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Proliferating activity of gastric-carcinoma invading the muscularis propria and metastasis to lymph-nodes.
From 1965 to 1987, 126 patients who had gastric cancer invading the muscularis propria (pm) were treated with curative resection in the Department of Surgery II, Kyushu University. We examined the correlation between the proliferating activity of the tumor by staining the tissue for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the occurrence of lymph node metastasis present in 46.8% (59/126) of the patients. Undifferentiated carcinoma was more frequent in these patients and lymphatic and vascular involvement was prominent. Patients with a lymph node metastasis had a higher level of PCNA staining in the tumors than did those without lymph node metastasis (labeling index: 36.5 +/- 9.6% vs. 25.3 +/- 8.3%) (P < 0.01). The survival rate for patients with lymph node metastasis was lower than that for those without this metastasis (P < 0.01). The 10-year survival rate was 63.6% for the patients with lymph node metastasis and 86.8% for those without lymph node metastasis. Thus, the presence of lymph node metastasis is associated with a high growth potential of tumor cells in pm gastric cancer. Close follow-up and adjuvant chemotherapy in the postoperative period is recommended for these patients.
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Lohrbach (Lohr)
Lohrbach is a small river in the municipality of Flörsbachtal in the Main-Kinzig district of Hesse, Germany.
Course
The stream originates in the village of Lohrhaupten ("head of the Lohr") at the Lohrquelle. It then flows southwest and then south until it joins the Flörsbach to form the Lohr southeast of Kempfenbrunn.
See also
List of rivers of Hesse
Spessart
References
External links
Category:Rivers of Hesse
Category:Rivers of the Spessart
Category:Rivers of Germany
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Fixer Upper
Fixer Upper: A Coastal Makeover for a 1971 Ranch House
Chip and Joanna Gaines help a nomadic couple who had lived in five homes over the past six years find and create their perfect forever home in Hewitt, Texas. Little did they know that "coming home" would take on special surprise significance in this particular instance.
Going Coastal in Central Texas
Chip and Joanna completely reworked the facade and did a major interior overhaul to transform a plain '70s ranch house, creating an updated and utterly relaxing home for a couple ready to settle down. Thrown into the mix for this renovation is a dedicated music room for him and a touch of the beach for a her.
Serene Palette
Calming blue-gray and crisp white in the kitchen contribute an overall theme that's meant to feel relaxed and not overwhelming.
Traces of Surf and Salt Air
Subtle additions like driftwood, green glass and sand-weighted hurricane glass create a suggestion of beach life without overstating the theme.
Only Rock and Roll
In this renovation, the "man cave" is a dedicated music room complete with a wall-mounted collection of electric guitars and a custom made bar clad in reclaimed wood.
Meet the Homeowners
Chip and Joanna with homeowners Chris and Lindy Ermoian in the newly remodeled living room. Chris and Lindy have an 18-year-old son and had lived in six homes in about as many years. Understandably they were ready to settle into a forever home. They were looking for a home with a large yard, at least three bedrooms, an open floor plan, and ideally a studio space for musician Chris.
Simple Twist of Fate
BEFORE: When Chip and Joanna included this home on their tour of potential homes for the Ermoians, they had no idea that this one had actually once belonged to Lindy Ermoian's grandmother and was built by her great uncle. It was built in 1971, had 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2400 square feet, and the current owners were asking $100,000.
Clean and Contemporary
AFTER: The look of the exterior is altered dramatically simply by painting the brick in a cool blue-gray and adding white accents.
AFTER
Fresh landscaping with ornamental grasses and a dwarf palm also contribute to an underlying coastal theme.
AFTER
Other exterior upgrades include a new roof, new windows with Bahama style shutters, and, most notably, a dramatic front porch with white columns and post-and-beam style overhang.
Living Room, BEFORE
The living room had dated wood paneling, laminate flooring and an offset brick fireplace.
Living Room, AFTER
The fireplace has been completely reworked, with a more centered position, a reduced footprint and new facing in white stone. Dark hardwood floors contrast against the cool gray walls and white slipcovered sofa and chairs.
Living Room, Detail
The lighter palette and white treatment for the fireplace and mantel help make the room feel larger and more inviting. Joanna added piece of natural driftwood, collected from the shore of a local lake, as a decorative accent for warmer months when the fireplace is not in use.
Living Room, Detail
Living Room, Detail
Living Room, Detail
Homeowner Lindy had a professed love of beach and coastal themes, but didn't want it over-the-top. (No draped fishnets and plastic lobsters for her.) Joanna wanted to approach the motif in nuanced ways, striving not to be too literal or dogmatic. Worn wooden oars from a salvage shop struck just the right note, suggesting nautical and water motifs without being overly "beachy."
Dining Room, BEFORE
The dining space was just inside the front entrance, directly adjacent to the foyer. In the new floor plan, the dining room would be partially partitioned to create a more separated space, and the small room on the far side would be repurposed as a home office.
Dining Room, AFTER
The dining room is another space that carries references to the coastal theme, with white shiplap, iron chandelier adorned with jute, a dining table in lighter toned wood and framed graphic art featuring seashell diagrams.
Dining Room, Detail
Home Office, AFTER
Home Office, AFTER
Home Office, Detail
Home Office, Detail
Kitchen, BEFORE
The kitchen was fairly roomy, but dated and closed off. Joanna recommended removing the partition that separated it from the living area and adding a large island.
Kitchen, AFTER
The enlarged kitchen features a white and gray palette, an extra long island with bar top and barstool seating, a trio of oversized globe pendands, new recessed lighting and lots of cabinet storage.
Kitchen, BEFORE
Kitchen, AFTER
Kitchen, Detail
Kitchen, Detail
Breakfast Nook, BEFORE
Breakfast Nook, AFTER
A new bay, white table and chandelier create an inviting breakfast nook with a view.
Breakfast Nook, Detail
The Music Room, AFTER
An existing garage was converted to create this dedicated music and studio space for Chris. New drywall, baseboards and trim were added as well more masculine touches including dark hardwood floors, industrial shelving, leather and wood chairs and an oversized ceiling fan.
The Lighthouse Song
For the music room, Joanna comissioned a custom graphic art piece that displays the music and lyrics of a song that Chris Ermoian had written for his wife Lindy.
Music Room, Detail
Music Room, Detail
Music Room, Detail
Music Room, Detail
The music room includes this bar on casters, custom made by furniture builder Clint Harp and covered in shiplap that had been planed down and refinished.
Music Room, Detail
Music Room, Detail
Music Room, Detail
Master Bedroom, BEFORE
Master Bedroom, AFTER
As elsewhere, the design was kept relaxed and calming in the bedroom with a cool, soothing palette and simple details that tied together to create distinct but nuanced references to the beach and ocean.
Master Bedroom, Detail
Driftwood is used as a wall hangning above the bed, in keeping with the ocean theme.
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Hybrid (golf)
A hybrid is a type of club used in the sport of golf with a design borrowing from both irons and woods while differing from both. The name "hybrid" comes from genetics to denote a mixture of two different species with desirable characteristics of both, and the term here has been generalized, combining the familiar swing mechanics of an iron with the more forgiving nature and better distance of a wood.
For many players, long irons (numbers 1-4) are difficult to hit well even with modern clubfaces, due to the low trajectory and very small face of the low-loft clubhead. Players tend to avoid these clubs in favor of fairway woods which have a larger "sweet spot" to hit with, but such woods, having longer shafts, have a different swing mechanic that is sometimes difficult to master. The long shaft of a fairway wood also requires lots of room to swing, making it unsuitable for tighter lies such as "punching" out from underneath trees. In addition, the fairway wood clubface is designed to skim over instead of cutting into turf, which makes it undesirable for shots from the rough. The answer to this dilemma for many players is to replace the 1-4 irons with hybrids.
Design
A hybrid generally features a head very similar to a fairway wood; hollow steel or titanium with a shallow, slightly convex face. A hybrid head is usually marginally shallower and does not extend backwards from the face as far as a comparable fairway wood. The head must have an iron-like lie angle, and therefore also has a flatter sole than a fairway wood. The face incorporates the "trampoline" effect common to most modern woods, in which the clubface deforms slightly, then returns to its previous shape, increasing the impulse applied to the ball at launch. The hybrid's lie, length and weight is comparable to an iron.
Being a new class of club, there is no generally accepted principle governing design. So while a "true" hybrid is as described above, many manufacturers cut production costs by marketing irons as hybrids by adding one or more features to make it look like a hybrid. Some have a club face that looks very similar to an iron, but instead of the cavity-back or muscle-back design these clubs have a slightly bulging back to appear more wood-like in shape. These "iron replacements" swing and perform almost exactly like irons, except the difference in the added weight which slows clubhead speed but increases force applied at a given club speed, allowing a swing to cut through turf or sand with more momentum remaining at contact. These clubs are preferred by players with slower swing speeds. Other club manufacturers produce "true" hybrids as previously described. The first equipment manufacturer to produce a full set of these true hybrids, in both left and right hand, was Thomas Golf. Hybrids are now also available in traditional (teardrop) and square head shapes.
Behavior
Though generally similar to a wood of the same loft in performance, with slightly less carry distance (distance traveled before first impact) but similar launch trajectory, and generally similar to an iron in swing mechanics, hybrids have some behaviors different from either. Because the wood-like head design creates enormous impulse on the ball, the loft of a hybrid head is generally higher than either the wood or iron of the same number, so that the distance carried by the ball is similar to the comparable iron number.
This does two things; first, the angle of launch is increased so that the ball carries higher than the comparable iron. Second, the increased loft coupled with the tighter impulse also imparts increased backspin on the ball. This increased backspin is different from both the iron and the wood of the same number, and creates a flight path similar to a higher-loft iron but at a lower angle of launch; the backspinning ball will lift itself in the air along its flight line, "stall" when the lift generated by the spin coupled with the ball's momentum can no longer keep it in the air, and drop relatively sharply onto the turf. The sharp drop coupled with the continuing backspin creates "bite"; the ball's forward momentum will be arrested sharply at its point of impact and carry only a few yards thereafter.
Once this behavior is known to the player, it can be used to great effect. For instance, a player may be faced with a hole incorporating a hazard just in front of the green. A driver, low-loft fairway wood or long iron shot will roll significantly, and depending on the distance carried in the air the ball will either roll into the hazard with a resulting penalty, or roll past the green, which on many courses is difficult to recover from and may incorporate other hazards. Normally a player might hit a mid-iron shot designed to "lay up" in front of the hazard and then hit an "approach" shot with a wedge or short iron to carry over the hazard and onto the green. However, a hybrid with sufficient distance would allow the player to hit a shot that carries the full distance to the green in the air, but then "sticks" on the green relatively close to its impact point, allowing the player to make one stroke instead of two to get on the green.
Usage
A hybrid with a wood-like clubhead is often used for long shots from difficult rough and for nearly any shot where the golfer would normally use a long iron but feels uncomfortable doing so. They also are direct replacements for fairway woods in most situations, but a fairway wood will have greater club speed and more roll for better distance. Because hybrids can assist in getting the player out of tricky situations such as tight lies, TaylorMade Golf chose to market their hybrid clubs as Rescue clubs. The most common hybrid lofts are 3-iron and 4-iron equivalents (the 1- and 2-iron are usually omitted from the bag completely), though 5-iron equivalents are also seen in ladies' and seniors' sets. Hybrids generally replace rather than supplement long irons, but as a player is free to carry any set of 14 clubs that they wish, it is not unheard of for a player to carry both a 3-hybrid and a 3-iron, with the hybrid instead replacing the fairway wood; the higher-mass iron clubhead would be preferable to the hybrid for use in tall grass or soft lies.
Shots from deep within trees and in very high grass can still be difficult with a "wood-faced" hybrid, however, as the higher angle of flight can make "punching" out through low-hanging branches difficult, and the wider sole of the hybrid, similar to a wood, will still skim rather than cut into tall grass (similar to a wood but to a lesser degree). Here, the "iron replacement" form of hybrid is preferable as the trajectory and cut-through are similar to (sometimes even better than) a traditional long iron's while maintaining much of the power of a "wood-faced" hybrid.
When a ball is lying near the green, a player can use a hybrid to perform a short "bump and run". By assuming the player's typical putting stance and grip, a ball can be "bumped" in the air over the taller rough onto the green, where it will then "run" (roll) like a putt. Other clubs, especially mid- and high-lofted irons, can make a similar stroke and are more commonly used.
Popularity
In 2007 the Darrell Survey Company reported that over 30% of consumer golfers were using at least one hybrid club, up from a little over 7% in 2004. They also found 65% of professional golfers on the PGA Tour, and 80% on the Champions Tour now use at least one hybrid club, with many carrying more than one in their bags.
References
External links
public patent information on hybrid iron
Category:Golf clubs
Category:Golf terminology
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5 Stocks in Breakout Territory With Big Volume
DELAFIELD, Wis. ( Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.
Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."
Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.
From a technical perspective, MAN jumped higher here right above some near-term support at $71.74 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months, with shares moving higher from its low of $53.60 to its recent high of $77.32. During that uptrend, shares of MAN have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of MAN within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if MAN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $76 to its 52-week high at $77.31 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MAN as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $73.55 or above support at $71.74 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 602,036 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then MAN will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $80 to $83.
StealthGas
StealthGas ( GASS) owns a fleet of LPG carriers providing international seaborne transportation services to LPG producers and users, as well as crude oil and product carriers chartered to oil producers, refiners and commodities traders. This stock closed up 8.6% to $10.66 in Wednesday's trading session.
From a technical perspective, GASS skyrocketed higher here right off its 200-day moving average of $9.98 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of GASS into breakout territory, since the stock took out or flirted with some near-term overhead resistance levels at $10.33 to $10.72. Shares of GASS are now quickly moving within range of triggering another major breakout trade. That trade will hit if GASS manages to take out Wednesday's high of $10.72 to more resistance at $11.49 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GASS as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $9.98 or its 50-day at $9.43 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 181,822 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then GASS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $12.10. Any high-volume move above $12.10 will then give GASS a chance to tag $13 to $14.
From a technical perspective, NNI spiked higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $38.54 with above-average volume. This move pushed shares of NNI into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $38.61 to $38.65. This move is quickly pushing shares of NNI within range of triggering another near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if NNI manages to take out Wednesday's high of $40 and then once it clears its 52-week high at $41.74 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NNI as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $38.54 or above Wednesday's low of $38, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 69,791 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NNI will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $45 to $47.
E-Commerce China Dangdang
E-Commerce China Dangdang ( DANG) is engaged in online saldes of books as well as other media products and selected general merchandise categories. This stock closed up 8.5% at $11.70 in Wednesday's trading session.
From a technical perspective, DANG ripped sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $10.50 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of DANG into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $11.31. Shares of DANG have been uptrending strong for the last month, with shares soaring higher from its low of $7.68 to its intraday high of $11.72. During that move, shares of DANG have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of DANG within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if DANG manages to take out Wednesday's high of $11.72 and then its 52-week high at $12 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DANG as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $10.50 or at $10, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 2.88 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then DANG will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $14 to $15.
Uni-Pixel
Uni-Pixel ( UNXL) is a production stage company. It manufactures electronic film products using its proprietary manufacturing process, UniBoss. This stock closed up 4.6% to $19.70 in Wednesday's trading session.
From a technical perspective, UNXL ripped sharply higher here with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of UNXL into breakout territory, after the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $19.59. Shares of UNXL also flirted with its 200-day moving average at $20.29 and more resistance at $20.39, after the stock hit an intraday high of $20.83.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in UNXL as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $18.23 and then once it sustains a move or close above Wednesday's high of $20.83 with volume that hits near or above 1 million shares. If we get that move soon, then UNXL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at $25.
At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.
Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.
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Florence Insight Fleximap
A visit to Florence is a voyage through the Italian Renaissance, and this map highlights the art and architecture of Florence and the surrounding region of western Tuscany, including the paintings of the Uffizi Palace and Michelangelo's sculptures in the Galleria dell'Accademia, the lavish Palazzo Vecchio and the stunning Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore, the shops of the Ponte Vecchio and, further afield, the Leaning Tower and Duomo of Pisa. This laminated, easy-folding pocket map includes an illustrated list of recommended sights as well as a street index and concise details on transportation, tourist offices, money, tipping, opening times for shops, public holidays, telecommunications, emergency telephone numbers, and climate.
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Two-phase anaerobic digestion of partially acidified sewage sludge: a pilot plant study for safe sludge disposal in developing countries.
The unsafe disposal of wastewater and sludge in different areas of developing countries results in significant environmental pollution, particularly for groundwater, thus increasing the risk of waterborne diseases spreading. In this work, a two-phase anaerobic digestion process for post-treatment of partially acidified sewage sludge was investigated to evaluate its feasibility as a safe sludge disposal system. Pilot tests showed that an effective sludge stabilization can be achieved (total volatile solids content <65%, organic acid concentration <200 mg/L at flow rate = 50 L/d and hydraulic residence time = 18 d) as well as a relative low faecal coliform density (<1000 most probable number per g total solids), showing that land application of the sludge without restrictions is possible according to US Environmental Protection Agency criteria for safe sludge disposal. A biogas production as high as 390 L/d with a 60% methane content by volume was achieved, showing that energy production from biogas may be achieved as well.
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Coupling Reactions of Carbon Dioxide with Epoxides Catalyzed by Vanadium Aminophenolate Complexes.
A series of vanadium compounds supported by tetradentate aminobis(phenolate) ligands were screened for catalytic reactivity in the reaction of propylene oxide (PO) with CO2 : [VO(OMe)(O2 NOBuMeMeth )], [VO(OMe)(ON2 OBuMe )], [VO(OMe)(O2 NNBuBuPy )], and [VO(OMe)(O2 NOBuBuFurf )]. They showed similar reactivities, but reaction rates were higher for [VO(OMe)(ON2 OBuMe )], which was studied in more detail. Turnover frequencies for conversion of PO over 500 h-1 were observed. Activation energies were determined experimentally through in situ IR spectroscopy for propylene carbonate (48.2 kJ mol-1 ), styrene carbonate (45.6 kJ mol-1 ), and cyclohexene carbonate (54.7 kJ mol-1 ) formation.
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Q:
Jquery timePicker for clone
I have a jQuery TimePicker. It is working fine, but when I clone the row it only works on the first row but not on the cloned rows.
This is the code :
<script>
$(function() {
$('#timePicker').timepicker({ 'timeFormat': 'H:i' });
});
</script>
<input id="timePicker" name = "time[]" type="text" class="time" />
I think it is using the id to call the function. Any other better way ?
A:
When you clone the row, initialize also the second timepicker.
This could create a problem though with the code you have right now because you will have a duplicate id in your DOM. So I suggest you change the id to class and when you duplicate the row you call this:
$('.timePicker').timepicker({ 'timeFormat': 'H:i' });
Or just remove the id of your input field and use this:
$('.time').timepicker({ 'timeFormat': 'H:i' });
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Farm groups urge practical biotech policy
Nine major agricultural associations express support for a provision in the Fiscal Year 2013 Appropriations bill that would give growers assurance that biotech crops that have already been approved by USDA can be planted and harvested under temporary stewardship conditions in the event of litigation against USDA’s decision.
More About:
In a letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders, the American Soybean Association (ASA) joined eight other major agricultural associations in expressing support for a provision in the Fiscal Year 2013 Appropriations bill that would give growers assurance that biotech crops that have already been approved by USDA can be planted and harvested under temporary stewardship conditions in the event of litigation against USDA’s decision.
Introduced by Georgia Sen. Jack Kingston, Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman, the provision addresses a costly vulnerability in the regulatory process for biotechnology that is discouraging innovation in agriculture and unnecessarily putting farmers at financial risk.
“Opponents of agricultural biotechnology have repeatedly filed suits against USDA on procedural grounds in order to disrupt the regulatory process and undermine the science-based regulation of such products,” wrote the groups in the letter. “These lawsuits have also created tremendous resource constraints for USDA and have resulted in significant delays in approval of new, innovative products that will help growers provide Americans with an abundant and economical food supply while remaining competitive in the world market.”
“Section 733 provides certainty to growers with respect to their planting decisions. If enacted, growers would be assured that the crops they plant could continue to be grown, subject to appropriate interim conditions, even after a judicial ruling against USDA,” continued the groups. “The inclusion of Section 733 is a positive step to ensure that U.S. farmers and our food chain are shielded from supply disruptions caused by litigation over procedural issues unrelated to sound science or the safety of biotech crops. This legislative solution ensures that national agricultural policy is not being decided by the court system while providing a level of certainty that is critical to ensure that our agricultural producers continue to lead the world.”
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Just in time for flu season, Rice is offering benefits-eligible faculty and staff free flu shots and health screenings on campus in October.
Rice retirees are also eligible to receive a free flu shot. Non-benefits eligible faculty and staff and all spouses and domestic partners can also get the flu shot for $36 by paying at the time of service.
No appointment is needed to get the flu shot; just walk in to any of the flu shot or health screening events. Appointments are required for a health screening. Call 877-916-5940 or log in to the Healthy RICE. Healthy Life website, https://riceuniversity.biovia.healthfitness.com. (If this is your first visit to the HealthFitness wellness website, use the “Set Up Account” button to register.)
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For a three-month showcase starting December 7, 2016 in Taipei City,AVATAR™:Discover Pandoratouring exhibition is based around the science and technology of the creatures and environments of James Cameron’s highest grossing film, Avatar.
Zanim8tion provided the playback and programming using AV Stumpfl®’s Wings Vioso software suite. The project was fully supported by distribution partner, VIOSO. As visitors explore the wildlife and landmarks of Pandora, each interactive video exhibit area will benefit from the video playback provided by Wings Vioso, each one remotely controlled with a hand held radio frequency transmitter by a live host presenter. Additionally, Zanim8tion has configured Wings Vioso to synchronize lighting and door controls within each room.
“AV Stumpfl’s Wings was the ideal software to use because of its integrated show control elements and the ability to synchronize that to the video and multi-channel audio.” explained Kevin Zevchik, Founder at Zanim8tion.
In this new 12,000-square-foot entertainment and educational experience,AVATAR:Discover Pandorafeatures an in depth look at the world inhabited by the 9-foot blue humanoids known as the Na’vi, and take part in interactive activities based their on language, music and culture. Visitors will be able to interact with Pandoran wildlife, such as direhorses and viperwolves, and learn about the space travel and history behind the discovery of the planet. It is an experience that will delight fans as they await the sequel due for release in 2018.
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525 F.2d 691
Kizzeev.Estelle
75-2037
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Fifth Circuit
12/12/75
1
N.D.Tex.
2
REVERSED***
***
Opinion contains citation(s) or special notations
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Is Genetic Testing For Me? NWH Genetic Counselor Explains What To Consider
Are you concerned about hereditary risk for breast and ovarian cancer? See if genetic counseling is right for you. Learn about risk analysis for breast and ovarian cancer, the BRCA test and breast cancer risk assessment.
Video Credit: Northern Westchester Hospital
From smiles to a sense of humor, many of our best characteristics are passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, hereditary illnesses are also commonly shared traits among families, the most serious of these being cancer. Thankfully for Westchester County residents, Northern Westchester Hospital's cancer genetic testing services help identify and treat those predisposed to the disease.
While most cancer is not hereditary, approximately 5 to 10 percent of all cancer is hereditary -- meaning it is passed between generations. The most common hereditary cancer syndromes associated with increased risk include hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, Lynch Syndrome and other more rare syndromes causing a variety of cancer risks.
For those who may be predisposed to cancer through genetics, Northern Westchester Hospital is able to pinpoint potential illnesses through cancer genetic counseling. During the program, a genetic counselor will determine if a patient should be offered genetic testing for hereditary cancer such as screening for the BRCA and/or other genes. The counselor will review personal and family history, determine appropriate testing options and explain the recommendations for hereditary cancer syndromes.
To help better identify predispositions, recent cancer genetic testing options increased to include multi-gene testing. As a result, patients may have the option to have testing of up to 50 genes related to hereditary cancer, providing an even more complete health analysis.
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Landlords, Don’t Get Into Hot Water With Your Tenant!
Many Massachusetts landlords are unaware that before charging tenants for hot water and sewer service, they must comply with the numerous and onerous requirements of the Massachusetts Water Sewer Sub-Metering Law, General Laws chapter 186, chapter 22. These requirements include having separate water meters for each unit, installation of low flow faucets and toilets by a licensed plumber, and certification with the local health board, among other requirements outlined below. Non-compliance with this law may result in a three month rent penalty to the landlord plus payment of the tenant’s attorneys fees.
A landlord can only charge a tenant for water/sewer service under the following conditions:
1. The tenant’s unit must be separately submetered by a separate water meter installed by a licensed plumber. A separate water meter measures the amount of water supplied to a particular unit, and enables the landlord to charge the tenant for the tenant’s own water usage. So, for example, if a building contains 4 dwelling units and a basement where water is utilized for the entire building, a landlord would need to have 5 submeters installed in addition to the primary meter that measures the building’s water use in its entirety. If the building does not have separate meters for each unit, the tenant may not be charged for water service.
2. The tenant’s obligation to pay for water usage must be contained in a signed lease, in an obvious place, and not in the fine print. Each bill for submetered water usage must clearly set forth all charges and all other relevant information, including the current and immediately preceding submeter readings and the date of each such reading, the amount of water consumed since the last reading, the charge per unit of water, the total charge and the payment due date. If the landlord bills the tenant on a monthly basis, payment of the bill by the tenant must be due 15 days after the date the bill is mailed to the tenant, but if the landlord bills the tenant at intervals greater than 1 month, payment of the bill by the tenant is due 30 days after the date the bill is mailed to the tenant.
3. A landlord may not charge the tenant for water supplied through a submeter unless the a licensed plumber has installed fully functional water conservation devices for all faucets, showerheads and water closets/bathrooms in the unit (low-flow shower heads and faucets and low-flush toilets)
4. The landlord must provide a certification under the penalties of perjury, with the board of health or health department, that the appropriate submeters and water conservation devices were installed by a licensed plumber.
5. A landlord cannot charge a tenant for water/sewer service mid-way through a tenancy or lease. A landlord can only charge a tenant for water/sewer upon the start of a new tenancy in the unit; and only if the unit is being occupied for the first time, or if the previous tenant left voluntarily, or was evicted for non-payment of rent or other breach of the lease.
6. A landlord who engages in self-help by willfully failing to furnish water or directly or indirectly interfering with the furnishing by another of water, or transferring responsibility for payment for water to the tenant without their knowledge or consent, is punishable by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $300.00 , or by imprisonment for not more than 6 months and is liable for actual and consequential damages or 3 month’s rent, whichever is greater, and the costs of the action, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.
Given these onerous requirements, my advice to landlords is to never charge the tenant for water/sewer! Just pay the bill and make it “hot water included” in the rent.
Find What You're Looking For
Author
Richard D. Vetstein, Esq. is a nationally recognized real estate attorney and past Chair of the Boston Bar Association's Title & Conveyancing Committee. For more information about him, click here. You can contact Attorney Vetstein at [email protected] or 508-620-5352.
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MISSION BEACH AND CARDWELL
In the heart of the World Heritage Wet Tropics, the Cassowary Coast is where you can explore rainforest mountain bike trails and cool off at creek crossings and waterfalls. This region south of Cairns takes you from Babinda to Cardwell, a spectacular stretch of coastline boasting secluded beaches and magnificent national parks with beautiful Mission Beach in the middle.
The whole family can enjoy this popular 10.6km ride along the wide open space of beautiful Mission Beach. The ride has views to Dunk Island and takes you in the middle of two World Heritage areas – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest.
At low tide the ride is on hard packed sand with two small creek crossings, a perfect bike path!
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George Cadwell
George Cadwell (February 21, 1773 – August 1, 1826) was an American pioneer, politician, and physician from Connecticut. After Cadwell studied medicine in Vermont, he married a daughter of Matthew Lyon. He left with Lyon to Kentucky, but then settled in the Indiana Territory after a dispute about slavery. He served in the government of Madison County, then was elected to the Illinois Senate when the state was founded in 1818. He served three two-year terms, then resumed the practice of medicine.
Biography
George Cadwell was born on February 21, 1773, in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He attended school in Hartford, Connecticut and then studied medicine in Rutland, Vermont. Cadwell married Pamelia Lyon, the daughter of Matthew Lyon in 1797. He settled with her family in Fair Haven, Vermont. He helped her father publish The Scourge of Aristocracy and Repository of Important Political Truth, a paper attacking U.S. president John Adams. The Alien and Sedition Acts forced the family to flee the state, and in 1799, they settled at what is now Eddyville, Kentucky. Matthew Lyon became a prosperous slave trader, which disappointed the anti-slavery Cadwell and his brother-in-law John Messinger.
Messinger and Cadwell left Lyon in 1802 to settle in the Indiana Territory. Cadwell purchased opposite Gaboret Island on the Mississippi River, about north of Cahokia, in what is now St. Clair County, Illinois. He built a cabin, farmed, and practiced medicine. Cadwell was appointed a justice of the peace for St. Clair County on July 9, 1809. When Madison County, Illinois Territory was created in 1812, which included his farm, Cadwell was named a justice for that county. In August 1813, he was named commissioner of the county court of common pleas, responsible for managing taxes. That December, he was appointed judge of the same court. The next December, he was appointed Judge of the Madison County Court.
Cadwell then moved to Edwardsville after purchasing land from Thomas Kirkpatrick. After Illinois was admitted as a state in 1818, Cadwell was elected to the 1st Illinois General Assembly as a state senator. In December 1820, he was named President pro tempore of the senate after Lieutenant Governor Pierre Menard requested a leave of absence. He resigned the next month. He was re-elected in 1820 and moved near what is now Lynnville, at the time still a part of Madison County. During this session, Greene County, Illinois, was created. Cadwell's farm now stood in the new county, so he represented it when elected to the next general assembly. He was also considered a representative of the new Pike County.
After the 3rd General Assembly, Cadwell purchased a plot of land in Morgan County. The land was largely timbered and Cadwell harvested sugar and syrup until the 1850s. He platted part of his claim as the town of Quincy, hoping to secure the location of the county seat. However, the county commissioners instead settled on Jacksonville. Cadwell spent the rest of his practicing medicine as the first physician in Morgan County. He built the first frame house in the county and created the Morganian Society, an anti-slavery group. He was named the first postmaster in the county.
Cadwell had two sons and eight daughters; both sons died before adulthood. He died in Morgan County on August 1, 1826 and was buried in Diamond Grove Cemetery in Jacksonville. He was the great-grandfather of state senator Epler Cadwell Mills.
References
Category:1773 births
Category:1826 deaths
Category:Illinois state senators
Category:People from Greene County, Illinois
Category:People from Madison County, Illinois
Category:People from Monroe County, Illinois
Category:People from Wethersfield, Connecticut
Category:Physicians from Illinois
Category:Physicians from Connecticut
Category:American postmasters
Category:People from Fair Haven, Vermont
Category:People from Eddyville, Kentucky
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Q:
Is there any function call to restart web application in asp.net?
Is there any function call to restart web application in c# ??
I mean the function call that will cause Application_End event in global.asax to execute
A:
You can do this with:
System.Web.HttpRuntime.UnloadAppDomain
Terminates the current application. The application restarts the next
time a request is received for it.
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Aliens Colonial Marines dubious graphics lead to lawsuit
Did you pick up a copy of Aliens Colonial Marines from SEGA and Gearbox? If so, you’ll be interested to know that both companies in question have now been targeted in a class action lawsuit, over false advertising claims relating to pre-release graphics and the resulting graphics that featured in the final copy of the game.
If you have been keeping an eye on the situation, you’ll probably know that bad things were coming Gearbox’s way after so many complaints on the issue. To give you a recap, watch the video that we have included above – which shows scenes from Aliens Colonial Marines being shown for the first time at E3 in 2012, and the same scenes in the final version of the game.
The differences in graphics are so clear cut, that even Gearbox president Randy Pitchford admitted in a Tweet that something suspect was going on, although he hasn’t made a definitive statement on the reasons why or indeed said anything yet about this lawsuit.
It looks like they have been truly caught out trying to deceive gamers on this occasion and it looks like the price may now be paid as a result of the lawsuit. The accuser is seeking damages for everyone who pre-ordered the game, or purchased the game on release date.
You can read much more about this over at Polygon, who have obtained a copy of the lawsuit from Edelson LLC. We have a feeling that this definitely isn’t over and it will be interesting to see what the ending result will be. The graphics are clearly different though, as you’ll see in the video.
If you have picked up a copy of Aliens Colonial Marines before or on launch date, are you now seeking some compensation as well?
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Introduction
============
Mothers hold babies to their chest instinctively. Currently, in less well developed societies, where cribs, strollers, and infant seats are not common, mothers or other caregivers carry their infants on their chest for many hours a day.[@b1-phmt-6-015] Often there is nothing between the caregiver's chest and the baby's skin other than a diaper. This paradigm of holding an infant with ventral skin-to-skin contact (SSC), typically in an upright position and with the swaddled infant on the chest of the parent, is also commonly referred to as kangaroo care (KC), due to its simulation of marsupial care. While there are no recordings of infant care from the distant past, it is likely that KC of newborns has been practiced for eons. An example of the basic survival value of skin-to skin contact between infant and mother can be demonstrated when there is no interference from health care providers at delivery, specifically when the infant is placed skin-to-skin on its mothers chest at birth, within 20 minutes it will work its way toward the nipple and suckle.[@b2-phmt-6-015]
The medical use of this natural phenomenon was originally introduced by Edgar Rey Sanabria in Columbia in 1978 as a strategy to replace the function of incubators, which were in short supply in that country. Infants who were preterm, but otherwise stable, were put in continuous KC with their mothers. There are variations in KC practices, but all of it involves SSC. For example, kangaroo mother care (KMC) refers to SSC that is provided continuously until the infant begins to sweat and resist the position, an indication of more mature temperature regulation and development. Breastfeeding is exclusive, and discharge home occurs earlier than usual, when the baby is stable and the mother is comfortable providing continuous SSC.[@b3-phmt-6-015]--[@b5-phmt-6-015] Fathers and other family members can also be providers when the mother is unavailable.[@b6-phmt-6-015]
In resource-rich countries, SSC is seen as complementary to incubator care, and so continuous KC is rare. Implementation of SSC in hospitals has largely been motivated by a desire to humanize what has become a medical experience, and as partial fulfillment of the requirements set out in the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).[@b7-phmt-6-015] The purpose of SSC in resource-rich countries has therefore been focused on facilitating infant transition to extrauterine life, promoting early bonding and establishing exclusive breastfeeding. SSC has shown added benefit for the mother, including reduced incidence of post-partum hemorrhage;[@b8-phmt-6-015] however, this review focuses primarily on the benefits to infants. More recently, strong evidence related to the pain-relieving benefits of SSC, almost exclusively studied in developed countries, has emerged.
KC has been studied for its effect on mortality, morbidity, physiological stability, breastfeeding, parental bonding, development, and pain control.[@b9-phmt-6-015]--[@b11-phmt-6-015] Yet despite consistent positive findings for all outcomes, adoption of KC as a routine clinical practice remains extremely variable across settings. It is recommended that KC is a feasible, natural, and cost-effective intervention, and should be standard of care in the delivery of quality health care for all infants, regardless of geographic location or economic status. What remains uncertain is whether continuous KC should be recommended in all settings or if there is a critical period of initiation, dose, or duration that is optimal. This review provides a synthesis of our current knowledge about the benefits of KC, highlighting differences and similarities across gestational age, low and higher resource countries, and in a non-pain and pain context. Additionally, implementation considerations and unanswered questions for future research are addressed.
Benefits of KC
==============
Since the inception of KC as a low-cost alternative to incubator care in areas with limited resources, clinicians and researchers have, over time, documented both physiologic and behavioral benefits for infant and mother (see [Table 1](#t1-phmt-6-015){ref-type="table"}). Many of these benefits have been researched sufficiently to permit meta-analysis, such that two Cochrane reviews exist on the subject.[@b9-phmt-6-015],[@b10-phmt-6-015] One focuses on healthy term or late-preterm newborns,[@b9-phmt-6-015] while the second includes low birth weight infants.[@b10-phmt-6-015]
Physiologic benefits
====================
Homeostasis (temperature regulation, physiological stability, blood glucose)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
When compared with standard care (incubator, radiant warmer, or open crib), KC has shown benefits for homeostasis. Preterm infants who receive KC are more likely to maintain a healthy body temperature, and show increased cardiorespiratory stability.[@b10-phmt-6-015],[@b12-phmt-6-015]--[@b20-phmt-6-015] Looking at the entire hospitalization, KC is associated with decreased likelihood of infection, severe illness, and death.[@b10-phmt-6-015],[@b21-phmt-6-015] Additional evidence for the positive influence of KC exposure on autonomic regulation comes from a recent longitudinal study,[@b22-phmt-6-015] which showed a significant increase in baseline autonomic stability at 10 years follow-up. Even a very small amount of KC (1 hour a day for 14 days) provided to preterm infants compared with infants cared for only in an incubator was associated with improved infant and maternal outcomes. These findings are of particular interest because they are the first to demonstrate the long-lasting value of early KC.
Implications for practice
-------------------------
The evidence for the ability of KC to promote homeostasis is strong, especially in developing countries, where good evidence suggests that continuous KC can reduce mortality.[@b10-phmt-6-015] Unfortunately, the clinical picture is less clear in the developed world. The best evidence available is focused on intermittent use of KC, and while homeostatic benefits should theoretically persist when KC is continuous, there is a lack of studies designed to address this. Combined analysis conducted by Conde-Agudelo et al found that benefits that were clear in less developed countries (eg, reduction in sepsis, mortality, and severe illness) were not present when studies were limited to those in developed countries.[@b10-phmt-6-015] There remain limitations in making conclusions regarding the optimal time spent in KC to achieve maximum benefits. Feldman et al[@b22-phmt-6-015] offer compelling evidence that an average of 1 hour a day of KC may impart long-lasting benefits, but evidence is still lacking as to whether shorter or longer time periods may impart different benefits. Clinicians should use best judgment in balancing the illness acuity of individual infants, parent availability, and potential benefits.
Implications for research
-------------------------
Benefits that were discovered through research in developing countries should not be extrapolated to better resourced countries. There remains a paucity of studies investigating the effect of KC on mortality, infection, and serious illness in resource-rich countries. Methodologically rigorous studies are needed to understand how to maximize the clinical benefits of KC in hospital environments where advanced support is readily available. Many of the questions that remain are most appropriately answered by randomized controlled trials. In both developed and developing countries, our understanding of the physiological benefits of KC would benefit from routine use of composite physiological measures from which investigators can interpret a more meaningful clinical picture. In a review of the benefits of KC in term children, Moore suggests the use of SCRIP scores, (eg, stability of the cardiorespiratory system as the primary physiological outcome).[@b9-phmt-6-015] This would help draw conclusions that more broadly address stability as opposed to attempting to interpret outcomes separately.
