(const char *haystack, const char *needle); char *cgc_strcasestr(const char *haystack, const char *needle); int cgc_strcmp(const char *s1, const char *s2); int strncmp(const char *s1, const char *s2, cgc_size_t n); int strcasecmp(const char *s1, const char *s2); int cgc_strncasecmp(const char *s1, const char *s2, cgc_size_t n); char *cgc_strdup(const char *s1); char *cgc_strndup(const char *s1, cgc_size_t n); #endif

Congenital aneurysm of the left coronary sinus and left main coronary artery with fistulous communication to the right atrium in pregnancy. We describe a unique case of a left coronary arteriovenous fistula arising from a left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in a pregnant woman. The relevant diagnostic contributions of two-dimensional echocardiography, color flow Doppler, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography are discussed. The hemodynamic manifestations of this anomaly in pregnancy and the eventual surgical correction are reviewed.

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an apparatus for treating crude oil, and in particular to an apparatus for separating sand and water from crude oil. 2. Discussion of the Prior Art In general, it is necessary to treat crude oil to separate various substances such as sand and water from the oil before placing the oil in a pipeline, i.e. it is necessary to upgrade the crude oil to pipeline quality. Apparatuses for treating crude oil of generally the type described herein are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,536 and Canadian Pat. No. 1,152,019, both of which issued to H.R. Bull on June 25, 1968 and Aug. 16, 1983, respectively. While the Bull devices are effective in removing some substances from crude oil, it has been found that the treated crude oil obtained from existing apparatuses may still contain an undesirably high level of water.

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23308 What is next in 81080, 168854, 256628, 344402? 432176 What comes next: -77465, -309687, -696731, -1238597, -1935285, -2786795, -3793127? -4954281 What is the next term in 3805, 2368, 931, -506? -1943 What is the next term in -144641, -144663, -144675, -144671, -144645, -144591? -144503 What is next in -18708, -19607, -22076, -26901, -34868, -46763, -63372, -85481? -113876 What is next in 70, -2, -156, -392, -710, -1110? -1592 What is the next term in 1599, 3030, 5357, 8580, 12699? 17714 What is the next term in -1977, -8295, -18943, -33921, -53229, -76867, -104835? -137133 What is the next term in -56137, -113041, -170717, -229159, -288361, -348317, -409021, -470467? -532649 What is next in -2508, 1300, 5110, 8922, 12736, 16552? 20370 What is next in -1725, -2344, -1855, -258, 2447? 6260 What comes next: -13616, -61159, -142636, -258047, -407392, -590671, -807884? -1059031 What is next in -109612, -109617, -109646, -109705, -109800? -109937 What is the next term in 166, 327, 640, 1195, 2082? 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Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber And Jesse McCartney: The Top 25 Songs Of The Year Posted 12/06/2010 12:30:35 pm by MTV News. The end of 2010 is almost upon us, which is why MTV News is rounding up the Top Songs of 2010. We had over two dozen MTV News staffers submit their own personal lists of their 25 favorite songs, and from those lists we derived a master list whose top 10 will be slowly rolling out over the course of this week. Check out one of the 25 lists below, with an argument or two for the greatness of some of the under-appreciated tunes of the year. By Jocelyn Vena, with some help from her girl Christina Garibaldi 1. “OMG,” Usher 2. “Telephone,” Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé 3. “Runaway,” Kanye West 4. “Mine,” Taylor Swift This track the type of song that girls would listen to on repeat at sleepovers. It also has Swift finally singing about adult relationships, which means that anyone can relate to it. That’s really what makes it a great pop song. 5. “Love the Way You Lie,” Eminem featuring Rihanna 6. “Fancy,” Drake featuring Swizz Beatz 7. “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,” Usher 8. “California Gurls,” Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg 9. “I Like It,” Enrique Iglesias 10. “Alejandro,” Lady Gaga11. “Dynamite,” Taio Cruz 12. “Somebody to Love,” Justin Bieber Whether or not you are a Bieber fan, “Somebody To Love” was his bid for Usher’s throne. Let’s put it another way: If Usher released it, you probably wouldn’t be ashamed to love it. 13. “Tik Tok,” Ke$ha 14. “F— You,” Cee-Lo Green 15. “Just Haven’t Met You Yet,” Michael Buble 16. “Nothin’ on You,” B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars 17. “Airplanes,” B.o.B featuring Haley Williams of Paramore 18. “Whip My Hair,” Willow Smith 19. “Teenage Dream,” Katy Perry 20. “Rude Boy,” Rihanna 21. “Your Love Is My Drug,” Ke$ha 22. “Dog Days Are Over,” Florence & the Machine This track is a little weird sonically and lyrically, but it managed to permeate the pop world thanks to an appearance in the “Eat, Pray, Love” trailers and Florence Welch’s super cool voice and persona. 23. “The Only Exception,” Paramore Hayley Williams sings about heartbreak and love better than most people double her age, so when she meets that guy that breaks down her walls, we want to believe they can make it work. 24. “Shake,” Jesse McCartney Jesse has always been on the cusp of crossing over into a full-fledged adult pop star, and this song has just as much swagger and charm as your average Justin Timberlake release (and that guy doesn’t even make records any more). Bottom line: give it another listen.