There is little evidence from which to determine minimum times for KC to maximize physiological benefits, which are of particular interest to clinicians in countries like Canada and the United States of America (USA) where parent availability is often limited. Continuous KC potentially represents a free alternative to expensive equipment, but the price may be high for parents who bear the burden of additional costs associated with being available in neonatal intensive care units. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis[@b28-phmt-6-015] of 29 papers addressing parental experiences during KC, including 401 mothers and 94 fathers, revealed two overarching themes, ie, a beneficial and restoring effect on both themselves and their child(ren), but also an increased burden, which was a draining experience. Improving our understanding of the optimum daily duration of KC will be important in order to ensure that we do not unjustifiably transfer burden from the health care system to parents.
Late-preterm infants, primarily delivered in developed countries, who are deemed healthy enough to remain on the post partum ward, have been excluded from much of the current literature.[@b9-phmt-6-015] If physiological stability can be improved by introduction of early and sustained KC interventions for this population, there is potential for considerable impact on health care costs, family burden, and reduction of interventions. Similarly, there is a lack of analysis of benefits for infants born via cesarean section. In the studies included in this review, none considered analysis of outcomes in cesarean deliveries separately. This lack of evidence was one of the issues highlighted in a recent Cochrane review of vaginal versus cesarean birth for preterm infants.[@b29-phmt-6-015] While results of that meta-analysis found no difference in any of the reported outcomes (respiratory distress, Apgar scores, mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen), investigators were only able to include four trials, the most recent published in 1996.
For preterm or low birth weight infants, there is a need for more research examining the effectiveness of continuous early KC for both nonstabilized and relatively stabilized infants.[@b10-phmt-6-015] Perhaps unstable infants would benefit differentially from KC when compared with stable infants. Moreover, it remains unclear whether physiological benefits are variable depending on the KC provider, because there is so little research comparing mothers and alternative providers, such as fathers, grandparents, or trained volunteers.[@b22-phmt-6-015]
Growth, neurodevelopment, and neurosensory impairment
-----------------------------------------------------
Perhaps one of the most interesting benefits of KC is the effect on sleep, neurodevelopment, and growth. A recent study by Feldman et al[@b22-phmt-6-015] provides compelling evidence in this domain as well as in the physiological domain. They found that infants who received an average of 1 hour of KC for 14 days showed a more organized sleep--wake cycle at 10 years of age. Short-term benefits of KC on sleep patterns in preterm infants have been well established and include an increase in quiet sleep, longer cycles, and increased respiratory regularity.[@b15-phmt-6-015],[@b30-phmt-6-015],[@b31-phmt-6-015]
As a consequence of the tremendous rate of neurodevelopment that occurs in utero, it is no surprise that preterm infants often suffer neurophysiological sequelae.[@b32-phmt-6-015],[@b33-phmt-6-015] Two recent cohort studies used electroencephalographic complexity to measure differences in neurological maturity between preterm infants who received KC and those who did not. While sample sizes were small, the investigators were able to identify a relationship between KC and increased electroencephalographic complexity.[@b34-phmt-6-015] Additionally, the results showed an increase in primary motor cortex synchronization in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation in the group of infants that received KC.[@b35-phmt-6-015] These results suggest that KC plays a role in supporting neurodevelopment, which is consistent with earlier findings.[@b31-phmt-6-015]
A recent clinical trial in an Indian hospital compared sustained KC with conventional care in preterm infants. The infants were enrolled in groups of five, with the smallest three infants in each group being assigned to the KC condition.[@b36-phmt-6-015] Growth at a corrected gestational age of 40 weeks was similar between the intervention group and the control group, but infants receiving KC achieved more rapid physical growth after this point. Evidence for an association between KC and augmented growth comes from the meta-analysis by Conde-Agudelo et al, which found benefits for both continuous and intermittent KC.[@b10-phmt-6-015] When KC was continuous (KC) it was associated with an increase in weight gain, length, and head circumference.
Clinical implications
---------------------
Current evidence suggests that KC improves sleep, neurodevelopment, and growth, and should therefore be encouraged in clinical practice. While there is a lack of guidance regarding the optimal duration, the compelling outcomes described by Feldman et al were the result of just 14 days of sessions lasting an average of 1 hour.[@b20-phmt-6-015] Given the lack of uptake of any variation of KC in some practice settings, it would be reasonable to recommend that all infants should have KC initiated as soon as possible after birth and receive at least this minimal dose daily.
Research implications
---------------------
The potential for KC to impact neurodevelopment and growth in preterm infants is exciting, but there is still much left to be understood. Dose-response studies would be particularly interesting because they would help families and clinicians to collaborate in order to achieve the best outcomes for the least cost. Studies should be randomized when possible in order to help control for unknown confounding variables.
Investigators should take advantage of the diverse range of instruments available to them in order to learn more about the neurodevelopment changes associated with KC. For example, is the hypothesis that KC increases the rate of neurodevelopment supported by brain imaging? Are the benefits exclusive to pathways related to attention and sleep regulation, or do preterm infants who receive KC have more rapid peripheral neurodevelopment as well?
Studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms via which KC imparts its benefits are lacking. Sleep, neurodevelopment, weight, and length are clinically relevant outcomes but we also need studies designed to tease out how KC interacts with these.
Behavioral benefits
===================
Breastfeeding rates
-------------------
The BFHI, devised by the World Health Organization, is an international set of guidelines to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding.[@b7-phmt-6-015] Provision of KC is one of the "ten steps to successful breastfeeding" outlined in the BFHI. Although initially developed for healthy term infants, an international group of experts has made recommendations for adapting the "ten steps" of the BFHI to be applicable to ill and premature infants in neonatal settings.[@b37-phmt-6-015] In the modified BFHI for neonatal units proposed by Nyqvist et al,[@b37-phmt-6-015] provision of early, continuous, and prolonged KC without unjustified restrictions is cited as crucial to improving breastfeeding outcomes in this vulnerable infant population.
Evidence supports the influence of KC in increasing maternal milk volume and promoting breastfeeding exclusivity and duration in preterm infants.[@b38-phmt-6-015]--[@b40-phmt-6-015] Flacking et al[@b41-phmt-6-015] used a prospective longitudinal design to examine the influence of KC on breastfeeding in two age groups: those born very preterm (less than 32 weeks' gestational age) and preterm (32--36 weeks' gestational age). They found that in very preterm infants, those who were breastfeeding at 1, 2, 5, and 6 months post discharge has significantly more KC time in hospital. In randomized controlled trials comparing KC interventions with standard care, preterm infants demonstrate initiation of earlier breastfeeding,[@b10-phmt-6-015] higher breastfeeding exclusivity,[@b10-phmt-6-015],[@b42-phmt-6-015] and a longer duration of breastfeeding[@b10-phmt-6-015],[@b43-phmt-6-015],[@b44-phmt-6-015] when compared with infants who are cared for in an incubator or are wrapped in blankets when held by their mothers.
Clinical implications
---------------------
Based on consistent evidence for KC in promoting breastfeeding, clinicians should encourage KC for preterm infants both in the neonatal intensive care unit and following hospital discharge.[@b5-phmt-6-015],[@b6-phmt-6-015] Given the variability in duration of KC provided across studies, there is no consensus regarding the length of time required to optimize the benefit for breastfeeding outcomes. Therefore, it is recommended that mothers be informed of the benefits of KC for breastfeeding, and that they are encouraged and supported in providing KC as early as possible (ideally from birth) and for as long and as often as they would like.[@b31-phmt-6-015]
Limitations and implications for future research
------------------------------------------------
A limitation in the research examining KC and breastfeeding is the reliance on maternal self-report. Given the potential for bias in reporting breastfeeding outcomes due to the social desirability of exclusive breastfeeding, it is important to interpret the findings with caution. While some researchers[@b44-phmt-6-015] have considered and controlled for baseline maternal intentions to breastfeed, this is not consistently done. Given the significant influence of prenatal intentions to breastfeed in predicting long-term breastfeeding outcomes,[@b45-phmt-6-015] this is an important variable to measure and report in future studies. While Flacking et al[@b41-phmt-6-015] found that KC had the greatest benefit for very preterm infants (born at less than 32 weeks' gestational age), research in this young age group is limited. Future studies examining the relationship between KC and breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity in infants born at a gestational age of less than 32 weeks is needed. There was variability in measures of exclusivity of breastfeeding, length of KC intervention time in clinical trials, follow-up time points, and control interventions used (eg, incubator care, being wrapped in blankets when held) across the literature. Possibilities of both overestimation and underestimation of the effect of KC on breastfeeding stem from issues such as the treatment of breastfeeding as a dichotomous variable, failure to capture information such as nipple protractility, and "standard care" conditions that include breastfeeding counseling expertise which may not accurately reflect the day to day reality of the unit.[@b9-phmt-6-015] Consistency in interventions and outcomes is necessary to strengthen future research.
Parent--infant attachment
=========================
Attachment is defined as the emotional connection that is formed between infants and caregivers, and it is relevant for clinicians to consider this in infants of all gestational ages, especially in those born preterm.[@b46-phmt-6-015] Infant-maternal relationships have been shown to be less positive in infants born preterm, and evidence suggests that poor attachment can contribute to more negative outcomes.[@b46-phmt-6-015],[@b47-phmt-6-015]
Charpak et al[@b48-phmt-6-015] found that mothers in a KC group scored more favorably on sense of competence, feelings of worry or stress, sensitivity, and infant responsiveness. Total attachment scores determined through structured interviews by Gathwala et al[@b47-phmt-6-015] were higher in the KC group than in controls. An improved relationship with the infant was supported by higher scores in an investigation by Roberts et al,[@b49-phmt-6-015] and KC mother--infant pairs showed more symmetrical and less asymmetrical coregulation in a recent study that used the still-face paradigm tool as one of their outcomes.[@b50-phmt-6-015] Feldman et al[@b22-phmt-6-015] provided additional evidence supporting the relationship between KC and increased attachment behaviors across the post partum period in addition to greater mother--child reciprocity at 10 years. In one study excluded for using a crossover design, the investigators found no differences between KC and standard care at 4 or 12 months of age in measurement of infant interaction.[@b51-phmt-6-015]
Clinical implications
---------------------
A significant barrier to the provision of KC is the lack of facilities available for parents to stay (ie, sleep and cooking) near the infant to promote prolonged KC. This is a significant issue in both poorly resourced and resourced areas, although the trend toward single room versus open bay neonatal units and KC centers may lessen this concern and should be supported.[@b52-phmt-6-015]
Research implications
---------------------
A consistent approach to the measurement of parent--infant attachment would be of benefit because measures vary and make interpretation more difficult. The current evidence suggests that KC promotes greater parent--infant attachment, and the implications of this benefit should cause investigators to consider the inclusion of measures for attachment. Due to the potential neurodevelopment consequences of poor parent--infant attachment, increased information combined with longitudinal designs may help understand the basis of the seemingly neuroprotective effects of KC. More positive attachment may also partially explain some of the observed benefits to breastfeeding initiation and duration. There remains a knowledge gap with regard whether the same benefits in relationships that are observed between mother--infant dyads as a result of KC are also observed between father--infant[@b20-phmt-6-015] dyads.
KC in the context of pain
=========================
Given the benefits of improved physiological stability, and enhanced sleep and regulation, investigation of KC to diminish newborn procedural pain has become a rapidly growing field of study (see [Table 2](#t2-phmt-6-015){ref-type="table"}). The role of KC in this context was first examined in full-term infants in 2000 by Gray et al.[@b53-phmt-6-015] Three years later, Johnston et al examined its effectiveness in preterm infants at a gestational age of 32 to 36 weeks at birth.[@b54-phmt-6-015] Both studies reported a significant lowering of behavioral pain responses, and numerous other studies followed with similar results favoring KC. A recent Cochrane review included 19 randomized trials (n=1,594 infants, with 765 being term infants[@b54-phmt-6-015]--[@b67-phmt-6-015]) and used physiological, behavioral, and composite measures as the primary outcomes.[@b11-phmt-6-015] The majority of the studies[@b53-phmt-6-015]--[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015]--[@b70-phmt-6-015] (n=1,219) compared KC with standard care or no treatment, and used heel lance as the painful procedure.[@b53-phmt-6-015],[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b56-phmt-6-015]--[@b67-phmt-6-015],[@b71-phmt-6-015]
Kangaroo care compared with incubator control
=============================================
Physiological parameters
------------------------
Physiological indicators reported were heart rate response, heart rate recovery, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation during the painful procedure, oxygen saturation after the painful procedure, and change in oxygen saturation. Twelve studies examined heart rate or heart rate variability during and/or heart rate recovery following a heel lance procedure.[@b53-phmt-6-015],[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b56-phmt-6-015]--[@b58-phmt-6-015],[@b60-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015],[@b66-phmt-6-015],[@b67-phmt-6-015],[@b69-phmt-6-015]--[@b71-phmt-6-015] All studies favored KC or found no difference, but only a few studies could be combined in meta-analysis. Oxygen saturation during and/or following the painful procedure, reported by four studies,[@b64-phmt-6-015],[@b66-phmt-6-015],[@b69-phmt-6-015],[@b70-phmt-6-015] was unable to be combined. Although two of the studies[@b64-phmt-6-015],[@b70-phmt-6-015] reported that average oxygen saturation was higher in the KC group during the painful procedure, only Sajedi et al[@b70-phmt-6-015] showed these differences to be significant. Of two studies reporting change in oxygen saturation, neither found a difference between KC and standard care.[@b60-phmt-6-015],[@b67-phmt-6-015]
Validated pain assessment tools
-------------------------------
Validated pain scores, including the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP),[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b55-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b60-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015] Neonatal Facial Coding System,[@b56-phmt-6-015],[@b68-phmt-6-015] and Neonatal Infant Pain Scale[@b68-phmt-6-015]--[@b70-phmt-6-015] were measured in ten studies. Pain scores regardless of the tool used appeared to favor KC with lower Neonatal Facial Coding System scores during procedure, with a mean difference of 1.872 in favor of KC (*P*\<0.001) in Castral et al.[@b56-phmt-6-015] Both Sajedi et al[@b70-phmt-6-015] and Saeidi et al[@b69-phmt-6-015] reported Neonatal Infant Pain Scale scores that significantly favored KC. Five studies used the PIPP as the outcome for heel lance.[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b55-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b60-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015] Based on the combined analysis of four studies,[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b60-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015] there was a significant effect post heel lance in favor of KC at 30 seconds, at 60 seconds,[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015] and 90 seconds.[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015] No significant difference between KC and controls were noted in PIPP scores at 120 seconds.[@b54-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015],[@b64-phmt-6-015] Additional outcomes, including endocrine response, cry duration, infant state, and adverse effects, were measured in a few small studies, with mixed or nonsignificant findings.[@b59-phmt-6-015]
Kangaroo care versus alternative treatments or alternative providers
====================================================================
Comparisons have been made in four studies with sweet taste,[@b60-phmt-6-015],[@b68-phmt-6-015] breastfeeding,[@b71-phmt-6-015] enhanced KC (including the addition of rocking and singing with KC),[@b62-phmt-6-015] fathers,[@b62-phmt-6-015] and unrelated females.[@b61-phmt-6-015] When KC with sweet taste (glucose) was compared with control in preterm neonates undergoing heel lance, heart rate, oxygen saturation variability, and PIPP scores all were reported to significantly favor KC. Similarly, heart rate, oxygen saturation, Neonatal Facial Coding System, and duration of crying were not reported to be different between KC and breastfeeding, but both were better than swaddled control.[@b60-phmt-6-015] The addition of auditory, vestibular, or gustatory factors with KC (rocking, singing, and offering the infant a finger or pacifier for sucking by the mother providing KC) did not result in any differences when compared with maternal KC alone. Two studies, both using a crossover design, compared the analgesic effect of maternal KC to SSC provided by an alternate caregiver: one with fathers[@b62-phmt-6-015] and the other with an unrelated woman.[@b61-phmt-6-015] In both cases, the differences in heart rate recovery and PIPP scores were not significant in spite of the large mean difference in favor of the mother, due mostly to high variance.
Clinical implications
---------------------
KC is a simple, natural, and cost-effective intervention to effectively diminish behavioral pain response in preterm infants. KC should be routinely offered to all infants undergoing needle-related procedures. Although there is some evidence that combining KC provided by the mother with sweet-tasting solutions may be synergistic, further study is warranted before this combination can be recommended as standard care. In the absence of a mother, a father,[@b62-phmt-6-015] unrelated woman,[@b61-phmt-6-015] or a co twin,[@b72-phmt-6-015],[@b73-phmt-6-015] may be considered as as there is some evidence that they may be an effective alternate.
Implications for research
-------------------------
Despite strong evidence that KC effectively lowers composite behavioral pain scores for both full-term and preterm infants as young as 28 weeks' gestational age undergoing a single heel lance or intramuscular injection compared with incubator control, there remain many unanswered questions. Studies examining the sustained effect of KC over repeated procedures, as well as studies with larger sample sizes replicating prior work, including similar outcomes, are required. Moreover, little is known about whether combining KC with other comforting interventions can enhance its benefits for pain relief. It is clinically important for future studies to examine the optimal dose or duration of KC needed to be effective. The range of time for KC prior to the painful procedure was 2 minutes[@b68-phmt-6-015] to 3 hours.[@b66-phmt-6-015] The only studies that compared times were two studies by Cong et al.[@b58-phmt-6-015],[@b59-phmt-6-015] Although both studies seemed to favor 30 minutes to either longer (80 minutes)[@b58-phmt-6-015] or shorter doses (15 minutes),[@b59-phmt-6-015] other studies using different outcomes favored KC for times longer and shorter than 30 minutes, so no conclusion can be made. Investigators should consider reporting findings from the entire sample as well as differentiating among gestational ages when possible. Lastly, examining whether the benefits of KC associated with early pain reduction and immediate pain relief may also lead to improved longer term outcomes are needed.
Considerations for implementation
=================================
In spite of the plethora of documented benefits of KC in preterm infants, KC is not consistently practiced in this population. In a national survey of nurse managers in USA Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICUs), Engler et al[@b74-phmt-6-015] found that while 82% of respondents indicated that KC was implemented in some form on their unit, practice was informed by nurse perceptions as opposed to scientific evidence. It has been consistently demonstrated that both parents and clinicians perceive KC as a positive intervention for mothers and their infants.[@b75-phmt-6-015]--[@b79-phmt-6-015] However, despite generally positive attitudes, inconsistencies may exist in parent and nurse perceptions of optimal KC practices. For example, in a recent prospective cohort study conducted by Hendricks-Munoz et al,[@b80-phmt-6-015] parents and nurses both reported that KC benefits infants; however, only 18% of nurses compared with 63% of mothers believed that KC should be provided to their infants on a daily basis.
In addition to varying attitudes toward KC, numerous barriers have been identified. A consistently described barrier relates to the safety of facilitating KC in the preterm infant. Specifically, the highly technological equipment used to care for these infants has been identified as limiting opportunities for KC,[@b74-phmt-6-015],[@b76-phmt-6-015]--[@b79-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b82-phmt-6-015] with several studies reporting inconsistent policies and KC practices in infants who are intubated or have arterial or venous lines in place.[@b74-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015] Maternal concern around infant well-being during KC, such as fear that the infant may stop breathing, is another concern that has been reported.[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b79-phmt-6-015] Inadequate staff education and experience in facilitating KC for clinically compromised infants was another barrier identified, as well as lack of staff and time to appropriately support KC in both the NICU[@b74-phmt-6-015],[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b79-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015] and following delivery by cesarean section.[@b83-phmt-6-015] Both parents and health care providers identified the NICU environment as limiting parental visitation and opportunities to provide KC. For example, frequently identified barriers included lack of privacy, space, and comfortable chairs at the bedside, as well as a lack of facilities for meal preparation and parental rooming in.[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b78-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b84-phmt-6-015] Parent-related factors such as maternal pain (eg, breast, back, or incisional pain),[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b85-phmt-6-015] having responsibilities in the home (eg, other children, chores),[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b85-phmt-6-015] and limited knowledge of the benefits of KC were additional barriers that were identified to limit the availability and motivation of mothers to provide KC.[@b81-phmt-6-015]
While it is evident that there are numerous barriers to successful implementation of KC, findings also highlight ways in which to facilitate this practice in preterm infants. Educational interventions have been consistently cited as necessary to train staff in the knowledge and skills needed to promote and support KC effectively.[@b74-phmt-6-015],[@b76-phmt-6-015],[@b80-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b86-phmt-6-015] In a recent prospective cohort study examining the impact of a training program on KC perceptions and practice competency, nurses received didactic education and simulation training for assessing and placing infants in KC.[@b80-phmt-6-015] Nurses' competency in supporting KC for infants requiring nasal continuous positive airway pressure and mechanical ventilation improved from 30% to 92% (*P*\<0.001) and from 10% to 48% (*P*\<0.004), respectively. In addition, nurses who reported feeling uncomfortable in this competency decreased to 0%, and the perceived value increased from 50% to 100% (*P*\<0.001). Having clear policies in place to guide evidence-informed KC implementation,[@b74-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b86-phmt-6-015] as well as KC leaders and unit-based champions,[@b81-phmt-6-015] have also been identified as ways to facilitate ease of use in ill full-term and preterm infants.
In addition to educational interventions for staff, parent education regarding the benefits of KC and how to safely hold their infant in addition to assessing their well-behind has been documented as a way to encourage KC implementation.[@b78-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b83-phmt-6-015],[@b86-phmt-6-015],[@b87-phmt-6-015] Modification of the physical environment by providing privacy screens, comfortable chairs, and family rooms has been identified by parents to support KC.[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b78-phmt-6-015] Finally, assistance in positioning infants in KC, providing parents with information and practical advice, as well as providing reminders and follow-ups around KC practices,[@b77-phmt-6-015],[@b78-phmt-6-015],[@b81-phmt-6-015],[@b87-phmt-6-015] have been identified by both parents and health care providers as valuable in supporting the implementation of KC.
Conclusion
==========
Kangaroo care is a natural, effective, and low-cost intervention that can be utilized in any setting. There is strong evidence related to its numerous benefits, including physiological, behavioral, and pain-relieving aspects for preterm newborns, both healthy and ill, as well as less stress and improved self-efficacy in parents. Mothers and family members have a unique relationship and are highly invested to ensure that optimal outcomes are achieved for their newborns. Yet their active participation in care often remains underutilized. Despite a few remaining unanswered questions, the use of KC should be considered standard of care for all infants and be initiated early with the ultimate goal to minimize separation of the mother--infant dyad.
More evidence is required in order to recommend implementation of KC in resource-rich environments. Though it is tempting to make this recommendation considering the diverse array of benefits offered, questions remain as to how implementation might affect mortality, infection, and severe illness. There a need for dose-response studies in this population that include a continuous or near-continuous arm, but these should be accompanied by economic measurements that will determine the tangible and intangible costs taken on by parents. To this end, health economists should be considered as potential members of the interdisciplinary team. Additionally, in poorly resourced countries, greater government funding should target the creation of KC centers that incorporate clean water, cooking, and sleeping facilities for mothers to remain exclusively with their infants.
**Disclosure**
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
######
Benefits of KC in non-pain context
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference Sample and setting Design Provider Outcome measures Results
--------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Temperature regulation**
Christensson et al[@b12-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=80, \>1,500 g\ RCT: KC versus incubator for treatment of hypothermia Mother Rectal temperature KC \> control normal temperature at 240 minutes (90% versus 60%, *P*\<0.001)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: teaching hospital, Zambia
Conde-Agudelo et al[@b10-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=698\ Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother Hypothermia at discharge or 40--41 weeks of PMA KC \< SC (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.17--0.67)
LBW infants (six studies)
Ludington-Hoe et al[@b13-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=29, preterm (26--35 weeks)\ RCT: KC ×3\ Mother Abdominal and toe temperature Abdominal temperature: no difference\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ 2.5--3.0 hours versus SC Toe temperature: KC \> SC (*F*=7.04, *P*=0.02)
Setting: level II NICU in USA
Legault and Goulet[@b14-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=61, premature (32--35 weeks)\ Randomized crossover trial Mother Skin temperature No difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: level III NICU, Canada
Chwo et al[@b15-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=34, 34--36 weeks GA\ RCT: KC versus control versus SC Mother Tympanic temperature KC \> SC (MD 37.3°C versus 37.0°C, *P*=0.01)
Mode of delivery: V (n=11) C/S (n=23)\
Setting: Taiwan
Marin Gabriel et al[@b16-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=137, 35--42 weeks GA\ RCT: early KC ×2 hours versus SC Mother, early KC ×2 hours Axillary temperature Rise in temperature first 5 minutes: KC \> SC 0.07°C±0.58°C versus −0.22°C±0.52°C in the CG (*P*\<0.001).\
Mode of delivery: V\ Mean temperature first 5 minutes of life: 36.6°C±0.79°C in the KC group versus 36.9°C±0.58°C in the CG (*P*\<0.01)
Setting: hospital, Spain
Gathwala et al[@b43-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=110 LBW infants (35 weeks mean GA)\ RCT: KC at least 6 hours/day versus incubator care; 16-month longitudinal study Mother Mean axillary temperature, episodes of hypothermia Mean temperature: KC \> SC (36.67°C±0.24°C versus 36.44°C±0.22°C; *P*\<0.05)\
Mode of delivery: not reported Episodes of hypothermia: no statistically significant difference
**Physiological stability**
Bergman et al[@b17-phmt-6-015] Sample: 31 KC, mean 34.2 weeks; 13 controls, mean 35.3 weeks\ 31 KC, mean 34.2 weeks; 13 controls, mean 35.3 weeks Mother SCRIP[a](#tfn1-phmt-6-015){ref-type="table-fn"} score during first 6 hours after birth\ Higher scores in KC (MD 2.88; 95% CI 0.53--5.23).\
Mode of delivery: V\ Infants who did not exceed defined physiological parameters requiring attention Attention more likely to be required in SC group (RR 10.83; 95% CI 1.63--72.02)
Setting: two secondary hospitals in South Africa
Ludington-Hoe et al[@b18-phmt-6-015] Sample: 24 preterm (33--35 weeks GA at birth)\ RCT: KC versus SC in infants nearing discharge Mother HR, RR, O~2~ saturation, abdominal skin temperature Mean cardiorespiratory and temperature outcomes within acceptable ranges during KC; no apnea, bradycardia, or periodic breathing in KC; KC \> regular breathing
Mode of delivery: N/A\
Setting: NICU, USA
Mitchell et al[@b19-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=38, 27--30 weeks GA\ RCT: 2 hours KC versus SC Mother HR, O~2~ saturation Bradycardia/hour: KC \< SC (*P*=0.048) O~2~ desaturation events: KC \< SC (*P*=0.017)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: NICU, USA
Legault and Goulet[@b14-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=61, premature (32--35 weeks)\ RCT crossover Mother HR, RR, O~2~ saturation O~2~ saturation: KC \> SC (92.8% versus 90.5%, *P*\<0.0001)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: level III NICU, Montreal, Canada
Rojas et al[@b20-phmt-6-015] Sample: 60 LBW (32 weeks, \<1,500 g)\ RCT: KC for 1 hour versus holding clothed in supine position Mothers and fathers (70±40 minutes/day) Percentage of infants with O~2~ desaturation during observation KC \< control (30% versus 56%, *P*=0.05)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: pediatric hospital, USA
**Sleep organization**
Ludington-Hoe et al[@b30-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=28, PMA 32 weeks\ RCT: 2--3 hours KC versus SC Mother Sleep arousal, REM, quiet sleep, indeterminate sleep Sleep arousal: KC \< SC (BKC = −7.35, *P*=0.015);\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ REM counts during AS: KC \< SC REM counts during AS (BKC = −8.9, *P*=0.029)\
Setting: USA REM counts during study period: KC \< SC (BKC = −5.11, *P*=0.013)\
Quiet sleep: KC \> SC % QS (β = +10.3, *P*=0.05),\
Indeterminate sleep: KC \< SC % IS (β = −9.0, *P*=0.01)
Chwo et al[@b15-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=34, 34--36 weeks GA\ RCT: KC versus control versus SC Mother, 3 hours Quiet sleep (recorded at 5-minute intervals) KC \> control (62% versus 22%, *P*=0.001)
Mode of delivery: V (n=11) C/S (n=23)\
Setting: Taiwan
Scher et al[@b31-phmt-6-015] Sample: eight preterm\ Cohort comparison Mother Sleep analysis (EEG) REM counts during study period: KC \< SC (*P*\<0.0001) Sleep cycle length: KC \> control (*P*=0.01)\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ Quiet sleep: KC \> control (*P*=0.0001) Spectral beta power: KC \< control (*P*=0.025) Spectral respiratory irregularity: KC \> control (*P*=0.02)
Setting: USA
**Mortality**
Conde-Agudelo et al[@b10-phmt-6-015] Sample: 1,736 LBW infants (eight studies)\ Meta-analysis of RCTs Mortality at discharge or 40--41 weeks PMA\ KC \< SC (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.39--0.92)\
2,167 LBW infants (eleven studies) Mortality at latest follow-up KC \< SC (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.48--0.95)
**Infection**
Conde-Agudelo et al[@b10-phmt-6-015] Sample: 1,343 stabilized LBW infants (seven studies) Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother Severe infection/sepsis at latest follow-up KC \< SC (RR 0.56; 95% CI 0.40--0.78)
283 LBW (one study) Severe illness at 6 months KC \< SC (RR 0.30; 95% CI 0.14--0.67)
913 LBW (three trials) Nosocomial infection/sepsis at discharge or 41 weeks PMA KC \< SC (RR 0.45; 95% CI 0.27--0.76)
283 LBW (one study) Lower respiratory tract disease at 6 months follow-up KC \< SC (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.15--0.89)
1,266 LBW infants (four studies) Mild/moderate infection or illness at latest follow-up No difference (RR 1.28; 95% CI 0.87--1.88)
448 LBW (four studies) RCT Mother Hyperthermia at discharge or 40--41 weeks' PMA No difference (RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.59--1.05)
Sloan et al[@b21-phmt-6-015] Sample: 283 LBW (mean GA 33 weeks)\ RCT: KC w/frequent BF versus SC with scheduled BF Mother Diarrhea at 6 months follow-up No difference (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.35--1.20)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: Ecuador
**Growth**
Conde-Agudelo et al[@b10-phmt-6-015] 1,072 LBW (ten studies) Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother Weight/day KC \> control (MD 3.7 g, 95% CI 1.9--5.6)
251 LBW (two studies) Length (cm) KC \> control (MD 0.29 cm, 95% CI 0.27--0.31)
369 LBW (three studies) Head circumference KC \> control (MD 0.18 cm, 95% CI 0.09--0.27)
Charpak et al[@b48-phmt-6-015] 592 LBW RCT: 24 hours/day KC versus SC Mother Head circumference at 6 months' corrected age KC \> control (MD 0.34 cm, 95% CI 0.11--0.57)
Nagai et al[@b27-phmt-6-015] Sample: 73 LBW 32--34 weeks GA\ RCT, early (\<24 hours) versus late (\>24 hours) onset KC in relatively stable infants Mother Reduction in body weight loss from birth to 48 hours KC \> control (MD 43.4 g, 95% CI 5.5--81.1)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: five hospitals, Iran
Rojas et al[@b20-phmt-6-015] Sample: 60 LBW (≤32 weeks, \<1,500 g)\ RCT: KC for 1 hour versus holding clothed in supine Mothers and fathers (70±40 minutes/day) Rate of head growth Total head growth: KC \> control (*P*=0.03)\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ Head growth rate: KC \> control (*P*=0.05)
Setting: pediatric Hospital, USA
Suman et al[@b23-phmt-6-015] Sample: 206 \<2,000 g\ RCT Mothers, 13.5 hours/day average Growth KC \> control (weight 2,388 g, length 47.8 cm, and head circumference 33.4 cm versus weight 2,065 g, length 46.4 cm, and head circumference 32.1 cm; *P*\<0.05)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: level III NICU in Western India
Gathwala et al[@b43-phmt-6-015] Sample: 110 LBW infants (35 weeks mean GA)\ RCT KC at least 6 hours/day versus incubator care.\ Mother Weight gain, length, head circumference Weight: KC \> SC (16.23±0.49 g/day versus 14.10±0.52 g/day; *P*\<0.05)\
Mode of delivery: not reported Setting: hospital, India 16-month longitudinal study Length: KC \> SC (1.03±0.05 cm/week versus 0.74±0.05 cm/week; *P*\<0.05)\
Head circumference: KC \> SC (0.59±0.04 cm/week versus 0.47±0.03 cm/week, *P*\<0.05)
**NICU admissions/hospital length of stay/readmission**
Bergman et al[@b17-phmt-6-015] Sample: 31 KC, mean 34.2 weeks; 13 controls, mean 35.3 weeks\ RCT: KC in first 6 hours post birth versus SC Mother NICU admission No difference (RR 1.44; 95% CI 0.15--14.29)
Mode of delivery: V\
Setting: two secondary hospitals in South Africa
Conde-Agudelo et al[@b10-phmt-6-015] 946 LBW (two studies)\ Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother Readmission to hospital at latest follow-up\ No difference (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.34--1.06)\
931 LBW (ten studies) Length of hospital stay (days) KC \< SC (MD −2.17, 95% CI −3.72, −0.63)
Nagai et al[@b27-phmt-6-015] Sample: 73 LBW 32--34 weeks GA\ RCT: early (\<24 hours) versus late (\>24 hours) onset KC in relatively stable infants Mother Length of hospital stay (days) Non-significant difference, early KC \< late KC (MD --0.9, 95% CI −3.01 to 1.2)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: five hospitals, Iran
**Breastfeeding rates/milk volume**
Conde-Agudelo et al[@b10-phmt-6-015] 1,333 LBW (five studies)\ Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother EBF at discharge or\ KC \> control (RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07--1.34)\
600, LBW (five studies)\ 40--41 weeks PMA\ KC \> control (RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.01--1.43)\
1,576 LBW (nine studies)\ EBF at 1 month follow-up\ KC \> control (RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.06--1.36)\
538 LBW (six studies)\ Any BF at discharge or 40--41 weeks PMA\ KC \> control (RR 1.33; 95% CI 1.00--1.78)\
924 LBW (five studies) Any BF at 1--2 months follow-up\ KC \> control (RR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06--1.23)
Any BF at 3 months follow-up
Svensson et al[@b24-phmt-6-015] Sample: 103, 1--16 weeks post-partum with difficulty with latching\ RCT: KC versus fully clothed Mother Maternal experience, time to latch Time to regular latching: KC \< control (2.0 weeks, Q1 =1.0, Q3 =3.7 versus 4.7 weeks Q1 =2.0, Q3 =8.0, *P*=0.020); 94% of infants in KC with hx of "strong reaction" during "hands-on latch intervention" latched within 3 weeks versus 33% of control (*P*=0.0001)\
Mode of delivery: V (n=67), C/S (n=36)\ Mothers' positive feelings: KC \> control, *P*=0.022
Setting: university hospital, Sweden
Chiu and Anderson[@b25-phmt-6-015] Sample: 100 dyads, 32--37 weeks GA\ RCT: early KC (mean 1.3 hours ×11.6 times) versus SC Mother Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Feeding Scale and Teaching Scale Infant teaching scores: KC \< SC at 6 months (*P*=0.001), SC \> child's response to caregiver subscale (*P*=0.001)
Mode of delivery: V (n=73), C/S (27)\
Setting: university Hospital, USA
Rojas et al[@b20-phmt-6-015] Sample: 60 LBW (≤32 weeks, \<1,500 g)\ RCT: KC for 1 hour versus holding clothed in supine Mothers and\ Successful BF KC \> control (OR 10, 95% CI 8--57, *P*=0.01)
Mode of delivery: not reported\ fathers (70±40 minutes/day)
Setting: pediatric hospital, USA
Hake-Brooks and Anderson[@b44-phmt-6-015] Sample: 66 preterm infants 32--36 weeks\ RCT Mothers (4.47 hours) Breastfeeding status at hospital discharge and at 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months as measured by Breastfeeding Index Breastfeeding duration: KC \> control (5.08 months versus 2.05 months, *P*=0.003)\
Mode of delivery: N/A in\ Breastfeeding exclusivity: KC \> control *P*=0.047\
Setting: hospital, USA Full exclusivity: KC \> control at discharge, 1, 5, 3, and 6 months
Gathwala et al[@b43-phmt-6-015] Sample: 110 LBW infants (35 weeks mean GA)\ RCT, KC (at least 6 hours/day) versus incubator care. 16-month follow-up. Mother Breastfeeding status Exclusive BF initiated with all infants; at study conclusion (16 months): KC \> SC (44/50 versus 36/50; *P*\<0.05)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: hospital, India
Heidarzadeh et al[@b42-phmt-6-015] Sample: 251 premature (\>27 weeks)\ Cross-sectional Mothers and fathers Exclusive breastfeeding at time of discharge KC \> SC (OR: 4.1; 95% CI: 2.2--7.5
Mode of delivery: V (n=86), C/S (n=165)\
Setting: hospital, Iran
Hurst et al[@b40-phmt-6-015] Sample: 24 LBW infants\ Retrospective comparison following policy initiation of KC Mother 24-hour milk volume KC \> control (strong linear increase, versus no change)
Mode of delivery: NA\
Setting: N/A
**Time crying**
Chwo et al[@b15-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=34, 34, 36 weeks GA\ RCT: KC versus control versus SC Mother, KC 3 hours ×2 days Number of times observed crying during 3-hour period KC \< control (2% versus 6%, *P*=0.001)
Mode of delivery: V (n=11) C/S (n=23)\
Setting: Taiwan
**Neurodevelopment**
Charpak et al[@b48-phmt-6-015] Sample: 588 LBW\ RCT (all outcomes at 12 months corrected age) Mother Psychomotor development, cerebral palsy, deafness, visual impairment Psychomotor development: no difference\
Mode of delivery: V, C/S\ Cerebral palsy: no difference (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.21--2.02) Deafness: no difference (RR 0.30; 95% CI 0.03--2.90)\
Setting: tertiary center, Colombia Visual impairment: no difference (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.53--1.56)
Sample: 579 LBW General developmental quotient KC \> control (*P*\<0.01)
Schneider et al[@b35-phmt-6-015] Sample: 39 adolescent former premature (\<33 weeks GA) and nine born at term\ Longitudinal follow-up of RCT Mothers/fathers/family (24 hours/day) Motor systems maturation via transcranial magnetic stimulation MEP latency: KC \< control (*P*=0.03); in KC, decrease in MEP latency correlated with time in KC (*P*=0.02)\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ Short-interval intracortical inhibition and facilitation in M1: no difference, but obtained more easily in KC and term groups\
Setting: Bogotá, Colombia Interhemispheric inhibition: more frequent, with shorter latency and longer duration in KC (*P*\<0.0001)\
Group × sex × side interaction: shorter latency in all KC and term subjects in dominant (*P*≤0.0001) and non-dominant (*P*≤0.001) hemispheres\
No differences between KC and term
**Parent--infant attachment**
Charpak et al[@b48-phmt-6-015] Sample: 82--406 LBW\ RCT Mother Mother's perception of\ KC \> control (MD, 95% CI): Mothers' perceptions: sense of competence 1--2 days post birth (0.41, 0.14--0.68); sense of competence, infant admitted to NICU (0.54, 0.05--0.43); sense of competence, infant not admitted to NICU (0.24, 0.05--0.43); worry and stress free at 1--2 days (0.31, 0.04--0.58); social support at 14 days (−0.47, −0.84, −0.10); social support, infant not admitted to NICU (−0.20, −0.39, −0.01)\
Mode of delivery: V, C/S\ premature birth questionnaire (1--5) and nursing child assessment feeding scale Feeding scale: mothers sensitivity at 14 days (0.06, 0.01--0.11);\
Setting: tertiary center, Colombia Responsiveness, 14 days (0.05, 0.01--0.09)\
KC \> SC (MD 0.79, 95% CI 0.74--0.84)
338 LBW HOME[b](#tfn2-phmt-6-015){ref-type="table-fn"} environment total score No data reported on fathers, but author claims increased involvement
Gathwala et al[@b47-phmt-6-015] Sample: 100 LBW (mean GA 35 weeks)\ RCT: KC 6 hours/day versus SC Mother Mother--infant attachment at 3 months KC \> control (MD 6.24, 95% CI 5.57--6.91)
Mode of delivery: V (81), C/S (9)\
Setting: India
Roberts et al[@b49-phmt-6-015] Sample: 30 LBW\ RCT: KC versus cuddling minimum 2 hours/day Mother Mother--infant attachment: stress in the NICU Relationship with infant: KC \> control (MD 1.00, 95% CI 0.35--1.65)
Mode of delivery: N/A\
Setting: Australia
Neu and Robinson[@b50-phmt-6-015] Sample: 65 LBW 32--34 weeks GA\ RCT: 1 hour a day of either holding in blanket or KC for 8 weeks Mother Mother--infant interaction at 6 months Symmetrical coregulation: KC \> control :\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ (MD 16.38, 95% CI 13.61--19.1)\
Setting: five hospitals, USA Asymmetrical coregulation: KC \< control\
(MD −18.31, 95% CI −21.42, −15.20)
Miles et al[@b51-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=79, \<32 weeks GA\ Randomized crossover by site: 20 minutes KC daily ×4 weeks Mother Infant interaction No statistically significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: UK
Tessier et al[@b26-phmt-6-015] Sample: 338, LBW\ RCT: (70±40 minutes/day) Mothers and fathers 24 hours/day until no longer tolerated by infants HOME score HOME score: KC \> mean score \[0.28 versus −0.51, F(1,330)=4.9, *P*\<0.03\], neurologically at-risk subgroup \[0.33 versus −1.09, *F*(1,330)=5.2, *P*\<0.03\], boys subgroup \[0.26 versus −1.02, *F*(1,330)=7.3, *P*\<0.001\]; KC families \> openness \[*F*(1,330)=3.9, *P*\<0.05\] boys and girls, girls only \[*F*(1,330)=9.4, *P*\<0.01\], neurologically at risk girls subgroup \[0.17 versus −0.87, *F*(1,330)=9.03, *P*\<0.01\]; KC \> for boys only subscales for responsiveness \[*F*(1,330)=9.1, *P*\<0.01\] more positive (less punitive) \[*F*(1,330)=3.5, *P*\<0.10\] and structured environment \[*F*(1,330)=5.3, *P*\<0.03\]; higher HOME scores correlated with infants' developmental quotient \[*F*(2,325)=5.6, *P*\<0.01\]
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: Colombia
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Notes:**
Stability of the Cardio-Respiratory system In Premature infants. Composite tool that indicates physiologic stability;
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment,assesses quality and extent of stimulation available to a child in the home environment.
**Abbreviations:** LBW, low birth weight; NICU, neonatal intensive care unit; RCT, randomized controlled trial; KC, kangaroo care; MD, mean difference; V, vaginal; C/S, cesarean section; GA, gestational age; RR, relative risk; CI, confidence interval; HR, heart rate; hx, history; REM, rapid eye movement; EEG, electroencephalography; BF, breast feeding; BKC, birth kangaroo care; OR, odds ratio; N/A, not available; MEP, motor evoked potentials; PMA, postmenstrual age; SC, standard care; CG, control group; EBF, exclusive breastfeeding.
######
Benefits of kangaroo care in pain context
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Reference Sample and setting Design Provider Outcome measures Results
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Physiological stability**
Johnston et al[@b11-phmt-6-015] 121 preterm (four studies)\ Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother\ HR during and following painful procedure\ No significant difference\
38 preterm (two studies) Mother HRV during and following painful procedure measured using low, high, and low/high frequency ratio No significant difference
Johnston et al[@b54-phmt-6-015] Sample: n=74, 32--36 weeks GA\ RCT crossover: 30 minutes of KC versus swaddled in incubator Mother HR No significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: level III NICU, Canada
Johnston et al[@b64-phmt-6-015] Sample: 61 preterm (28--31 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover: 15 minutes of KC before and during Mother Return to baseline HR, maximum HR, minimum oxygen levels Return to baseline: KC \< SC (123 seconds, 95% CI 103--142 versus 193 seconds, 95% CI 158--227; *P*\<0.0000)\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ Maximum HR: KC \< SC at 30, 60, and 90 seconds\
Setting: Canada Minimum oxygen levels: KC \> SC at 30, 60, and 90 seconds
Nimbalkar et al[@b67-phmt-6-015] Sample: 47 preterm (32--36 weeks)\ RCT: 15 minutes KC before, during, and after heel lance Mother HR, SpO~2~ HR: KC \< KC\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ SpO~2~: no difference
Setting: neonatal care unit, Karamsad, India
Ludington-Hoe et al[@b66-phmt-6-015] Sample: 23 preterm (\<37 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover: 3 hours KC before and during heel lance Mother SpO~2~ No significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: USA
Cong et al[@b57-phmt-6-015] Sample: 28, 30--32 weeks GA\ RCT: study a) 60 minutes KC, b) 10 minutes KC Mother Salivary and serum cortisol Salivary cortisol: KC \< SC at end of recovery (*P*\<0.5)\
Mode of delivery: V (8), C/S (20)\ Serum cortisol: KC \< SC during heel lance
Setting: level II NICU in USA
Chidambaram et al[@b88-phmt-6-015] Sample: 47 preterm (32--46 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover: 15 minutes KC Mother HR, SpO~2~ No significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: South India
**Pain score**
Johnston et al[@b11-phmt-6-015] 30 seconds: 268 preterm (six studies)\ Meta-analysis of RCTs Mother PIPP score at 30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds after painful procedure 30 seconds: KC \< SC (MD −3.21, 95% CI −3.94, −2.48)\
60 seconds: 164 preterm (four studies)\ 60 seconds: KC \< SC (MD −1.85, 95% CI −3.03, 0.068)\
90 seconds: 163 preterm (four studies)\ 90 seconds: KC \< SC (MD −1.34, 95% CI −2.56, −0.13)\
120 seconds: 156 preterm (four studies) 120 seconds: no difference
Cong et al[@b57-phmt-6-015] Sample: 28, 30--32 weeks GA\ RCT: study a) 60 minutes KC, b) 10 minutes KC Mother PIPP scores 30, 60, 90, 120 seconds beyond the time of the procedure KC \< SC (between 8.12 and 0.4 points), greater differences the closer to the end of the procedure
Mode of delivery: V (8), C/S (20)\
Setting: level II NICU in USA
Chidambaram et al[@b88-phmt-6-015] Sample: 47 preterm (32--46 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover: 15 minutes KC Mother PIPP score KC \< SC at 30 and 60 seconds (*P*=0.001)
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: South India
**Cry duration**
Johnston et al[@b11-phmt-6-015] Sample: 33 preterm (two studies)\ Meta-analysis of RCT crossovers Mother Cry duration No statistically significant difference
Setting: Canada
**Sleep--wake state**
Ludington-Hoe et al[@b66-phmt-6-015] Sample: 23 preterm (\<37 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover: 3 hours KC before heel lance Mother Sleep state during baseline and post stick Baseline: KC \> SC (*P*\<0.04)\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ Post stick: KC \> SC (*P*\<0.05)
Setting: USA
Cong et al[@b57-phmt-6-015] Sample: 26 preterm (28--32 weeks)\ RCT crossover: 30 minutes\ Mother Time in quiet sleep KC 30 and KC 15 minutes \> SC during recovery (*P*\<0.05)
Mode of delivery: V (3), C/S (20)\ KC versus 15 minutes\
Setting: level III NICU, USA KC versus SC
**KC versus alternative provider in pain context**
Johnston et al[@b11-phmt-6-015] Sample: 80 preterm Meta-analysis of randomized crossover trials Father or unrelated woman PIPP score at 30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds after painful stimulus No statistically significant difference
Johnston et al[@b63-phmt-6-015] Sample: 30s: 62 preterm (28--36 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover Father PIPP score at 30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds after painful stimulus, HR recovery No statistically significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: level II NICU, Canada
Johnston et al[@b61-phmt-6-015] Sample: 16 preterm (28--37 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover Unrelated woman PIPP score at 30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds after painful stimulus, HR recovery No statistically significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: level III NICU, Canada
**KC versus sweet taste in pain context**
Freire et al[@b60-phmt-6-015] Sample: 95 preterm (28--36 weeks GA)\ RCT: 10 minutes KC before, and during heel lance versus sweet taste 2 minutes before procedure versus SC Mother PIPP score, HR variation, SpO~2~, duration of facial activity HR variation: KC \< all (*P*=0.0001)\
Mode of delivery: not reported\ SpO~2~: KC \< all (*P*=0.0012)\
Setting: university hospital, Brazil Facial activity: KC \< all (*P*=0.0001)\
PIPP score: KC \< all (*P*=0.0001)
**KC versus expressed breast milk in pain context**
Nanavati et al[@b89-phmt-6-015] Sample: 50 very LBW neonates, mean GA 32.33±1.34 weeks\ RCT, 15 minutes KC versus EBM for adhesive tape removal Mother PIPP score, HR, SpO~2~ No statistically significant difference
Mode of delivery: not reported\
Setting: NICU, India
**KC versus enhanced KC in pain context**
Johnston et al[@b63-phmt-6-015] Sample: 90 preterm (32--36 weeks GA)\ RCT crossover, 30 minutes KC before and during heel lance versus 30 minutes enhanced KC Mother PIPP at 30, 50, 90, and 120 seconds; HR return to baseline No statistically significant difference
Mode of delivery: not specified
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**Abbreviations:** EBM, expressed breast milk; GA, gestational age; KC, kangaroo care; CI, confidence interval; MD, mean difference; HR, heart rate; HRV, heart rate variability; SpO~2~, oxygen saturation; PIPP, premature infant pain profile; RCT, randomized controlled trial; LBW, low birth weight; NICU, neonatal intensive care unit; V, vaginal; C/S cesarean section; SC, standard care.
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The fallout from the Heritage Foundation’s immigration reform study has developed into a watershed moment for the prospects of passing a bill. The release of the study prompted a fierce backlash from proponents of reform, which compounded when Dylan Matthews reported that Jason Richwine, a co-author of the study, wrote a dissertation arguing, “No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against.”
Heritage has found itself in a public relations crisis, and announced Richwine was leaving the conservative think-tank. Right-wing blogger and anti-anti-racism activist Michelle Malkin called the treatment of Richwine a “crucifixion,” which seems perfectly appropriate. According to Heritage, the crucifixion was entirely voluntary (“he’s decided to resign from his position.”)
It seems to me that Richwine made a tragic error in his chosen field of study. Both the financial structure of the conservative think-tank world and the unique branding advantages of his last name should have pushed him into the safer field of denouncing the excessive tax burden on the well-to-do, the largest and safest sub-specialty within the conservative and libertarian think-tank and pseudo-think-tank world.
The practical fallout of the episode will play out in two ways. First, it has demonstrated that the balance of power within the party has shifted. The pro-business, libertarian wing of the GOP has held the whip hand for many years now. But its control always relied on setting the party’s agenda subtly, directing its political capital into anti-tax, anti-regulatory policies, and paying as little attention to social issues as possible.
Republican elites were hesitant to rile up social conservatives directly and explicitly. When the base revolted against immigration reform in 2007, the GOP elites had no responses but to cover their face and try to absorb the beating. In this instance, though, elites have actually struck back and inflicted real harm on the social conservatives. There will be a fight, but both sides now understand that it will have two sides, not merely endless placating of nativists.
Second, Richwine’s quote is exactly the sort of political nightmare Republicans hope to put behind them by passing some kind of reform. The party’s dilemma is that immigration represents a nagging, unresolved issue in American politics. Every time it is discussed, conservative Republicans remind Latinos why they hate Republicans. The shrewder Republicans grasp that passing immigration reform is not a sufficient condition for winning a respectable share of the Latino vote, but it is a necessary condition.
If the Gang of Eight bill fails, Richwine’s comments will continue to linger and recirculate in the Latino-American media until immigration reform finally passes. Republicans will never be able to convince Latinos they killed the bill for any reason other than racial animus. The need to put this behind them is growing desperate.
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This week, Business Secretary Greg Clark announced the first of a number of "sector deals" – a plan to stimulate investment and innovation in the life sciences sector.
As Labour’s shadow minister for industrial strategy, I’m pleased to see the government is following our lead and taking a more proactive approach to supporting innovation. Many of the government’s proposals follow what we laid out earlier this year in our own industrial strategy – which (in business terms) was both pioneering and first to market.
And while we remain sceptical of this government’s ad-hoc, sector-based approach it is important to recognise the huge contribution of the life sciences sector to the British economy and public health in this country.
Over twice as many people survive cancer as 40 years ago. Conditions such as HIV/Aids and diabetes are now chronic and manageable – not the death sentence they once were. And the average person lives 11 years longer than they did in 1960.
Each year 5,000 pharmaceutical companies develop more than 7,000 new medicines in the UK through a combined research and development (R&D) spend of £4.2bn. Together they employ 140,000 people across the country and add £30.4bn a year to our GDP.
But the role of the public sector in driving forward life science innovation must not be ignored. As Greg Clark himself notes in the foreword to the sector deal, the NHS is a "prized national asset" and a key factor behind the strength of the UK life sciences sector.
The NHS can create huge benefits for patients in the UK. The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust recently led the clinical trial of breast cancer drug palbociclib in collaboration with the Institute of Cancer Research. This meant that many woman gained early access to the drug as an experimental therapy and are continuing to enjoy the health benefits today.
The NHS is easily the pharmaceutical industry’s biggest customer, but there is lots of evidence that it isn’t getting a good deal at the moment.
This means that for every woman benefiting from experimental treatment on the NHS there are others unable to get the drugs they need – with one British woman forced last year to launch a crowdfunding campaign to afford her breast cancer treatment.
And the cumulative effect of this is crippling the finances of our health service. Total NHS spend on medicines increased from 11 per cent to 15 per cent of its annual budget between 2011 and 2016 – a rise that is larger than the current NHS deficit.
The other way that the public sector contributes to innovation in life sciences is through direct spend on R&D. Yet this often means that the public ends up paying twice for drugs – first to develop them, and then to purchase them at a premium.
A recent report from StopAids and Global Justice Now shows that UK taxpayers’ investment in medical research has led to the creation of medicines the NHS has not been able to afford. Last year alone the NHS spent £1bn on medicines which relied upon significant UK government funding for their development.
The current system provides neither accountability nor transparency. We don’t know how much the NHS is paying for many medicines. We don’t know how much is spent on R&D, or what contribution the public has made. Many aspects of clinical trial evidence are still too opaque.
These aren’t new problems – but now that the government intends to take a greater role in the development of new medicines, we need greater clarity regarding how the public will benefit.
We need to understand the true costs of R&D in order to have the evidence to determine a fair price for medicines. And when the UK taxpayer invests in the development of a new medicine we need to ensure that mechanisms exist to guarantee those medicines can be accessed by patients on the NHS and across the developing world.
When the public sector contributes, it gets a share of the rewards – this should be the principle at the heart of life sciences innovation.
Labour has already pledged to raise R&D spending to 3 per cent of GDP as part of our industrial strategy. We want everyone to reap the benefits of new research, and as part of this we are developing proposals to ensure that the NHS doesn’t get a raw deal.
We’re building an "innovation nation" for the many, not the few.
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Isoprenoid and metabolite profiling of plant trichomes.
Plant glandular trichomes are specialized secretory structures located on the surface of the aerial parts of plants with large biosynthetic capacity, often with terpenoids as output molecules. The collection of plant trichomes requires a method to separate trichomes from leaf epidermal tissues. For metabolite profiling, trichome tissue needs to be rapidly quenched in order to maintain the indigenous state of intracellular intermediates. Appropriate extraction and chromatographic separation methods must be available, which address the wide-ranging polarity of metabolites. In this chapter, a protocol for trichome harvest using a frozen paint brush is presented. A work flow for broad-range metabolite profiling using LC-MS(2) analysis is described, which is applicable to assess very hydrophilic isoprenoid precursors as well as more hydrophobic metabolites from trichomes and other plant tissues.
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Skaist Taylor’s founders, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, have made millions profiting off compassionate consumers that shopped with the duo's previous company, Juicy Couture, which has been fur-free since 2008. As one of Juicy's formerly enthusiastic supporters, I personally feel betrayed and heartbroken to see that not only are these two women wearing and promoting real fur themselves, but they are also selling it in their upcoming fall line!
Skaist Taylor’s selection on the Neiman Marcus website currently includes fur and shearling from all over the world, most notably China- home of the world’s worst animal cruelty, especially as it pertains to its fur-bearing victims.
It’s bad enough to see fur pelts from animals that have been skinned alive, drowned, anally electrocuted, gassed, or put to any horrific death for the sake of “fashion,” but it’s even worse seeing it come from two fashionistas that benefitted immensely from the support of the animal rights community.
Please encourage these two fashion leaders to educate themselves about the atrocities of the fur industry and remove all fur items from their line. Let them know that not only will you not be supporting their new business, but you will also tell anyone and everyone to boycott Skaist Taylor until they join other fashion leaders like Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Charlotte Ronson, Kate Spade, and many others to officially pledge their fur-free stance.
With the abundance of faux fur alternatives available today, there is absolutely no excuse to murder fur-bearing animals for fashion.
Once you've signed the petition (thank you!), please let these ladies know how you feel about killing animals for fashion on Skaist Taylor Facebook or Skaist Taylor Twitter!
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Your Local Specialists For All Door Repairs in Hale
Get a quality of door repairs in Hale that you know you can trust. Whether you need a swift response by an expert to fix damage sustained in an emergency or whether little dings and scratches have been building up for a while, The Lock Pickersprovides the convenient, high-quality service you need.
Bookable 24/7, simply give us a call and we'll send a qualified and experienced professional to assess your situation and fix your door!
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Try a weekend or weekday booking slot without paying anything extra
More Details About Your Service
We can deal with almost any kind of situation you're faced with, including:
Burglary and forced entry attempts which have led to serious damage
Accidental damage of all kinds
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During and after your service you'll always:
Know that your door has been restored to a condition which will easily protect your property
Be sure that your property is protected throughout
Be fully informed as to the final condition fo your repaired door, and whether a replacement might be a better option
Hire Us When You Need a Door Fixing in Hale to Get:
A specialist team with the qualifications and training you need to restore any damage to any door
Protection for your work as standard - we provide a guarantee and insurance coverage
The highest standards assured by a hard working Quality Control team who monitor all work
Services available at short notice in an emergency, seven days a week
Your Local Specialists
The The Lock Pickers team was recruited to give local people a reliable and trustworthy resource for security upgrades and repairs of any kind. To build it, we thought about what we'd want if we were in a similar situation ourselves. For us, this meant:
Qualified staff who know what they're doing
Vetted and DBS checked specialists you can rely on
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Properly equipped experts who can deal with any broken door
So that's exactly what you'll get from us!
The nearest tube station serving HA8 Hale is Edgware.
List of services we provide in HA8 Hale :
Lock Repair ServicesHA8 Hale
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Door InstallationHA8 Hale
Safe OpeningHA8 Hale
Door FittingHA8 Hale
CCTV InstallationHA8 Hale
Access ControlHA8 Hale
UPVC Door InstallationHA8 Hale
Locked Out CarHA8 Hale
Car Key RepairsHA8 Hale
Car Key CuttingHA8 Hale
Lost Car KeysHA8 Hale
Car Key ProgrammingHA8 Hale
Car Lock RepairsHA8 Hale
Are you interested in booking this service?
Just click the button to the rightJust click the button below and call us
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Never say Neverland
Never Never Land, CA --- The late Michael Jackson's estate, Never Never Land, named for Neverland, the fantasy island on which "lost boys" never become men, was the singer's home and, according to "unproven" allegations, the site of several molestations by "Wacko Jacko," as Jackson is also known. Supposedly, Wacko molested several preteen males who stayed at Never Never Land as his overnight "guests," sharing his bed, where, Jackson said, they shared "milk and cookies." Some claim "milk" was the singer's euphemism for semen. "We don't want to know what the hell the pervert meant by 'cookies,'" they declared.
Called a "seductive playground" by Jackson's detractors, Never Never Land featured a floral clock, gardens built around naked children's statues, two miniature trains, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and such other amusement park rides, many with sexually suggestive names, as the Zipper (one of Jackson's favorites), the Octopus (on which the singer is said to have "copped a lot of feels"), a pirate ship (ho, ho, ho), a Wave Swinger "swinger"---get it?), a Super Slide (!), a roller coaster, bumper cars ("bumper," indeed!), and a games arcade.
The rides were searched by police during the 2003 People v. Michael Jackson trial, in which the singer faced multiple counts of molesting a minor. As a result of the search, Jackson closed Never Never Land, declaring the ranch had been "violated" by "dirty-minded" authorities.
In 2007, the estate was refinanced, and, a year later, billionaire Tom Barracks purchased the renegotiated loan, which was in default, "to make the world safe again for children."
After Jackson's death in 2009, his family buried his body on the Never Never Land ranch, as a tourist attraction, in hopes of transforming the place into a site for tourists' pilgrimages.
The ranch has recently appeared as a guest star in a documentary financed by Aunt Jemima pancake mix.
In 2010, Democratic Californicate Assemblyman Michael Davis (no relation to Michael Douglas or Bette Davis) sought to have the state acquire the ranch "by any means necessary" as a state park, but the effort was undermined by then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican in Name Only).
Since then, Lady Gaga has expressed an interest in purchasing the property. "I'm gaga about anything related to Wacko Jacko," she admitted.
In 2016, Never Never Land was auctioned for $100 million, but there were no buyers. In 2017, the sale price was reduced to $67 million. There have been no buyers.
"No one wants to live on an estate where young boys were molested, even 'allegedly,'" Los Angeles police said. "Who knows? Maybe the pervert's ghost is haunting the place, biding his time, waiting to strike again."
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Q:
find size of text stored in a specific column
I wanted to know that how can we find the size of text stored in a specific column.
For example : if the same text would have been stored in a .txt file then we can see its size as 5kb or 10kb or whatever.
My column datatype is longtext.
is their any sql query for that ?
A:
If it's not a multibyte character set, why not just use the LENGTH() function?
create table t
( a longtext );
insert into t (a) values ('abcdef');
select length(a) from t;
That should get you the number of characters, or bytes if there are multi-byte characters.
As noted in the comments, use CHAR_LENGTH() for character length of strings in multi-byte character sets.
A:
There's a function to return the number of characters, regardless of the number of bytes:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/string-functions.html#function_char-length
So, SELECT MAX(CHAR_LENGTH(MyField)) FROM MyTable.
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Q:
Finding the expected value for card problem
You have 4 cards, 2 black and 2 red. You play a game where during each round you draw a card. If it's black, you lose a point. If it's red, you gain a point. You can chose to stop at any time. What's the expected value of this game?
What is the best way to solve this question? I tried drawing a tree diagram and I am not able to use the various cases that are possible.
A:
You should never stop when you are losing because you can guarantee $0$ by drawing all the cards. Clearly you should stop after three cards if you are $+1$ or after two cards if you are $+2$ as you can only get worse. You should not stop if you are even after two because you can only get better. The only question is whether to draw if you are $+1$ on the first draw.
We compute the expectation if you draw red first and draw again. You have $\frac 13$ chance of drawing red again and ending $+2, \frac 13$ chance of drawing two blacks next and ending $0$, and $\frac 13$ chance of drawing black-red and ending $+1$. This gives $+1$, so it doesn't matter whether you draw or not.
Now we compute the expectation at the start. If you draw red (probability $\frac 12$) you end $+1$. If you draw black and then draw two reds (probability $\frac 16$) you end $+1$ Otherwise you break even with probability $\frac 13$. Overall, the value is $\frac 23$
A:
I'm assuming you don't replace a card once it's drawn. There are $9$ possible states of the deck, telling you which cards are in it:
I'll denote these as $(b,r)$, where $b$ is the number of black cards and $r$ the number of red cards. Let $V(b,r)$ be the expected value to you of state $(b,r)$.
If you choose to draw a card in state $(b,r)\ne (0,0)$, with probability $b/(r+b)$ you draw a black card, losing $1$ point, and then you are in state $(b-1,r)$, while with probability $r/(r+b)$ you draw a red card, gain $1$ point, and go to state $(b,r-1)$. The expected value is thus
$$ \dfrac{b}{r+b} (-1 + V(b-1,r)) + \dfrac{r}{r+b} (1 + V(b,r-1))$$
However, if this is negative, you should stop. Thus
$$ V(b,r) = \max\left(0, \dfrac{b}{r+b} (-1 + V(b-1,r)) + \dfrac{r}{r+b} (1 + V(b,r-1))\right) $$
with $V(0,0) = 0$.
I get $V(2,2) = 2/3$.
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Synthetic and Natural Lipase Inhibitors.
Lipases are enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of ester bonds of triglycerides ranging among biocatalysts of considerable physiological significance and industrial potential. Better understanding of the catalytic functions and achieving the possibility to control the biocatalysis process, in particular exploring some activators and inhibitors of lipases, seems to be crucial in the context of novel applications. The lipase activity is a function of interfacial composition: the enzyme can be there activated as well as denaturated or deactivated and the interface is an appropriate site for modulating lipolysis. Lipase inhibitor, interacts directly with the enzyme and inhibits lipase action. Alternatively, some compounds can postpone the lipolytic reaction via adsorption to the interphase or to the substrate molecules. The aim of this review is to summarise the current knowledge concerning human, animal and microbial lipase inhibitors, which were grouped into two categories: synthetic lipase inhibitors (including phosphonates, boronic acids and fats analogues) and natural compounds (including β-lactones and some botanical foodstuffs - plant extracts and plant metabolites, mainly polyphenols and saponins as well as peptides and some dietary fibers). The topics discussed include also inhibition issues from the viewpoint of obesity treatment. Among natural compounds able to inhibit lipase activity are β- lactones including orlistat. Orlistat is the only registered drug for obesity treatment in many countries and lipases are essential enzymes for lipid absorption - thus fat absorption or obesity can be controlled by lipase inhibition, especially pancreatic lipase which is responsible for the hydrolysis of over 80% of total dietary fats. Its effectiveness in obesity treatment was also described.