--- abstract: | Time dependent entropy of constant force motion is investigated. Their joint entropy so called Leipnik’s entropy is obtained. The main purpose of this work is to calculate Leipnik’s entropy by using time dependent wave function which is obtained by the Feynman path integral method. It is found that, in this case, the Leipnik’s entropy increase with time and this result has same behavior free particle case. Keywords: Path integral, joint entropy, constant force motion. author: - Özgür ÖZCAN - Ethem AKTÜRK - Ramazan SEVER title: Time Dependent Entropy of Constant Force Motion --- Introduction ============ The information entropy plays a major role in a stronger formulation of the uncertainty relations [@ekrem]. This relation may be mathematically defined by using the Boltzmann-Shannon information entropy and the von Neumann entropy. In the literature for both open and closed quantum systems, the different information-theoretical entropy measures have been discussed [@Zurek; @Omnes; @Anastopoulos]. In contrast, the joint entropy [@Leipnik; @Dodonov] can also be used to properties the loss of information, related to evolving pure quantum states [@Trigger]. The joint entropy of the physical systems were conjectured by Dunkel and Trigger [@Dunkel] in which their systems named MACS (maximal classical states). The Leibnik entropy of the simple harmonic oscillator was determined not monotonically increase with time [@Garbaczewski]. In this work, we give a uniform description of the complete joint entropy information of system in motion under a constant force. This paper is organized as follows. In section II, we explain fundamental definitions needed for the calculation. In section III, we deal with calculation and results for constant force systems. Moreover, we obtain the analytical solution of Kernel, wave function in both coordinate and momentum space and its joint entropy. We also obtain same quantities for constant magnetic field case. Finally, we present the conclusion in section IV. Fundamental Definitions ======================= We consider a classical system with $d=sN$ degrees of freedom, where N is the particle number and s is number of spatial dimensions [@Dunkel]. Apart from this, let us describe $g(x,p,t)=g(x_1,...,x_n,p_1,...,p_d,t)$ which is non-negative, time dependent phase space density function of system. The density function is assuming to be normalized to unity, $$\int dx dp g(x,p,t)=1.$$ The Gibbs-Shannon entropy is described by $$S(t)=-\frac{1}{N!}\int dx dp g(x,p,t)ln(h^{d} g(x,p,t)),$$ where $h=2\pi\hbar$ is the Planck constant. Schrödinger wave equation with the Born interpretation [@Born] is given by $$i\hbar\frac{\partial\psi}{\partial t}=\hat{H}\psi.$$ The quantum probability densities are defined in position and momentum spaces as $|\psi(x,t)|^2$ and $|\tilde{\psi}(p,t)|^2$, where $|\tilde{\psi}(p,t)|^2$ is given as $$\tilde{\psi}(p,t)=\int\frac{dx e^{-ipx/\hbar}}{(2\pi\hbar)^{d/2}}\psi(x,t).$$ Leipnik proposed the product function as [@Dunkel] $$g_{j}(x,p,t)=|\psi(x,t)|^2|\tilde{\psi}(p,t)|^2\geq0.$$ Substituting Eq. (5) into Eq. (2), we get the joint entropy $S_{j}(t)$ for the pure state $\psi(x,t)$ or equivalently can be written in the following form  [@Dunkel] $$\begin{aligned} S_{j}(t)&=&-\int dx |\psi(x,t)|^{2}\ln|\psi(x,t)|^{2}- \int dp |\tilde{\psi}(p,t)|^2 \ln |\tilde{\psi}(p,t)|^2-\nonumber\\&-&\ln h^{d}.\end{aligned}$$ We find time dependent wave function by means of the Feynman path integral which has form [@Feynman] $$\begin{aligned} K(x'',t'';x',t')&=&\int^{x''=x(t'')}_{x'=x(t')}Dx(t)e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}S[x(t)]} \nonumber\\&=&\int^{x''}_{x'}Dx(t)e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}\int_{t'}^{t''}L[x,\dot{x},t]dt}.\end{aligned}$$ The Feynman kernel can be related to the time dependent Schrödinger’s wave function $$\begin{aligned} K(x'',t'';x',t')=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\psi_{n}^{*}(x',t')\psi_{n}(x'',t'').\end{aligned}$$ The propagator in semiclassical approximation reads $$\begin{aligned} K(x'',t'';x',t')=\Big[\frac{i}{2\pi\hbar}\frac{\partial^2}{\partial x'\partial x''}S_{cl}(x'',t'';x',t')\Big]^{1/2}e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}S_{cl}(x'',t'';x',t')}.\end{aligned}$$ The prefactor is often referred to as the Van Vleck-Pauli-Morette determinant  [@Khandekar; @Kleinert]. The $F(x'',t'';x',t')$ is given by $$\begin{aligned} F(x'',t'';x',t')=\Big[\frac{i}{2\pi\hbar}\frac{\partial^2}{\partial x'\partial x''}S_{cl}(x'',t'';x',t')\Big]^{1/2}.\end{aligned}$$ CALCULATION AND RESULTS ======================= [**Constant Force**]{} ---------------------- The Lagrangian for present case is $$L(x,\dot{x},t)=\frac{1}{2}m\dot{x}^2+fx$$ The classical path obeys $$m\ddot{x}_{cl}=f$$ The solution of above equation is $$x_{cl}(\tau)=x_{0}+\Big(\frac{x-x_{0}}{t-t_{0}}-\frac{1}{2}\frac{f}{m}(t-t_{0})\Big)\tau+\frac{1}{2}\frac{f}{m}\tau^2$$ One obtains for classical action integral along the classical path [@Feynman] $$\begin{aligned} S(x_{cl}(\tau))=\frac{1}{2}m\frac{(x-x_{0})^2}{t-t_{0}}+\frac{1}{2}(x+x_{0})f(t-t_{0})-\frac{1}{24}\frac{f^2}{m}(t-t_0)^3\end{aligned}$$ and finally, for the kernel $$\begin{aligned} K(x'',x';T)&=&\Big[\frac{m}{2\pi i\hbar T}\Big]^{1/2} \exp\Big[\frac{im}{2\hbar}\frac{(x-x_{0})^2}{T}+\frac{i}{2\hbar}(x+x_{0})fT-\nonumber\\&-&\frac{i}{24\hbar}\frac{f^2}{m}T^3\Big]\end{aligned}$$ The dependent wave function at time $t>0$ $$\begin{aligned} \Psi(x,t)&=&\Big[\frac{1-i\frac{\hbar t}{m\sigma^2}}{1+i\frac{\hbar t}{m\sigma^2}}\Big]^{1/4}\Big[\frac{1}{\pi\sigma^{2}(1+\frac{\hbar^{2} t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^4})}\Big]^{1/4}\exp\Big[-\frac{(x-\frac{p_{0}}{m}t-\frac{ft^2}{2m})^2}{2\sigma^2(1+\frac{\hbar^{2} t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^4})}\times\nonumber\\&\times&(1-i\frac{\hbar t}{m\sigma^2})\Big] \exp\Big[\frac{i}{\hbar}(p_{0}+ft)x-\frac{i}{\hbar}\int^{t}_{0}d\tau\frac{(p_{0}+f\tau)^2}{2m}\Big]\end{aligned}$$ where $\sigma$ is width of Gaussian curve. The corresponding probability distribution is $$\begin{aligned} |\Psi(x,t)|^2=\Big[\frac{1}{\pi\sigma^{2}(1+\frac{\hbar^{2} t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^4})}\Big]^{1/2}\exp\Big[-\frac{(x-\frac{p_{0}t}{m}-\frac{ft^2}{2m})^2}{\sigma^2(1+\frac{\hbar^{2} t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^4})}\Big]\end{aligned}$$ or $$\begin{aligned} |\Psi(x,t)|^2=\Big[\frac{1}{\pi\sigma^{2}(1+\frac{\hbar^{2} t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^4})}\Big]^{1/2}\exp\Big[-\frac{(x-\frac{p_{0}t}{m}-\frac{ft^2}{2m})^2}{\sigma^2(1+\frac{\hbar^{2} t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^4})}\Big]\end{aligned}$$ The probability density in coordinate space is shown Fig.\[eps1\]. The probability density in momentum space can be written easily $$\begin{aligned} |\Psi(p,t)|^2=\Big[\frac{\sigma^{2}}{\pi \hbar^{2}}\Big]^{1/2}\exp\Big[\frac{-\sigma^{2}}{\hbar^{2}}(p+(p_{0}+f t))^{2}\Big]\end{aligned}$$ The time dependent joint entropy can be obtained from Eq. [6]{} as $$S_{j}(t)=\ln(\frac{e}{2})\sqrt{1+\frac{\hbar^{2}t^{2}}{m^{2}\sigma^{4}}}$$ The joint entropy of this system is shown Fig.\[eps2\] and Fig.\[eps3\]. It is important that Eq. [20]{} is in agreement with following general inequality for the joint entropy: $$S_{j}(t)\geq\ln(\frac{e}{2})$$ originally derived by Leipnik for arbitrary one-dimensional one-particle wave functions. Conclusion ========== We have investigated the joint entropy for constant for motion. We have obtained the time dependent wave function by means of Feynman Path integral technique. In this case, we have found that the joint entropy increase with time and the results harmony prior studied. The joint entropy has same behavior as free particle case. This result indicates that the information entropy is getting increase with time. Acknowledgements ================ This research was partially supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. [99]{} E. Aydiner, C. Orta and R.Sever, E-print:quant-ph/0602203 N. J. Cerf and C. Adami, Phys. Rev. Lett. **79**, 5194–5197 (1997). W.H. Zurek, Phys. Today **44**(10), 36 (1991). R. Omnes, Rev. Mod. Phys. **64**, 339 (1992). C. Anastopoulos, Ann. Phys. **303**, 275 (2003). R. Leipnik, Inf. Control. **2**, 64 (1959). V.V.Dodonov, J.Opt. B: Quantum Semiclassical Opt. **4**, S98 (2002). S. A. Trigger, Bull. Lebedev Phys. Inst. **9**, 44 (2004). J. Dunkel and S. A. Trigger, Phys. Rev.A**71**, 052102 (2005). P. Garbaczewski, Phys. Rev. A **72**, 056101 (2005). M. Born, Z. Phys. **40**, 167 (1926). R.P. Feynmann, A. R. Hibbs, Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals, McGraw-Hill, USA (1965). D.C. Khandekar, S.V. Lawande, K.V. Bhagwat, Path-Integral Methods and Their Applications, World Scientific, Singapore (1993). H. Kleinert, Path Integrals in Quantum Mechanics, Statistics, Polymer Physics, and Financial Markets, World Scientific, 3rd Edition (2004).