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"E. R." "E. R. 8x08 "PARTLY CLOUDY, CHANCE OF RAIN" Subtitles subXpacio" "We had a break in the system for a couple of hours around noon." " But now a second cycle..." " Did they clear the Eisenhower yet?" " Forget about it." " I swear I took out $40 yesterday." "Are we doing this?" "Because I have a pilonidal cyst waiting." "She's finishing her last patient." "Chuny, Nolemad's PTT is 96." "Hold up heparin for an hour, then reduce the rate to 1100." " Ok." "After the party." " How long is that?" "Five minutes." "Don't go anywhere." "Stick this back in the fridge." "It's melting." " Malik, I'm waiting on the L-spine series." " She had a couple sutures to go." " Does she know we're waiting?" " It's a surprise." " What surprise?" " Dr. Finch's last day." " Already?" " Yep, and you owe me $10 for the massage and facial we got." "It's not here." "Can I pay you tomorrow?" " Whatever." "I offer rolling credit." " Are you backing up?" "No, kicking butt." "Storm knocked out six traffic lights south of Division." "There's three sets of multiple MVAs all tucked in." "Construction on Wacker's all mud." "A crane fell in the river." "Hey, Abby, when you get a chance, I need a repeat CBC and a Beta HCG in 4." " Where are you going?" " Come get me when she gets here." " Me too." " Wait." "You leave, other people leave." " No one will be here." " I have to pee." " Well, then pee fast." " Gallant." "I got a disimpaction for you in 3." "Go help Cleo with her sutures when you're done." " You're gonna supervise my first couple?" " Don't send him." "She'll just take longer." "All right." "Just clean the old girl out, then." " Haleh, Medical Records needs help." " I don't work for Medical Records." " Basement is flooding." "Losing charts..." " Then call Housekeeping." " ... payroll." " Be right there." "Dr. Weaver?" "Michael Gallant, third-year on ER rotation." "I know." "Frank, did Maintenance get those sandbags out in the bay yet?" " Doubt it." " I didn't see any." "Call them." "I don't want water coming through the doors." "Then help Haleh." " Can we talk about this warning letter?" " I write a lot of letters." "I missed journal club last night." "I had another commitment." "We all have commitments." "ER conferences are a requirement of your rotation." " Is she here yet?" " Hey, Abby, can you call Telecom?" "The switch is in the basement." "I don't want internal lines going down." " Do you know the number?" " Find it." "I had a mandatory exercise involving my scholarship." "Financial aid offers multiple meetings." " No, no." "This is Army Reserve duty." " Okay." "All right, just review the notes." " You'll remove the letter from my file?" " Yeah." "Get me a schedule." "Stab wound to the abdomen en route." "Five to 10, depending on traffic." "Prep Trauma 2, break out a cutdown tray, and page Surgery." " So did I miss the cake or what?" " We're still waiting for her to finish." "Messenger dropped this by for you." "Genetadine Labs." "What, are you having yourself cloned?" "Genetadine." "That's the cloning place, right?" " They mainly do DNA analysis." " Yeah, cloning." " Hi." " Hey." " You need something?" " No." " I said, any history of heart disease?" " You didn't." " Yes, I did." " No, you didn't." " Yes, I did." " Do you get spiral CTs..." " ... to rule out PEs now?" " Hold on." " How many heart attacks have you had?" " Just one." "Angioplasty fixed me right up." " Angioplasty?" " Until this morning when I woke up." "So instead of seeing a doctor, you stayed on your feet directing traffic." " Aren't you a doctor?" " Now it's too late." " What, I'm gonna die?" " No." "I just meant any damage you did to your heart is already done." "I'm gonna be okay, right?" "I need you to stay overnight for observation, and stay on the monitor." "And no." "We're still doing V/Qs because they keep promising us a better scanner." "What kind of bedside manner is that?" "The idiot has had an MI after stenting, he stands out in the rain for eight hours." " I don't think yelling's gonna help." " It might." "You know, you might want to think about getting out of the ER." "That advice is only about nine years too late, but thank you." "Seriously." "You never talked to patients like that." "I've had an epiphany." "Dr. Greene." "Medevac coming in." "Diverting from Children's." "Near-drowning." " Did he arrest?" " I don't know." "He must be pretty sick if they're flying him in the rain." " It's supposed to be a surprise." " I hate chocolate mint." " Yeah, I didn't pick it." " You think I should stick around?" " They're going to gather everyone soon." " Hey, you're not supposed to see that." "I'll be upstairs." "Page me if anyone needs me for anything." " I'm sure that we will." " Carter, isn't it?" "John Carter?" " And you would be?" " The girl by the pool." "Oh, right, yeah." "The one without the answering machine." "It broke in the move." "I haven't had time to go shopping." " That's convenient." " Hey, I called you." " Did not." " I spoke to your manservant, Harry." "Henry?" "The night butler?" "He didn't say anything about it." "It is the 21 st century." "You can get voicemail." " You need to get better help." " You volunteering?" " Any benefits?" " Well, there's the outfit." " Dream on." " Hey, Carter." " Hey, how'd it go?" " He did good." "Couple pounds of stool." "Only gagged once." "Yeah, those old ladies can surprise you, huh?" " Yeah." "How do I know when I'm done?" " You develop a feel for it." " Where's the stab wound?" " Should be here by now." "Call Dispatch." "Make sure it's rolling up." "Gallant, you're with me." "Don't worry about it." "It will only hurt for a day or two." "Do you think I'm mean to the patients?" " Only the ones who deserve it." " What about the ones who don't?" " You're nicer than I am." " That's not much solace." "Sorry." "Oh, my God." " I distinctly heard him." " Who?" "The weatherman this morning." "He said, "Party cloudy, chance of rain. "" "Well, he warned you." "Twelve-year-old boy." "One-story fall and near-drowning." "Moderate respiratory distress, crackles on the right." " What's his name?" " Daniel." " Daniel, having trouble breathing?" " I let go of him." " Who?" " Joey." "I couldn't hold on." "His brother." "They were playing by the river." " Where is Joey?" " Rescue's still looking for him." "All right, let's slide him out." "Here it comes." "Must be a police car." " Does it usually take so long in the rain?" " Shouldn't." " You need a jacket?" " No." "We won't be out here long." " I can go get one for you if you" " I'm fine." "Sorry I haven't looked at your file." "You're military?" " Yes, ma'am." "U.S. Army Reserve." " ROTC?" "No, I did a year of active duty." "Now I'm in a scholarship program." "So work in the ER might not be so crazy to you." "I think it's a whole different kind of crazy, ma'am." " There you are." "I was looking for you" " No, listen, I need to see you." "I'm gonna pick up my son and drive to your office." "Well, if you're not there, I'll get another attorney." "You're damn right I'm upset." "You told me not to" "You told me not to fight this thing." "Now Roger's gonna try to hang me with it." " Fine." "I'll see you in a half an hour." " What happened?" "The DNA analysis shows that I'm not Reece's biological father." "Oh, God, Peter." "I'm so sorry." "I told myself a long time ago it wouldn't matter, that I'm his father." " I won't let that son of a bitch change it." " I'm going with you." "No." "They're getting ready to throw a party for you." "I don't give a damn about a party." "Let's go." " Frank, where the hell is this thing?" " What thing?" " Cleo, are you done?" " I'll call to say goodbye." " Where's the stab wound?" " I don't know." "I was sloshing around downstairs." "I'm billing you for these shoes." " Find out what happened." " Dr. Weaver, it's here." "Twenty-four-year-old female pedestrian, hit by a car in a crosswalk." " Miss, can you tell me your name?" " Jill." "He hit my dog." "Probable LOC." "GCS, 13." "BP,100/75." "Pulse, 95." " Where were you stabbed?" " What?" " No, she was hit by a car." " Wait, where's the stab wound?" " What stab wound?" " Get her inside." "Your dispatch needs to get it together." "We didn't know you were coming." "The one we're waiting on is over half an hour late." "Dr. Weaver, Unit 37 got slammed by an SUV in a downed intersection." " Ashville and Western." " Who's 37?" " Our stab wound." " Pickman." " Rescue is trying to cut him out." " Is she okay?" "Don't know about the driver." "The pregnant woman is in bad shape." " The stab wound's pregnant?" " And bleeding." " Okay." "Wait!" "I'm going with you!" " What, you're leaving?" "She could be a dropsy." "Have Carter take this case." "I'll be right back." " What do I do?" " Get in." "I couldn't hold him." "Daniel, I need to listen." "He's retracting." "ABG." "He's decreased on the right." "BP's 80 over palp." " Got ahold of the parents?" " Firefighters did." "Get on the radio and make sure." "Sucking chest wound." "Abby, Vaseline gauze, Elastoplast, chest tube tray, and page Surgery." "Daniel, you got a hole in your chest sucking in air every time you breathe." "We need to plug it up, all right?" "BP's 110/70." "Still no sats." " Ready?" " Yep." " That should be better." " They find Joey?" "I don't know." "We're gonna ask the firemen." " Please, they have to find my brother." " Everything's gonna be okay." "All right?" "10 blade." "Stay close to me and watch where you're going." " You okay?" " Yeah." "Both airbags deployed..." " ... but he has a bad seat belt side." " Sir, do you know where you are?" " The middle of the street." " Lake had a flail chest." "We moved him." " Pickman's in back with an open tib-fib." " She conscious?" "Yeah, but her patient might be hemorrhaging." "Listen to his lungs on the way in." "You might need to needle him." "Okay, got it!" "You okay, Doris?" "I messed up my leg bad." "It's open, but I got a pulse in the foot." " I had to move it myself." " I need you to stand back!" " I'm an emergency physician at County." " Good for you." "Stand back!" "We need to open up this can." "You help us." "What's the status of your patient?" "A 28-year-old woman, eight months pregnant, mugging victim." "Son of a bitch!" " You okay?" " I cut my hand!" "Gallant, help them." "You have vitals?" " Okay, again!" " BP, 90/60." " Grab yourself anything?" " I couldn't reach the bag." " Okay, get her out, then 10 of morphine." " I'll get the board." " Get the C-collar." "What's her name?" " Vicki." "Vicki, my name is Dr. Weaver." "Where are you having pain?" "All over." " Can you see the bone?" " Careful." "Careful." "Does it feel like you're having contractions?" "Brody!" "No!" "Don't touch him!" "Gallant!" "Brody!" "Brody, are you okay?" "He's unresponsive." "Get a monitor, and let's roll him." "Airway's patent." "Checking for a carotid." "He's not breathing." "No pulse." " You know CPR?" " Yes." "Start compressions." " I'll do it!" " No!" "I need you to check on that woman." " He's in my unit!" " Check on her!" "Zadro, I need the defibrillator and an ambu-bag." " Coming." " Come on, breathe!" "That was stupid." "That was really stupid." "You could have both been electrocuted." " Stop." " Sorry." "It was instinct." "I told you not to touch him." "You're okay if your feet don't touch the ground." "Guess what?" "It's raining." "Water conducts electricity." " I'm all right." " You were lucky." " Still no pulse." "Bag him." " Got it." " It's charging to 200." " She's okay." " Clear." " The tires are insulating the rig." "I can't get in." "That hot wire keeps lighting it up." " Is she conscious?" " Yeah." "She's in labor." "You go back and tell her it's gonna be okay." " He's one of my men!" " Do it." "Three hundred." "Clear." " He's venting." " Got it." " You got a rhythm?" " Yeah." "Intubate him." "A hundred of lido down the ET until you get a line." "That's two milligrams a minute." "Please help me." "I'm bleeding." "Hang in there." "We're gonna get you out of there." "Vicki, it's Dr. Weaver again." "Did you feel a shock?" " No, I don't think so." " Is he breathing?" "We got him back for now." "Vicki, tell me if you're bleeding from your vagina." "The baby's not moving." "I need you to feel down there and tell me if you're bleeding." "Hold on!" "I'm coming in." " No, no." "I can't let you do that." " Her baby's probably in distress." "First rule of an accident site, don't create more casualties." "Casualties?" "We need an engineer out here." "They're not showing fault in the power grid." " It looks like a fault to me." " That's what they're telling me." " Hey, I told you not to do that!" " Just turn the damn power off!" "Did you hit your head, lose consciousness?" "I don't know." "I remember walking in the street, seeing Gordon lying in the rain." " Gordon?" " Her dog." "BP's 100/40." "He kept scratching at the door." "I had to take him for a walk." " Breath sounds equal." " No hemotympanum." " But I wanna get a head CT." " Is this the hit-and-run?" "He didn't stop?" " Pulse ox is 94 on 4 liters." " Miss..." " ... can you describe the car that hit you?" " It was silver, I think." " Are you sure?" " No." " Does that hurt?" " Yes." " Did you take my dog to the vet?" " I'm afraid your dog died." "Full trauma panel, C-spine, chest, AP pelvis, Foley, give her 10 of morphine." "HemoCue's 9.8." "Let's get an ultrasound before a CT." " Dr. Greene is using it." " Go see if he's done." " What kind of dog was he?" " He was a terrier mix." "Those are the best kind." "You know, he probably went really fast." "Don't hear a dorsalis pedis pulse." "Go get me a Doppler." "Check an ICON before she goes to Radiology." "Little fluid in Morrison's pouch." " Can we have that when you're done?" " It's all yours." "Page Pedes Surgery." "Another crit in 20 minutes." " You want to cath urine?" " On a CPK and another portable chest." "Daniel, you're doing much better." "We need to keep an eye on you for the next couple hours just in case you need any surgery." " He's dead, isn't he?" " What?" "Joey." "He drowned." " I don't know." "They're looking for him." " He didn't want to go." " Where?" " To the river." "He was scared, but I called him a baby." " You didn't know this would happen." " He's only 6." " Parents are on their way." " They're gonna hate me now." " They're gonna be happy you're safe." " It should have been me." " Watch the monitor." "His heart's irritable." " Looks like regular sinus rhythm." " Okay, let's go!" "Shut the door." " Okay." "Hey, stay clear of that rig!" " Hey, hold on." " It's okay." " Is she okay?" " Hypertonic contractions." "BP's dropping, 68/40." "That's way too low, right?" " What?" "!" " Nothing, Vicki." "I need you to be quiet." "I just need to listen." " What was that?" " It's the power line!" " Fetal heart tones are 70." " Is that bad?" "Maybe the transformer will blow out and kill the line!" "Dr. Weaver!" "I need your help." "Can you get in here safely?" " Yeah, I'd have to jump." " Okay, then jump." "Got it." "Search through the cabinets." "Find me an amp of cardiac lidocaine." " Lidocaine?" " Just do it." "Vicki, your placenta is detaching." "It's bleeding into your uterus." "Oh, God!" "Hey!" "I told you to stay away from the damn vehicle!" "She's bleeding out!" "Why is the power still on?" "There's a crew on the way!" "The only way to stop the bleeding is to deliver your baby surgically." " It's too early." " it's not." "Thirty-six weeks is full-term." "Take me to the hospital!" "Honey, I want to." "I want to, but I can't right now, all right?" "Shut it off from the plant!" "It's supposed to burn through on its own." "They need to authorize the shutdown." "Vicki." "Vicki, I need you to listen to me." "I'm an emergency physician." "I'm trained to perform a C-section only after the mother has died." "And in about 15 minutes, that's what's gonna happen." "Meanwhile, your baby is in danger." "But I might be able to save you both if we take the baby now and stop your internal bleeding." "Are you willing to take that risk with me?" " I think so." " You sure?" " You've observed a C-section?" " I haven't done OB before." " Well, you'll be ahead of the curve." " Lidocaine." " Know how to take a blood pressure?" " Yeah." "Okay, take one." "I need it every couple of minutes." "Squeeze that saline bag... and find me every 4-by-4 and bandage we have." "Okay, Vicki." "Vicki, hang in there." "I'm gonna give you a shot in your spine that will numb your belly and legs." "All right, find me a 10 blade." "That's a scalpel." "When's the last time you've done this?" " Peter, the DNA test was inevitable." " There has to be a precedent." "Not in a custody battle between two men without genetic ties to a child they raised." "It's stepfather versus stepfather." " I'm not his stepfather." "I'm his father." " Sorry." "Father." "Until Carla died, Roger never questioned that Peter was Reece's dad." " Irrelevant." " She put my name on the birth certificate." "If she were alive, Carla couldn't contest the paternity." " But Roger can?" " Ironically, yes." "Peter, you are going to have to allow Roger to resume partial visitation." " No." "No way." " As we speak Roger's attorney is drafting a pre-trial motion for visitation until this is resolved." "You don't stipulate now, you'll lose that hearing and be painted as the heavy." "I'm the heavy?" "He's trying to take my son from me and I'm the heavy?" "You need to be seen by the judge as someone who's interested..." " ... in Reece's well-being." " I am." "Good." "Then you need to listen to me." "You have to stay focused on the endgame." "And not let anger or fear impede that goal." "Vicki, stay awake." "I need you to stay awake." " BP's dropping. 50." " Spike another liter." " "Spike"?" " Take the pointy end of the bag and hang it up." "Hey, you!" "Firefighter!" " Lopez!" " Lopez, I need more light!" "Scotty!" "Scotty, turn up the brights!" "I need you over here." "Get out." " You're doing a vertical incision?" " Yeah." "Be ready with that hemostat." "We're gonna clamp the big bleeders and pack up everything else with gauze." "All right, here we go." "I need you to put your hands there and pull back." " Where?" " Just do what I do from the other side." "Vicki, you feel that?" " Just some pulling." " Okay." "Okay, fascia's exposed." "Okay, separate the rectus, down to the fascia." "All right, more retraction." " Okay." " Pull back." " My baby." " Hang on." "Hang on, Vicki." "Okay." "I'm into the peritoneal cavity." "Here's the uterus." "Give me the scalpel." "You want me to let go?" " Scanner 1 will be ready in 10." " Do a sound on the chest." "They're gonna take you upstairs and scan your whole body for other injuries." "I want you to tell the nurse if you need any more pain medication, okay?" "I'm sorry about your dog." "What?" " "He probably went really fast. "" " She was upset." "She could have solid-organ rupture." "The dog's the least of her concerns." "It can be traumatic to lose a pet, especially if you saw it happen." " What was his name?" " Who?" "Your dog." "Happy." "He was a Lhasa apso, and he got run over by a car when I was 11." "Oh, did he go really fast?" "No." "Crushed his pelvis." " In the river earlier today..." " Someone drowned?" " Brother of the boy in Trauma 2." " Oh, I'm sorry." "Did they find him?" " Not yet." " You can't leave anything around here." " What?" " Some derelict stole my PalmPilot." " Maybe you misplaced it." " I had it two minutes ago." " Dr. Carter." " Alger." "Alger, what are you-?" "It's your grandmother." "I found her in the driveway." "I think she broke her hip." "Get a gurney!" "There's a cut on her head." " She was driving?" " She went during the break in the storm." " Gamma?" " Oh, John, it's terrible." "It hurts." "Okay, I know it does." "Just lay still." " Did she fall down?" " I don't know." "But the right leg is shortened and externally rotated." " I think I broke my hip." " I think you did too." " What happened to your head?" " I thought it was best if I drove home." "I didn't realize how much I was bleeding, so I slipped." " You were in an accident?" " Well, I don't" "It was raining." "I couldn't see." "I think I hit a dog." " Where were you driving?" " It was supposed to be clear and sunny." " Retract the bladder anteriorly." " Like that?" "More." "Watch your fingers." " I'm opening the lower uterine section." " Is that the amniotic fluid?" "Yeah." "I'm in." "It looks like a lot of blood." "Auto recloser is stuck open or something." "He's trying to bypass it." " I don't care." "Just shut it down!" " It ain't that simple, lady!" " Damn it!" " What?" "I cut a uterine vein." "Another clamp now!" " BP's dropping. 60 systolic." " Keep squeezing in that saline." " Doesn't she need blood?" " I don't have any blood!" " Fundal pressure." " What?" "Push the baby down towards me from the top of the uterus." " Okay." "Right here?" " Yes." "Yes." "Now." " Is the other ambulance here?" " It's pulling up." "Call County General." "Say we need an O.R., OB Attending, and a neonatologist." " Grab the bulb syringe." " Okay." "Suck out his nose and mouth." " Is there an exit wound?" " Sure is." "Blew off his boot." "A transthoracic current pathway." " You saw it?" " He lit up like a Christmas tree." "I need the room." "Post-arrest electrocution." " What's open with a monitor?" " He's a fireman." "Daniel, we're gonna shuffle you to another room." "CK is normal." "Tox screen tested positive for marijuana." " Marijuana?" "Were you smoking dope?" " C-spine, chest, pelvis." " I'm sorry." " You're sorry." "For getting high and taking Joey out to the river?" " I didn't smoke today." " I knew it." "I knew it." "We saw the river on the news." "We wanted to see it." " "We"?" "Joey's 6 years old." " He said he wanted to see it." " You're gonna blame it on him now?" " No, it's my fault." " You're damn right it's your fault!" " Hold on." "I'm Dr. Greene." "We need to get Daniel into a room." "Then I'll come out and brief you on your son's condition." " I'm sorry, Mom." " You heard from the fire department..." " ... about Joey?" " Not yet." "They're still searching." " Between these clamps, right?" " Yes." " Vicki!" "Vicki, are you still with me?" " Is that my baby?" "Yes, honey." "You have a boy." "He's crying." "Do you hear that?" "He's crying." "Could be stronger." "We need to get a heart rate." "Okay, 10 minutes!" "They're gonna shut the entire grid off!" "Why can't they do it right now?" "They have to warn emergency facilities they're going off-line." " Okay." "It's 88, I think." " You think or you know?" "It's 88." " One-minute Apgar is seven out of 10." " It'll get better, right?" "We need to wrap him up." "He needs fluids, oxygen, maybe blood." "You said we didn't have any blood." "You need to get him to the hospital." "Nine minutes!" "Vicki?" "Vicki, wake up!" "Damn it!" "She's exsanguinating!" "I have to clamp off the uterine artery." "Okay, I'm going!" "Get out of the way!" " No!" " It's this or I throw him to you!" " No!" "No!" "Tell him to stop!" " Go." " Is he okay?" " I got him." " Okay, get him out of here." "Go!" " Let's go." "Let's go." "Transformer just blew." "Does that mean the circuit's dead?" "I'm gonna sew this up." "You won't feel anything." "You okay?" "I see a lot of fathers who come in here and they're upset when their kids are hurt or missing." "Sometimes they say things they don't mean." "He's not my father." "He's my stepfather." "Joey's the real kid." " And that makes you...?" " A pain in the ass." "Did it come back?" " What?" " You were waiting for a chest x-ray." "Right." "Lungs re-expanded." "Tube's in a good position." "I'm repairing the chest laceration now." " Mom?" " So he's fine?" "For now." "He'll need to be monitored in the PICU." " Mom, I'm sorry." " You shouldn't have been out there." " Yeah, I know." " Mrs. Pendry" "Why did you take him there?" "You didn't think." "You never think." "I know." "It should have been me that drowned." " Yes." "But it wasn't, was it?" " Mrs. Pendry" " It was Joey." " Mrs. Pendry I need to talk to you outside." "In here." "What are you doing?" "My son is missing." "No one can find him." "Right." "And your other son is in there who needs your comfort and love." "This is none of your business." "You want him to feel responsible?" "Guess what?" "He already does." "You want him to hurt?" "He already hurts." "You want him to hate himself, keep it up." " They found him." " What?" " He's stuck down river." " Is he all right?" "I don't know." "They're trying to get to him." "It'll be okay, Peter." "We don't know that." "I see you two together." "I know." "What did you do that for?" "You wanted to?" "Are you expecting someone?" " Yeah?" " Peter." "No, Peter!" "This doesn't have to go any further, man!" "Look, please." "Just hear me out, okay?" "Come on." "Look, Reece lived under my care and my roof for most of his life." "All I'm asking for is some kind of arrangement that recognizes that." " It's too late for that." " Look, come on, brother." " You want to put him through a trial?" " I'm keeping my son." " I guess I'll see you there." " Yeah, you will." "There's been a search going on ever since the boy's brother was pulled out earlier this evening." "Swift Water 43." "County General waiting." " Open, channel two." " Copy that." " Is he alive?" " They don't know." "Frank, call the burn unit." "Brodoff is going to the O.R. for a fasciotomy first." "Is that your electrocution?" "Compartmental pressure is almost 60." "Otherwise, he's lucky." " Anyone want anything from the store?" " It's pouring outside." "Malik and Yosh don't like the lounge coffee." "It hurts their stomach." " Grande vanilla cappuccino." " It's okay." "It's on me." "He's in arrest, but they're flying him in." "ETA,15 minutes." " Does he have a pulse?" " P.E.A." "Luka, our new med student's coming in BOA." "Weaver opened up a pregnant woman trapped in an ambulance." " Opened up?" " C-section." " In the field?" " She'll have some explaining to do." " Can I get you something, Abby?" " Nope." " Cigarettes?" " No, thanks." " What's that?" " What?" " What time is it?" " Seven." " What's wrong?" " Give me your bag!" " Let me see inside your bag." " No!" "What are you doing?" "My PalmPilot alarm goes off at 7 to remind me to take my Vioxx." " Come on, let go of her bag." " After I see inside." " Frank!" " For chrissakes." "Fabulous!" "First you steal it, then you break it!" " That's not yours." " I'm calling the police." "Hey, hold on." "This is a mistake." "Oh, yeah!" "Yeah, my stuff just leapt into her bag!" "Nicole?" "And it's not just me, pal, she's ripping off everybody." "Ask Abby." "Nicole!" " I need some help here!" "Newborn!" " Luka, the baby." "Dr. Weaver says he might need a transfusion." "Is he premature?" "No." "We gave him O-2." "He needs an IV." "Elevate her legs." "Cycle the dynamap." "Tilt the monitor toward me." "I got it." " I said, I got it." "How bad is that hand?" " It'll keep." "Sats are plummeting." "She's not moving air." "Stop!" "Airway blocked!" " I thought you had to move her!" " Need to protect her airway." "Cricoid pressure." "Cover!" "Exposed flexor tendon." "You're gonna need a hand surgeon." "I need to control the scene." "Get somebody else." "All right, I'm in." "Bag her!" "Let's go!" "Draw a milligram of epi and have atropine standing by." " Get in!" " No, I'm good." " No, you're not!" " Go on, get out of here." "Come on." "People think kids don't listen to their parents, but they do." "If they tell you you're nothing, you think you're nothing." " How cold do you think that water is?" " I don't know, 40." "Hope it's colder than that." " You got a pulse?" " No." "No pulse." "No spontaneous resps." "GCS, 3." "For real." " How long was he under?" " I don't know." "We found him in debris a mile from where he fell in." " I thought it was P.E.A." " No." "Asystole the whole flight." "Hey, Gam." "Does it still hurt?" " On a scale of one to 10" " It hurts, John." " Did she get the full amount?" " In two doses." " Give her four more of morphine." " Okay." "But I'll put her on the monitor." "Well, Gam, you definitely broke your hip." "Looks like an impacted fracture of the femoral neck." "Please speak English, John." "I need to get a more sophisticated scan to determine if you need surgery or not." "I should have listened to you about the car." "I'm sorry." "Gamma I think you hit more than just a dog." "You also hit a young woman." "She's okay." "We're taking care of her here." "I called Mr. Stern in case you need an attorney." " I hit a girl?" " Yeah." " I left." "I drove away." " You didn't know." "But I should have checked to see." "Oh, my God!" "Gam, you were confused, okay?" "It's crazy out there." "Visibility's terrible." "I'm gonna be right back, then I'll take you for that scan." " What's wrong?" "What is it?" " Nothing." "It's just another patient." " Page Surgery." "I need a HemoCue." " What happened?" " Dropped her sats in the elevator. 88." " Any chest pain?" "No." "Just passed out." "BP's 80/60." "I can't see the cords." "I need a fiber-optic scope." "ABG, set up the ultrasound, and mix up 7500 units of heparin." "There's a lot of fluid in here." "Could be pulmonary edema." "Grab the thrombolytics box." "DIC panel." "Troponin, CK, EKG..." " ... and a portable chest." " Two large-bore IVs." "Nuke the saline in the microwave." "Get that collar off him." " We'll need a bear-hugger." " Coming." " Tube's out." " God, he's blue." "Number 51/2 uncuffed ET tube." "Suction." "Still no pulse." "Asystole on the monitor." " Joey, wake up." "Baby, wake up." " Ma'am, you need to back up." " Oh, my God!" " What is that?" " What is that?" " River water." "Cords are closed." "I need a fiber-optic laryngoscope." "Prep the neck." "I might have to crike him." "Daniel, get back to bed." "I'll come get you." "Can't get a line, and he's totally clamped down." "Two cutdown trays." "Daniel, now." "Lily, can you...?" " You heard him, out!" "Get out of here!" " You too." " What?" " Out!" "Cross-match her for 6 units." "Two units FFP." "Stick her and send a clot." " Is the O.R. ready?" " They're waiting for you." " I have an emergency C-section." " No kidding." "I can see that." "Coburn called me, screaming." "I said she must have heard wrong." "28-year-old woman trapped in an ambulance, abrupted and hemorrhaging." "And ER docs don't perform C-sections until the mother arrests." " She will if we don't get her upstairs." " BP's up to 90." "Have dopamine standing by." "Add a coag panel." "I got it from here, Kerry." "Go back in the ER and stay dry." "I don't want you dying of pneumonia before your public flogging." " I could've let everybody die." " That's the safe play." "Now if she lives, you're a hero." "If she doesn't, I don't know you." "The baby." "Chuny, where's the baby?" "He's pinking up." "They're waiting for the NICU fellow." "Nice save, Dr. Weaver." "One milligram of vitamin K, I.M." "Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment, 0.5 percent." "Good neuro check?" "Moves all four symmetrically." "Lungs are clear." "No retractions." " You get a heel-stick?" " Glucose, 70." "Pulse, 120." "You did it." "Okay." "CBC, lytes, BUN, creatinine and a bilirubin." "Luka?" "Can I talk to you?" " Bradying down to 60." " Hurry up, she'll arrest." "I'm in, I think." "Sats are falling." "There's too much edema." "Is Mark done yet?" "I need that fiber-optic." " Air in the stomach." " What are you doing?" "Try to suction the cords." "Inflate the balloon." " Keep it in, you'll have a better shot." " No, just" " Pull back really slowly." "There we go." "Slowly, slowly." "Little more." "All right, there are the cords." "Give me the tube." "Open a crash cart." "Draw one of atropine and an amp of epi." "Got it." "Come on, hold on." "89, 90." "Pulse ox is climbing." "Good breath sounds." "Nice work." "Saline's running." "Dilute two mgs of atropine and one mg of epi down the tube." "How high does the temp go on that vent?" "Forty centigrade." "Set tidal volume at 200 on 100 percent." "Still no pulse and no pressure." "All right, keep warming him." "We got to get that Foley in." "We're gonna irrigate the bladder." "We're gonna save this one." " You want me to...?" " No, no, he can stay." "Cycle the lavage fluids." "Repeat the temp, max out the blower." " Cardiac activity on the monitor." " What?" " Looks like P.E.A." " That's good." "Amp of bicarb." "Charge the paddles to 60." " We don't have anything to shock." " We will." " Pacing pads." " Good lung sounds." " Come on, Joey." "Come on." " V-tach." "Yeah, baby, let's go." "Clear." " Polymorphic." " Okay, charge to 120." "Check for a pulse." "Clear." "Bingo." "Normal sinus." "Thank you, God." "Fem stick him for labs." "Full trauma panel, ABG and an art line." "Get a second cutdown." "Eighteen-gauge angiocath." " Anything after the line?" " Wait and see." "10 blade." " Hey, it stopped raining." "Impaction with mild or no displacement." "Probably a type 1." "The fracture line traverses straight from the greater to lesser trochanters." "What do you think, orthopedic surgery?" "Depends on the orthopod, but I'd try to keep them away from her." "One third of the elderly who go under the knife for these kind of injuries die within a year from post-op complications." "She's panicking." "Heart rate's up." "BP's falling." "Get her out!" " Gam?" " John." " John, are you there?" " I'm here." "I want to go home." " Not quite yet." " Call your grandfather to pick me up." "I want to go home." " Grandpa's not here." " Get him." "Grandpa's dead." " Where am I?" " You're in the hospital." "You were in a car accident." "Remember, Gam?" "You broke your hip?" "Oh, yes." "Of course." "I hit a dog." "I hit a dog." "He was in the middle of the street." "Is she okay?" "No." "Not really." "That baby okay?" "Yeah." "Dr. Greene revived a drowned hypothermic boy tonight." "Came in ice-cold and not breathing, no pulse, and he got him back." "It was a miracle." "You all right?" "What is it?" " She's pregnant." " Who?" "Nicole." "I see." " Is that why she was stealing?" " No." "That's a" "That's a habit." "She doesn't know how to trust people." "Trusting people isn't really the problem." "Her father kicked her out when she was 16." "She's had to learn to live on her own." "Her father?" "She panicked, I guess." "I don't know." "I was just trying to help her." "I didn't think I'd be with her." "It just happened." "You sure it's yours?" " And that she's really pregnant?" " She's not like that." "You don't know her." "Do you?" "We gave him what's called an EEG, which is a brain scan." "Everything looks completely normal." " So that's good?" " That's good." "You're gonna get your brother back, Daniel." " Thank you for saving him." " You're welcome." "Is my mom with him?" "Yeah." "They're gonna move him upstairs and you're gonna be up in the same room soon." "I'm gonna tell you something, but you can't tell any other kids, okay?" "Okay." "Parents don't always know what they're doing." "Just because they're adults doesn't mean they know what's right." "In fact some adults are wrong most of the time." " I know that." " Good." "And I want you to promise me something." "What?" "Don't listen to them." "Don't believe that you're not just as good as your brother." "Just as smart." "Just as special." "One day they may realize that but you can tell them it doesn't matter because you already knew." "You knew before they did." "Dr. Weaver, Dr. Romano is looking for you." "The mother came out of surgery." "They had to perform a hysterectomy, but she's doing all right." "Yeah, I know." "Thanks." "He also told me that I should try to stay away from you if I'm gonna survive med school." "Well, nobody actually listens to Dr. Romano down here." "Yeah, I figured that." "It was pretty amazing what you did out there." "I was a little out of my element." "Well, you wouldn't know it." "Thank you." "Why don't you go up and take her baby to her?" " They'd let me?" " It's one of the perks." " She's gonna think you're an angel." " Yeah, well..." " ... she did almost see me glowing." " You did great." "I mean, you took a risk, stayed focused, listened." "You did what was necessary." "That's an ER doc." "I was scared out there for a while." " Gallant, I was scared the whole time." " Right." "The fireman is sitting well in ICU." "He's gonna keep his hands." " Cardiac activity is normal." " Good." "He got quite a jolt." "We saved everybody, didn't we?" "Those people are all right now because we were there." "Some days are good days." "Yeah, I like the good days." "Enjoy them when they come." " I'll see you tomorrow." " Good night." "Subtitles by SDI Media Group Ripped by blade2 for TusSeries"
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Abstract
Disruptive behaviors occur frequently in preschool classrooms. Children who exhibit early-onset behavioral concerns in educational settings are at greater risk for negative developmental outcomes than their peers. In order to address problem behaviors in the classroom, practitioners may use functional assessment methodology to design an individualized intervention tied to the function of the behavior. Alternatively, practitioners may choose to use an evidence-based practice, not tied to behavioral function, shown to be beneficial through research. Though much research states the need for empirical comparisons between function-based interventions and non-function-based interventions, past comparisons have often been unbalanced, such that the interventions included for comparison were not matched in terms of strength. Therefore, the current study sought to directly compare function-based interventions developed following a teacher-implemented brief functional analysis to an evidence-based practice, the Mystery Motivator to improve behavioral outcomes for four preschool children attending Head Start. By comparing these two interventions, a better understanding of the treatment utility of functional assessment methodology for typically-developing children in traditional educational settings can be determined.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to providing an air conditioning system, and particularly, to providing a control method of an air conditioner for adjusting the direction and amount of forced air dependent upon the presence and the area of motion of a person in order to optimally air condition a room.
2. Related Art
A conventional air conditioner is configured to air condition a room against a room load fluctuation. This is accomplished by calculating the difference between a set temperature and a detected temperature, adjusting an amount of forced air and controlling a compressor until the room temperature reaches the set temperature based on the calculated temperature difference. But, the conventional air conditioner judges the room load fluctuation only by the returned air and air conditions the total area of room independent of the location of a person in the room, so that,the person might wait for a long time to be in a properly air conditioned environment.
In order to resolve this disadvantage, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 89-79532 discloses a control method for adjusting the direction of the air blown from an air conditioner and an apparatus thereof. This apparatus comprises a plurality of detecting means including an infrared-ray directional sensor, means for amplifying the infrared-ray signal, means for comparing the amplified signal with the reference signal, means for controlling the direction of the forced air, means for judging the location of a person by the output signal from the comparing means and means for operating the controlling means. This air conditioner detects the infrared-rays emitted from a body, so that the direction of forced air is controlled by driving a louver toward the location of a person or an area occupied by a large number of people in the case of a cooling machine, otherwise toward the location where no one is present, or an area occupied by a small number of people in the case of a warming machine. Therefore, it is the object of this air conditioner to control the drive of the louver to change the direction of forced air according to a determination of the existence or non-existence of a person by means of a body sensing means. It has disadvantages in that the desired efficiency of the air conditioning in an area of a person within a higher temperature environment (higher than the set temperature) can not be accomplished solely dependent upon the direction of forced air. A person in the room feels an air conditioned environment with a temperature beyond the previously set room temperature.
Thus, an object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning system for detecting the existence or non-existence and moving area of a person in room and controlling the direction and an amount of forced air taking into consideration the temperature control throughout the room.
Another object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning control method for enabling a detecting means such as an infrared-ray sensor to scan an area divided into a predetermined number of divided areas, detecting the existence or non-existence and moving area of a person in the room, and controlling the driving direction of a louver and the operation of a room blower fan and a compressor.
Another object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning control method for detecting the existence or non-existence and moving area of a person in room and controlling the temperature throughout the room.
Another object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning control method for warming a room by forcing air in a direction avoiding the presence and moving area of a person.
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Cory Booker on Gun Control
Mayor of Newark; N.J. Senator
More people die from gun violence than from wars
Q: Do you have a Republican colleague in the Senate who would be onboard with your idea to get gun licensing done like automobile licensing?
BOOKER: You know, if that was the attitude when Strom Thurmond had the longest filibuster ever on civil
rights, if it was this idea that we can't get it done because of the situation in the Senate--
The #1 reason why governments are formed is to protect the citizenry. Think about this. We have had more people die due to gun violence in my lifetime than
every single war in this country combined, from the Revolutionary War until now. This is not a side issue to me. It is a central issue to me.
We must awaken a more courageous empathy in this country so that we stand together and fight together
and overwhelm those Republicans who are not even representing their constituency. Because the majority of Americans, the majority of gun-owners agree with me, not the corporate gun lobby. It is time for a movement on this issue, and I will lead it.
More people die from gun violence than from wars
Q: Do you have a Republican colleague in the Senate on board with your idea to get gun licensing done like automobile licensing?
BOOKER: 83% of Americans agree with licensing. It was about 20 years ago that I witnessed the aftermath of a shooting.
It's why I was the first person to come out for gun licensing. We are never going to solve this crisis if we have to wait for it to personally affect us or our neighborhood or our community before we demand action. I will bring a fight to the NRA and
the corporate gun lobby like they have never seen before.
Q: What about getting a Republican colleague in the Senate on board?
BOOKER: The #1 reason why governments are formed is to protect the citizenry. Think about this. We have had more people
die due to gun violence in my lifetime than every single war in this country combined, from the Revolutionary War until now. We must awaken a more courageous empathy so we overwhelm Republicans who are not even representing their constituency.
More people die from gun violence than from wars
Q: Do you have a Republican colleague in the Senate on board with your idea to get gun licensing done like automobile licensing?
BOOKER: 83% of Americans agree with licensing. It was about 20 years ago that I witnessed the aftermath of a shooting.
It's why I was the first person to come out for gun licensing. We are never going to solve this crisis if we have to wait for it to personally affect us or our neighborhood or our community before we demand action. I will bring a fight to the NRA and
the corporate gun lobby like they have never seen before.
Q: What about getting a Republican colleague in the Senate on board?
BOOKER: The #1 reason why governments are formed is to protect the citizenry. Think about this. We have had more people
die due to gun violence in my lifetime than every single war in this country combined, from the Revolutionary War until now. We must awaken a more courageous empathy so we overwhelm Republicans who are not even representing their constituency.
Tired of "thoughts and prayers"--this is personal
I hope I'm the only one on this panel here that had seven people shot in their neighborhood just last week. Someone I knew, Shahad Smith, was killed with an assault rifle at the top of my block last year. I'm tired of hearing people all they have to
offer is thoughts and prayers.
In my faith, people say faith without works is dead. The reason we have a problem is we've let the corporate gun lobby frame this debate. It is time that we have bold actions. This is not about policy. This is personal.
We require licenses to drive; so require licenses for guns
There's one thing we don't all agree with when it comes to guns, and I think it's common sense, and over 70 percent of Americans agree with me. If you need a license to drive a car, you should need a license to buy and own a firearm.
And not everybody in this field agrees with that. But in states like Connecticut that did that, they saw 40 percent drops in gun violence and 15 percent drops in suicides. We need to start having bold agendas on guns.
Evidence-based laws can lower gun violence
I have a comprehensive plan that people say is bold. It's not bold. It's commonsense, evidence-based things that we can do to lower gun violence. You have taken a look at the 16, 17 things we have in my plan that would drop the levels of
violence overall, from one-handgun- a-month laws, all the way to investing in the kind of mental health and the kind of community empowerment strategies that would do something about it.
As with civil rights, we can build coalitions for gun laws
This echoes to me the civil rights movement, where people said it couldn't be done, that there were states that were standing firmly against it. But you know what happened is, we had the kind of coalitions necessary to tear down segregation.
We could muster that to do commonsense things that do not take away people's Second Amendment rights. The only people that should be afraid of the kind of legislation I'm pushing are gun runners, criminals, and the corporate gun lobby.
Source: CNN State of the Union 2019 interview
, Jun 2, 2019
I'm bringing a fight against the corporate gun lobby
If you want someone who's going to take a fight to the corporate gun lobby, take a fight against apathy and indifference, take a fight against the NRA, then I'm your person. I'm an African American male.
We're 6 percent of the nation's population, but we make up over 50 percent of the gun violence victims. This is something that's going on all around our nation. Enough is enough. I'm bringing a fight to this. And we will win this fight.
Source: CNN "SOTU" 2019 interview series
, Jun 2, 2019
Gun control works; refuse to believe it's not doable
The first way you get this done is stop having a debate on the corporate gun lobby's terms. They've been forming this debate and telling us what we can't do. American history is a testimony to doing things people said was impossible.
What you're saying is that we can't solve it. I don't accept that at all. When Connecticut did licensing, their shootings dropped, their murders dropped 40%. Suicides dropped 15%. These are things that have been tried and done and that work.
14-part gun control plan, with criminal enforcement
Booker was asked on CNN about his gun control proposals: "Rep. Eric Swalwell has also, like you, proposed an assault weapons ban. He's proposing a buyback program where Americans could essentially sell these guns to the government, but if they don't,
within a certain period of time, they would be prosecuted--thrown in jail, perhaps. Are you supportive of the same?"
Booker responded affirmatively that the law would be enforced with criminal sanctions after a "reasonable period." He had said earlier:
"The critical thing is that these weapons of war should not be on our streets." Earlier in the day, Booker unveiled a 14-part gun control plan, which included a ban on assault weapons including high capacity magazines. "The biggest thing in the proposal
is a national gun licensing program, which would force Americans to apply for 5-year gun licenses before obtaining a firearm. The process would include fingerprinting, an interview, gun safety courses, and a federal background check," Booker said.
Supports national gun licensing every 5 years
Proposed a 14-part plan that calls for a national gun licensing program,
which would force Americans to apply for 5-year gun licenses.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
, May 6, 2019
Consensus on common sense gun laws; ready to fight NRA
I am frustrated with politicians who all the best they can muster is to give thoughts and prayers. Gun-owners and non-gun owners agree that we need to have universal background checks and close so many of these loopholes. And the NRA
does not represent their membership, because their membership actually agrees with closing those loopholes. I am going to bring a fight like the NRA has never seen if they're going to defend corporate gun manufacturers more than represent the people.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
, Mar 27, 2019
Require background checks; ban assault weapons
Booker often cites gun violence in his own Newark neighborhood when pushing for stricter federal gun safety laws. He supports legislation to require background checks for all gun purchases and introduced legislation to ban
high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.
Booker previously sponsored legislation to ban bump stocks, devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic guns, which were used in the
October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.
In 2000, as a city councilman in Newark, Booker supported banning all guns.
By the time he was mayor a decade later, he admitted banning assault weapons would only prevent a "small percentage" of murders and called the gun debate "tiring."
Failed to pass gun legislation after Orlando mass shooting
BROKEN PROMISE: Booker attempted and failed as senator to resolve conflicting promises: he promised to fight for gun restrict-ions, but also promised to collaborate with other senators on guns on "day one" (implying "priority"). That
forced a broken promise by self-contradiction. There are not enough anti-gun senators to make that a realistic promise on "day one."
ANALYSIS: After mass shootings over past years, Senate Democrats introduced new gun legislation.
None passed. Booker pointed out that Congress failed to act "in the wake of Newtown," the 2012 mass shooting, when Booker was mayor. When Booker was Senator, the 2016 Orlando mass shooting occurred, and provided Booker an opportunity to "join with
others to make a difference," as he promised--that legislation failed too. Booker and Democrats are aware that they cannot pass gun restrictions nationally on "day one"--which is why they try only in the wake of mass shootings.
Prohibit firearms to suspected terrorists
Sen. Booker co-sponsored S. Amdt 4720 to H.R.2578, the Commerce, Justice, Science, & Related Agencies Appropriations Act> The amendment died in the U.S. Senate on June 20, 2016. Congressional Summary:
Authorizes the attorney general to deny the transfer of a firearm if he or she determines that the transferee is a threat to public safety based on a "reasonable" suspicion that the transferee is engaged in terrorism.
Requires the attorney general to establish a procedure to ensure that if an individual who has been under investigation for terrorism within the previous
5 years attempts to purchase a firearm, the attorney general is promptly notified of the attempt.
$1,000 reward for tip on illegal weapons
Newarkers wanted to help; we just had to find ways to let them. To better incentivize getting tips on crimes we formed an anonymous gun hotline where we offered people $1,000 if they called with a tip that led to the recovery of an illegal weapon.
We even received tips from people calling from prison. This program resulted in getting many weapons off our streets--and I believe it saved lives.
Source: United, by Senator Cory Booker, p.144
, Feb 16, 2016
Common sense gun reform on day one
As Mayor, I did all I could to fight against gun violence:
I was deeply involved with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of mayors dedicated to bringing sanity to our gun laws;
I focused my police department's efforts and resources on
gun crime;
I attracted private philanthropy to invest in cutting edge technology like an acoustic gunshot detection system;
I even travelled to Washington DC to personally appeal to the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and
Explosives for law enforcement access to crime gun trace data.
But now I know that to better protect Newark, other New Jersey cities, and our suburbs and rural areas (which are experiencing more and more gun violence), the fight is in Congress.
Congress had the chance to get this right in the wake of Newtown. If elected to the Senate, I will start work on common sense gun reform on day one.
More background checks & gun trace data
Passing Common Sense Gun Safety Legislation: It is plainly unacceptable that we don't have background checks for every gun sale in America, as well as bans on high capacity magazines and assault weapons that have no practical sporting use, and countless
other reforms that will save lives.
I even personally appealed to the ATF for law enforcement access to crime gun trace data so that my department, and departments across New Jersey, could do more to understand and battle against gun trafficking.
Criminal gun runners shouldn't have Second Amendment rights
Q: Why do you want to come to Washington in the middle of all this [instead of remaining an effective Mayor]?
CORY BOOKER: As mayor, we faced a lot of headwinds because of some of the things that often seem very obvious that Washington isn't doing to
help out. So take, for example, gun violence in my city. The majority of guns that we recover don't even come from New Jersey. They come from criminal gun runners who are not law-abiding citizens who should have a Second Amendment right.
They come from criminals who can walk into secondary markets & buy weapons. And having commonsense background checks that 90% of Americans agree on makes sense, but we're not getting it done.
Q: Why do you think your presence I the Senate would make
gun control more likely?
CORY BOOKER: One senator [can't do it alone]. I have got to really I work hard and humbly and learn as much as I can and find creative ways to join with others to make a difference. I know we can do better. I know America can.
Insane to carry concealed loaded weapons cross-state
We know we have a gun violence problem in America. The solution is not to get rid of guns. The solution is to have sensible gun laws that keep illegal weapons out of the hands of criminals but also empower communities to make smart choices about how to
best protect their neighborhoods, their towns, their cities. Right now moving through our federal legislature is this insane idea that says that people can carry hidden loaded weapons, concealed weapons, all throughout the country regardless of individua
state laws. They are basically saying that if in Florida or in Utah, they make a decision to issue a concealed weapon permit, that permit should apply to every other state. Some states may have lax laws. They may allow people that have had domestic viole
Coalition "Mayors Against Illegal Guns"; Keep state laws
We believe, a Coalition of Mayors, called "Mayors Against Illegal Guns", we believe that local states should make their own choices and that other people should respect those laws. The laws of
Florida when it comes to concealed loaded weapons should not apply to New Jersey. The laws of New Jersey shouldn't necessarily apply to the laws of UT or AL. We cannot have a situation where
Congress passes a law and next thing you know, people are showing up in your community with hidden weapons that you, your state legislature, your mayors don't want to have happen. We need each other to respect the laws of our states.
And most importantly we need to respect human lives and come together with sensible laws to make sure that our neighborhoods, our towns, our cities, our families can be kept safe and strong and secure.
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Q:
how can I get an element in a redirect url using node.js
Non-English country, please forgive my spelling mistakes.
For example, I want to first redirect url1(http://localhost:3000/api/song/167278) to url2(http://localhost:4000/api/song/167278) to use url2's api. And url2 will reponse a json file, which can be seen in the postman's panel.
(postman's pannel)
But there maybe a lot of elements, I only want an element in the file, such as data[0].url. How can I return just return the url value (data[0].url in this json) when people access http://localhost:3000/api/song/167278.
I am using express.js now, how can I edit it? Or is there any other methods?
app.get('api/song/:id', async (req, res) => {
try {
const { id } = req.params
url = "http://localhost:4000/api/song/" + id
res.redirect(url)
}
catch (e) {
console.log(e)
}
}
A:
You could either proxy the entire request there or fetch localhost:4000/api/song/1 in your request handler (with something like node-fetch or axios or with node's APIs and send the fields that you want back to the client as json.
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Q:
mixed integer programming - turning conditional statements into inequalities
I have if statements in my constraints and I'm having trouble turning it into an inequality problem. The statement is as following:
IF a>=x1, THEN f(x1,x2) = a+x2, Else f(x1,x2) = a.
x1 and x2 are integer (but not binary) decision variables, f(x1,x2) is an expression calculated based on x1 and x2, a is a constant.
I want to turn this into an inequality form, but not sure how.
A:
I prefer to think of these problems as first listing a set of disjoint cases.
Case 1 $a \geq x_1, f = a + x_2$
Case 2 $a \leq x_1-\epsilon, f = a$
Now introduce binary variable variables $d_1$ and $d_2$ constrained as $d_1+d_2=1$ to say that one case must hold, and you want to have the implications
$d_1 \rightarrow a \geq x_1, f = a + x_2$
$d_2 \rightarrow a \leq x_1-\epsilon, f = a$
Now you apply standard big-M for implied inequalities, $d \rightarrow g(x)\leq 0$ is $g(x)\leq M(1-d)$ and $d \rightarrow g(x)=0$ is $-M(1-d) \leq g(x) \leq M(1-d)$
You can derive the model more directly, but by listing disjoint cases and explicit enumeration you get basically the same approach for almost any problem of this kind that you encounter.
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Thousands of veterans who are buried in El Paso County will be remembered during a special ceremony Dec. 14.
started in 1992 in Maine when a local family that made wreaths had some left over. They took those extra wreaths and laid them on the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery.
Now, thousands of cemeteries across the country lay wreaths to remember their veterans.
In El Paso County, cemeteries like Evergreen have been participating in Wreaths Across America Day for the past three years.
“We have veterans here from the Civil War all the way through current conflicts today,” said David Carr, Evergreen’s event coordinator. “The idea that a nation would remember those veterans and the sacrifice that they have given of their time, of their lives in the defense of our country, it’s important that as a nation, we remember that sacrifice.”
Carr said there are a little more than 3,200 veterans buried at Evergreen Cemetery and about 8,000 in El Paso County.
“The idea behind Wreaths Across America is that as we place a wreath at those headstones, we say their name just one more time, and the idea being that so long as their names are remembered, they will never be forgotten,” Carr said.
He said it’s important to remember each and every veteran.
“We have families that are local, but with today’s society, families don’t typically stay in one place anymore,” Carr said. “So there may be families that are scattered across the globe who are wondering whether or not their loved one will be remembered, and so the drive of this effort is to ensure that they’re all remembered no matter where they are. No matter whether they have family that’s still living or if their families have long been gone from here.”
Each wreath costs $15 and will be shipped more than 2,000 miles from Maine. The deadline to sponsor a wreath was Monday, but Carr said El Paso County still needs more than 2,000 wreaths.
“Wreaths Across America HQ is indicating that they will try and keep pushing more wreaths out to the locations even if the purchase comes in after today -- but no guarantees,” Carr wrote in an email Monday. “(If) someone does donate later this week, worst-case scenario is that the donation goes towards next year's count.”
Carr said it’s hard knowing not every grave will get a wreath.
“Unfortunately, we’ll have to make the tough decision of which sections we’re going to have to pass over this year but with the promise that we would go to those sections next year to remember those veterans,” he said.
Not only do the cemeteries need wreaths, they also need volunteers to help lay those wreaths.
“There is nothing more thrilling than coming here and placing a wreath at the headstone of a veteran, saying their name, thanking them for their service,” Carr said. “You’ll just never have a better experience in their life.”
Carr said he needs around 200-300 volunteers to help unload the wreaths, distribute them across the cemetery and lay them on the graves on Dec. 14. He’ll also need help on Jan. 18 to pick up and discard the wreaths.
“I think the most interesting experience a volunteer can have is when they contemplate that person. Some of those headstones will have more information. They’ll tell you which conflicts they may have served in. They’ll tell you if there were various medals and honors that they were awarded,” Carr said. “There’s a story behind every stone, and I think that’s the key is that in this day and age, it’s amazing that if you take that name and plug it into Google, you may find an entire life story that is represented in that headstone.”
People can sign up to volunteer online by
near them. They’re encouraged to arrive at Evergreen Cemetery by 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 14 so they can get their wreath assignment before a short ceremony at 10 a.m.
“To me, and to those that come out, I think that’s the special part is to know that that person lived a life in defense of their country, and the experiences they had, their struggles. They were human just like us, and the fact that we will remember them hopefully for years into the future makes a difference in the lives of everyone who was involved,” Carr said.
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The invention concerns a coating device for material webs of, for example, paper or cardboard wherein a doctor blade or doctor roll acts on the web in the area of a backing roll carrying the web, or acts directly on the backing roll. An applicator chamber for the coating substance is provided in which the coating substance can be fed to the web or the backing roll, or to the doctor blade or doctor roll through a mouth that extends parallel to the web or the backing roll across the width of the web.
Such a coating device is known from DE-C 35 13 063. In the case of this coater there is provided, at the doctor blade and the backing roll supporting the material web, a relatively large and spacious application space which on the entrance side of the material web is defined by a front wall that features outlet openings. This front wall extends toward the backing wall so as to almost make contact with it. The document says nothing about the purpose of these outlet openings.
The problem underlying the invention is to improve on such or similar coaters (see also German application P 36 12 248), the quality of the applied coating in terms of uniformity. Due to the high web speeds it appears to be difficult with the prior applicator devices of the categorial type to prevent the occurrence of turbulences in the coating substance.
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-- A combined force captured a Taliban facilitator, detained several suspects and seized 180 pounds of hashish and 15 pounds of opium in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. The facilitator conducted roadside-bomb attacks in the Zharay and Panjwai districts.
-- In the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, a combined force detained two suspects while searching for a Taliban leader who conducts direct-fire and roadside-bomb attacks against coalition forces.
-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader and detained another suspect in the Shinwar district of Nangarhar province. The insurgent leader planned attacks and distributed weapons throughout the province.
-- In Kandahar’s Zharay district, a combined force killed three insurgents who displayed hostile intent after the security force stopped their vehicle, which later was found to contain bombs, bomb components, firearms, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, and radio transmitters and receivers.
In operations yesterday:
-- A combined force in the Khanabad district of Kunduz province killed two insurgents who displayed hostile intent and detained a suspect during a search for a Taliban leader who is responsible for attacks against civilians and Afghan forces.
-- In Helmand’s Reg-e Khan Neshin district, a combined force found and destroyed about 500 pounds of marijuana seeds.
In a Feb. 13 operation in Nangahar’s Achin district, an Afghan force detained a narcotics dealer and seized about 226 pounds of narcotics and several firearms for destruction at a later date.
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The Independent will be closing its Mount Pleasant presentation centre May 18th
Sponsored
May 12, 2015
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With the Main Street presentation centre closing on Monday, May 18th, you only have a handful of days left to get in on The Independent with pre-construction pricing. Buy before the 18th and you can own with just eight per cent down, or take $5,000 off the price of your new home.
As of last Friday, May 8th, only 13 condos and two townhomes remained in the sought-after 242-home development. Buyers are loving The Independent for its central Mount Pleasant location and desirable home features that include custom Italian cabinetry, polished quartzite countertops, high-performance appliances, laminate wood flooring, roller blinds, spa-like bathrooms, big windows, balconies and impressive views.
If you’d like to learn more about the final homes before they’re completely sold out, visit the presentation centre ASAP at 2500 Main Street. The facility is open daily (except Fridays) from 12pm to 5pm.
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+ 24
Sc Fabricators: Concrete Countertops & Steel Fabrication, Napa California
Poor House: Interior Design - Napa, California
Trinity Wood Works: Casework - Trinity, California
Diego Construction: Custom Doors & Finish Carpentry - San Mateo, California
Rivera Landscapes: Custom Landscape & Masonry - Napa, California
Dj Engineers & Associates: Structural Engineering - Pleasanton, California
Country: United States
More Specs
Less Specs
Text description provided by the architects. Set within the vineyards and close to the center of town, the site for the house is a large plot of land dotted with full grown trees and vineyards.
The project consists of two houses connected with glass. Each house is protected from a busy road with two 'L' Shaped walls - one is stone and one is cedar. A number of pieces behind these walls are arranged together around courtyards and terraces. In turn giving rise to a sequence of individual gardens, each with their own individual ambience - gardens set among other limitless gardens. A system of slender spaces act like paths connecting the gardens, courtyards, and interior spaces, each embracing and respecting the landscape.
The entrance garden is conceived as a porch-like atrium which leads to a solid redwood door crafted from the only tree removed from the site. This door opens to a small glass foyer which connects the two main walls of the house. To one side is an interior gateway through a cedar wall and to the other side is a portal through a thick stone wall. The gateway opens to a garden and guestrooms and the portal opens onto the family art collection and main house. The main house opens to vineyards on the valley floor with 270 degree views of the surrounding Mayacamas Mountains, Mt. St. Helena, and Stags Leap beyond. Guestrooms are through the cedar gateway and open to the southern views of vineyards, Stone Mountain, Mt. Vedeer and the city nearby. Meanwhile the utility areas are hidden away in front with easy access while increasing the buffer between the house and busy road and the house.
Large eaves create both a place to enjoy the outdoors all year around and protection from the summer sun, while letting in the right amount of winter sun deep into the house. The envelope of the house enhances the control of the site while providing a sense of privacy and protection while juxtaposed with large openings to the surrounding landscape. The materialization of this project reflects its rural setting, while softening its urban attributes of shelter in front and massive openings behind those urban attributes and human nature.
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Q:
ASP .NET Core Where to store application custom settings
For example, i have an entity called InventorySettings and at the moment i am using a table in SQL to store these settings using single row approach but i would like to know if is there a more productive way for storing this type of data without having to create a table in my database just for a single row and having to query it all the time
A:
There are multiple ways to store custom settings.
If you want to change it on run-time then storing it in database is the best option.(BEST WAY)
If you dont want to change it on run-time then store them in appsetting (GOOD WAY)
If you want to change it on run-time and dont want to store in database then you can store then in files.You also can make user wise files and store and modify them. (Not Recommended)
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This invention relates to a holder within which fishing leaders can be held in an orderly and protected fashion, and can be readily removed from the holder when required.
When fishing with flies or lures, it is normal for the fishermen to carry, as well as a supply of flies and lures, a number of leaders which can be of different lengths and of different weights to suit the type of fly or lure being used. In order to carry the leaders without them becoming entangled and knotted, there are various known items for storing the leaders, these consisting of tube holders of various types within which the leaders are stretched between springs. Such holders, while being adequate for holding the lures in a manner which prevents tangling of them, are, however, awkward to manipulate due to the tension created by the springs. This problem is more pronounced due to the fact that the fisherman's hands will be wet and the leader will be slippery to hold and, furthermore, even on a warm day, the wet hands will be cold and manipulation of a leader, which is in a holder having leader holding springs, is difficult.
There is, therefore, a need for a fishing leader holder which is both easy to use, even under adverse climatic conditions, and yet is capable of storing leaders in an unravelled and neat condition.
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GENOME ANNOUNCEMENT
===================
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have caused serious outbreaks in domestic chickens in multiple countries, including China ([@B1]), and they have posed a significant threat to public health in recent years. There are many disease events in humans that are associated with avian influenza virus (AIV)-infected poultry ([@B2]). Therefore, persistent monitoring of AIV in live poultry markets is important.
In December 2011, we isolated an AIV mixed-subtype virus from a duck in Hunan province. We sequenced the genome using next generation sequencing (NGS) (Illumina). The viral genome consisted of 10 single-stranded RNA segments, PB2, PB1, PA, H5, H6, NP, N1, N6, M, and NS, with 2,280, 2,274, 2,151, 1,707, 1,701, 1,497, 1,350, 1,413, 759, and 678 nucleotides, respectively. A clonal H5N1 virus was also recovered, but not a clonal H6N6 virus, so we named this virus A/duck/Hunan/747/2011(mixed), including two (H5 and H6) hemagglutinin (HA) and two (N1 and N6) neuraminidase (NA) subtypes ([@B3]). Data have demonstrated that up to 26% of the isolates show evidence of mixed-subtype infection and high rates of genome reassortment ([@B4]).
The hemagglutinin gene of the H5N1 genome encodes multiple basic amino acids adjacent to the cleavage site (RRRKR/G), which indicates high pathogenicity in poultry ([@B5]). The receptor-binding sites (RBS) of HA prefer to bind avian cell-surface receptors ([@B6]). The H6 HA receptor-binding sites (A138, E190, L194, G225, Q226, and G228; H3 numbering here and below) were not found to have alterations ([@B7]). The H6 HA gene cleavage site showed that this virus is a typical low-pathogenicity AIV. The stalk of the N1 protein at sites 49 to 68 has a 20-amino-acid deletion, which is considered to be necessary for virus adaptation to domestic fowl ([@B8]). The possible enhancement of virus virulence markers in PB2, such as E158G, E627K, or D701N, was not found ([@B9], [@B10]). However, a D92E substitution in the NS1 protein was found in the isolate and is considered to be involved in enhanced virus pathogenicity ([@B11]).
In the phylogenetic tree, all of the internal gene segments of the isolated virus were closely related to those from the avian H5N1 virus, except the M gene, which was closely related to that of the avian H6N6 virus.
This study demonstrated that mixed infections exist in nature and that they may promote virus recombination, thereby creating a novel virus. Strengthening epidemiological monitoring of influenza viruses is critical for improving understanding of the mechanism of AIV recombination and will provide relevant information to prevent and control avian influenza.
Nucleotide sequence accession numbers. {#h1}
--------------------------------------
The genome sequences of A/duck/Hunan/747/2011(mixed) have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers [KJ484606](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore?term=KJ484606) through [KJ484615](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore?term=KJ484615).
**Citation** Liu Z, Xu B, Chen Q, Chen Z. 2014. Complete genome sequence of a mixed-subtype (H5N1 and H6N6) avian influenza virus isolated from a duck in Hunan Province, China. Genome Announc. 2(2):e00310-14. doi:10.1128/genomeA.00310-14.
This study was supported by the following research funds: the National 973 Project (2010CB530301) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31070141, 31100132, and 81172738).
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Prevalence of overweight and obesity among 11-year-old children in Cyprus, 1997-2003.
To report 5-year changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 11-year-old children in Cyprus. This was a school-based study performed in Cyprus. A total of 14,090 11-year-old children (males: 51.2%), who had been examined in the 1997-8 and 2002-3 school years, were included in the study. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-offs were used to define overweight and obese subjects, and logistic regression models were used to estimate 5-year trends. The overall prevalence of overweight children was slightly higher in the second period but this change was not statistically significant. There was only a significant increase in overweight boys in rural areas; odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for the 5-year period was 1.33 (1.10, 1.62; p = 0.004). The overall relative increase in obesity was 17.9% and the OR (95% CI) was 1.22 (1.07, 1.38; p = 0.003). Although the prevalence of obesity was higher in males in both periods, the relative increase was substantially higher in females, 29.6% vs. 11.4%. The relative increase was also higher in rural (35.9%) compared with urban areas (8.7%); ORs (95% CI) 1.46 (1.17, 1.81) vs. 1.10 (0.94, 1.29), respectively. This is the first report documenting increasing rates of obesity among school-aged children in Cyprus. Females and children living in rural areas experienced the most striking increases. The prevalence of overweight increased only in males living in rural areas.
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Paterson breaks ground on new preschool on Crooks Avenue
A new preschool, designed to educate 130 students, ages 3 and 4, is opening on Crooks Avenue next fall.
Mayor Andre Sayegh and others broke ground on Wednesday morning on the $5 million three-story building being built at 315-321 Crooks Avenue.
Gilmore Memorial Preschool will operate the school. It will have nine classes of 15 children, said Brenda McKoy, a family worker. She is not related to councilman William McKoy.
“There is a high demand for preschool in Paterson,” said Sayegh.
Brenda Belmont, executive director for the Gilmore Memorial Preschool, said she hopes to meet that demand in the 6th Ward. She has a pre-school on East 22nd Street that educates 108 children and another on Montclair Avenue for 80 students.
Crooks Avenue site is her third pre-school, said Belmont.
“It’s about our children and serving them,” said Belmont. She said many of the neighbors reached out to her to open a second site in the 6th Ward.
Belmont’s firm will lease space at the building from Zack Barkawi, who is putting up the building. He had a crew working at the site on Wednesday morning.
Barkawi said the building will be finished before September 2020.
“There is no better way to make a community a better place than by starting the education of our very youngest, three and four-year olds,” said deputy school superintendent Susana Peron.
The school district has a longstanding partnership with the Gilmore Memorial Preschool, said Belmont.
“I know the demographics here. Parents would stay home. Now, we’re giving them an option,” said Sayegh. He said parents can now go to work and ensure their children are getting a “high-quality education at a proven preschool.”
Sayegh spoke from personal experience, he said. His daughter enrolled at the Gilmore Memorial Preschool II on Montclair Avenue after it opened.
“The schools for our little kids are very important and critical for a good foundation,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell, a former teacher.
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Kids Prefer Mobile Games Over Consoles, PCs: Report
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Kids Prefer Mobile Games Over Consoles, PCs: Report
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Kids aged between 2 and 17 prefer to play games on mobile devices instead of PCs or consoles, according to a report, entitled “Kids and Gaming 2015,” released by the NPD Group (via CNET).
Of the surveyed children, 63% said they play games on mobile devices, while PCs were the choice of only 45%, a significant 22% drop in just two years (a similar survey was conducted in 2013). The drop is driven by kids aged between 2 and 5.
Besides PCs, video game consoles are also losing ground: only 60% of the surveyed kids said they play games on consoles, compared to the 67% from two years ago.
“The largest and most surprising shift in the 2015 gaming ecosystem was kids’ move away from the computer,” NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan said in a press release. “In the past, the computer was considered the entry point for gaming for most kids, but the game has changed now that mobile has moved into that position. This may be related to a change in the behavior of parents that are likely utilizing mobile devices for tasks that were once reserved for computers.”
Of course, this also brings a spike in time spent on mobile devices. About 41% of the surveyed children spend more time playing games on mobile devices than they did a year prior. The average time spent on mobile games per week has grown to six hours, while the overall time spent on consoles has remained flat — depending on the console.
More time spent on mobile games also means more money spent on digital games: according to the NPD study, the average amount of money spent has spiked from $5 to $13 during the past three months, but physical games still lead with a $27 average in the same period.
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Roll 2d6 and cook…
Menu
honey
John has been shaming me on the recipe posts, so I’ll sneak in two weeks worth of Lenten pot luck dinner recipes and redeem myself, somewhat. Both are vegan (for Lent). I’ll start with tonight’s and work backwards. The first week of Lent’s dish was already posted here.
I LOVE spicy tofu dishes. While I’m not one of those people who wrinkles their nose at tofu, in fact I like it quite a lot, I do kind of insist that frankly, by itself, it tastes like nothing at all. BUT, this just means that it is all the more perfectly prepared to be the canvas for a universe of sauces and preparations. Thick, sticky, dark, sweet and blow your head off spicy just happens to be my favorite. As with any genuine culinary tradition, I have no idea what I’m doing, but like any good wizard or cleric, I know how to put on a good show and fake it.
Keep in mind, these are preparations for a communal meal where a few hundred people show up, so if the quantities seem big, they are — adjust down as you see fit.
Two tubs of firm (not extra firm, too crumbly) tofu, drained. I have seen this dish done with silken tofu, but it requires more finesse than I have. Slice in half such that you have to fairly flat, big rectangles — like a stack of 3×5 note cards. Lay the four rectangles out on something very flat, either plastic cutting boards or the bottom of cookie sheets. Place a second cutting board (or cookie sheet bottom) on top, and then pile on as much weight as you can find. I stack my #8 and #10 cast iron skillets and my #8 Dutch oven (with #8 lid) and that’s just about the minimum I’d use. Press and drain (this is why the cookie sheets have to be upside down, if you use the normal surface the liquid can’t drain off) the tofu for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better. Undo your press and then slide the rectangles into large squares. I usually cut the long way into four strips and then six pieces the short way for a total of 24*4=96 chunks of tofu. This is not actually as much as it seems.
Coarsely chop one good size stalk of lemon grass into pieces you’ll be able to remove easily later.
Put your wok (or other very large vessel that can take big heat) over your hottest heat source (dragon’s abdomens are just about hot enough), add a liberal amount of a high heat oil like canola or peanut and augment with toasted sesame oil (for flavor). When the pan (not the oil) begins to smoke, throw in the tofu and lemon grass. Boil the tofu in the oil, moving frequently, until the tofu just start to shrink, then scoop them out into a sieve of some kind to drain. Pick out all the lemon grass which is probably now rock hard and flavorless. Pour out the excess oil but do not wipe down the wok.
Dice a red onion. Split six Serrano peppers in half the long way. Remove seeds and membranes according to how hot you want your end result to be. The less you remove, the hotter the dish. I took out all of the membrane and seeds and the end result still wasn’t exactly tame. If you are unaccustomed to cooking with hot peppers, maybe try just one pepper the first time, left intact, and ramp up on subsequent occasions if you find you enjoy more heat. Take the long halves and make thin crescents.
In the blender or food processor place four to six big chunks of fresh ginger, peeled, along with dozen or more cloves of roasted garlic, soy sauce, honey, molasses, Chinese five spice, liquid smoke (or smoked spice alternative) and vegetable broth — enough broth so that the result is too thin to be a sticky sauce, but not so thin it will take too long to drive out the water to make it a sticky sauce. Now take a good measuring cup’s worth of tamarind paste and rehydrate it with boiling water. Once soft, push through a screen into the blender (or food processor). Alternatively, have the good sense to buy tamarind paste in a jar that you can just spoon out rather than a block of mashed tamarind with all the seeds and pulp still in it, like I did.
Put the wok back on the dragon’s belly and begin to saute the onion and peppers. Open one can of bamboo shoots and one can of sliced water chestnuts, drain both. Once the onion and pepper begins to make you sneeze violently, I mean, brown up, add the bamboo and water chestnuts. Once the extra water is off the canned veggies, put the tofu back in and pour on the liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stir or fold occasionally to prevent sticking down at the bottom center of the wok.
Meanwhile prep about half a pound of snow peas and a half dozen green onions. I like to leave the peas whole, with just the tips cut off, and slice the green onion into very thin rings. Get both the white and green from the onion, because both the flavor and texture are quite different.
After the sauce looks like it will be quite thick when cooled, taste it and make any adjustments. If you need more cooking time, add more veggie broth so that it doesn’t get too thick and start to burn. Once the sauce meets your requirements, add the peas and green onions, fold in and immediately remove from the heat source as well as the wok itself into a serving dish. Steamed rice, brown or white, is the obvious accompaniment.
A clever title on this one eludes me as the adventure is in the original reading and making of this recipe. First, this recipe comes from a cookbook that we got from the UK. Many of the ingredients are by weight, not by measured cup, so this has made things interesting. Having a kitchen scale helps.
Second the ingredients order and the cook times in the printed cookbook are out of order or wrong. There’s even a recipe that the directions call for ingredients that aren’t in the ingredients list. Fun! This is cooking without a net nearly at its finest.
This recipe makes a baked dish that is potato-heavy in flavor. I find that it is very understated and could benefit by being with something more flavorful. I might even be tempted to add some hot spices to this in another incarnation to give it more characters.
8 oz. (225g) onions, chopped — I used a whole “medium” onion
8 oz. (225g) carrot, sliced — I used about 4 carrots which I think was more, but it came out fine
1 lb. (450g) potatoes, diced — I made a wild guess and went with about 2c of potatoes diced
4 oz. (100g) mushrooms, chopped — This is easy, it was half an 8oz package
Golden syrup — 1t, by the way. We used honey as we’re not being that super strict with our veganism.
Plain flour — being “white” flour. I use 1t of unbleached.
7 fl. oz. (200ml) Vegan red wine — There are many sub-cup, non-fractional fluid additions to recipes that are amusing…
Tomato purée — I love this. How much? 2T. So I open a whole can just to use 2T?! This means plan other meals that will also use this, even if only to add it to some spaghetti sauce to thicken it up.
Bay leaf
1/2t salt (or to taste)
1/4t pepper (or to taste)
3 oz. (75g) frozen peas or green beans — My casserole dish filled up rapidly and I added these later. It worked fine.
Preheat oven to GM 5 / 375 °F / 190 °C.
Fry the onions and carrots for a few minutes. Add the potatoes, mushrooms and 1 tsp. golden syrup. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. flour and stir. Pour in the red wine, vegetable stock, 2 tbsps. tomato purée, bay leaf and a little salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes. Put the mixture into a large casserole dish and place in oven. It should be baked for 1 hour, with the peas or beans being added halfway through.
Here’s one of those “I get the idea” recipes that I’m going to rewrite.
In a large[1] pan, sauté the onions and carrots over medium heat in 1T of oil (olive oil) until the onions soften — about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, mushrooms, and 1t Golden Syrup (or honey). Cook for 3-4 minutes to coat the potatoes and mushrooms in syrup/honey and warm them. Add 1t of flour and stir well to coat as much of everything as possible. Add wine, stock, 2T tomato puree, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Mix and “cook for a few minutes” to warm everything … so let’s say 5 minutes while stirring regularly. Put mixture in larger casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and add peas or beans. Bake for another 30 minutes.
That adventure was relatively simple. Overall I found the preparation relatively easy which ensures a place in a regular rotation of meals.
[1] I used a 12″ skillet and ran out of room. So by large, I mean large. A wok might even be a good idea here.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to voice signal processing techniques, and more particularly, to a voice detection method and apparatus which can detect whether a received signal is a voice signal or a background noise. In the invention, the voice detection does not to perform multiplications and divisions so that the hardware complexity and cost for implementation can be significantly reduced.
2. Description of Related Art
Voice detection is a signal processing technique used to determine whether a received signal is a voice signal or a background noise and if a voice signal is detected, the begin point and the end point of the voice signal is determined. One conventional method to achieve this purpose is to compare the mean and standard deviation of the energy of the received signal and also the zero-crossing rate of the same with preset values. The comparison result then indicates whether the received signal is a voice signal or a background noise; and if a voice signal, the begin point and end point of the voice signal are also determined.
Fundamentally, the energy of a voice signal can be obtained from the following equation: ##EQU1##
where
E(i) is the energy of the (i)th frame of the digitized voice signal; PA1 SQRT is a square-root operator; PA1 M is the total number of sampling points in each frame; and PA1 X(n) is the digitized data from the (n)th sampling point in the (i)th frame.
The foregoing equation is too complex to perform. The following less complex equation can be used instead to compute for E(i): ##EQU2##
Therefore, it requires M-1 additions and one division to perform the operation of Eq. (A2) to obtain the value of E(i). In the case of using a sampling frequency of 8 kHz (sampling period=0.125 ms) to digitize the voice signal into 8-bit digital signal, then M=160 for a frame length of 20 ms, which requires 159 additions and one division to obtain the value of E(i). The hardware needed to perform this operation is therefore quite complex. Moreover, in order to prevent overflow, an accumulator of a large bit length should be used. This further increase the complexity of the hardware needed to implement the conventional voice detection method.
To make the products of voice detection apparatuses more competitive on the market, the manufacturing cost should be down. One conventional voice detection method and apparatus utilizes an accumulator of a large bit length and a preemphasis circuit that involves multiplication operations. This voice detection apparatus is therefore quite complex in hardware architecture and thus high in manufacturing cost. Another conventional voice detection method and apparatus utilizes a cascaded series of registers to implement the large bit-length accumulator. One drawback to this scheme, however, is that it would cause a degrade to the system performance and throughput and an increased degree of complexity in programming. There exists, therefore, a need for a new voice detection method and apparatus, which can be implemented with less complex hardware circuitry.
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Zehneria alba
Zehneria alba is a species of flowering plant in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the northeastern Indian Ocean. The specific epithet is from the Latin albus (white), referring to the colour of the flowers.
Description
Zehneria alba is a dioecious vine with stems growing to 3 m in length. The leaves are broadly ovate, cordate at the base, unlobed to shallowly 3-lobed, dentate, acute to acuminate, and 50–80 mm long. The flowers are small and white; the male inflorescence is paniculate or racemose, 30–150 mm long, with a 10–130 mm long peduncle; the female flowers are solitary or clustered. The fruit is ellipsoidal, 20–30 mm long, with seeds about 4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat
Found only on Christmas Island, the vine grows there both within the rainforest and along its shrubbed edges.
Taxonomy
The vine is sometimes considered to be conspecific with Zehneria mucronata Blume.
References
Notes
Sources
alba
Category:Endemic flora of Christmas Island
Category:Vines
Category:Plants described in 1906
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Tokyo's Buddhist bars may seem like an affront to the religion's famously staid asceticism. But the casual believer can't always hold himself to Buddha's lofty standards. The great Siddhārtha Gautama was able to reach enlightenment, but most of us are happy to just reach for a cold one once in a while.
Just listen to Yoshinobu Fujioka, Buddhist priest and owner of Vow'z Bar, who assures skeptics that alcohol pairs perfectly with the pilgrim's path.
"When people have had a few drinks, it’s often easier to communicate with them on spiritual matters here than it is talking at a temple," says Fujioka, while sucking down a lungful of cigarette smoke.
Vow'z looks much like any small watering hole in Japan, with a full display of whisky and shochu bottles behind the counter. The Buddhist touches to the interior are subtle: a small butsudan shrine sits in the corner and mandala-like imagery hangs on the walls.
Located in Nakano just outside the Broadway shopping mall, Vow'z sister establishment is Vow’s -- it's run by another priest, Shaku Genko. Like Fujioka, Genko hails from the liberal True Pure Land school of Buddhism, the most popular sect in Japan. Though similar to Vow'z, Vow’s has a large wide-screen TV set permanently to cable news.
Since there is no "v" sound in the Japanese language, both Vow's and Vow'z are pronounced 'bozu' -- the Japanese term for Buddhist priest. The names work both as a joke on Buddhist "vows" in English, and a Japanese pun.
Buddhist temples get most of their income from funerals, so many of them don’t make an effort to reach out to people—Yoshinobu Fujioka
Buddhist happy hour
Both bars have standard drink menus, but what attracts customers is the open conversational atmosphere in which discussions can range from personal problems to spiritual matters to global issues. At both bars the rough aroma of alcohol and tobacco is veiled by the calming smell of incense.
The priests established the bars out of a belief that mainstream Buddhism in Japan has grown out of touch with ordinary people.
"Buddhist temples get most of their income from funerals, so many of them don’t make an effort to reach out to people," says Fujioka. Now in his early 30s, Fujioka was a professional boxer for seven years before becoming a priest.
Genko holds his fellow brothers in alms in similarly low regard.
"I never liked organized religion, and I particularly didn’t like Buddhist priests," he says, explaining that he became a priest only after a succession of personal catastrophes that included losing his house and several friends in the 1995 Kobe earthquake and having both of his legs broken in a car accident. Buddhism rescued him, he says.
Despite the small size -- 15 people would fill either bar -- the priests hold organized gatherings where guests come to talk about Buddhism and its teachings. Otherwise, patrons can come in for drinks at any time and pick up a few moral instructives free of charge.
Visiting the Buddhists bars
Vow’z Arakicho: AG Building 2F, Arakicho 6, Shinjuku-ku, tel. 03 3353 1032, 7:30pm–late
Vow’s Nakano: Nakano 5-55-6, Nakano-ku, tel. 03 3385 5530, 7:30pm–4:30am
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Tue February 14, 2012
Redistricting Experts Struggle to fix Maps, Elections
The federal judges who asked attorneys to negotiate a deal on political maps for this year's elections instead got a day of explanations and arguments about why no such agreement has been made.
Through mid-afternoon, the topic of specific primary dates hadn't even come up in the hearing on congressional and legislative redistricting. The only reference to those elections came when Joe Nixon, an attorney for U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, told the judges they should wait for another court's ruling before proceeding. That would kill chances for an April primary, and the judges reacted with some incredulity and surprise.
The judges called the attorneys into session to try to get congressional and legislative maps drawn in time to hold primaries in April. The state's primaries were set for March 6 and got delayed because no legal maps were ready. And the new date — April 3 — slipped away for the same reason. If the judges can put maps in place by early next week, it would be at least theoretically possible to hold primaries in late April. If not, the legislative and congressional elections will probably slide to late May.
It was clear from the outset that the attorneys for the various factions — and there are factions within factions on both sides of the courtroom — had not agreed on maps. The state proposed maps last week and won an endorsement from a major plaintiff. But having the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force on board wasn't enough.
The judges didn't reject that proposed map — in fact, they went out of their way to say it hadn't been rejected — but the remaining disagreements over maps prompted them to get the attorneys back into the John Wood Federal Courthouse to try to hammer out a deal.
The judges wanted to know where negotiations stood, and the state started out by saying that there are "insurmountable" differences over coalition districts. The state's position is that the law doesn't require creation of districts where minorities can combine to form majorities and without such a requirement, there's no reason for the state to draw those.
Some of the plaintiffs argued that such districts should be added in Dallas-Fort Worth and other areas of the state. Other plaintiffs argued that the state's proposal unfairly fractures Latino communities. David Mattax, the state's lead attorney, called that a "too cute" way to try to get some new coalition districts into the maps.
He said the creation of new coalition districts is really an attempt to create and protect new Democratic seats. And he said that would mean the Voting Rights Act was being used to protect parties. "That would mean that every single Democratic district in the state of Texas is a protected district," he said.
It didn't take long for the attorneys to start talking about the specific districts that stymied the negotiators. "I'm a little uncomfortable with all of the details that have been exposed here in this discussion," said Jose Garza, an attorney for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
But the details kept coming, in a hearing on proposed districts and how they would and wouldn't affect voters, whether because of race, party or geography.
Mattax said there was no evidence of racial motivations behind the mapping in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But later in the hearing, he was asked how he was supposed to tell the difference, if the effect was the same.
Garza told the court that the state's proposed settlement includes 50 minority opportunity districts — districts where minority voters have the opportunity, in election law parlance, to elect the candidates of their choice — while a map proposed by MALC has 51 such districts. He denied that the group is trying to maximize the number of Latino seats, saying that he could draw a map with 53 or 54 such seats if that were true.
Rick Gray, an attorney for the so-called Perez plaintiffs — told the court that the state never invited his group to the negotiations. He said the state is trying to settle only the claims raised under the Voting Rights Act, while ignoring constitutional claims raised by his group and others. He gave a long presentation of what the maps should look like; for instance, he said, Anglos make up 33 percent of the population in Dallas County, but the state's maps make them dominant in eight of that county’s 14 seats.
Gray said he's not arguing for coalition districts, but he said the number of minority opportunity districts on the maps would increase if fractured minority communities were restored. The judges asked if he wasn't making wholesale changes to the map — the Supreme Court frowned on an earlier map that did just that. And the state pounced on that: Mattax said the state's proposal changed 27 House districts on the maps approved by the Legislature, while Gray's map changed 65. He also argued that for all its changes, Gray's map didn't add any minority districts. Instead, he said, it created new coalition districts that don't have to be there.
Nina Perales, director of litigation for MALDEF — one of the groups that signed off on the state's proposal — said the Legislature's map followed racial lines in several districts. She showed a map of El Paso, saying the districts drawn there were cut on racial lines, ignoring the city's geography and its precinct lines.
She defended a new congressional district in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, saying Congressional District 33 isn't a coalition district, in part because blacks and Latinos "almost always prefer different candidates." She said the Anglos in that district "tend not to participate in very large numbers."
The court circled back to Congressional District 25, which other plaintiffs have tried to protect as a coalition district. Perales said it's not one and because of that, saw no need to try to protect it during the negotiations. "A lot of this is about partisanship," she said. "The task force has striven to stay out of partisanism and incumbent protection."
The judges said the hearing will continue on Wednesday but will end there. If they're to get maps in time for April, election administrators have said they will have to finish by next week.
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Q:
What are the new features of Selenium 3
I use Selenium WebDriver 2.0 in my tests and it release 3.0 is going to be released soon (beta 4 at writing time).
What are the new features of Selenium WebDriver 3.0?
Should I upgrade my tests to the new version of Selenium?
A:
As you know Selenium released 4 beta versions of selenium 3.0 and now going to be release final version ASAP
What are the new features of Selenium3?
Reference link : Selenium Changelog
Firefox is only fully supported at version 47.0.1 or earlier. Support for later versions of firefox is provided by geckodriver, which is based on the evolving W3C WebDriver spec, and uses the wire protocol in that spec, which is liable to change without notice.
You may wish to choose an ESR release such as 45.4.0esr or earlier.
Firefox 47.0.0 is not supported at all.
Other major changes:
Stability fixes in Grid.
All Grid nodes can now offer help
Updated to the latest version of HtmlUnitDriver
Re-enabled log gathering for the standalone server.
Firefox profile is passed to both the legacy FirefoxDriver and geckodriver
Selenium3.X is no longer capable of running Selenium RC directly, rather it does it through emulation and the WebDriverBackedSelenium interface
Should I upgrade my tests to the new version of Selenium?
Yes, if you want to work with latest Mozilla Firefox >= v47.0.1 and try to use new features with Selenium3, you should upgrade your test to new version of selenium.