This is an Alfa Romeo 166. No, really. This car, called the Trumpchi, is owned by Chinese automaker GAC, and uses an Alfa platform. Apparently it’s a 4WD Hybrid as well. It looks utterly generic and about a decade behind the rest of the competizione…err, competition. agreed. if low beltlines and rear window visibility are your thing then this may offer an option. potential reliability? tough to say. availability of parts? tough to say. but if it comes cheaply then it may sell. if it has the reliability of some of the cars from a decade ago then it may not be all that bad. This car was actually not in the show. This was the hallway out front. Though it was next to a company selling four-wheelers that turn into jet skis… which was awesome. When I talked to a rep from the company he spoke broken English but kept saying it has all-wheel drive. I mentioned it looked a little like a Honda Accord he said, “What is Honda?” Really dude? Don’t act like you don’t know what Honda is when someone points out the parts that are a direct rip off. Nice car though. Lest some go away thinking that this was GAC’s only entry at Detroit this year, I’m told that there were two other models displayed. One of these was the E-Jet hybrid concept…..worth checking out. btw Geely, in its first appearance at Cobo, was also relegated to the vestibule. Space is very limited, or maybe some planning further in advance by such random participants would be good. It certainly helped to show up at the same time as the Yugo (and possibly the Sterling). I’m pretty sure there was a junkyard find within the last couple of years that showed one high-mile (early) Excel. Understandable. Inevitably in the future, this POS will be sold here thanks to solid efforts by the best marketing firms in the business, just like the POS Chinese tools and equipment sold at Home Depot and Walmart. By then, just like with the tools sold in those stores, it will be expected that in return for lower price we get an inferior product that has rather limited lifespan. The mentality will move even more towards “I don’t care if this fridge falls apart in 3 years, I saved enough money to buy a new one then. More metal will be processed, more factories will burn fuels to process it, etc. etc. etc. Who wrote this and how do they still have a job? 1) Where in the article does the information reflect the title? Why not title it “American GDP as discussed by baseball legend Chipper Jones” It would have had the same relevance. Of course it probably should have been “Here’s a picture of an asian car!” That would have been accurate to the content. The exclamation point is so that your readers have something to comment about. 2) Why did the author pressume that a current model Asian market car could reflect a future model North American market car from a European company? 3) There’s so little information about the car, about Alfa’s US market plans, about anything, that this whole article could have been the caption of the picture. At least then, the author would have been forced to actually write something. Yeah, some actual information would be nice. Just how much of the original Alfa 166 is used, for instance. It doesn’t look anything like the 166. The filler cap is in the same place. And they are both round. That is about it. In DK’s defence – information on Trumpchi GA5 Sedan from Guangzhou Auto (GAC) is quite scarce. Here are some picture galleries that I found: http://chinaautoweb.com/car-models/gac-trumpchi/ http://db.auto.sohu.com/model_2967/ The specifications say that it comes with a 1.8 or 2.0 DOHC 16V I4, but with only 108kW I doubt that it is a Twin-Spark. No word about any Alfa V6, which has always been the best part of any car that is fitted into.