But I would suggest, you should wait until final version of Selenium3 to be release before upgrade to new version of selenium because beta version may have been many bugs which could create some problem with your test cases.
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A pedestrian walks past a Wall Street subway station near the New York Stock Exchange.
Check out the companies making headlines after the bell on Tuesday:
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers fell nearly 3 percent after the closing bell after the company reported earnings and revenue that missed Wall Street expectations. The hamburger restaurant posted adjusted earnings per share of 46 cents versus analyst projections of 48 cents; revenues totaled $315 million compared with $317 million expected.
The Greenwood Village, Colorado-based company also said comparable restaurant revenues declined 2.6 percent versus a decline of 2.3 percent expected.
Urban Outfitters, which also reported quarterly results Tuesday, rose nearly 4 percent after hours. The company, which retails women's and men's fashion apparel, reported adjusted EPS of 84 cents against Wall Street expectations of 77 cents.
The parent of both the Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie brands said that same-store sales of 13 percent helped drive record second-quarter sales and earnings per share. Revenues were $992 million versus $980 million anticipated.
Pure Storage, a data technology company, rallied 9 percent after the bell. The company, which provides enterprise-class storage and protocol services, reported earnings per share of 1 cents versus expectations of a loss of 6 cents. Revenue totaled $309 million.
The company also said it expects third-quarter revenues of $361 million to $369 million versus $363 million expected by Wall Street.
La-Z-Boy's stock rallied nearly 20 percent after the bell after it reported earnings per share of 34 cents, topping expectations of EPS of 25 cents. Revenues at the upholstery furniture retailer leaped to $385 million against expectations of $368 million.
"We had an excellent start to fiscal 2019, with strong results across the business," said La-Z-Boy chairman Kurt Darrow in a press release.
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Felix Sater and Michael Cohen: Childhood Friends.
Cohen, one of Trump’s personal attorneys, had known Sater since they were teenagers.
I’m curious how these two met. Sater was born in Russia and grew up in the Russian enclave of Brighton Beach as a Mobster’s son. Cohen grew up on Long Island as a doctor’s son. About the only thing the two seem to have in common is that they are both Jewish and roughly the same age.
Sater said he most clearly remembers the beginning of his relationship with Cohen from the time the former Trump Organization attorney began dating his now-wife, whom Sater describes as a girl from his neighborhood of Jewish Soviet expatriates. Cohen told TPM the pair had known each other before then, in their teenage years, and that he hadn’t yet begun dating his wife, reportedly a Ukrainian émigré, when he was in his teens.
Their friendship puts a different light of the chummy emails between the two men in 2015, after Trump announced he was running for president. In the emails, obtained by The New York Times, Sater promised to use his contacts in Russia to help Trump win.
“Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it,” Sater wrote in an email. “I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.”
Cohen had been in negotiations with Sater and foreign investors to build a Trump Tower in Moscow from September 2015 through the end of January 2016. Trump announced he was running for president in June 2015.
In January 2016, when negotiations stalled, Cohen wrote to Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. asking for help. But Mr. Cohen did not appear to have Peskov’s direct email.
Michael Cohen did indeed email Putin flak Peskov…at a general email addy equivalent to the [email protected]. Not Peskov's email.
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High prevalence of endometrial polyps in endometriosis-associated infertility.
In a retrospective study, examination of 431 infertile women (158 cases with endometriosis and 273 without endometriosis) showed a significantly increased frequency of endometrial polyps in patients with endometriotic infertility and no significant differences among different stages and locations of endometriosis. Hysteroscopic polypectomy and removal of endometriotic foci significantly increased the chances of achieving a pregnancy compared with those without polyps.
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[Quantitative patterns of development of community of Pseudomonas aeruginosa dissociants].
The stationary phase of batch culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa dissociants has been described by a variational model of consumption and growth. The generalized entropy functional was used as the objective function. The model parameters include the requirements of the dissociants for the main nutrients: carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The variational model was used to calculate the limiting regions and microbial community composition during stationary growth for different initial combinations of the resources as a function of the limiting resources. A correspondence between the experimental data and model calculations has been demonstrated. A possibility to control the community structure is discussed.
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It is now fair to ask whether the National Rifle Association is winning — or has in fact won — this era of the gun debate in this country.
Gun control advocates have tried to use the horror that exists in the wake of mass shootings to catalyze the public into action around sensible gun restrictions. But rather than these tragedies being a cause for pause in ownership of guns, gun ownership has spiked in the wake of these shootings.
A striking report released Friday by the Pew Research Center revealed that “for the first time, more Americans say that protecting gun rights is more important than controlling gun ownership, 52 percent to 46 percent.”
One of the reasons cited was Americans’ inverse understanding of the reality and perception of crime in this country. As the report spells out, in the 1990s, people’s perception of the prevalence of crime fell in concert with actual instances of violent crime. But since the turn of the century, things have changed: “A majority of Americans (63 percent) said in a Gallup survey last year that crime was on the rise, despite crime statistics holding near 20-year lows.”
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Advertisements
As Chris Christie delusionally continues to believe that he can be president, his former campaign manager says that he personally told him about the GWB lane closures the day before they happened.
According to the New York Daily News:
Gov. Chris Christie’s former campaign manager says he told the governor about plans to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge in December, contradicting Christie’s claims he had no prior knowledge. Bill Stepien, who lost his job in the scandal, contends he told Christie about the GWB traffic plans on Dec. 12, a day before the governor told reporters his staff didn’t know about them.
Advertisements
Meanwhile, Gov. Christie told the Fiscal Summit that he expects Bridgegate to blow over before the 2016 election, “I think this will be a footnote by the time any of these decisions are made.”
As Christie was blowing off Bridgegate, his Wall Street donors were pronouncing him dead, and shopping for another candidate. According to the AP, “Shortly after Christie discussed his White House ambitions in Washington on Wednesday, Republican donors gathered for a hedge fund conference in Las Vegas shared a decidedly pessimistic view of Christie’s presidential prospects. Even self-proclaimed Christie fans said his political brand probably has suffered permanent damage, acknowledging they’ve been forced to look elsewhere for a business-friendly presidential contender.”
To summarize, Chris Christie thinks that he can still be president while the staffers that he threw under the bus are letting the world know that he is a liar. At the same time, Christie’s base of financial support has completely abandoned him and is off looking for another candidate.
If Christie does run for president, it will be a disaster of epic proportions. Much like Mitt Romney did in 2012, Chris Christie seems to have convinced himself that it is his turn to be the Republican nominee. The whole post-Sandy PR image that Christie built up has been destroyed, as the ads that can be used against him write themselves. Because of Bridgegate, Gov. Christie will never be known as a straight talking politician who gets things done and fights for the common man.
It’s over and everybody knows it, except for Chris Christie.
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Tag Archives: scandal
In November 2011, after the whole Penn State scandal blew up, I wrote a little essay on my blog titled “We are…heartbroken.” Shortly after that, I was contacted by a professor at PSU who was interested in putting together a book and wanted to know if my essay could be included. I said yes, and waited.
There were some ups and downs in the process, but the final decision was to fund the project using indiegogo, with all proceeds beyond the cost of the book itself to be donated to RAINN. Here’s the link to the project page, where you can read more of the details:
For a good week or so now, I’ve been struggling to put my feelings about the Penn State scandal into words, wondering if I should even try. I’ve been struggling with the feelings themselves, wondering why it’s hit me so hard.
I didn’t go to Penn State. I don’t live there. I did grow up in Western PA, though, a little over an hour from Happy Valley, in a part of the state that bleeds blue and white. The aunt I idolized is a Penn State grad, as is my grandpa. I thought I’d go there too, until I realized how huge it was and opted for a much, much smaller private school. Several of my cousins went there, as well as countless classmates, and some of my good friends still live there. Penn State is a part of my identity.
When I talked to Rand about this, he said he thought he understood. He said it was kind of like what it felt like being a Bills fan when OJ Simpson was charged with murder. “It’s like they took a piece of your childhood away,” he said.
Yeah, it is kind of like that.
I am a little bit heartbroken.
Something that I think people have failed to notice during all of the uproar, all of the anger, all of the reaction from the media and the Internet, is that people are grieving. Students. Alumni. Citizens. Me.
There doesn’t necessarily have to be a death for people to grieve.
It is unfortunate that some people behaved badly. Some of the things students and fans have said that have been quoted are embarrassing. I imagine some of those people will be embarrassed themselves, after they’ve had time to think, after they’ve been confronted with their words in black and white for all eternity. It’s a shame that those people are all most of the world will see…because most of the Penn Staters I know (and hell, even the ones I don’t) are good people who want to see justice done, to see those who had a hand in this punished, even as it means losing faith in people they believed in. (Oh, Joe Pa…even thinking about it makes me so incredibly sad…)
As I’ve watched events unfold, I have been sad and angry on behalf of my Penn State friends and family when I’ve seen people online mocking the average intelligence of PSU students based on the thoughtless words and actions of a small (but admittedly VERY LOUD) minority. It shouldn’t surprise me…after all, this is what we do, time and time again. I think I will remember this every time I catch myself judging a group based on what a couple of loudmouths with signs are saying.
A little while ago, my friend Jennifer posted a link to this video on Facebook, and that video was the thing that pushed me over the edge to finally write this down. Two of the images stuck with me…both of them what I assume to be students holding signs. One read,
WE ARE….#heartbroken
the other,
WE ARE…going to make this right.
My prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy. First and foremost, of course, with the victims and their families—they should be the main focus here—but also, with everyone else out there whose heart is a little bit broken because of it.
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714 A.2d 322 (1998)
314 N.J. Super. 116
In re the Petition of SINGER ASSET FINANCE COMPANY, L.L.C., for an Order Allowing a Turnover of Barreca Lottery Winnings pursuant to N.J.S.A. 5:9-13.
Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.
Argued April 20, 1998.
Decided May 14, 1998.
Clifford T. Rones, Deputy Attorney General, for appellant New Jersey Division of State Lottery (Peter Verniero, Attorney General, attorney; Joseph L. Yannotti, Assistant Attorney General, of counsel; Brian J. Litten, Deputy Attorney General and Mr. Rones, on the brief).
Moira E. O'Connell, Morristown, for respondent, Singer Asset Finance Company (Catalano and O'Connell, attorneys; Ms. O'Connell, of counsel and on the brief; Margaret F. Catalano, also on the brief).
Before Judges LANDAU, COLLESTER and BILDER.
The opinion of the court was delivered by BILDER, J.A.D. (retired and temporarily assigned on recall).
This case involves the voluntary assignability of state lottery winnings. The sole issue *323 is whether N.J.S.A. 5:9-13, a section of the State Lottery Law, N.J.S.A. 5:9-1 to 5:9-25, permits such assignments.
N.J.S.A. 5:9-13 provides:
No right of any person to a prize drawn shall be assignable, except that payment of any prize drawn may be paid to the estate of a deceased prized winner, and except that any person pursuant to an appropriate judicial order may be paid the prize to which the winner is entitled. The director shall be discharged of all further liability upon payment of a prize pursuant to this section.
On June 18, 1987 Caroline Barreca won a share in a prize of over two million dollars in the New Jersey Lottery. As such she became entitled to receive $63,500 each June for twenty years, i.e., until June 22, 2006. On November 7, 1996 Ms. Barreca entered into an agreement with petitioner Singer Asset Finance Company, L.L.C. in which she agreed to assign to Singer $50,000 of the payments due June 22, 1999 and June 22, 2000 in return for a present payment to her of $72,000. The agreement was conditioned upon the entry of a court order "directing the State Lottery to recognize [the agreement] and to make the Assigned Payments, without reduction or set off (other than income tax withholding), directly to [Singer]" and a "written acknowledgement from the State Lottery * * * confirming that [Ms. Barreca] is the winner of [the assigned prize] and acknowledging the State Lottery's unqualified agreement to make all of the Assigned Payments to [Singer]."
Singer filed a petition in the Law Division in which it sought to proceed summarily for an order to allow the turnover of the assigned portion of Ms. Barreca's prize, an order which it characterized as an "appropriate judicial order" permitted by N.J.S.A. 5:9-13. Over the opposition of the Division of State Lottery, on February 14, 1997 the Law Division entered an order stated to be "entered pursuant to N.J.S.A. 5:9-13," requiring that Singer's assignee[1] be paid the assigned portion of the payments due to Ms. Barreca, ordering that taxes be withheld and credited to Singer's assignee, and requiring the Division of State Lottery to acknowledge in writing that it will unconditionally pay the lottery prize payments in accordance with the order. The Division appeals.
I.
The issue is strictly a question of statutory construction. In the only published opinion concerning this issue, McCabe v. Director N.J. Lottery Commission, 143 N.J.Super. 443, 363 A.2d 387 (Ch.Div.1976), Judge Kimmelman examined N.J.S.A. 5:9-13 and noted that, as an exception to the statutory general rule making the prizes unassignable, the phrase "appropriate judicial order" must be strictly construed so as not to run counter to the general statutory prohibition against assignments. Id. at 447-448, 363 A.2d 387. Reading the phrase in context with the other exception, the death of the prize winner, he concluded that a court order sanctioning an assignment of winnings was limited to circumstances of necessity. Id. at 448, 363 A.2d 387. We agree.
Absent a clear indication to the contrary, language in a statute is to be read in accordance with its plain and ordinary meaning. Service Armament Co. v. Hyland, 70 N.J. 550, 556, 362 A.2d 13 (1976). Our duty is to construe and apply the statute as enacted. We are not at liberty to presume the legislature intended something other than what it expressed by its plain language. This Court will not engage in conjecture or surmise which will circumvent the plain meaning of the act. Gangemi v. Berry, 25 N.J. 1, 10, 134 A.2d 1 (1957). If a litigant is dissatisfied with the manner in which the Legislature has spoken, its recourse lies with that branch, not with this court. In re Jamesburg High School Closing, 83 N.J. 540, 548, 416 A.2d 896 (1980). This is particularly true where, as here, there is no helpful legislative history. See Marotta v. Burgio, 185 N.J.Super. 172, 175-176, 447 A.2d 937 (Law Div.1982).
As Judge Kimmelman correctly noted the disputed language must be read in the context of the whole phrase *324 No right * * * shall be assignable, except that payment * * * may be paid to the estate of a deceased prize winner, and except that any person pursuant to an appropriate judicial order may be paid the prize to which the winner is entitled
and not extended beyond its reasonable bounds. He was applying a well established principle of construction which instructs that general words following specific words are to be construed to be limited by the preceding general wordsejusdem generis. See Denbo v. Moorestown Twp., 23 N.J. 476, 481-482, 129 A.2d 710 (1957). Exceptions in a legislative enactment are to be strictly construed in a manner consistent with the purpose of the law. Service Armament Co. v. Hyland, supra, 70 N.J. at 558-559, 362 A.2d 13.
The Legislature has ordained that the prize rights shall not be assignable and has thereafter carved out exceptions. Read together it can be seen that the two exceptions relate to a common problemextrinsic events necessitating a transfer of the right to receive the moneys. The first exception deals with the death of the recipient. The second exception, read in pari materia, relates to other extrinsic events creating legal necessity, e.g., spousal or child support, equitable distribution. To read the second exception more broadly so as to encompass any reason, voluntary as well as involuntary, as long as there is a court order, as petitioner argues, would permit the exception to overrule the legislative prohibition against assignmentsan unreasonable result. See Beemer v. Solar Oil Co. Sussex, 96 N.J.Super. 50, 58, 232 A.2d 447 (App.Div.1967). Moreover, as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court noted in construing a similar statute, the provision for "an appropriate judicial order" furnishes no standard for the court to follow in acting upon a request for approval of a voluntary assignment. See Lotto Jackpot Won by Marianov, 533 Pa. 402, 406, 625 A.2d 637, 639-640 (1993)(construing similar language in the Pennsylvania Lottery Law). "The absence of a standard is an indication that the construction of the statute permitting a right of assignment with leave of the court is not what the General Assembly intended." Id., 533 Pa. at 406, 625 A.2d at 640.
Although novel to us, the construction of this statutory language is not a novel question. Section 9-13 of the New Jersey Lottery Law is not unique. The same or similar language is found in the laws relating to lotteries conducted by other states. As already noted, other courts have construed the same language to bar voluntary assignments such as petitioner proposes. Singer Friedlander v. State Lottery, 423 Mass. 562, 670 N.E.2d 144 (1996); Lotto Jackpot Won by Marianov, supra; R & P Capital Resources v. State Lottery, 31 Cal.App.4th 1033, 37 Cal.Rptr.2d 436 (1995); Walker v. Rogers, 272 Ill.App.3d 86, 208 Ill.Dec. 815, 650 N.E.2d 272 (1995); Converse v. Lottery Com'n, 56 Wash.App. 431, 783 P.2d 1116 (1989); see also In re La. Lottery Grand Prize Drawing, 643 So.2d 843 (La.Ct.App. 1994); Meyers v. State Lottery Com'n, 34 Ohio App.3d 232, 517 N.E.2d 1029 (1986)[2]; contra Watson v. Lottery Bureau, 224 Mich.App. 639, 569 N.W.2d 878 (1997); but see B P 7 v. Michigan Bureau of State Lottery, 225 Mich.App. 811, 572 N.W.2d 663 (1997)(criticizing Watson).
The rationale for the interpretation which is here espoused finds reflection in the decisions of these other courts.
[The statute's] general prohibition against assignments is clear and unambiguous. It is the exception permitting assignments "pursuant to an appropriate judicial order" which is arguably ambiguous. However, exceptions to the general rule, especially when the general rule is unambiguous, should be strictly construed with any doubts resolved in favor of the general provision, rather than the exception. [Converse, supra, 56 Wash.App. at 434, 783 P.2d at 1118]
The plain language of [the section] that "[n]o right of any person to a prize shall be *325 assignable" provides a general prohibition against assignments. [The assignor's] proposed construction would transform the phrase "appropriate judicial order" to mean with leave of the court. This interpretation would effectively rewrite [the section] to have the exception swallow the general prohibition. [Marianov, supra, 533 Pa. at 406, 625 A.2d at 639]
[A] plain reading of [the section] indicates that the voluntary assignment of winnings is prohibited. Clause one * * *, in clear broad language, absolutely prohibits a lottery winner form assigning his prize winnings. Clause two begins with the language, "Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Section", which does indicate that clause two is an exception to clause one, but as other courts have noted, it is unusual for an exception to completely negate the rule. Clause two states that "any person pursuant to an appropriate judicial order may be paid the prize to which the winner is entitled." * * * Because clause two is an exception to the general rule prohibiting assignments, it must be narrowly construed. We interpret clause two as applying to judicial orders entered in separate proceeding where disposition of a lottery prize is an appropriate remedy, such as an order directing payment of prize winnings to a former spouse as part of an equitable distribution or spousal support in a marital dissolution case, for a child support arrearage, or a garnishment order allowing a debtor to satisfy a judgment from a debtor-lottery winner. (citations omitted) [Walker, supra, 272 Ill.App.3d at 92-93, 208 Ill.Dec. at 819, 650 N.E.2d at 276]
If the `appropriate judicial order' exception were to freely permit voluntary assignments for any reason with leave of the court, the exception would entirely swallow the general rule that `[n]o right of any person to a prize shall be assignable.' Such a construction is contrary to the principle that statutory exceptions should be construed narrowly....
* * * * * *
Finally, plaintiff's interpretation is weakened by the fact that the statute provides absolutely no standards by which the Court could determine when it would be `appropriate' for it to grant a judicial order allowing a voluntary prize assignment. A construction of [the section] which would grant the Court broad authority to allow or disallow assignments without any standards for making such decisions is not a reasonable construction and is therefore to be avoided. [Singer Friedlander, supra, 423 Mass. at 565-566, 670 N.E.2d at 146 (citations omitted) ]
In addition to its contention that the plain language of N.J.S.A. 5:9-13 forbids voluntary assignments, the Division has pointed out that the prohibition serves an important public purpose by avoiding the administrative burden that would be created by the need to recognize assignments. Although our conclusion as to the plain meaning of N.J.S.A. 5:9-13 makes it unnecessary to seek unstated legislative purposes, particularly in the absence of any meaningful legislative history, it is useful to note that judicial recognition has already been given to the concept that a "clear legislative purpose [of the Lottery Law] was to keep the administrative machinery geared for the payment of winnings as simple and as efficient as possible." Karafa v. N.J. State Lottery Comm., 129 N.J.Super. 499, 504, 324 A.2d 97 (Ch.Div.1974).
As the Washington court noted in rejecting an assignability interpretation, "nothing would prevent a lottery winner from assigning his winnings to a number of parties, thereby burdening the Lottery with the administrative expense involved in parceling out the winner's annual payment to various assignees." Converse v. Lottery Com'n, supra, 56 Wash.App. at 434, 783 P.2d at 1118. Such fractionalization is present in the proposed assignment, which seeks to transfer the right to receive a portion of the winner's share for only two of the entitlement years. Moreover, an order such as that being appealed from can give rise to serious legal problems for the Lottery Division should a prize winner become in arrears of a child support order so that the assigned right to a *326 lottery prize becomes subject to the withholding provisions of N.J.S.A. 5:9-13.5.
Finally, the Division contends that the general assignability of prize winnings may, if sufficiently pervasive, create an established market for such future benefits and raise the specter of federal taxation of all lottery winnings based on the present value on the date the prize is won, a consequence the Division foresees as disastrous to the continuation of the lottery program. The record is inadequate for us to fully evaluate this contention but we recognize it as an issue within the competence of the Division and appropriate for its concern. Its view should be given considerable weight. See Metromedia, Inc. v. Director, Div. of Taxation, 97 N.J. 313, 327, 478 A.2d 742 (1984).
II.
It is apparently undenied that the Law Division has entered a substantial number of orders, perhaps as many as 200, permitting assignments such as that made by Ms. Barreca, and that the Division, while opposing those applications, has until now not appealed. Singer contends that the entry of these orders without appeal has established its legal right to obtain such assignments. It seeks to apply the principle of offensive collateral estoppel to bar the Division from contending that N.J.S.A. 5:9-13 forbids voluntary assignments. We are satisfied this contention should be rejected substantially for the reasons given by the trial judge in a written opinion of May 21, 1997, incorporated by reference in his oral opinion of June 13, 1997.[3] As the trial judge correctly noted, the Division never acquiesced but consistently opposed the applications; the determinations permitting the assignments were inconsistent with the determination made in McCabe v. Director N.J. Lottery Commission, supra; and the issue is purely one of law which must be subject to reconsideration by an appellate court. See Kortenhaus v. Eli Lilly & Co., 228 N.J.Super. 162, 165-166, 549 A.2d 437 (App.Div.1988). Moreover, we are satisfied that even if the Division had failed to oppose the earlier applications, it could not have thereby nullified a legislative enactment by acquiescence in its violation. See Township of Fairfield v. Likanchuk's, 274 N.J.Super. 320, 331-332, 644 A.2d 120 (App.Div.1994).
It is important to note at this juncture that although the Division is not precluded by the prior orders from asserting its position that lottery winnings are non-assignable as to new applications, as to past orders its failure to appeal makes those orders final and enforceable by the assignee against the Division. This is analogous to the "intermediate situation" discussed by Justice (then Judge) Weintraub in Jantausch v. Borough of Verona, 41 N.J.Super. 89, 94-95, 124 A.2d 14 (Law Div.1956), aff'd, 24 N.J. 326, 131 A.2d 881 (1957).
Reversed.
NOTES
[1] Singer assigned its right to receive the moneys to an entity entitled Lottery Receivables Trust I.
[2] In passing on a lottery statute that did not contain an express prohibition on voluntary assignment, the Vermont Supreme Court noted that where a statute, like New Jersey's, bars such assignment, "[i]n each instance, the [numerous appellate courts interpreting the language have] adopted a narrow interpretation of the [appropriate judicial order] language." Lemieux v. Tri-State Lotto Com'n, 164 Vt. 110, 666 A.2d 1170, 1173 (1995).
[3] In an oral opinion of June 13, 1997, the trial judge incorporated by reference a more exhaustive written opinion of May 21, 1997, filed in a matter entitled "IN THE MATTER OF THE CONSOLIDATED PETITIONS FOR AN ORDER ALLOWING THE TURNOVER OF A PORTION OF THE LOTTERY WINNINGS OF VARIOUS LOTTERY WINNERS."
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People dance at a square during a culture and tourism festival themed on Dolan and Qiuci culture in Awat County of Aksu Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on October 25. Phont:Xinhua
The US House of Representatives passed the so-called Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 on Wednesday morning Beijing time. The bill requires the Trump administration to publicly denounce China's policy toward the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, impose sanctions on Xinjiang officials under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, and restrict exports of technologies to Xinjiang, unscrupulously attempting to exercise long-arm jurisdiction over Xinjiang.This is an intervention bill, but only a paper tiger without one particular lever that can actually impact the governance in Xinjiang. The US Congress is becoming a machine, producing sleazy China-related bills which can only entertain themselves.China's governance in Xinjiang is effective, which has immensely curbed terrorism and made great progress in de-radicalization. Xinjiang is getting increasingly better day by day; peace and prosperity are reappearing in the vast region. We should maintain such a stable situation and ignore those anti-China politicians in the US Congress. They need to know how powerless they are. Yes, they are despised like clowns by the Chinese people.Regarding China-related issues, the US Congress is turning itself into an ideological institution, and a show field that cooperates with Western media to discredit China. US lawmakers are grabbing the job of some commentators to discuss China issues to raise ratings.US political elites are increasingly enchanted by launching public opinion wars against China, as this is what they are best at, and its cost is quite low. It can also help release their anti-China sentiment and produce a "sense of accomplishment."China should be prepared for a long-term battle with the US. Faced with the force of US opinion machines toward an anti-China direction, we must pinpoint the parts that may cause actual harm, and despise those full of bubbles. We must deal with them seriously, but not be overly devoted. Robustness is golden.The most fundamental way to defeat slander against Xinjiang affairs by certain US and Western forces is to govern the region well, maintain the current trend of stability and development, strengthen protections of the rights and interests of the people of all ethnic groups. If Xinjiang is indeed getting better, all sorts of defamation will lose their foundation.China should take strong countermeasures on US interference in Xinjiang. On one hand, the real facts and true information about Xinjiang need to be spread to the world. By doing so, more people will understand the necessity and rationale behind the work of de-extremism in Xinjiang. On the other hand, we must fight back at the US. Even though it might not change what the US has done, it can still be a warning to other countries, making them think twice about the price they will pay by following the US.The US has run out of cards against China. As long as China analyses the impact that the US has caused wisely and adopts countermeasures properly, it will be easy to get around this unfavorable situation. The most important thing for China is not to let the US get under its skin, and secure the strong momentum for its development. In a few decades, when China's economy is as powerful as that of the US, the US will not and cannot sanction China anymore. To fight its way out, China can only do so by its own strength.Enduring the hardships to revive is a lesson that Chinese already learned thousands of years ago. China's prosperity in the future will be the best response to US provocation.
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Q:
Laravel 4 - Update Div Using Ajax
I'm using Laravel 4 and am trying to update a (#articles) div with the new articles that are retrieved from an ajax request. When I inspect the page and view the Network section, I can see the POST requests being fired off and it's not showing any errors (eg, articles appear to be returned). However, unfortunately, the #articles div is not being updated with the new information. Yet, if I do a browser refresh, the new articles are displayed.
Routes.php
Route::any("/dashboard/latest_sa", [
"as" => "dashboard/latest_sa",
"uses" => "DashboardController@latest_sa"
]);
controllers/DashboardController.php
Class DashboardController extends \BaseController
{
...
protected function latest_sa()
{
if( Request::ajax() )
{
// called via ajax
$articles = Articles::orderBy('published_at', 'desc')->paginate(20);
return json_decode($articles);
}
else
{
// fresh page load
$articles = Articles::orderBy('published_at', 'desc')->paginate(20);
return $articles;
}
}
...
}
app/views/dashboard/default.blade.php
...
@section("content")
// defined in /public/js/main.js
<script type="text/javascript">
callServer();
</script>
<div class="col-xs-4 col-sm-4 col-md-4 col-lg-4">
<h4>Latest Articles</h4>
<div class="articles">
<ul>
@foreach ($articles as $article)
<li>
<img src="{{ $article->user_image }}" alt="{{ $article->article_title }}" />
<a href="{{ $article->article_link }}">{{ $article->article_title }}</a>
<div class="details">
<span class="author">{{ $article->author_name }}</span>
<span class="created">{{ Helpers::time_ago($article->published_at) }}</span>
<span class="symbol"><a href ="{{ $article->symbol_link }}">{{ $article->symbol_title }}</a></span>
</div>
</li>
@endforeach
</ul>
</div>
{{ $articles->links() }}
</div>
...
/public/js/main.js
function callServer()
{
setInterval(function(){
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "dashboard/latest_sa",
success:function(articles)
{
$(".articles").html(articles);
}
});
},5000);
}
JS is hardly my strong suit, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here.
And, for clarity sake, the reason why I'm trying to update all of the articles in the div is so that the Helpers::time_ago method also gets called, instead of just fetching the new articles. This way, it properly shows how long ago the article was published (eg, less than a minute ago, a minute ago, a hour ago, a day ago, etc) without refreshing the page. Essentially, I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone; update the div with the most recent articles, and update the remaining article's published_at attribute using my Helpers::time_ago method. If there is a more effective / efficient way of doing this, feel free to correct me. This seems rather crude, but since it's only for personal use and will never be used for commercial purposes, it suits my needs (not that that excuses bad code).
Nonetheless, from my fairly basic understanding, the JS should be doing the following steps:
1) Fire a POST request off to the /dashboard/latest_sa route
2) Execute the DashboardController@latest_sa action
3) Return a DB collection of all $articles ordered by the latest published date, and paginated
4) Pass the $articles collection back to the JS success attribute (as articles)
5) Fire the anonymous function, with the articles collection as an argument
6) Update the corresponding inner HTML with the results from the articles collection
The logic sounds right, so I'm pretty sure this is going to be a human error (98% of the time it is, after all. lol). Hopefully, someone here will be able to see the (probably glaring) problem in the logic and point me in the right direction.
In the meantime, I'm going to keep toying around with it.
I look forward to your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. TIA.
EDIT:
Well, I found one of the problems; the articles div is a class, and in the JS I'm referring to it as an id. I fixed that, and now after the timeInterval, the article's div is "updated" but no results are being displayed (none, zippo, nadda).
Yet, if I directly access the /dashboard/latest_sa URI I get the valid JSON response that I'm expecting. So, albeit I am closer, I am still missing something.
EDIT 2:
Okay, in the controller, I made some changes which can be seen above, where I am now doing a json_decode on the $articles, before returning them to be passed into the view. With that in place, the articles are showing back up again after the timeInterval has elapsed, however, the new articles and the published_at for the existing articles are not being updated. After reviewing Inspect -> Network, it shows that the server is responding with a 500 Internal Server Error from the ajax POST request.
Hrm... Seems like I'm going in circles. Sounds like a good time to take a break and go for a walk. ;)
EDIT 3:
Well, I modified my Helpers class and added in the following method to check if the $article is a json object.
public static function isJson($string)
{
json_decode($string);
return (json_last_error() == JSON_ERROR_NONE);
}
app/views/dashboard/index.blade.php
@foreach ($articles as $article)
<?php
if( Helpers::isJson($article) )
{
$article = json_decode($article);
// dd($article) // when uncommented it returns a valid PHP object
}
?>
<!-- Iterate over the article object and output the data as shown above... -->
@endforeach
As you can see, (for the time being) inside of my view's foreach($articles as $article), I run Helpers::isJson($article) as a test and decode the object if it is json. This has enabled me to get passed the 500 Internal Server Error message, populate the articles div with the results on the initial load, and after the ajax POST request is fired off, I'm getting back a server response of 200 OK according to Inspect -> Network. However, after it updates the div, it doesn't show any articles.
Around, and around I go... I think it's time I take that break I keep murmuring about. ;)
Any thoughts, suggestions and / or ideas are greatly welcomed and appreciated.
A:
At first, you should know that, when you return a collection from the controller/route, the response automatically turns in to a json response so, you don't need to use json_decode() and it won't work, instead, you may try something like this (from your controller for ajax):
$articles = Articles::orderBy('published_at', 'desc')->paginate(20);
return View::make('defaultAjax')->with('articles', $articles);
Since building the HTML in the client side using the json data received from server side would be tough for you so, you may return HTML from the server with the generated view instead of json, so you may try something like this in your success handler:
success:function(articles) {
$(".articles").html(articles);
}
Now create a view for ajax response without extending the template like this:
//defaultAjax.blade.php used in the controller for ajax response
<ul>
@foreach ($articles as $article)
<li>
<img src="{{ $article->user_image }}" alt="{{ $article->article_title }}" />
<a href="{{ $article->article_link }}">{{ $article->article_title }}</a>
<div class="details">
<span class="author">{{ $article->author_name }}</span>
<span class="created">{{ Helpers::time_ago($article->published_at) }}</span>
<span class="symbol"><a href ="{{ $article->symbol_link }}">{{ $article->symbol_title }}</a></span>
</div>
</li>
@endforeach
</ul>
{{ $articles->links() }}
Notice, there is no @extendds() or @section(), just plain partial view, so it'll be rendered without the template and you can insert the ul inside the .articles div. That's it.
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Q:
Array, toString?
So what im trying to do is print out this array.
coins[0] = new Coin(CoinName.PENNY, 2011);
coins[1] = new Coin(CoinName.DIME, 1952);
coins[2] = new Coin(CoinName.DOLLAR, 1999);
coins[3] = new Coin(CoinName.NICKEL, 2004);
coins[4] = new Coin(CoinName.DIME, 1952);
coins[5] = new Coin(CoinName.DOLLAR, 1945);
coins[6] = new Coin(CoinName.PENNY, 2011);
coins[7] = new Coin(CoinName.QUARTER, 1961);
coins[8] = new Coin(CoinName.NICKEL, 1983);
coins[9] = new Coin(CoinName.FIFTY_CENT, 1963);
but I know i can use the Arrays.toString method, but I cannot use it this time.
I have to use my own method named
public String toString()
this is how it needs to be set up completely, and the instructions for how to do it are in a comment.
//the standard toString method that returns a String listing all the coins in the jar, in their current order
public String toString()
{
return ???;
}
the initialization of the array is in a method called CoinJar(Coin[] coins) but is within the same class.
Im not sure if im asking this question right, if you guys need any specifics please ask.
A:
EDITED WITH A COMPLETE EXAMPLE
Your Coin class should look something like this:
public class Coin {
private CoinName coinName;
private int year;
public Coin(CoinName coinName, int year) {
this.coinName = coinName;
this.year = year;
}
@Override
public String toString() {
return coinName + " " + year;
}
}
The method you don't know what to put in is in there, I made this class to test the answer I'm posting:
public class CoinContainer {
private Coin[] coins;
public CoinContainer() {
coins = new Coin[10];
coins[0] = new Coin(CoinName.PENNY, 2011);
coins[1] = new Coin(CoinName.DIME, 1952);
coins[2] = new Coin(CoinName.DOLLAR, 1999);
coins[3] = new Coin(CoinName.NICKEL, 2004);
coins[4] = new Coin(CoinName.DIME, 1952);
coins[5] = new Coin(CoinName.DOLLAR, 1945);
coins[6] = new Coin(CoinName.PENNY, 2011);
coins[7] = new Coin(CoinName.QUARTER, 1961);
coins[8] = new Coin(CoinName.NICKEL, 1983);
coins[9] = new Coin(CoinName.FIFTY_CENT, 1963);
}
@Override
public String toString() {
String myString = "";
for(Coin coin : coins) {
myString += coin + "\n";
}
return myString;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
CoinContainer coinContainer = new CoinContainer();
System.out.println(coinContainer);
}
}
Finally, for the sake of having a complete answer, your CoinName Enum probably looks something like this:
public enum CoinName {
PENNY,
DIME,
DOLLAR,
NICKEL,
QUARTER,
FIFTY_CENT
}
I tested it and everything works. Here is the output I'm getting:
PENNY 2011
DIME 1952
DOLLAR 1999
NICKEL 2004
DIME 1952
DOLLAR 1945
PENNY 2011
QUARTER 1961
NICKEL 1983
FIFTY_CENT 1963
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organopolysiloxane composition for molding purposes used for producing a molding matrix, which upon curing displays superior mold releasability relative to casting resin materials such as urethane resins, epoxy resins, dicyclopentadiene resins and polyester resins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The production from an original mold of a silicone rubber matrix from an organopolysiloxane composition, and the subsequent injection of a material such as a urethane resin, an epoxy resin, a dicyclopentadiene resin or a polyester resin into this matrix to form a resin molded replica product is a well-known technique. In recent years, resin molded products produced in this manner have been supplied for use in automobile components and household electrical components, and the characteristics of such resin molded products are being given serious consideration. As a result, the improvements in the characteristics of the casting resins have been quite dramatic, although unfortunately these improvements have resulted in a deterioration in the durability of the silicone rubber matrix, and the number of replica products that can be produced from a single matrix has decreased. Consequently, improvements in durability of the mold releasability (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cmold release durabilityxe2x80x9d) or mold durability of the silicone rubber matrix with respect to these resins have been keenly sought.
An improvement in mold release durability upon addition of an alkali metal hydroxide to a silicone composition is disclosed in (Japanese) Laid-open publication (kokai) No. 4-216864 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,795, whereas in (Japanese) Laid-open publication No. 5-279571, an improvement in mold releasability is disclosed for compositions incorporating a compound selected from the group consisting of an organotin compound, an organotitanium compound and an imidazole derivative. A technique for improving polyester mold durability using a radical scavenger is disclosed in (Japanese) Laid-open publication No. 11-158385 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,327 and EP 0 905 196 A2. However, even with these modifications, the mold durability is still not entirely satisfactory. A composition using a polyfunctional cross-linking agent and a difunctional cross-linking agent is also disclosed in (Japanese) Laid-open publication No. 11-158385. However, the proportion of the difunctional cross-linking agent within the combined total of the cross-linking agents cannot be ascertained from the content of the above publication, and there is no indication that a combination of polyfunctional and difunctional chain extending agents produces superior mold release durability.
An object of the present invention is to provide an organopolysiloxane composition for molding purposes which displays superior mold releasability relative to materials such as urethane resins, epoxy resins, dicyclopentadiene resins and polyester resins.
The inventors of the present invention discovered that by combining a polyfunctional cross-linking agent and a difunctional cross-linking agent as a chain lengthening agent within an organopolysiloxane composition, and moreover by ensuring that the number of SiH groups within the difunctional cross-linking agent accounted for 20 to 70 mol % of the total number of SiH groups within the combined cross-linking agent, a composition could be produced which conformed to the above object, and as a result were able to complete the present invention.
In other words, the present invention provides an organopolysiloxane composition for molding purposes comprising
(A) an organopolysiloxane with at least two alkenyl groups bonded to silicon atoms in a single molecule, having a viscosity at 25xc2x0 C. of 0.05 to 100 Paxc2x7s,
(B) a straight chain organopolysiloxane with a hydrogen atom bonded to a silicon atom at both terminals and with no aliphatic unsaturated bonds within the molecule, having a viscosity at 25xc2x0 C. of 0.001 to 1.0 Paxc2x7s,
(C) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane with at least three hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms within a single molecule and comprising a RHSiO unit and a R2XSiO1/2 unit (wherein R is an unsubstituted or a substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group with no alkenyl groups, and X represents a hydrogen atom or a group represented by R as defined above) within the molecule as essential components, having a viscosity at 25xc2x0 C. of 0.001 to 1.0 Paxc2x7s,
(D) an effective quantity of a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst,
(E) no more than 50 parts by weight of a finely powdered silica with a specific surface area of at least 50 m2/g per 100 parts by weight of the constituent (A), and
(F) 0 to 20 parts by weight of a non-functional organopolysiloxane having a viscosity at 25xc2x0 C. of 0.01 to 500 Paxc2x7s per 100 parts by weight of the constituent (A), wherein
the total number of hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms within the aforementioned constituent (B) and constituent (C) is in a range of 1 to 5 atoms per alkenyl group within the aforementioned constituent (A), and the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms within the constituent (B) accounts for 20 to 70 mol % of the combined number of hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms within the constituent (B) and the constituent (C).
An organopolysiloxane composition for molding purposes according to the present invention displays superior mold releasability relative to materials such as urethane resins, epoxy resins, dicyclopentadiene resins and polyester resins, and moreover also displays superior elongation at shearing and tear strength and can be suitably used as a highly durable mold composition.
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657 F.2d 265
Sidell, In re
80-5023
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Second Circuit
3/16/81
1
W.D.N.Y.
2
AFFIRMED*
*
Oral opinion delivered in open court in the belief that no jurisprudential purpose would be served by a written opinion. An oral opinion or a summary order is not citable as precedent. Local Rule Sec. 0.23
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Q:
Migration of Virtual Machines using SCVMM error 1612
The situation is as follows: I have installed SCVMM on our Windows Server 2008. I can create VMs fine, use them, etc. Everything works fine with the VMs themselves. However, if I decide to do the following: Migration of an existing VM, Cloning an existing VM or creating a new VM based on an existing VM's VHD, the SCVMM console loses connection with an error 1612 message and has to start, thus failing the job.
When the console restarts, the job log indicates that the operation was aborted because the console restarted (Error 1700), so that doesn't really help.
I search a lot but I still can't find anything related to this issue. Has anyone encountered the same problem? Or does anyone have a solution or other information that could help me solve this problem?
Thanks
A:
Philippe-
Take a look at the following KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;969269
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This is pretty cool. I'm impressed with the work you've done.
I don't see any derivational principles for particular lexemes. I'm
reminded somewhat of blisssymbolics, which combines a small number of
graphemes to create complex characters for individual meanings. If I
had to coin or create a word for, say, wombat, how would I do it in
Neoglyphics?
If there's a separate, distinct, and mostly unpredictable character
for every single lexeme, I think this might get mighty cumbersome
mighty quickly. I don't know of any logographic languages that work
that way, and the only ideographic language I know of (blisssymbolics)
certainly doesn't.
I'm not saying Neoglyphics is cumbersome or won't work; I don't want
to dissuade you from working on it. It's fascinating. I'm just
wondering how you'll deal with "wombat" and "fungus" and
"polyagglutinative" and "dirigible."
On Sun, Feb 28, 2010 at 4:19 PM, Gary Shannon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> This page has been converted to PDF so the whole font embedding issue
> goes away. All glyphs should now display properly on all systems.
>
> --gary
>
> On Sat, Feb 27, 2010 at 1:10 PM, Gary Shannon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 77 sentences in Neoglyphic in self-learning format. How well can you read it?
>>
>> http://fiziwig.com/conlang/neoglyph/mcguffy_1.html
>>
>> --gary
>>
>
--
I have stretched ropes from steeple to steeple; garlands from window
to window; golden chains from star to star, and I dance. --Arthur
Rimbaud
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Setefano Cakau
Setefano Cakau (born November 3, 1978) is a Fiji Rugby union player. He plays for Prisons club in the BP Oil sevens series competition which is one of the biggest sporting events in Fiji, similar to the IRB Sevens World Series, and has also been included in the Fiji Sevens team.
In the Fifteens version of the game, he plays as a Flanker and has represented Namosi several times in the Digicel Cup and he also plays for the Coastal Stallions in the Colonial Cup.
Cakau turned out for Jaffna Challengers in Sri Lanka's Carlton Sevens Tournament in 2012.
He currently turns out for Navy Sports Club in the Sri Lankan Premier Rugby League whose team is captained by Yoshitha Rajapakse the Sri Lankan Rugby Captain and son of the Sri Lankan President. He is playing his trade in Sri Lanka as a first inside Centre and his combination with fellow Fijian Taniela Rawaqa has made the side a strong force.
Career highlights
Fiji Sevens 2003–present
Prisons club 2002, 2007
IRB Sevens World Series - 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
Jaffna Challengers,Sri Lanka Carlton Sevens Champions 2012
References
Fiji Rugby website
Teivovo website
Category:1978 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Rewa Province
Category:Fijian soldiers
Category:Fijian rugby union players
Category:Rugby union flankers
Category:Male rugby sevens players
Category:Fijian expatriate rugby union players
Category:Expatriate rugby union players in Sri Lanka
Category:Fijian expatriate sportspeople in Sri Lanka
Category:I-Taukei Fijian people
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Q:
Android pending intents issue and global class
So, my app, has multiple activities.
One of them displays a list of messages (retrieved from a local SQLite).
I also have a GlobalClass that extends Application and I use it in order to store some values between activities.
Like this:
import android.app.Application;
public class GlobalClass extends Application {
private String uzid;
...
public String getUzer() {
return uzid;
}
public void setUzer(String aUzer) {
uzid = aUzer;
}
My app, of course has a login page, where user authenticates itself before gaining access to the app. When he does that, I set a userId integer in my GlobalClass with the id number of the logged user.
Until now, nothing fancy.
I also have a sync adapter that checks for new messages on a remote server and synchronizes the 2 tables (local and remote). And when the sync adapter finds new messages on the remote server, it generates an Android Notification. When user clicks on the notification, my app opens and the activity with the inbox shows up displaying all messages.
I noticed that from time to time, my globalClass userID is empty, even though when I start the app, you cannot get passed the login activity without setting it.
So the app absolutelly sets this globalClass value.
So my guess is that when my android notification is clicked, and the activity with the message list is shown, somehow the globalClass is re-initialized ?!?!?!?!
Is there any way of making sure this does not happen?
I really need my user to be able to use the app just like never happened when he starts it from the notification bar by clicking on the notification.
I mean, the user logs in, GlobalClass userId is being set, then the app goes on. After a a while it enters pause, display shuts down, then a new message arrives and a notification is shown. The user clicks it and my app is brought back to the display showing messages, but the userId is null now.
Why?
And how to prevent this?
This is how I show the notification when a new message is found in the syncAdapter:
Intent intent = new Intent(context, MesajeActivity.class);
PendingIntent pIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, i, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT); //(context, 0, intent, 0);
// Build notification
Notification noti = new Notification.Builder(context)
.setContentTitle("Message from "+ self.getSursanume())
.setContentText(self.getTitlu()).setSmallIcon(R.drawable.new_50)
.setContentIntent(pIntent)
.build();
NotificationManager notificationManager;
notificationManager = (NotificationManager) context.getSystemService(context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
// hide the notification after its selected
noti.flags |= Notification.FLAG_AUTO_CANCEL;
noti.defaults |= Notification.DEFAULT_VIBRATE;
noti.sound = Uri.parse("android.resource://" + context.getPackageName() + "/" + R.raw.htc4);
noti.number = i;
notificationManager.notify(i, noti);
What is wrong here?
I use the current user id (found in GlobalClass) to identify the messages that are intended for the current user, so in onCreate, and also in onResume I instantiate my GlobalClass and retrieve the userID. But this crashes my app. Because sometimes when entering the app from the notification, my global variable "userID" is NULL.
How do I make this problem go away?
Thank you
A:
I noticed that from time to time, my globalClass userID is empty, even though when I start the app, you cannot get passed the login activity without setting it. So the app absolutelly sets this globalClass value.
First, your app may not be started to launch an activity (e.g., app started to send a command to a service).
Second, your app may not be started to launch your login activity (e.g., user came back to you from recent-tasks list).
So my guess is that when my android notification is clicked, and the activity with the message list is shown, somehow the globalClass is re-initialized ?!?!?!?!
Your process was terminated in between invocations. This is perfectly normal.
Is there any way of making sure this does not happen?
Not really. Processes go away all the time, on all operating systems, for any number of reasons (e.g., crashes, manual termination by the user).
I really need my user to be able to use the app just like never happened when he starts it from the notification bar by clicking on the notification.
Then you are going to need to persist your data. Static data members, including custom Application objects, are only a cache.
Or, rather than having a "login activity", have it be some sort of fragment that you can display in any of your activities when authentication is needed.
Or, have your Notification route to the "login activity", which would determine that authentication is not needed and forwards the user along to the end destination. If, OTOH, authentication is needed, the "login activity" handles this, then forwards the user along to the end destination.
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PLEASE NOTE: This item has a planned arrival date of March 2018 and is only available for PRE-ORDER at this time.
Orders are not shipped until complete. If you wish to receive in-stock items prior to pre-ordered items, you must place separate orders.
Arrival dates are subject to change. Consider them to be estimates as manufacturers frequently revise them.
Credit Cards are not billed until time of shipment. Check or PayPal payment (not recommended) is required at time of order.
Celebrating the Grim Reapers 60th Anniversary on 1 May 2012, VF-101 was reactivated and redesignated as Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101), with a homeport change from NAS Oceana, Virginia to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. VFA-101 again serves as a U.S. Navy Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), this time for the F-35C Lightning II, the Navy variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) which will serve the US Navy and US Marine Corps from the flight decks of aircraft carriers.
Designed to meet the US Military's requirement for a multi-role Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35 was first flown on December 15, 2006. This single-seat fighter is one of the most advanced aircraft of our time, said to be four times more effective at air-to-air combat and eight times more effective at air-to-ground combat than any other existing aircraft. It uses a low-maintenance stealth technology, and some versions have an innovative Lift System, which gives the F-35 vertical take-off and landing capabilities. The US plans to buy a total of 2,443 F-35s at a cost of $323 billion, which makes the F-35 the most expensive defense program in history.
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Can a doctor legally charge $200.00 to fill out SSDI forms? These are forms regarding my medical conditions, not the actual SSDI forms. The women I handed them to said it doesn't take more than 45 minutes or so to fill out. Doesn't that seem a bit extreme? I wouldn't mind paying even $50.00, but when the secretary said $200 this morning I almost fell over.
You should knowAnswers to your question are meant to provide general health information but should not replace medical advice you receive from a doctor. No answers should be viewed as a diagnosis or recommended treatment for a condition. Content posted by community members does not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media, which also reserves the right to remove material deemed inappropriate.
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Q:
Calculate correlation coefficient for discrete random variable
From a population consisting of the numbers: $\lbrace 1,2 \ldots 10 \rbrace$, two samples are chosen from it without replacement. If the random variable denoting the first choice is X and the second choice is $Y$, what is the correlation coefficient ($\rho$) between $X$ and $Y$
A:
Assuming $X$ is uniform on $\{1, 2, \dots, 10\}$ we have
$$
\mathbb E X = \frac{1 + 2 + \dots + 10}{10} = 5.5, \quad \mathbb{V}ar X = \frac{1^2 + \dots + 10^2}{10} - \mathbb E X^2 = 8.25.
$$
To compute the expected value of $Y$ write
$$
\mathbb E Y = \sum_{x \in [10]} \mathbb E[Y ~|~ X=x] \mathbb{P}(X = x),
$$
where $[n] := \{1, 2, \dots, n \}.$ Let us first compute $\mathbb E Y:$
$$
\mathbb E Y = \frac 1{10}\left[\frac {1 + \dots + 9}{9} + \dots + \frac{2 + \dots + 10}{9}\right] = \frac{55}{10} = 5.5.
$$
$$
\mathbb Var Y = \frac 1{10}\left[\frac {1^2 + \dots + 9^2}{9} + \dots + \frac{2^2 + \dots + 10^2}{9}\right] - \mathbb E Y^2 = 8.25
$$
For $\mathbb E XY$ we have
$$
\mathbb E XY = \frac{1}{10}\left[\frac{1 + 2 + \dots + 10}{9\cdot 10} \cdot \sum_{x, y \in [10] \setminus x} y \right] = 30.25.
$$
Hence,
$$
\rho(X, Y) = \frac{\mathbb Cov(X, Y)}{\sqrt{\mathbb Var X \mathbb Var Y}} = \frac{30.25 - 5.5^2}{8.25} = 0.
$$
As for me, it is counterintuitive that the answer is $0$ and I suspect that there must be much simpler solution.
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Download Film Baaghi (2016) Subtitle Indonesia
Baaghi is the story of Ronny, a man rebels from Delhi. He met Sia tomboy when new registration academy. Familiarity was established. Ronny friendship with a campus Raghav disturbed when Raghav is in love with Sia.
Years later Ronny know that Sia was abducted and he was asked to help rescue in Thailand. There, he must deal with his nemesis.
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mit
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Q:
How does this recursion work in python?
I watched a video a couple of hours ago on recursion in python and then recreated the program which was made in the video so it worked in my version of Python. The code works but there is a bit I don't understand fully and what it is doing.
def lower(s):
s = s.lower()
return s
def isPal(s):
if len(s) <= 1:
return True
else:
return s[0] == s[-1] and isPal(s[1:-1])
def isPalindrome(s):
if isPal(lower(s)) == True:
print("{0} is a palindrome".format(s))
The part which I am having an issue with is the
return s[0] == s[-1] and isPal(s[1:-1])
What I am wondering is why are they being returned and also why is it s[1:-1] and not s[0:-1] if you think you know of any good places which would help simplify recursions for me feel free to share them. Thanks in advance.
A:
why is it s[1:-1] and not s[0:-1]
s[1:-1] returns s with the first and last element chopped off. s[0:-1] returns s with just the last element chopped off.
You need to chop off both ends to preserve the palindrome property (if it is a palindrome), which is that elements equidistant from the middle are identical. If you chop off only one end, you move the middle, which would (in the general case) destroy that invariant.
This goes to the heart of self recursion: you do a thing, then you delegate a simpler case which has the same properties.
Why return s[0] == s[-1] and isPal(s[1:-1])
This is being returned because it first checks that the first and last elements have the palindrome property (as above) AND that the next "layer" also has that property. If the outer pair is not equal it is not a palindrome, and False will be returned; if it is true, the recursive step is taken, and if that is True, the expression as a whole returns True.
A:
Imagine you have the word 'kayak'
The program will look if :
'k' == 'k' if yes the program will call the function with : 'aya'
Then the program will look if 'a' == 'a' if yes the program will call the function with 'y'
Then it's only one letter, So the program returns True
A:
This is where the magic happens:
return (s[0] == s[-1]) and isPal(s[1:-1])
(I have added parentheses, so you are absolutely clear on the operator precedence). It is important to know that the Python AND statement will evaluate the first argument, and only if it is True, will it evaluate the second argument. If the first was False, then it will return False immediately without calling isPal(). This is known as short-circuit evaluation. Blender makes a good example of this in his post.
s[0] is the first letter in the string, s[-1] is the last letter in the sting. First we check to see if the first and last letters are the same. If they are different, then there is no way the string can be a palindrome. If the are the same we can disregard them and move onto the inner part of the string.
s[1:-1] trims off the first and last letters, and then passes that to the isPal() function, which happens to be the function we are currently in -- this is called recursion. When we 'recurse' into the function again, a new stack is created, new local variables are created, and the input arguments to the function will be different to the ones in the previous call.
We continue to check the first and last letters, and recurse all the way to the centre of the word. At this point there are either 1 or 0 characters left, and if we have got that far we know we have found a palindrome.
When we return from this final, inner, call to isPal() the return value (True if a palindrome has been found) is passed to the calling function, which then returns it to its calling function, etc., until the final 'outside' isPal() function returns the result to the initial caller. We call this process 'unrolling the stack'.
Here is an example:
s = 'racecar'
s[0] == s[-1] # True - both letters are 'r'
s = s[1:-1] # s becomes 'aceca'
s[0] == s[-1] # True - both letters are 'a'
s = s[1:-1] # s becomes 'cec'
s[0] == s[-1] # True - both letters are 'c'
s = s[1:-1] # s becomes 'e'
len(s) <= 1 # This statement is now True, so the stack will start to unwind
Visually, the calls will look like this:
'racecar' ---------
|
V 'aceca'
True <--- isPal( ) ----
^ |
True | V 'cec'
---- isPal( ) ----
^ |
True | V 'e'
---- isPal( ) ----
^ |
True | V
---- isPal( ) # We get all the way down here,
# and then we start to return
In the case where we do not have a palindrome, this will happen:
'race2car' --------
|
V 'ace2ca'
False <--- isPal( ) ----
^ |
False | V 'ce2c'
---- isPal( ) ----
^ |
False | V 'e2'
---- isPal( ) ----
^ |
False | V
---- isPal( ) # Here the outer two letters
# do not match, so we start to
# return False
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Combination antimalarials in the treatment of cutaneous dermatomyositis: a retrospective study.
To observe whether the use of antimalarials in combination resulted in significant improvement in the cutaneous signs and symptoms of patients with dermatomyositis who did not otherwise respond to the use of single-agent antimalarial therapy. Retrospective case series of 17 patients treated between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2002. An ambulatory medical dermatology clinic in an academic center.Patients Patients had adult-onset dermatomyositis with predominantly cutaneous symptoms and a follow-up period at our clinic of at least 6 months. Cases in which it was not possible to assess the effect of treatment on cutaneous symptoms were not included. Intervention Treatment regimens varied and included the use of antimalarials, prednisone, methotrexate, and other medications. Physician-observed and patient-reported improvement based on erythema, pruritus, and extent of affected skin. Seven of 17 patients experienced at least near clearance in cutaneous symptoms with the use of antimalarial therapy alone: 4 of these patients required combination therapy (hydroxychloroquine sulfate-quinacrine hydrochloride or chloroquine phosphate-quinacrine), while 3 of them responded well to antimalarial monotherapy. The median time required to reach the response milestones on the final working therapeutic regimen was 3 months (mean, 4.8 months; range, 2-14 months). Six patients did not respond significantly to any type of therapy, including nonantimalarials. Our experience suggests that a significant subgroup of patients whose skin lesions have been unresponsive to a single antimalarial benefit from combination therapy with hydroxychloroquine and quinacrine or chloroquine and quinacrine, but controlled clinical trials are warranted to assess the extent of benefit.
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True
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False
Does 14 divide 47838?
True
Is 177138 a multiple of 26?
True
Is 4092 a multiple of 22?
True
Is 584 a factor of 503992?
True
Is 268 a factor of 2009913?
False
Is 8544468 a multiple of 107?
False
Is 860854 a multiple of 47?
False
Is 9495924 a multiple of 1006?
False
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False
Is 60303 a multiple of 65?
False
Does 19 divide 190416?
False
Is 126009 a multiple of 117?
True
Does 304 divide 1384720?
True
Does 150 divide 472050?
True
Does 10 divide 4110082?
False
Does 172 divide 25284?
True
Does 176 divide 221760?
True
Is 7298328 a multiple of 13?
False
Is 15 a factor of 13588?
False
Is 6 a factor of 1689246?
True
Does 232 divide 698866?
False
Is 107 a factor of 1219?
False
Is 7 a factor of 554918?
True
Is 1536592 a multiple of 16?
True
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False
Is 649 a factor of 217415?
True
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True
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False
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True
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False
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False
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False
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True
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True
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True
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False
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True
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False
Is 1919358 a multiple of 14?
True
Is 772648 a multiple of 29?
False
Is 3439176 a multiple of 584?
True
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False
Is 49647 a multiple of 20?
False
Does 10 divide 417040?
True
Is 440 a factor of 310200?
True
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True
Is 69 a factor of 51032?
False
Is 430 even?
True
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True
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True
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True
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True
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False
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False
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False
Does 12 divide 891084?
True
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False
Does 320 divide 2131520?
True
Does 163 divide 2594308?
True
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True
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False
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True
Is 814 even?
True
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True
Is 12493470 a multiple of 138?
False
Does 30 divide 241380?
True
Is 1041463 a multiple of 388?
False
Is 627 a factor of 6823641?
True
Does 47 divide 1354399?
True
Is 61 a factor of 3524730?
False
Does 313 divide 696414?
False
Is 31 a factor of 4196?
False
Is 32 a factor of 1691082?
False
Is 222929 a multiple of 9?
False
Does 19 divide 322601?
True
Is 11309259 a multiple of 13?
True
Is 34 a factor of 616657?
False
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True
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False
Is 8853891 a multiple of 1312?
False
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False
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False
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True
Is 45 a factor of 200745?
True
Is 32 a factor of 1858387?
False
Does 32 divide 14072256?
True
Does 51 divide 11867078?
False
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False
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True
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True
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True
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False
Is 82940 a multiple of 58?
True
Does 11 divide 1527229?
True
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False
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False
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False
Is 9005304 a multiple of 42?
True
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True
Is 29 a factor of 107619?
True
Does 200 divide 746801?
False
Is 655584 a multiple of 8?
True
Is 363 a factor of 993023?
False
Does 58 divide 662896?
False
Is 223650 a multiple of 45?
True
Is 1023700 a multiple of 20?
True
Does 21 divide 185987?
False
Is 9471 a multiple of 7?
True
Does 52 divide 253632?
False
Is 63 a factor of 5770670?
False
Is 616974 a multiple of 6?
True
Is 4620 a multiple of 35?
True
Does 312 divide 1989492?
False
Is 50 a factor of 513300?
True
Is 6 a factor of 701599?
False
Is 274137 a multiple of 29?
True
Does 31 divide 7868854?
True
Is 262610 a multiple of 49?
False
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False
Is 7044002 a multiple of 28?
False
Is 76 a factor of 542640?
True
Is 242080 a multiple of 17?
True
Is 231452 a multiple of 26?
True
Is 1836918 a multiple of 10?
False
Is 829836 a multiple of 444?
True
Is 103 a factor of 8239691?
True
Is 50 a factor of 1126900?
True
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True
Is 370 a factor of 315521?
False
Is 10 a factor of 64970?
True
Is 7 a factor of 2890436?
False
Does 361 divide 275804?
True
Is 4 a factor of 3313624?
True
Is 2080212 a multiple of 23?
True
Does 92 divide 443992?
True
Is 26358 a multiple of 23?
True
Is 45 a factor of 8572604?
False
Is 21 a factor of 2872808?
False
Is 738506 a multiple of 88?
False
Does 156 divide 512144?
False
Is 10 a factor of 149006?
False
Is 3 a factor of 5009040?
True
Is 3 a factor of 840689?
False
Is 95367 even?
False
Is 322 a factor of 450156?
True
Does 132 divide 1097976?
True
Does 160 divide 136480?
True
Is 12 a factor of 3782083?
False
Is 14 a factor of 244923?
False
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True
Is 507568 a multiple of 99?
False
Does 755 divide 6842482?
False
Does 18 divide 90738?
True
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True
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False
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True
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True
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True
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True
Is 22 a factor of 204208?
False
Does 14 divide 557382?
True
Is 678573 a multiple of 63?
True
Does 40 divide 63786?
False
Does 95 divide 162735?
True
Is 58 a factor of 2937394?
False
Is 898911 a multiple of 76?
False
Is 14 a factor of 182350?
True
Is 446955 a multiple of 29?
False
Does 288 divide 601262?
False
Does 12 divide 1620216?
True
Is 7 a factor of 134910?
False
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False
Does 33 divide 12968353?
False
Is 4978637 a multiple of 16?
False
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False
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True
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True
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True
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True
Is 180814 a multiple of 30?
False
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True
Is 87 a factor of 3104451?
False
Is 49 a factor of 1543479?
False
Is 10 a factor of 668237?
False
Is 72772 a multiple of 28?
True
Is 40 a factor of 3251418?
False
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False
Does 99 divide 15566?
False
Is 24 a factor of 531576?
True
Is 18658 a multiple of 19?
True
Is 12 a factor of 2106924?
True
Is 10 a factor of 23977070?
True
Is 175 a factor of 2800?
True
Is 103 a factor of 453863?
False
Does 38 divide 271227?
False
Is 575 a factor of 2176415?
False
Is 12090513 a multiple of 14?
False
Is 335524 a multiple of 46?
True
Is 11 a factor of 56261?
False
Does 11 divide 19059297?
False
Does 315 divide 10122210?
True
Is 1040910 a multiple of 372?
False
Does 439 divide 3407079?
True
Is 171 a factor of 31292?
False
Is 2 a factor of 1098450?
True
Is 18 a factor of 1286388?
True
Is 1330175 a multiple of 210?
False
Is 240 a factor of 301284?
False
Is 10 a factor of 4564580?
True
Is 12 a factor of 389447?
False
Is 122 a factor of 10655395?
False
Is 7923963 a multiple of 44?
False
Is 125 a factor of 11831750?
True
Does 315 divide 768984?
False
Is 39062 a multiple of 47?
False
Does 254 divide 56388?
True
Is 240186 a multiple of 4?
False
Does 23 divide 299?
True
Is 300914 a multiple of 304?
False
Does 102 divide 71298?
True
Does 52 divide 1806588?
False
Is 3972370 a multiple of 10?
True
Is 17 a factor of 2667657?
True
Is 13899936 a multiple of 32?
True
Does 169 divide 4468433?
False
Is 498248 a multiple of 244?
True
Does 352 divide 8167796?
False
Is 14937 a multiple of 259?
False
Is 947528 a multiple of 19?
False
Is 7 a factor of 1490246?
False
Does 3 divide 363821?
False
Does 195 divide 36819?
False
Is 686392 a multiple of 103?
True
Is 858847 a multiple of 11?
True
Is 22 a factor of 373469?
False
Is 6515502 a multiple of 102?
False
Is 1456 a factor of 1192464?
True
Is 20520 a multiple of 456?
True
Does 146 divide 2314779?
False
Is 473756 a multiple of 52?
False
Is 13 a factor of 6472505?
True
Is 1737778 a multiple of 367?
False
Does 115 divide 119366?
False
Is 638026 a multiple of 121?
False
Is 18191403 a multiple of 620?
False
Is 110712 a multiple of 7?
True
Is 805506 a multiple of 26?
True
Does 377 divide 88595?
True
Does 46 divide 148300?
False
Is 681965 a multiple of 311?
False
Does 121 divide 254137?
False
Does 152 divide 2288129?
False
Is 53534 a multiple of 4?
False
Does 121 divide 115918?
True
Is 64978 a multiple of 106?
True
Is 109 a factor of 208600?
False
Is 665144 a multiple
| null |
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Introduction {#s1}
============
Ethanol can replace almost 60 percent of daily calorie intake of adult chronic drinkers in some cases leading to malnutrition. Excessive consumption of alcohol may result in nutrient deficiencies reflecting variability in their clinical significance. Alcohol consumption changes metabolism of most nutrients and the consequences of these distortions may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of liver disease. Heavy alcohol consumption can alter carbohydrate and fibre metabolism causing alcoholic hypoglycemia and loss of protein. Alcohol intake inhibits the breakdown of triglycerides thus reducing the free fatty acid levels in the body [@pone.0038607-Bunout1]. The calorie-wasting effect of alcohol usually makes alcohol consumers to have altered nutritional status coupled with effect of rough lifestyle. This is partly as a result of nutritional distortion arising from associated illness like cancer, chronic liver diseases or infections [@pone.0038607-Santolaria1], [@pone.0038607-GonzalezReimers1].
A study assessing the nutritional status of 77 alcoholic patients in Spain, consuming more than 150 grams/day for longer than 5 years, found that the lean mass was decreased in alcohol drinkers which is related to the liver function derangement and alcohol consumption, and is also linked to increased mortality [@pone.0038607-GonzalezReimers1]. Dietary patterns are important screening instruments to prevent non-healthy eating habits such as consuming high-salt and low-fibre diet in alcohol drinkers. Diets that are in line with the present recommended nutritional guidelines have been shown to decrease the several risk factors for cardiovascular diseases [@pone.0038607-Jeeranun1].
Studies have been carried out in the context of alcohol drinking and nutritional patterns in several countries to assess the confounding roles of specific nutrients, dietary habits and beverage preferences [@pone.0038607-Jacques1]--[@pone.0038607-Breslow1] but there is a paucity of research on the association of alcohol consumption and dietary patterns. As part of the FinDrink study [@pone.0038607-Ilomki1], this study is expected to provide information on the differences in the eating habits in relation to level of alcohol consumption in a Finnish population sample.
Methods {#s2}
=======
Ethics Statement {#s2a}
----------------
The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) Study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus. All the participants signed a written informed consent.
Study Population {#s2b}
----------------
The data was obtained from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) Study. KIHD started as a population based cohort study in 1984 aiming at investigating the risk factors for chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases amongst middle-age Finnish men living in eastern part of Finland [@pone.0038607-Ilomki1]. Subjects were a random sample of 2682 men living in the Kuopio city and the neighboring rural communities, age stratified into four levels: 42, 48, 54 and 60 years at the baseline examination. Eligible participants must had been alive and reside in the sampling catchment area during the period of the study [@pone.0038607-Wilson1]. The subjects were recruited in two cohorts. The first cohort included 1166 men who received their baseline examination between March 1984 and August 1986. The second cohort consisted of 1516 men and they had their baseline examination between August 1986 and December 1989. While the first cohort was examined only at baseline, the second cohort was invited for re-examinations 11 years later in 1998--2001 to which 854 out of 1516 participated. The reasons for lost of follow-up from baseline to the 11-year examination were lack of critical baseline data that determined the eligibility to the follow-up examinations (n = 287), death (n = 136), refusal (n = 132), severe illness (n = 50), no contact (n = 44), no address (n = 3) and other (n = 6). In 1998--2001, a random sample of 1351 women in the equivalent age group was invited from which 920 participated. The reasons for non-participation among women were refusal (n = 168), severe illness (n = 97), pre-menopause (n = 54), no contact information (n = 51), death (n = 14), migration (n = 10), no address (n = 3) and others (n = 34).
The present study utilized the data from the examinations conducted in 1998--2001 including 920 women and 854 men, aged 53--73 years. After excluding those with missing data on alcohol consumption and dietary intake, 904 women and 816 men were analyzed.
Assessment of Alcohol Consumption {#s2c}
---------------------------------
The level of alcohol consumption was evaluated through the use of self-administered questionnaire. Self reported alcohol consumption was assessed via quantity-frequency method based on the Nordic Alcohol Consumption Inventory [@pone.0038607-IrgensJensen1] from which the average weekly alcohol consumption was calculated. These questions comprised of the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption during the preceding year. One unit of alcohol contains an average 12 grams of 100% ethanol; (light beer = 11 grams, glass of wine = 12 grams and shot of hard liquor = 14 grams).
Men consuming at least 14 units of alcohol per week (≥168 grams) were defined as heavy drinkers, those consuming between 1--13.9 units (12--167.9 grams) of alcohol weekly constitute the moderate drinkers while weekly alcohol intake of \<1 unit (11.9 grams) represent non-drinker group. Among women, heavy drinkers were defined as consumption of ≥7 units/week (≥84 grams) alcohol while moderate drinkers were defined as consuming 1--6.9 units/week (12--83.9 grams). Non-drinkers were defined as consuming \<1 unit/week (\<12 grams). The definition of heavy drinking is in accordance with the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [@pone.0038607-Willenbring1] and Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 [@pone.0038607-US1]. We decided to use lower levels than recommended by World Health Organization (low-risk drinking ≤20 grams/day for women and ≤40 grams/day for men) [@pone.0038607-World1], because half of our sample was 65 years or older. The recommendations for alcohol consumption for people aged 65 years or older are lower [@pone.0038607-Willenbring1].
Assessment of Food Consumption {#s2d}
------------------------------
The nutritional consumption patterns were assessed using a 4-day food record diary [@pone.0038607-Voutilainen1]. The nutrient and energy intake was estimated through validated Nutrica software version 2.5 which employs Finnish values of nutrient food composition and takes into account losses from vitamins during food preparation [@pone.0038607-Hakala1]. The Nutrica software was developed by the Research Center of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland and it contains a broad database of over 1300 food items and more than 30 nutrient groups. Instructions were given to the participants by the nutritionist on how to fill in the food diary. These instructions included estimating portion sizes, the type of food, the time of day each participant ate or drank and the place of eating. The participants were given a food record sample before filling in the diary. Completed food records were checked by a nutritionist. The participants were advised not to change their normal eating habits.
The food intake groups include whole grain products such as rye products, fruits, berries, vegetables independently, total amount of fruits and vegetables, potatoes, root vegetables, milk, sour milk products, cheese, beef, fish, coffee and tea. The composition of whole grain products embraced different breads, flakes, bran, germ and muesli products, not including refined flour products. The rye product comprised of different rye breads, rye flour, flakes, bran and malt. The vegetable group contains all fresh and frozen vegetables, apart from pickled and canned vegetables. Carrots, Swedish turnip (swede), turnip and beetroot are types of the roots, which are frequently consume in Finland where included with the exception potatoes, which were assigned into a separate group. The constituent of fruits group are fresh, canned and dried fruits as well as fruit nectars, while other juices were added into the fruit juices category. The berries group included fresh and frozen berries, crushed lingonberries and lingonberry jam which are commonly manufactured in Finland and they contain no sugar. The fish total group comprises of all fish and fish product. Milk category included fresh milk and whole milk. Sour milk category also contains yoghurt.
Demographic Factors {#s2e}
-------------------
Age and education were measured in years. Marital status was defined as married/couple, divorced/widow or single. Occupation types were differentiated into farmer, blue collar jobs, and white collars jobs while place of dwelling was either living in Kuopio city or rural areas. Demographic factors were collected via self-administered questionnaire.
Behavioral and Biological Risk Factors {#s2f}
--------------------------------------
Diastolic and systolic blood pressure were measured using a random--zero mercury sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure was estimated by taking mean of six measurements which are three in supine, one in standing and two in sitting position [@pone.0038607-Lakka1]. The energy expenditure by conditioning leisure time physical activities were assessed by using a 12-month history modified from the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. The intensity of physical activity was measured in metabolic units (metabolic equivalent of task MET or metabolic equivalent of oxygen uptake) and one MET is equivalent to an energy expenditure of approximately 1 kcal/kg \* hour and oxygen consumption of 3.5 ml/kg \* minute. Energy expenditure expressed in kcal/week for every activity was estimated by multiplying the metabolic index of the activity (MET \* hour/week) by the weight of the body in kilograms [@pone.0038607-Lakka2].
Body mass index (BMI) was measured as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) portions were extracted from fresh serum by a method of combine ultracentrifugation and precipitation during the medical examination [@pone.0038607-Lakka1]. Smoking status and cigarette smoking were collected using self-administered questionnaire.
Statistical Analysis {#s2g}
--------------------
Descriptive statistics are presented as means (± standard deviation, SD) and proportions. For baseline characteristics, categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson's chi square test and continuous variables using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal Wallis Test. Multivariate models for men and women separately were computed using multiple linear regression adjusted with age, occupational status, marital status, smoking, body mass index and leisure time physical activity. We calculated adjusted beta coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and P values \<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Non-drinkers were used as the reference group in all analyses. When assumptions of dependent variable were not met, we transformed the variable either taking a logarithm (log10) or a square root of the value. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows version 17.0 was used to compute baseline characteristics and SAS version 9.3 was used to compute multivariate analyses.
Results {#s3}
=======
Demographic Factors {#s3a}
-------------------
Among both sexes, alcohol consumption was related to the type of occupation and years of education (P\<0.001) ([Table 1](#pone-0038607-t001){ref-type="table"}). In women, 87.5% of heavy drinkers were white collar workers while 79.4% and 61.9% represent white collar workers among moderate and non-drinkers, respectively. Among men, 60% of heavy drinkers were white collar workers. Among moderate and non-drinkers the proportions of white collar workers were 48.9% and 35.7%, correspondingly.
10.1371/journal.pone.0038607.t001
###### Baseline characteristics of participants according to alcoholic consumption.
{#pone-0038607-t001-1}
Alcohol consumption (g/wk)
----------------------------- ---------------------------- ------------- ------------- --------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ---------
Age, years 64.0±6.5 61.8±6.1 59.0±5.9 \<0.001 64.5±6.1 61.9±6.3 60.3±6.6 \<0.001
Place of dwelling 0.074 0.037
Kuopio city, %(n) 58.6(354) 61.5(155) 75.0(36) 48.0(121) 39.6(176) 35.8(43)
Occupation \<0.001 \<0.001
Farmer, %(n) 19.0(115) 7.5(19) 2.1(1) 16.7(42) 9.0(40) 6.7(8)
Blue collar, %(n) 19.0(115) 13.1(33) 10.4(5) 47.6(120) 42.1(187) 33.3(40)
White collar, %(n) 61.9(374) 79.4(200) 87.5(42) 35.7(90) 48.9(217) 60.0(72)
Marital status 0.082 0.001
Married/Couple, %(n) 64.9(392) 65.9(166) 77.1(37) 82.1(207) 87.2(387) 85.2(695)
Single, %(n) 10.1(61) 5.6(14) 4.2(2) 9.9(25) 3.2(14) 2.5(3)
Divorced/Widow, %(n) 25.0(151) 28.6(72) 18.8(9) 7.9(20) 9.7(43) 13.3(16)
Education, years 9.3±3.3 10.3±3.5 10.8±3.4 \<0.001 8.6±3.1 9.8±3.7 10.3±3.7 \<0.001
Cigarettes, day 0.5±2.4 1.4±4.4 3.8±7.4 \<0.001 0.5±2.4 1.7±4.9 5.3±7.4 \<0.001
Smoking status \<0.001 \<0.001
Non-smoker, %(n) 86.8(524) 68.7(173) 47.9(23) 46.4(117) 36.0(160) 21.70(26)
Previous smoker, %(n) 8.3(50) 18.7(47) 27.1(13) 43.3(109) 45.0(200) 46.7(56)
Current smoker, %(n) 5.0(30) 12.7(32) 25.0(12) 10.3 (26) 18.9(84) 31.7(38)
Energy expenditure, Kcal/d 175.5±178.2 219.8±272.6 123.2±166.2 0.002 188.2±202.6 190.7±195.0 147.6±145.0 0.059
Body mass index, kg/m^2^ 28.5±5.3 27.6±4.5 29.4±5.3 0.046 27.1±3.6 27.3±3.5 28.1±4.1 0.110
Mean systolic BP, mmHg 138.0±17.6 135.3±16.8 139.4±15.2 0.090 134.1±18.3 133.7±16.7 136.7±15.7 0.230
Mean diastolic BP, mmHg 80.0±8.6 81.0±8.5 83.6±7.7 0.009 80.3±9.6 82.0±8.9 84.9±9.2 0.000
S-total cholesterol, mmol/l 5.7±0.9 5.8±0.9 5.7±0.8 0.250 5.2±0.9 5.3±1.0 5.3±0.9 0.012
S-LDL-Chol, mmol/l 3.7±0.9 3.7±0.9 3.7±0.8 0.949 3.4±0.8 3.5±1.0 3.4±0.9 0.164
S-HDL-Chol, mmol/l 1.3±0.3 1.4±0.3 1.4±0.3 \<0.001 1.1±0.3 1.1±0.3 1.2±0.3 \<0.001
Abbreviations: BP = Blood pressure; S-LDL-Chol = Serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol; S-HDL-Chol = Serum High density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Calculated using Pearson's chi-square test for categorical and ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. Data expressed as the mean ± standard deviation unless otherwise indicated.