first off, I am not 100% sure a god of some sort doesn't exist. However, the simplest answer is usually the correct one. An eternal universe makes more sense to me than it having a beginning. Honestly though, learning how/if the universe was created while interesting, will have no impact on my life. No, its more like evolutionists have NO answer for it, and therefore the MUST believe matter is eternal in order to believe in evolution, regardless of whether or not it is likely to be true. It is a mandatory forced position. It's not that such a thing is likely. No, its more like evolutionists have NO answer for it, and therefore the MUST believe matter is eternal in order to believe in evolution, regardless of whether or not it is likely to be true. It is a mandatory forced position. It's not that such a thing is likely. saying I don't know is better than "god did it". Scientists go to where the evidence leads. Most scientists do not adhere to the big bang theory anymore. In my opinion it is an example of pseudo-science that establishes hypothesis as theory to explain observations without the ability to test the hypothesis. A common popular response, unfortunately, is to endorse these theories without proof (testing the hypothesis). In the case of creation, there will never be a absolute understanding of the actual events because the experiment (creation) cannot be repeated in a controlled environment for observation. The best we will ever have are theories that seek to explain a past, unobserved event. Theories include "big bang", "God", and for life on earth "God", "Spontaneous Evolution", and the "flying speghetti monster". All require faith on interpretation of current conditions without testable data. saying I don't know is better than "god did it". Scientists go to where the evidence leads. I just want to highlight the phrase "I don't know" being acknowledged by an atheist who believes in evolution. I think its great the honesty shown here, that the THEORY of evolution is not FACT, it is a best guess. I think you are wrong though, I find the conclusion of a creator to be more logical than throwing your arms up in the air or forcing an answer that doesn't make sense. really? any evidence to back that statement up. preferably not from the discovery institute? http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_there_a...Theory_is_true "The Big Bang, as more evidence comes in, is finding more scientists who disagree with it - not due to a sudden conversion to Creationism, but because the evidence is turning against it. Like many old paradigms, it still has its zealous adherents. But more scientists (not only Creation Scientists but evolutionists as well) are seeing data which does not fit it well. So, the direction in science is not towards the Big Bang but away from it - or at least, there is an acknowledgment that it doesn't fit some of the latest data. Of course the failure of the Big Bang to explain all the data will not lead to a sudden stampede towards creationism as previously stated. Either the Big Bang theory itself will be drastically revised or abandoned for another theory which also fits with the long-age evolutionary paradigm. " Astronomers' New Data Jolt Vital Part of Big Bang Theory Published: January 3, 1991 "A critical element of the widely accepted Big Bang theory about the origin and evolution of the universe is being discarded by some of its staunchest advocates, throwing the field of cosmology into turmoil. According to the Big Bang theory, matter from the explosive moment of cosmic creation originally was evenly spread throughout the universe. But galaxies tend to be clumped together, an awkward fact that astronomers have sought to explain by assuming that cold invisible matter is a major attractive force. This cold dark matter model accounts well for local clustering but could not explain the giant superstructures recently found in galactic surveys, like a string of galaxies called the "great wall," which stretches across the sky for at least half a billion light-years. Highly Accurate Survey A new analysis of a highly accurate survey by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite now shows the universe to be full of such superstructures and companion supervoids. A problem is that these structures appear to be far too vast to have formed since the Big Bang. The analysis has led a team of British and Canadian scientists to conclude that "there is more structure on large scales than is predicted by the standard cold dark matter theory of galaxy formation." In a report being published today in the journal Nature, they said the theory in its present form must be abandoned. The journal noted that the report by Dr. Will Saunders of Oxford University and colleagues was "all the more remarkable for coming from a group of authors that includes some of the theory's longtime supporters." With its repeated inability to reconcile the evidence and the theory, cosmology is in disarray, trying to patch together a modified version of the theory, testing alternative concepts that had been set aside and looking for entirely new theories to explain how the universe got to be the way it is observed today. "We're floundering around with lots of ideas," said Dr. Alan Dressler, an astrophysicist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, regretting the apparent demise of a theory that was widely held for more than a decade. "The one idea that was too good to be true turned out to be too good to be true." Dr. Jeremiah P. Ostriker, an astrophysicist at Princeton University, said the results of the survey by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, showing the wider distribution and greater density of galactic clusters, "sounded the death knell" to the cold dark matter theory. " BIG BANG THEORY UNDER FIRE 1 William C. Mitchel ( As Published in Physics Essays Volume 10, Number 2, June 1997) "In one of its several variations the big bang cosmological theory is almost universally accepted as the most reasonable theory for the origin and evolution of the universe. In fact, it is so well accepted that virtually every media article, story or program that touches on the subjects of astronomy or cosmology presents the big bang (BB) as a virtual proven fact. As a result, the great majority of the literate populace of the world, including most of the scientists of the world, accepts big bang theory (BBT) as scientific fact. Education establishments involved in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, theoretical physics and cosmology are dominated by those who have accepted BB as the theory to be pursued. Scientists who seriously question the BB are generally considered disruptive, ridiculed and derogatorily referred to as big bang bashers. As a result of that attitude alternate cosmological possibilities are left uninvestigated. Untold man-hours and vast sums of money are spent in pursuit of data in support of the prevailing theory. Such endeavors are not in keeping with the ideals of impartial scientific investigation. It is all but forgotten that the BB is not fact, but an unproven theory. Fortunately there long has been an unindoctrinated minority of scientists, both amateur and professional, who continue to discover and present observational evidence and logic that provides reason to doubt the accepted paradigm. Some of better known and most effective of the scientists in this struggle are Halton Arp of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, Anthony Peratt of the Los Alamos National Laboratories, and Jayant Narlikar of the Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in India. Other well known astronomers/cosmologists who have long fought for the proper consideration of alternate cosmologies include Geoffrey and Margaret Burbidge, Fred Hoyle, Herman Bondi, Thomas Gold and Eric Lerner. Due to the efforts of those and other fighters for evenhanded cosmological investigation and, despite the powerful influence of mainstream BB cosmologists, evidence against the BB has been building to the point where the world may soon start to doubt it. Some of that evidence is briefly reviewed in this paper." No, its more like evolutionists have NO answer for it, and therefore the MUST believe matter is eternal in order to believe in evolution, regardless of whether or not it is likely to be true. It is a mandatory forced position. It's not that such a thing is likely. why are you bringing evolution into this? The two theories are not related. The farther the Hubble Space Telescope looks into space, the more galaxies that are found. Earlier, astronomers estimated that there were about 80 billion galaxies in the universe. Now, the universe has grown to an estimated 125 billion galaxies. Want to bet that with the next improvements in celestial observation, the universe will expand again? The current time/distance that the Hubble Space Telescope sees is estimated at eleven billion light-years. That figure is considerably older than the universe was thought to be just a few years ago. The limits to the universe are predicated on the concept of a Big Bang. The Big Bang was an explanation for the concept of the red-shift of light. The farther away the star (or galaxy) is, the redder the light, which was interpreted by the idea that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us. A simpler explanation is that light loses energy as it travels through millions of light years of space. Now that Anastasovski has shown an interaction between photons and charged particles -- the photon can lose energy by such an interaction. Therefore, the photon having less energy would appear to be red-shifted. There are a lot of charged particles in the space between here and 11 million light years away. Now we have explained the red shift, we don't need the Big Bang. I just want to highlight the phrase "I don't know" being acknowledged by an atheist who believes in evolution. I think its great the honesty shown here, that the THEORY of evolution is not FACT, it is a best guess. I think you are wrong though, I find the conclusion of a creator to be more logical than throwing your arms up in the air or forcing an answer that doesn't make sense. I would like to say here that your use of the word theory is wrong. A scientific theory is not just a "best guess" a working scientific theory is much more than your common everyday use of the word theory. Just to reiterate what Mike said, in another way. "Theory" and "Hypothesis" are commonly and incorrectly interchanged. A "theory" is a tried-and-true, well established and understood description of a phenomenon. For example, the theory of the operation of an internal combustion engine. The operation of an internal combustion engine is very well known (by those involved with such things). An hypothesis is constructed from "educated guesses" and is malleable as work (experiments, data collection/analysis) continues. Few people are well versed in multi-dimensional (10+) dynamics, multi-verses, space-time continuum, worm holes, hyperspace, etc. It would take an incredible amount of time (pretty much impossible) for the average working person, to even partially understand what many of the people who work on these matters (who are sincere, hard-working folks) have spent their entire lives on. Kip Thorne, John Wheeler, Lee Smolin, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Vera Rubin are only a few of very many people looking for answers----with absolutely NO consideration of religious implications----it simply isn't part of the work. A study of the Copernican Revolution and its affect on the development of western thought would go a long way in finding some mental comfort for seemingly unanswerable questions (with our own unskilled thinking). Whatever, it sure is interesting. "In science a theory is a testable model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomena, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being tested through experiment or otherwise verified through empirical observation. For the scientist, "theory" is not in any way an antonym of "fact". For example, it is a fact that an apple dropped on earth has been observed to fall towards the center of the planet, and the theories commonly used to describe and explain this behavior are Newton's theory of universal gravitation (see also gravitation), and the general theory of relativity." Big Bang cannot be tested or even empirically observed. It is a proposed idea about how something happened millions of years ago that cannot be tested nor observed.. Likewise, the idea of evolution as a means of divergence of species existing on earth today cannot be tested nor observed. It is a system of taking current observations (not observations of changes, just current conditions) and creating a story to how it could have occurred. You guys are idiots. You squabble about things you can't comprehend yet you have more pressing issues over simple survival and pathetic tax forms. Get back on track and educate yourself with the basics and master them first. You people have thousands of years before you can even grasp the understanding of where a simple carbon atom came from let alone the universe. Stupid mortals. You guys are idiots. You squabble about things you can't comprehend yet you have more pressing issues over simple survival and pathetic tax forms. Get back on track and educate yourself with the basics and master them first. You people have thousands of years before you can even grasp the understanding of where a simple carbon atom came from let alone the universe. Stupid mortals. You guys are idiots. You squabble about things you can't comprehend yet you have more pressing issues over simple survival and pathetic tax forms. Get back on track and educate yourself with the basics and master them first. You people have thousands of years before you can even grasp the understanding of where a simple carbon atom came from let alone the universe. Stupid mortals. Kerwin thinks I can't talk to god (it likes to NOT draw attention to itself)...but, that being said, god has a pretty good sense of humour....hence it's untiring capacity to accomodate those who spout off like our friend here....god talks to me, every day, in voice, in english, when no one else is around.....i'm the last person i thought it would contact, but hey, there it is......you're wrong, Kerwin...god told me so...however, i'm sure you'll refute me....have a good go, but you'll still be wrong....it told me so. __________________ "Strange women lying in ponds and distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."

Q: mina deploy not working I'm trying to deploy an app with Mina, but I'm getting this error: -----> Skipping asset precompilation $ cp -R "/home/deploy/integracao/current/public/assets" "./public/assets" cp: cannot create directory ‘./public/assets’: No such file or directory ! ERROR: Deploy failed. The first time I deployed, everything worked fine. On the second pass (and so on) I'm seeing the error above. This is my deploy.rb require 'mina/bundler' require 'mina/rails' require 'mina/git' require 'mina/rbenv' # for rbenv support. (http://rbenv.org) set :domain, '192.168.0.87' set :deploy_to, '/home/deploy/integracao' set :repository, 'https://github.com...' set :branch, 'master' set :rails_env, 'production' set :shared_paths, ['config/database.yml', 'log', 'config/application.yml'] set :user, 'deploy' # Username in the server to SSH to. task :environment do # If you're using rbenv, use this to load the rbenv environment. # Be sure to commit your .rbenv-version to your repository. invoke :'rbenv:load' # For those using RVM, use this to load an RVM version@gemset. # invoke :'rvm:use[ruby-1.9.3-p125@default]' end # Put any custom mkdir's in here for when `mina setup` is ran. # For Rails apps, we'll make some of the shared paths that are shared between # all releases. task :setup => :environment do queue! %[mkdir -p "#{deploy_to}/shared/log"] queue! %[chmod g+rx,u+rwx "#{deploy_to}/shared/log"] queue! %[mkdir -p "#{deploy_to}/shared/config"] queue! %[chmod g+rx,u+rwx "#{deploy_to}/shared/config"] queue! %[touch "#{deploy_to}/shared/config/database.yml"] queue %[echo "-----> Be sure to edit 'shared/config/database.yml'."] end desc "Deploys the current version to the server." task :deploy => :environment do deploy do # Put things that will set up an empty directory into a fully set-up # instance of your project. invoke :'git:clone' invoke :'deploy:link_shared_paths' invoke :'bundle:install' invoke :'rails:db_migrate' invoke :'rails:assets_precompile' to :launch do queue "touch #{deploy_to}/tmp/restart.txt" end end end A: I've just changed to invoke :'rails:assets_precompile:force' inside the deploy task and got it working

New Election Endorsements The East Hampton Conservators, a political action committee that supports pro-environment candidates and issues, has announced its endorsement of the Democratic candidates for town supervisor and town board, support that will give the Democrats an extra boost of money, as well. Zach Cohen for supervisor and Peter Van Scoyoc and Sylvia Overby for town board have taken positions that “are consistent with preserving what makes East Hampton one of the best places in the world to live,” said David Doty, the Conservators’ treasurer. “We believe that you can maintain historic legacy, a high quality of life, and high property values while protecting the environment and open space, not suburbanizing the town.” Mr. Doty said that the PAC has been “shocked” in the last couple of years about some of the actions the current administration has taken under the auspices of closing the large budget gap. He cited an exploration into the sale of two commercial fishing docks in Montauk as well as the Republican majority’s plan to sell Fort Pond House in that same hamlet, although that has been challenged in a lawsuit. The Conservators have also committed themselves to ensuring that the town fights against privatization of town beaches, and the group has become increasingly concerned with the seemingly callous attitude the administration has taken with Montauk residents angry about crowded nightclubs in that hamlet. Mr. Doty also said that the Conservators are disconcerted by the current administration’s encouragement of increased housing density in areas like Springs, that simply can’t support it. “We’ve looked at the platform of Supervisor [Bill] Wilkinson and Theresa Quigley and that slate of candidates and their supporters, and we believe it is not in the best interest for East Hampton.” In other endorsement news, State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who earlier backed Mr. Wilkinson in his bid for re-election and the Independence Party candidate for town board, Bill Mott, has announced his support of Mr. Mott’s running mate, Marilyn Behan.

Pluto: evidence for methane frost. Infrared photometry (1.2 to 2.2 micrometers) of Pluto provides evidence for frozen methane on the surface of the planet. This appears to be the first observational indication of this ice in the solar system. Its presence on Pluto suggests that the planet's albedo (reflectance) may be >/= 0.4 and that its diameter may be less than that of the moon.

I'll have to take a look, but may not get to it today. FWIW I thought I fixed the bug on Friday. I could certainly create ZClasses through the web without getting any obvious errors. Jeremy ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) On Monday 16 December 2002 11:55 am, Evan Simpson wrote: My trunk and 2.6 sandboxes are now behaving themselves. Thanks, guys! Ok, then it must be time for some more beautification... ;^) Idle hands are the work of the devil you know. -Casey ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) Jeremy Hylton wrote: I'll have to take a look, but may not get to it today. FWIW I thought I fixed the bug on Friday. I could certainly create ZClasses through the web without getting any obvious errors. My little test (attached to the patch submission) passes with my version as well as your version, so it'll work. My patch was a lot simpler, though! :-) We need to add at least one unit test. testBug.py is a start. Do you want to convert it to a unit test or should I? If I do it, which of the myriad of ZODB branches should I add it to? :-) Shane ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) SH == Shane Hathaway [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: SH Jeremy Hylton wrote: I'll have to take a look, but may not get to it today. FWIW I thought I fixed the bug on Friday. I could certainly create ZClasses through the web without getting any obvious errors. SH My little test (attached to the patch submission) passes with my SH version as well as your version, so it'll work. My patch was a SH lot simpler, though! :-) I fixed more bugs than just the reported one :-). SH We need to add at least one unit test. testBug.py is a start. SH Do you want to convert it to a unit test or should I? If I do SH it, which of the myriad of ZODB branches should I add it to? :-) How about we call it testPersistentId? It should be added to ZODB3 trunk and both the Zope-2_6-branch and the ZODB-3_1-branch. Jeremy ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) The nice thing about fixing this bug is that the code continues to be improved. The last round of beautification made the code substantially more readable. This was a direct result of trying to track down a reference count problem. The problem proved to be elsewhere, but it was nearly impossible for me to inspect the old coptimizations.c code to figure out if the problem was there. If we make the code easier to read, we reduce the burden we all share more keeping the software working. Inscrutable code hides subtle bugs and encourages work arounds that make the whole system harder to understand. Jeremy ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) Yes, except I would argue that such work is best left on the HEAD rather than applied to a maintenance branch until necessitated by bug reports on that branch, or at least the knowledge that such a bug definitely exists and can be reproduced on that branch. I'm all for improving the code base. We just need to excercise caution changing code on maintenance branches unnecessarily. The HEAD is another matter, IMO go nuts! -Casey On Monday 16 December 2002 12:29 pm, Jeremy Hylton wrote: The nice thing about fixing this bug is that the code continues to be improved. The last round of beautification made the code substantially more readable. This was a direct result of trying to track down a reference count problem. The problem proved to be elsewhere, but it was nearly impossible for me to inspect the old coptimizations.c code to figure out if the problem was there. If we make the code easier to read, we reduce the burden we all share more keeping the software working. Inscrutable code hides subtle bugs and encourages work arounds that make the whole system harder to understand. Jeremy ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) The nice thing about fixing this bug is that the code continues to be improved. The last round of beautification made the code substantially more readable. This was a direct result of trying to track down a reference count problem. The problem proved to be elsewhere, but it was nearly impossible for me to inspect the old coptimizations.c code to figure out if the problem was there. If we make the code easier to read, we reduce the burden we all share more keeping the software working. Inscrutable code hides subtle bugs and encourages work arounds that make the whole system harder to understand. +1. Remember the XP dogma: refactor mercilessly. --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/) ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) CD == Casey Duncan [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: CD Yes, except I would argue that such work is best left on the CD HEAD rather than applied to a maintenance branch until CD necessitated by bug reports on that branch, or at least the CD knowledge that such a bug definitely exists and can be CD reproduced on that branch. The work was all done on the trunk, but no one noticed before Zope 2.6 was released. Jeremy ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) If you feel like it, the change that is biting you is probably in here: http://cvs.zope.org/Zope/lib/python/ZODB/ coptimizations.c.diff?r1=1.17r2=1.17.60.1only_with_tag=Zope-2_6-branch I looked and there are some changes to the persistent_id code, but I lack sufficient background with this module to have something leap out at me and say aha! On Wednesday, December 11, 2002, at 11:13 PM, Shane Hathaway wrote: On Wed, 11 Dec 2002, Evan Simpson wrote: I think I've fixed my ZGlobals, but there's definitely a problem in coptimizations. I made Connections.py use the Python persistent_id, restarted twice, and ZGlobals was fine on the second restart. Ah-ha, you now have a reproducible test case. The coptimizations code has been undergoing beautification lately; apparently this particular ZClass-related functionality was not retained correctly. This ought to be a priority for Zope 2.6, I think. Shane ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) Shane Hathaway wrote: Shot in the dark #2: Does it enter the ClassFactory function in Zope.ClassFactory? That's part of the ZClass magic... although there are two ways that the pickler tries to load classes. ZODB only tries to load Persistent instances as ZClasses. If there are things inside the pickles that are not Persistent, yet come from a ZClass, ZODB will not treat them kindly. As far as I can tell, it doesn't enter *any* Python code. Unless there's some other reason for pdb to be unable to step into it, it seems to execute only C code right up to the ImportError. By contrast, I *was* able to trace through ClassFactory when it loaded the BTree -- the trace would then fail when loading the first Bucket. Apparently small OOBTrees store their state differently, because the trace fails on the OOBTree load now, and I can do unpickler.noload() and see the state tuple with all the keys and None where the ZClasses should be. Shot in the dark #3: Unfortunately, there's one bit of ZODB that I still don't fully understand, and that's setklassstate(). You might be running into this somehow. I'd hazard a guess that the latest cPickleCache does not do the right thing with setklassstate(), since no one has committed to maintain that part. Ugh, we need unit tests for that. I had never heard of it -- I'll have to take a peek. Here's a simple suggestion: after loading the site and browsing a few pages involving ZClasses, flush the ZODB cache and see if the bug appears right away. If so, it's probably occurring as a result of deactivation. I had pretty much been assuming that that was the case, but performing this test confirms it. Flushing the cache breaks things immediately. ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) More data: It may well be loading correctly, but it seems to be storing incorrectly. I managed to grab the ZGlobals pickle string, and it has the _zclass_ stored as a plain class instead of an oid. I copied the commented-out Python persistent_id() in ZODB/Connections.py into a method called test_persistent_id(), and compared its results with coptimizations' new_persistent_id. They matched for everything except _zclass_ objects, for which test_persistent_id returned the _p_oid and new_persistent_id returned None. I have no idea why this is. It would explain why the _zclass_es are stored wrongly, but not why everyone else isn't seeing major breakage. Argh, Evan @ 4-am ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) On Wed, 11 Dec 2002, Evan Simpson wrote: I think I've fixed my ZGlobals, but there's definitely a problem in coptimizations. I made Connections.py use the Python persistent_id, restarted twice, and ZGlobals was fine on the second restart. Ah-ha, you now have a reproducible test case. The coptimizations code has been undergoing beautification lately; apparently this particular ZClass-related functionality was not retained correctly. This ought to be a priority for Zope 2.6, I think. Shane ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) On Wednesday 11 December 2002 11:13 pm, Shane Hathaway wrote: On Wed, 11 Dec 2002, Evan Simpson wrote: I think I've fixed my ZGlobals, but there's definitely a problem in coptimizations. I made Connections.py use the Python persistent_id, restarted twice, and ZGlobals was fine on the second restart. Ah-ha, you now have a reproducible test case. The coptimizations code has been undergoing beautification lately; apparently this particular ZClass-related functionality was not retained correctly. This ought to be a priority for Zope 2.6, I think. I think we should call a memoratorium on code beautification for its own sake, especially C code. Too much pain for too little gain. I'd be willing to bet the code's still ugly anyhow ;^) -Casey ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) On 12/10/2002 12:53 PM, Evan Simpson wrote: This past weekend I migrated a bunch of ZClasses and the web site that uses them from a scratch Zope instance into my production instance. Both run off the same 2.6 CVS branch checkout, connecting to ZEO servers running from the same ZEO trunk checkout. For a while after starting the server, everything works fine. After an unpredictable time period ranging from minutes to hours, suddenly my ZClass instances become broken, and I start seeing this in my log, over and over: 2002-12-10T11:33:18 ERROR(200) ZODB Couldn't load state for '\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x01\x1f\xc9' Traceback (innermost last): Module ZODB.Connection, line 533, in setstate ImportError: No module named */rJ6Q2CNqMJDSN4Okpwiuw== The object that fails to load state is a BTree Bucket belonging to the ZClass registry, and /rJ6Q2CNqMJDSN4Okpwiuw== is the GUID of one of my ZClasses. If I delete that ZClass, it complains about a different one. My first recommendation would be to turn your ZClass registry into an OOBTree. OOBTree has been maintained and updated. Make a backup first :-) then from a debugging session: import Zope from BTrees.OOBTree import OOBTree app = Zope.app() root = app._p_jar.root() new_tree = OOBTree() for k, v in root['ZGlobals'].items(): new_tree[k] = v root['ZGlobals'] = new_tree get_transaction().commit() This won't necessarily solve it, but it might, since no one really knows the state of the old BTree module. I was surprised to discover only a few days ago that we never converted the code to create an OOBTree registry. (If this change solves your problem, I should probably fix OFS/Application.py.) Shane ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) Shane Hathaway wrote: My first recommendation would be to turn your ZClass registry into an OOBTree. OOBTree has been maintained and updated. Good thought, but no dice. Since it is rebuilding the registry on every restart anyway, I went ahead and made the changes to my OFS/Application.py. I confirmed that ZGlobals is now an OOBTree, but subsequent restarts continue to show the same problem :-( I've placed pdb.set_trace all over the DB state-loading code. When I attempt to step into the state = unpickler.load() line during the loading of the ZGlobals OOBTree, it immediately throws an ImportError on the ZClass GUID. It doesn't even seem to enter the persistent_load or classLoader methods. Tracing this has gotten me all confused. I understand (I think) that when a ZClass instance is unpickled, persistent_load gets the ZClass GUID and uses that to look up the actual _zclass_ class in ZGlobals. What I can't understand is why it would try to import the GUID when loading ZGlobals. All it has it in is strings and the _zclass_ ExtensionClasses, and they should be handled by the normal unpickling machinery, right? Thanks, Evan ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ) On 12/10/2002 09:58 PM, Evan Simpson wrote: Shane Hathaway wrote: My first recommendation would be to turn your ZClass registry into an OOBTree. OOBTree has been maintained and updated. Good thought, but no dice. Well, it was worth a shot. :-) Since it is rebuilding the registry on every restart anyway, I went ahead and made the changes to my OFS/Application.py. I confirmed that ZGlobals is now an OOBTree, but subsequent restarts continue to show the same problem :-( I've placed pdb.set_trace all over the DB state-loading code. When I attempt to step into the state = unpickler.load() line during the loading of the ZGlobals OOBTree, it immediately throws an ImportError on the ZClass GUID. It doesn't even seem to enter the persistent_load or classLoader methods. Shot in the dark #2: Does it enter the ClassFactory function in Zope.ClassFactory? That's part of the ZClass magic... although there are two ways that the pickler tries to load classes. ZODB only tries to load Persistent instances as ZClasses. If there are things inside the pickles that are not Persistent, yet come from a ZClass, ZODB will not treat them kindly. Shot in the dark #3: Unfortunately, there's one bit of ZODB that I still don't fully understand, and that's setklassstate(). You might be running into this somehow. I'd hazard a guess that the latest cPickleCache does not do the right thing with setklassstate(), since no one has committed to maintain that part. Ugh, we need unit tests for that. Tracing this has gotten me all confused. I understand (I think) that when a ZClass instance is unpickled, persistent_load gets the ZClass GUID and uses that to look up the actual _zclass_ class in ZGlobals. What I can't understand is why it would try to import the GUID when loading ZGlobals. All it has it in is strings and the _zclass_ ExtensionClasses, and they should be handled by the normal unpickling machinery, right? Sounds right, although I've forgotten the details. Here's a simple suggestion: after loading the site and browsing a few pages involving ZClasses, flush the ZODB cache and see if the bug appears right away. If so, it's probably occurring as a result of deactivation. Shane ___ Zope-Dev maillist - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope )

craig baker Web designers and web developers are two completely different sets of skilled workers. Web designers BUILD a website from scratch and often do things that isn't even seen by users in the “back-end”. Web designers create the look and feel of a website and may never even get their hands dirty with code or back-end systems. So when you're looking for either a developer or designer remember that they are completely different kettle of fish!

# debug tiny node.js debugging utility modelled after node core's debugging technique. ## Installation ``` $ npm install debug ``` ## Usage With `debug` you simply invoke the exported function to generate your debug function, passing it a name which will determine if a noop function is returned, or a decorated `console.error`, so all of the `console` format string goodies you're used to work fine. A unique color is selected per-function for visibility. Example _app.js_: ```js var debug = require('debug')('http') , http = require('http') , name = 'My App'; // fake app debug('booting %s', name); http.createServer(function(req, res){ debug(req.method + ' ' + req.url); res.end('hello\n'); }).listen(3000, function(){ debug('listening'); }); // fake worker of some kind require('./worker'); ``` Example _worker.js_: ```js var debug = require('debug')('worker'); setInterval(function(){ debug('doing some work'); }, 1000); ``` The __DEBUG__ environment variable is then used to enable these based on space or comma-delimited names. Here are some examples:   ## Millisecond diff When actively developing an application it can be useful to see when the time spent between one `debug()` call and the next. Suppose for example you invoke `debug()` before requesting a resource, and after as well, the "+NNNms" will show you how much time was spent between calls.  When stdout is not a TTY, `Date#toUTCString()` is used, making it more useful for logging the debug information as shown below:  ## Conventions If you're using this in one or more of your libraries, you _should_ use the name of your library so that developers may toggle debugging as desired without guessing names. If you have more than one debuggers you _should_ prefix them with your library name and use ":" to separate features. For example "bodyParser" from Connect would then be "connect:bodyParser". ## Wildcards The `*` character may be used as a wildcard. Suppose for example your library has debuggers named "connect:bodyParser", "connect:compress", "connect:session", instead of listing all three with `DEBUG=connect:bodyParser,connect.compress,connect:session`, you may simply do `DEBUG=connect:*`, or to run everything using this module simply use `DEBUG=*`. You can also exclude specific debuggers by prefixing them with a "-" character. For example, `DEBUG=* -connect:*` would include all debuggers except those starting with "connect:". ## Browser support Debug works in the browser as well, currently persisted by `localStorage`. For example if you have `worker:a` and `worker:b` as shown below, and wish to debug both type `debug.enable('worker:*')` in the console and refresh the page, this will remain until you disable with `debug.disable()`. ```js a = debug('worker:a'); b = debug('worker:b'); setInterval(function(){ a('doing some work'); }, 1000); setInterval(function(){ a('doing some work'); }, 1200); ``` ## License (The MIT License) Copyright (c) 2011 TJ Holowaychuk &lt;[email protected]&gt; Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission 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.

Brearley respects and encourages the religious observances of its students and their families, whether or not those observances fall on school holidays. We ask only that parents notify their daughter’s Division Leader before an absence from school for a religious holiday so that teachers may adjust assignments accordingly. Except for reasons of health, family emergencies or religious observance, students are not excused from school during the academic year. This calendar is subject to change in the event of an emergency.

Question answering systems (also referred to as question and answer systems) are automatic computer systems that utilize information retrieval and natural language processing to automatically answer questions, for example, presented in natural language. A question and answer system, for example, may perform a search of online or web-based data to provide answers. Given the large volume of available data, however, searching for an answer is time-consuming. There may be a significant number of candidate answers that is either not related or focused on the question or is of no interest to the user asking the question.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a treatment device for exhaust of a vehicle, and particularly to a treatment device, which is to filtrate harmful substances in the exhaust discharged from a vehicle, and to lower down the temperature of exhaust and the sound volume of generated noise simultaneously. 2. Description of Related Art It is known that the vehicle is an essential and important tool of transportation we need in our daily life. Although the vehicle brings us a great deal of conveniences, unfortunately the exhaust of the vehicle contains harmful substances such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon hydride (HC), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particle contaminant, and dark smoke. And these harmful substances pollute the air as soon as the exhaust is discharged into the atmosphere. Moreover, it is much more serious in big cities that a great numbers of cars produce a great amount of exhaust all the time to pollute the open air. It is known that the polluted air will hurt the human body and especially the respiratory track and the eyes of the child. Harmful substances spreading along with the exhaust in the air may accumulate without any indication to contaminate plants seriously after a long period of time. Then, the food produced by way of contaminated plants and the meat from the animals eating the contaminated plants may be contaminated either. Accordingly, it may result in a tremendous harm to the living environment for our next generation and their body health. Furthermore, the high temperature and the noise generated by the exhaust of vehicle (the vehicle with heavy capacity and the vehicle associated with heavy machine are much more serious) may cause defective influence to the sanitation of environment and our body health. In addition, the noise with high decibel makes us irritable, nervous, and uneasy and makes our hearing ability deteriorated. The present invention has been developed and completed by the inventor at last in order to reduce the air being not polluted by the exhaust of a vehicle, and promote the effectiveness of exhaust filtration, noise silence, and temperature reduction. Hence, our living environment and our body health are possible to be least harmed by the exhaust of the vehicle. A major object of the present invention is to provide a treatment device for exhaust discharged from a vehicle, which may promote the effectiveness with regard to filtering exhaust, silencing noise, and reducing temperature. Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent by way of following description of embodiments with accompanying drawings.

Have you heard of this request yet? Seth said that he mentioned it to the EOL team but was not sure if they had mentioned it to you yet. ----- Forwarded by Brent Hendry/NA/Enron on 08/11/2000 07:33 AM ----- Seth Hurwitz 08/10/2000 04:54 PM To: Brent Hendry/NA/Enron@Enron cc: Subject: Brent, we understand that Tempest, another Bermuda reinsurer, is also interested in getting EOL access. What's the timetable on Bermuda due diligence (I know we discussed this briefly earlier this week)?

Menu 3/11 Censorship Today, as many people around the world seem to have already forgotten about what happened in Japan on March 11, 2011, we however do remember the events and more importantly the truth. Three years ago the people of the world could witness the birth of a new chapter in human history on planet Earth. Instead of focusing on the damage that has been caused that day and in the aftermath of the attacks on Japan and its people, we want to address the causes of that damage, the attacks and the whitewashing of incriminating evidence. Exactly why it is that most people tend to ignore the obvious truth about 3/11 remains rather a mystery although we are convinced that the continuous poisoning of the public with medication, with chemicals in their foods and drinks may certainly have an important role to play in the docile behavior displayed by the international community. It’s just a few minutes ago when we published our “UN, EU, WWF and Greenpeace Complicit in Coverup of Fukushima Truth”article, and already the censorship of Fukushima 3/11 Truth at Twitter has been activated. After merely two days of using their social media platform Twitter has decided to not support the real truth movement, again. Earlier, Twitter banned the ReblDyne and United Nations Brigandage websites who also try hard to reach the public with facts, because the truth about what really happened in Fukushima on March 11, 2011, has to be known by everyone who cares even a little bit about the world that we live in and the deception that is going on on a major scale. It is important to report about this censorship because it’s a very good indicator that we, along with what’s left of the real truth movement, are hitting some nerves that the globalist censors and decepticons prefer to have untouched. Whether it was our latest article that triggered the censors to go live remains unclear but the fact is that the Twitter management is again siding with the global government brigands. “This exposes the whole “policy” at Twitter and it confirms the assumption that Twitter is not on the people’s side when it comes to freedom and justice. That has been proven by the fact that they allow government and military psyops on their site, instead of banning those. Twitter is just another bunch of controlled Muppets, or better, Twittets.” – ReblDyne “This gives more weight to the claims by certain members of the truth movement that “the Arab Spring” for example is indeed to a great extend a CIA/CFR inspired and funded series of events, for the countless Twitter accounts that are linked to these “movements” are responsible for spreading false information and for calling for violence.” – United Nations Brigandage