Behavioral and Biological Risk Factors {#s3b}
--------------------------------------
The mean energy expenditure by conditioning leisure time physical activity was lower among the heavy drinkers compared with moderate and non-drinkers in women (P = 0.002) ([Table 1](#pone-0038607-t001){ref-type="table"}). Heavy drinkers had slightly higher levels of HDL-cholesterol compared to non-drinkers (P\<0.001 for both sexes). The prevalence of cigarette smoking was also significantly higher amongst heavy drinkers than moderate and non-drinkers (P\<0.001). Of male heavy drinkers, 31.7% were current smokers while of moderate and non-drinkers 18.9% and 10.3% respectively were current smokers.
Alcohol Consumption and Nutrient Intake {#s3c}
---------------------------------------
In women, moderate (β = −1.24, P = 0.016) and heavy (β = −2.88, P = 0.005) drinkers had lower fibre intake compared to non-drinkers after adjusting for all covariates ([Table 2](#pone-0038607-t002){ref-type="table"}). Moderate drinkers also had slightly higher intake of vitamin D (β = 0.12, P = 0.011) than non-drinkers. In men, there was a lower intake of fibre (β = −4.09, P\<0.001), retinol (β = −0.19, P = 0.035), calcium (β = −0.12, P = 0.018) and iron (β = −1.19, P = 0.019) among heavy drinkers compared to non-drinkers. In contrast, compared to non-drinkers, moderate (β = 0.19, P\<0.001) and heavy (β = 0.18, P = 0.016) drinkers had higher intake of vitamin D.
10.1371/journal.pone.0038607.t002
###### Nutrient intake based on the 4-Day Food Diary according to alcohol consumption.
{#pone-0038607-t002-2}
Women Men
------------------------ -------------------- ----------- ------- -------------- ------- -------------------- ----------- ------- -------------- ---------
Fibre, g None (n = 604) 20.2±6.8 ref None (n = 252) 26.4±9.6 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 19.1±6.3 −1.24 −2.25, −0.23 0.016 Moderate (n = 444) 24.8±9.9 −1.49 −3.03, 0.05 0.057
Heavy (n = 48) 17.3±6.2 −2.88 −4.90, −0.86 0.005 Heavy (n = 120) 21.2±9.2 −4.09 −6.30, −1.87 \<0.001
Retinol equivalent, µg None (n = 604) 1127±1951 ref None (n = 252) 1140±1571 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 1211±2006 0.03 −0.08, 0.15 0.587 Moderate (n = 444) 1393±2379 0.03 −0.10, 0.15 0.677
Heavy (n = 48) 1224±1350 0.01 −0.22, 0.24 0.923 Heavy (n = 120) 1052±1654 −0.19 −0.37, −0.01 0.035
Vitamin D, µg None (n = 604) 5.1±4.1 ref None (n = 252) 6.8±6.4 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 5.7±4.6 0.12 0.03, 0.21 0.011 Moderate (n = 444) 8.4±7.7 0.19 0.08, 0.29 \<0.001
Heavy (n = 48) 4.9±3.7 0.05 −0.14, 0.23 0.622 Heavy (n = 120) 8.0±7.6 0.18 0.03, 0.33 0.016
Calcium, mg None (n = 604) 908±350 ref None (n = 252) 1136±451 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 934±344 0.01 −0.05, 0.07 0.694 Moderate (n = 444) 1113±472 −0.01 −0.08, 0.06 0.696
Heavy (n = 48) 882±343 −0.09 −0.22, 0.03 0.141 Heavy (n = 120) 1000±449 −0.12 −0.22, −0.02 0.018
Iron, mg None (n = 604) 9.8±3.5 ref None (n = 252) 12.7±4.3 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 10.0±3.6 0.27 −0.28, 0.81 0.341 Moderate (n = 444) 12.9±4.4 0.07 −0.63, 0.76 0.852
Heavy (n = 48) 10.4±3.9 0.50 −0.60, 1.60 0.371 Heavy (n = 120) 11.5±3.8 −1.19 −2.18, −0.19 0.019
Folate, µg None (n = 604) 217±73 ref None (n = 252) 252±82 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 225±71 0.02 −0.03, 0.07 0.407 Moderate (n = 444) 256±79 0.01 −0.04, 0.06 0.673
Heavy (n = 48) 210±59 −0.05 −0.14, 0.05 0.310 Heavy (n = 120) 236±79 −0.05 −0.12, 0.03 0.211
Vitamin C, mg None (n = 604) 89.7±57.0 ref None (n = 252) 82.0±61.1 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 92.0±59.0 −0.01 −0.11, 0.08 0.760 Moderate (n = 444) 79.4±57.9 −0.06 −0.17, 0.05 0.272
Heavy (n = 48) 98.7±64.8 0.06 −0.13, 0.25 0.559 Heavy (n = 120) 77.1±55.1 −0.08 −0.23, 0.08 0.337
unadjusted means ± standard deviation.
beta coefficient adjusted with age, occupation, marital status, smoking, body mass index and leisure time physical activity.
Alcohol Consumption and Food Intake {#s3d}
-----------------------------------
Women who were moderate drinkers had higher fish intake compared to non-drinkers (β = 0.83, P = 0.035) ([Table 3](#pone-0038607-t003){ref-type="table"}). Among men, fish intake was higher among moderate (β = 1.40, P = 0.004) and heavy (β = 1.91, P = 0.007) drinkers than among non-drinkers. Furthermore, fruit intake was lower among moderate drinkers (β = −1.28, P = 0.020) and milk intake among heavy drinkers (β = −0.49, P\<0.001) compared to non-drinkers.
10.1371/journal.pone.0038607.t003
###### Daily food intake based on the 4-Day Food Dairy according to alcohol consumption.
{#pone-0038607-t003-3}
Women Men
---------------------- -------------------- ------------- ------- ------------- ------- -------------------- ------------- ------- -------------- ---------
Vegetables, g None (n = 604) 151.7±185.2 ref None (n = 252) 126.3±154.6 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 179.7±216.8 0.11 −0.05, 0.27 0.189 Moderate (n = 444) 137.0±168.0 −0.02 −0.20, 0.16 0.832
Heavy (n = 48) 171.8±175.4 0.23 −0.10, 0.56 0.169 Heavy (n = 120) 166.5±241.6 0.11 −0.16, 0.37 0.420
Fruits, g None (n = 604) 161.7±216.2 ref None (n = 252) 161.7±216.2 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 177.8±261.6 −0.36 −1.43, 0.71 0.504 Moderate (n = 444) 181.4±260.0 −1.28 −2.37, −0.20 0.020
Heavy (n = 48) 191.0±234.3 −0.26 −2.41, 1.89 0.813 Heavy (n = 120) 135.8±171.8 −1.23 −2.79, 0.33 0.122
Legumes, g None (n = 604) 4.8±17.6 ref None (n = 252) 4.9±13.1 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 5.6±13.1 0.14 −0.10, 0.38 0.247 Moderate (n = 444) 4.2±12.3 −0.06 −0.30, 0.17 0.593
Heavy (n = 48) 5.4±17.4 0.00 −0.47, 0.48 0.996 Heavy (n = 120) 4.6±10.9 0.03 −0.31, 0.36 0.877
Fish total, g None (n = 604) 62.2±105.9 ref None (n = 252) 79.4±122.6 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 68.6±97.4 0.83 0.06, 1.60 0.035 Moderate (n = 444) 100.5±151.3 1.40 0.44, 2.36 0.004
Heavy (n = 48) 70.0±88.7 1.35 −0.19, 2.90 0.086 Heavy (n = 120) 105.2±160.6 1.91 0.52, 3.29 0.007
Beef g None (n = 604) 71.0±109.2 ref None (n = 252) 82.4±109.8 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 71.8±82.5 0.21 −0.48, 0.90 0.555 Moderate (n = 444) 91.4±106.3 0.08 −0.69, 0.86 0.831
Heavy (n = 48) 92.0±103.3 0.95 −0.45, 2.34 0.183 Heavy (n = 120) 117.4±148.1 0.68 −0.44, 1.81 0.231
Milk, g None (n = 604) 422.1±529.2 ref None (n = 252) 664.1±817.1 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 358.4±471.3 −0.10 −0.28, 0.08 0.267 Moderate (n = 444) 497.3±458.3 −0.13 −0.33, 0.07 0.213
Heavy (n = 48) 285.0±326.4 −0.33 −0.69, 0.03 0.077 Heavy (n = 120) 393.3±446.3 −0.49 −0.78, −0.20 \<0.001
Sour milkproducts, g None (n = 604) 211.6±350.7 ref None (n = 252) 208.5±347.7 Ref
Moderate (n = 252) 219.2±373.0 0.19 −1.23, 1.61 0.790 Moderate (n = 444) 194.8±381.8 −0.72 −2.34, 0.90 0.382
Heavy (n = 48) 143.6±184.8 −1.71 −4.56, 1.14 0.240 Heavy (n = 120) 185.5±467.8 −1.35 −3.68, 0.98 0.256
Butter, g None (n = 604) 16.5±28.3 ref None (n = 252) 29.0±42.4 Ref
Moderate (n = 252) 16.0±27.7 −0.00 −0.37, 0.37 0.996 Moderate (n = 444) 26.4±44.8 −0.04 −0.54, 0.46 0.876
Heavy (n = 48) 16.8±24.4 0.01 −0.73, 0.76 0.973 Heavy (n = 120) 24.6±35.7 −0.10 −0.81, 0.61 0.783
Coffee, g None (n = 604) 546.0±608.5 ref None (n = 252) 592.2±651.0 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 552.7±553.8 0.33 −1.25, 1.90 0.684 Moderate (n = 444) 641.0±671.8 1.04 −0.68, 2.77 0.235
Heavy (n = 48) 568.5±788.4 −1.27 −4.44, 1.89 0.429 Heavy (n = 120) 597.3±584.6 −0.27 −2.76, 2.21 0.830
Whole grain, g None (n = 604) 154.1±142.4 ref None (n = 252) 236.6±198.1 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 141.0±171.1 −0.11 −0.23. 0.01 0.073 Moderate (n = 444) 228.4±220.6 −0.07 −0.19, 0.06 0.323
Heavy (n = 48) 140.3±124.0 −0.05 −0.28, 0.19 0.699 Heavy (n = 120) 201.2±199.3 −0.09 −0.28, 0.09 0.321
Tea, g None (n = 604) 151.5±361.2 ref None (n = 252) 139.6±236.6 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 141.3±345.7 −0.23 −1.67, 1.21 0.752 Moderate (n = 444) 152.2±335.9 0.54 −1.00, 2.04 0.484
Heavy (n = 48) 153.4±359.9 0.64 −2.26, 3.53 0.665 Heavy (n = 120) 161.4±372.3 1.33 −0.83, 3.49 0.228
Rye products, g None (n = 604) 102.1±108.1 ref None (n = 252) 173.1±162.9 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 92.2±108.0 −0.55 −1.21, 0.11 0.105 Moderate (n = 444) 160.9±181.3 −0.76 −1.70, 0.18 0.111
Heavy (n = 48) 89.9±110.9 −0.84 −2.18, 0.49 0.215 Heavy (n = 120) 157.8±204.7 −0.47 −1.82, 0.88 0.498
unadjusted means ± standard deviation.
beta coefficient adjusted with age, occupation, marital status, smoking, body mass index and leisure time physical activity.
Alcohol Consumption and Energy Intake {#s3e}
-------------------------------------
Moderate drinkers had higher energy intake from total fats and monosaturated fatty acids than non-drinkers (women β = 1.24, P = 0.006 and β = 0.56, P = 0.003; men β = 1.05, P = 0.030 and β = 0.42, P = 0.032, respectively) ([Table 4](#pone-0038607-t004){ref-type="table"}). Women who were moderate drinkers had higher intake of polysaturated fatty acids as well (β = 0.30, P = 0.006). In contrast, energy intake from carbohydrates was lower among moderate and heavy drinkers than non-drinkers among men (β = −3.49, P\<0.001 for moderate drinkers and β = −7.56, P\<0.001 for heavy drinkers) and women (β = −3.48, P\<0.001 for moderate drinkers, β = −6.47, P\<0.001 for heavy drinkers). Total energy intake did not differ according to drinking status.
10.1371/journal.pone.0038607.t004
###### Energy intake based on the 4-Day Food Diary according to alcohol consumption.
{#pone-0038607-t004-4}
Women Men
--------------------------- -------------------- ---------- ------- -------------- --------- -------------------- ---------- ------- -------------- ---------
Total energy intake, Kcal None (n = 604) 1544±421 ref None (n = 252) 2084±600 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 1601±439 0.03 −0.01, 0.07 0.136 Moderate (n = 444) 2160±567 0.04 −0.01, 0.08 0.093
Heavy (n = 48) 1635±438 0.03 −0.05, 0.11 0.472 Heavy (n = 120) 2048±566 −0.01 −0.07, 0.06 0.840
Fat, E% None (n = 604) 32.4±5.6 ref None (n = 252) 33.7±5.9 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 33.8±5.8 1.24 0.36, 2.11 0.006 Moderate (n = 444) 34.7±5.9 1.05 0.10, 2.00 0.030
Heavy (n = 48) 34.3±7.0 1.09 −0.66, 2.85 0.222 Heavy (n = 120) 33.8±6.2 −0.15 −1.51, 1.22 0.834
SAFA, E% None (n = 604) 13.7±3.2 ref None (n = 252) 14.2±3.7 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 14.1±3.0 0.28 −0.20, 0.76 0.246 Moderate (n = 444) 14.5±3.5 0.37 −0.19, 0.93 0.191
Heavy (n = 48) 14.4±3.4 0.14 −0.84, 1.10 0.782 Heavy (n = 120) 13.9±3.3 −0.35 −1.15, 0.45 0.391
MUFA, E% None (n = 604) 10.4±2.4 ref None (n = 252) 10.9±2.3 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 11.0±2.4 0.56 0.19, 0.93 0.003 Moderate (n = 444) 11.4±2.4 0.42 0.04, 0.81 0.032
Heavy (n = 48) 11.3±3.0 0.68 −0.06, 1.42 0.072 Heavy (n = 120) 11.3±2.7 0.26 −0.30, 0.82 0.364
PUFA, E% None (n = 604) 4.7±1.3 ref None (n = 252) 4.9±1.4 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 5.0±1.5 0.30 0.09, 0.51 0.006 Moderate (n = 444) 5.1±1.4 0.19 −0.04, 0.41 0.100
Heavy (n = 48) 5.1±1.5 0.37 −0.05, 0.80 0.085 Heavy (n = 120) 4.9±1.4 −0.06 −0.39, 0.26 0.700
Carbohydrates, E% None (n = 604) 50.0±5.8 ref None (n = 252) 49.3±6.2 ref
Moderate (n = 252) 46.3±6.1 −3.48 −4.38, −2.59 \<0.001 Moderate (n = 444) 45.3±6.6 −3.49 −4.51, −2.46 \<0.001
Heavy (n = 48) 42.2±7.3 −6.47 −8.28, −4.67 \<0.001 Heavy (n = 120) 40.4±7.1 −7.56 −9.04, −6.08 \<0.001
Abbreviations: SAFA = Saturated fatty acids; MUFA = Monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA = Polyunsaturated fatty acids.
unadjusted means ± standard deviation.
beta coefficient adjusted with age, occupation, marital status, smoking, body mass index and leisure time physical activity.
Discussion {#s4}
==========
Food Intake {#s4a}
-----------
Alcohol consumption was associated with certain food intake in both men and women. Increasing alcohol consumption was associated with higher fish intake while male heavy drinkers had lower intake of milk than non-drinkers. This is consistent with the study of Ruf et al [@pone.0038607-Ruf1], who found that there were increased intakes observed for animal products such as beef, eggs, fish and low intake of dairy products among participants who consumed high amount of alcohol. Likewise, Männistö and colleagues [@pone.0038607-Mnnist1] found that intake of fish and poultry products was associated with increased alcohol drinking while milk and cream intakes reduced with alcohol consumption. Similarly, a Danish study found that alcohol intake (especially wine) was associated with higher intake of fish and also fruits in both men and women [@pone.0038607-Tjonneland1]. In our study, we also found in crude analyses that moderate drinkers have higher fruit intake than non-drinkers. However, when adjusted for confounders, the association changed direction which means that higher fruit intake in moderate drinkers was explained by other factors. Overall, moderate alcohol consumption has been found to be associated with healthy dietary lifestyles compared with other drinkers or non-drinkers [@pone.0038607-Tjonneland1], [@pone.0038607-Ruidavets1], which was not confirmed in our study.
Energy Intake {#s4b}
-------------
Previous studies have found that increased consumption of ethanol, increases total daily energy intake significantly [@pone.0038607-Kesse1], [@pone.0038607-Ruf1]. We found no difference in total energy intake between alcohol consumption groups. However, the participants were instructed to abstain from alcohol consumption during the 4-day Food diary record period, thus the higher BMI among female heavy drinkers may be due to excess energy from their usual alcohol consumption. On the other hand, we did find that the sources of energy were different between moderate/heavy drinkers compared to non-drinkers. Consistent with earlier studies [@pone.0038607-Mnnist1], [@pone.0038607-Ruf1], alcohol drinkers tend to get energy from fats while energy from carbohydrate intake was lower than in non-drinkers.
Nutrient Intake {#s4c}
---------------
The lower intake of fibre observed in heavy drinkers corroborate with the findings of Ruf et al [@pone.0038607-Ruf1]. Low consumption of fibre detected among heavy alcohol consumers could lead to harmful health effects if the observed nutritional habits are continued over a long period of time. In a recent prospective study among middle-aged people in several states in United States, dietary fibre intake lowered the risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases, communicable and pulmonary diseases by 24% to 56% in men and by 34% to 59% in women [@pone.0038607-Park1]. A Finnish cohort study by Pietinen et al [@pone.0038607-Pietinen1] found that higher intake of fibre may be protective against coronary heart disease especially coronary mortality. Furthermore, previous study conducted in our study sample (the KIHD data) found that daily intake of high folate was associated with decrease in the risk of acute coronary event [@pone.0038607-Voutilainen1]. This means that heavy drinkers may be in an increased risk of coronary events due to low fibre [@pone.0038607-Pietinen1] and folate intakes [@pone.0038607-Voutilainen1]. We have previously reported that heavy drinkers in the KIHD study have an increased risk of myocardial infarction [@pone.0038607-Ilomki2] and increased risk of CVD [@pone.0038607-Kauhanen1] among men.
Moderate and heavy consumers of alcohol had a significantly higher intake of vitamin D in comparison with non-drinkers. This might be attributed to the higher fish consumption. This finding was consistent with the results of a recent study by Matsui et al [@pone.0038607-Matsui1], who found relatively high levels of vitamin D in male heavy drinkers during their interventional study. Possible explanation may also be a physiological compensation for potential calcium deficiency that arises in heavy alcohol consumers as a result of higher levels of vitamin D. This will eventually lead to maintenance of the calcium homeostasis [@pone.0038607-Lips1]. However, in our analyses calcium intake was only slightly lower among heavy drinkers compared to non-drinkers.
We found an association between alcohol consumption and BMI as well as energy expenditure based on leisure time physical activity in women but not in men. The lower BMI in the female moderate drinkers compared to non-drinkers partly substantiate the findings by Colditz et al. [@pone.0038607-Colditz1], Barefoot et al. [@pone.0038607-Barefoot1] and Ruf et al. [@pone.0038607-Ruf1], in which an inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and BMI was detected. Different form of physical activity may be responsible for these findings [@pone.0038607-PiazzaGardner1]. This also confirms our results that female non-drinkers had lower energy expenditure by conditioning leisure time physical activities compared moderate drinkers. However, in contrast to other studies [@pone.0038607-Colditz1], [@pone.0038607-PiazzaGardner1], we found that female heavy drinkers had higher BMI and lower physical activity than non and moderate drinkers.
Compared to the situation in 1998/2001 with current state, the unemployment rate was higher and the consumption expenditure was lower in all occupation groups [@pone.0038607-Official1]. The consumption expenditure specifically to alcoholic beverages increased among blue and white collar workers and decreased among farmers [@pone.0038607-Official2]. Furthermore, alcohol tax was reduced by 33% in 2004, although increased by 10% in 2009 [@pone.0038607-sterberg1]. Overall, the affordability of alcoholic beverages today is higher than at the time of the study. In a companion paper by Fawehinmi et al [@pone.0038607-Fawehinmi1], performed on the baseline population of the KIHD Study; we reported that male heavy drinkers aged 42--60 years had a lower intake of milk, whole grains, fibre, folate, vitamin C, tea and iron than moderate and non-drinkers. Higher intake of legumes, fish and beef was found among heavy drinkers compared to moderate and non-drinkers. These results are similar to our current study conducted 11 years after the baseline.
Strengths and Limitations {#s4d}
-------------------------
The fairly large sample size, being representative of the population of Eastern Finland is one of the strengths of this research. Another strong point of our study was that we were able to analyze men and women separately and also to adjust the analyses for age, occupational status, marital status, smoking, BMI and physical activity. However, the group of heavy drinking women was relatively small (n = 48) which limits making firm conclusions on this group. Limitations of this study include its cross-sectional nature which does not allow for establishment of causal association. In the future, longitudinal studies are needed to assess causal association between alcohol consumption and dietary patterns. Alcohol consumption was measured by self-report and people tend to under-report their alcohol consumption. It is also possible that there is a lack of interest for chronic alcohol drinkers to fill in the questionnaire, thus affecting the quality of the information obtained and introduction of information bias [@pone.0038607-Kroke1]. The mean age of the participants was 61 years (women) and 62 years (men). The association between alcohol consumption and dietary patterns might be different among younger people who have different drinking habits [@pone.0038607-Hrknen1].
Conclusions and Public Health Implication {#s4e}
-----------------------------------------
The harmful effects of diet rich in fat and low in some essential vitamins in the development of chronic illness are perceived as the leading cause of high mortality in developing and developed countries [@pone.0038607-Osler1]. In this study, we showed that male participants who were heavy drinkers had a lower intake of several nutrients, such as calcium, iron and fibre compared to non-drinkers. Sufficient intake of essential nutrients is important to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis which are related to lack of these nutrients. Osteoporosis increases the risk of hip fractures which is a strong predictor of mortality [@pone.0038607-Piirtola1]. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are key causes of premature deaths, morbidity and disability in nearly all countries [@pone.0038607-Jeeranun2]. Furthermore, alcohol consumption is a known factor particularly for an increase in CVD risk [@pone.0038607-Rehm1]--[@pone.0038607-Schrder1]. CVDs are the leading causes of deaths in Finland being responsible for 39% of all deaths among men [@pone.0038607-OfficialStatisticsof1]. Numerous CVD risk factors have now been proven to be decreased with eating habits that are in-line with the current guideline recommendations. Many interventional and epidemiological studies have found that a number of dietary patterns and light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is cardio-protective [@pone.0038607-Menotti1]--[@pone.0038607-Mezzano1]. Mediterranean diet, which contains alcoholic beverages (typically red wine) add an autonomous cardiovascular benefit to this diet [@pone.0038607-Grnbaek1]. It has also been reported that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption results into decrease in CVD deaths [@pone.0038607-Thun1] as well as reduction in the risk of stroke [@pone.0038607-Berger1]. Menotti and colleagues [@pone.0038607-Menotti1] investigated the food intake habits and 25 year mortality from CHD risk in seven countries. Their findings revealed that intake of vegetables, fish and alcohol was inversely associated with CHD mortality. People on mediterranean diet (MD) (high amount of vegetables, olive oil, alcohol and fish) had lowest mortality from the seven countries included in the study. In elderly people, healthier dietary patterns like MD was associated with lower likelihood of having CVD risk factors [@pone.0038607-Panagiotakos1]. These findings propose that MD has an important effect in protecting CVDs. It is important that health care professionals are aware of the possible nutrient deficiency among middle-aged and older men based on their alcohol consumption levels. More attention should be paid to nutrient intake and safe levels of alcohol consumption for those who drink large amount of alcohol.
We express gratitude to staff of the former Research Institute of Public Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio campus; they have done the biggest work for data collection. We are indebted to Kimmo Ronkainen, MSc, at Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland for data management. We thank the staff of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, California, USA, for supporting to develop the study in 2002--2003.
**Competing Interests:**The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
**Funding:**This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (grants 201688 and 80185 to Dr. Voutilainen, grants 200942 and 118551 to Dr. Kauhanen) <http://www.aka.fi/eng>. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
[^1]: Conceived and designed the experiments: TOF JI SV JK. Analyzed the data: TOF JI SV. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: TOF JI SV JK. Wrote the paper: TOF JI SV JK.
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Pisgah protest
2 Pisgah Council members resign to protest logging
Pisgah State Park volunteer Wendy Jacobs with her dog Tucker in the park. (COURTESY)
CHESTERFIELD - Two leaders of Friends of Pisgah Council, a group of volunteers who watch over Pisgah State Park, have left the council over the Department of Resources and Economic Development logging the forest.
The longtime members, former council President Kathy Thatcher of Chesterfield and former park historian and archivist Laurel Powell of Hinsdale, resigned at an impromptu meeting in July.
Both women said they plan to continue to seek ways to stop the logging of the 13,000-acre park that sits in Chesterfield, Winchester and Hinsdale.
Thatcher said Wednesday she decided to leave the group so she could continue to oppose the commercial logging activity on the state land. She said the park was purchased by the state in 1968 for the specific purpose of recreation.
"I left so that I could be more vocal and not jeopardize the really important volunteer work that they do to maintain that park," she said.
Council Treasurer John Hudachek said the council has opposed the logging activity for many years, but caught the ire of state officials about a year ago when the council asked the National Park Service to weigh in on the issue.
Hudachek said in reaction the Department of Resources and Economic Development sent the group a letter saying it would have to remove a house and barn the council placed on the state land years ago, which the group uses as a historical museum and visitor center. DRED also said it would no longer permit the volunteers to conduct maintenance within the park.
So the council backed off in order to continue its work, Hudachek said.
In May, the National Park Service sided with DRED, stating in a letter that when federal funds were granted to the state in the late 1960s to purchase the land, documents recognized the need for forest management work and that the current logging is within that intent.
"It was always intended for the park; it just took us a long time to get to it," said Kenneth Desmarais, administrator of the Forest Management Bureau of the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands.
Desmarais has overseen the land for 28 years and said the forest management plan was created to serve the recreation goals of the park.
Thatcher said that the land was created as a state park with recreation as its primary use, not commercial timbering and that the logging disrupts the recreational aspects of the park.
"The state routinely uses harvesting as a way of meeting recreation goals," Desmarais said. "There are just some people that don't want to see harvesting in the park."
The Pisgah Management Plan is available online at www.nhdfl.org on the Pisgah State Park page.
The plan states that a 5,000-acre section is to remain untouched because it has old growth and serves as a recreation spot for people who want to experience that type of forest, Desmarais said.
Out of the 13,000 acres, only 3,000 is planned to be disturbed over the course of several years, he said.
Cutting will only take place every other year and will create habitat for wildlife that don't thrive in the deep, dark forest under heavy canopy, he said. Especially for migratory birds that winter in South America, Desmarais said.
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Biological variation of 20 analytes measured in serum from clinically healthy domestic cats.
The applications of data on biological variation include assessment of the utility of population-based reference intervals, evaluation of the significance of change in serial results, and setting of analytical quality specifications. We investigated the biological variation of 19 biochemistry analytes and total T4, measured in serum from 7 clinically healthy domestic cats sampled once weekly for 5 weeks. Samples were frozen and analyzed in random order in the same analytical run. Results were analyzed for outliers, and the components of variance, subsequently generated by restricted maximum likelihood, were used to determine within-subject and between-subject variation (CVI and CVG, respectively), as well as analytical variation (CVA) for each analyte. Indices of individuality, reference change values, and analytical performance goals were calculated. The smallest CVI and CVG were found for calcium, chloride, and sodium, whereas the largest values were calculated for bile acids. Nine analytes (albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, cholesterol, creatinine, phosphate [phosphorus], total protein, total T4) demonstrated high individuality, indicating limited utility of population-based reference intervals. Individuality was low, and population-based reference intervals were thereby considered appropriate for 5 analytes (bile acids, calcium, fructosamine, glucose, potassium). The intermediate individuality observed for 4 analytes (creatine kinase, iron, magnesium, urea) indicated that population-based reference intervals should be used with caution.
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Down syndrome and comorbid autism-spectrum disorder: characterization using the aberrant behavior checklist.
To report on the cognitive and behavioral attributes of 61 children with Down syndrome (DS) and autistic-spectrum disorder (ASD) according to DSM-IV criteria; to determine the utility of the aberrant behavior checklist (ABC) to characterize these subjects for research purposes; and to test the hypothesis that subjects with DS + ASD could be distinguished from their typical DS peers using the ABC. Cross-sectional design. Cases with DS + ASD (N = 61), comparison group of DS + stereotypy movement disorder (SMD) (N = 26) and typical DS controls without behavior problems (N = 44) were ascertained and enrolled sequentially upon presentation to a DS clinic at an academic medical center over a 10-year period from 1991 to 2001. All subjects underwent neurodevelopmental and medical evaluation, and standardized cognitive testing. The parents provided responses to standardized behavioral questionnaires. Cognitive function (IQ) differed markedly across the three groups. The Lethary and Stereotypy subscales of the ABC were highly significant (P < 0.001) in distinguishing the three groups from one another. Within the ASD group differences were apparent by DSM-IV type on the Lethargy subscale, which reached significance, ANOVA (F = 0.002) and t-test (Autism > PDD, P = 0.005; PDD < CDD, P = 0.002). Using a multivariate regression model, the ABC scales alone explained 62% of variance of ASD outcome; addition of demographic variables explained up to 68% of the variance. There is good correlation between DSM-IV criteria for autism and subscales scores on the ABC in subjects with DS. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using the ABC to characterize the neurobehavioral phenotype of a cohort of children with trisomy 21 and ASD for ongoing research purposes.
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By Noopur Kalra
Tag: sheer trend
We’ve seen models on the runway, actresses on the ramp carry off the sheer something with so much poise and grace. They make it look so effortless. But the way these people sport their all sheer look, going with the bare minimum inside is something I’m personally not comfortable with nor do I have the…
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Breaking News
John Key discusses Dotcom saga
Tonight John Campbell talks to the Prime minister on Kim Dotcom, John Banks, and the Americans.
This time last Friday, we broke the story of John Banks and Kim Dotcom - the donations, the parties, and the forgotten helicopter ride.
Since then, every politician we've asked for an interview has turned us down.
But on Wednesday, the Prime Minister didn't receive our interview request, and tonight he responds to the questions we raised in that program.
In short, why did he know so little about an operation for the FBI, conducted in his electorate, with the special tactics group using semi automatic weapons to arrest a man charged with internet piracy: an operation that lead to a one billion dollar business being closed down.
So, when this was such an unprecedented operation, for the US, and so many people around him knew why was the Prime Minister not informed?
One point, before we start.
We categorically accept the Prime Minister's assurance that his electorate office did not pass on the details of local constituents who had visited his office to discuss Dotcom.
But there are so many other questions surrounding that raid and what we've learned subsequently about John Banks, those donations and who knew what, and when.
John Campbell begins by asking John Key when he first heard of Kim Dotcom.
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A 17-year-old boy called into Pat Robertson (ugh, why is anyone who isn’t 117 years old listening to Pat Robertson?) concerned about his parent’s marriage. This is what Pat told the boy. Get ready because it is some ape sh!t nonsense.
“A woman came to a preacher I know — it’s so funny. She was awful looking. Her hair was all torn up, she was overweight and looked terrible. And she said, ‘Oh, Reverend, what can I do? My husband has started to drink.’ And the preacher looked at her and he said, ‘Madam, if I were married to you, I’d start to drink too.'”
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Q:
find the mean, minimum and maximum amount for a text file data in python
I am trying to find the mean, minimum and maximum amount for a text file data by using python 3.4.
The input text file contains two numbers:
The first denotes the day and is an integer starting from zero
The second is the reading of the generation meter at the end of that day.
Note that there is not a reading for every day in the file and some lines in the file start with # and are to be interpreted as comments.
In order to find the mean, minimum and maximum amount per day I used the following code, but it doesn’t work properly as the splitted list contains # and others comments.
Is there anyone who can suggest me an appropriate way to remove the unwanted part? Or can suggest me the appropriate way to find the mean, minimum and maximum amount per day.
The code is as follows:
import sys, math, pylab
with open('generation.dat') as f:
for line in f:
parts = line.split() # Will split line into parts
if len(parts) > 1: # if at least 2 columns
days = parts[0] # first line denotes the day
readings = parts[1] # second line is the reading of the generation meter at the end of the day
#days.remove(#)
#readings.remove(Day, holiday)
#d = int(days)
#r = float (readings)
print (days, readings) # print columns
amounts = [ readings[i] - readings[i-1] for i in range(1, len(readings))
print ("Mean amount generated per day is:", (sum(amounts) / len(amounts)))
print ("Minimum amount generated per day is:", min(amounts))
print ("Maximum amount generated per day is:", max(amounts))
Text file contains below-mentioned data
# Day zero is 30 xi 2011
0 99.5
# xii 2011
1 102.1
2 109.9
3 116.5
4 117.7
5 124.2
6 131.6
7 140.9
8 141.7
9 151
10 158.2
11 158.8
12 167.6
13 175
14 179.3
15 183.2
16 183.7
17 190.4
18 195
19 195.7
20 200
21 200.9 shortest day
After using the above-mentioned code output is showing like below:
# Day
0 99.5
# xii
1 102.1
2 109.9
3 116.5
4 117.7
5 124.2
6 131.6
7 140.9
8 141.7
9 151
10 158.2
11 158.8
12 167.6
13 175
14 179.3
15 183.2
16 183.7
17 190.4
18 195
19 195.7
20 200
21 200.9
A:
If you wants to skip comments lines (starting by #) just replace
if len(parts) > 1:
By:
if len(parts) > 1 and not line.startswith('#'):
If you wants to remove all comments within each lines just add
line = line.split('#')[0]
Before line parts = line.split()
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The global taste for salt — seventy-five percent of the world’s population consumes nearly double the daily recommended amount of sodium — may have been responsible for 2.3 million heart-related deaths worldwide in 2010, according to Harvard School of Public Health researchers. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions, held March 19-22, 2013 in New Orleans.
Excess sodium consumption is known to increase blood pressure, which contributes to cardiovascular disease—the world’s number one cause of death, according to the AHA. Globally sodium intake from commercially prepared food, table salt, soy sauce, and salt added during food preparation averaged nearly 4,000 mg a day in 2010. The World Health Organization recommends less than 2,000 mg a day of sodium; the AHA recommends less than 1,500 mg a day.
To estimate global sodium intake, researchers analyzed survey data gathered between 1990 and 2010 as part of the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study, which is an international collaborative study by 488 scientists from 303 institutions in 50 countries around the world.
[[Dariush Mozaffarian]], associate professor of epidemiology, led the study led the study linking heart-related deaths to sodium consumption. Saman Fahimi, visiting scientist in HSPH’s epidemiology department, led the study on sodium consumption levels.
Read the CTV interview and CBS News coverage of the findings.
Learn more
Eating too much salt led to nearly 2.3 million heart-related deaths worldwide in 2010 (American Heart Association press release)
Adults worldwide eat almost double daily AHA recommended amount of sodium (American Heart Association press release)
Salt and Sodium: The Bottomline (HSPH Nutrition Source)
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ANDREW NEIL shut down the Solicitor General Robert Buckland after he described the common rulebook from Theresa May’s soft Brexit plan as “a new concept”.
Andrew Neil gave Solicitor General Robert Buckland a grilling after he described Theresa May’s Brexit common rulebook as a new concept, saying: “It is not a common rulebook, it’s the EU’s rulebook.”
Mr Buckland, the Solicitor General told BBC Daily Politics’s Andrew Neil: “It is a new concept and it reflects the reality of our common framework in regards to goods and agriculture.”
Mrs May has proposed a UK-EU free trade area which would establish a common rulebook for industrial goods and agricultural products.
Mr Neil said: “It is the existing EU rulebook which we have adopted but if we leave the European Union in this scenario we cannot adopt it.
Andrew Neil grilled Solicitor General Robert Buckland over the common rulebook proposals (Image: BBC)
It is not a common rulebook, it’s the EU’s rulebook
Andrew Neil
“It is not a common rulebook, it’s the EU’s rulebook.
“Explain to me if we are out of the EU and the rule book is controlled by the European Union, explain to me how Britain as a non-member of the European Union could change the rule book.”
However, she has signalled that different arrangements would be made for services, which make up around 80 percent of the UK economy, where the Government is seeking a greater degree of flexibility.
Mrs May’s deal has also proposed a facilitated customs arrangement, which would see the UK apply its own tariffs and trade policy for goods imported into the country, while the EU’s tariffs and trade policy would be implemented for goods destined for the EU.
Exporters would therefore be charged EU tariffs, and the UK would be obliged to transfer collected duties back to Brussels.
Speaking to Fox News, Nigel Farage said: "I’m now of the view that if she stays as Prime Minister, we will not get the Brexit we voted for, we will not be able to sing a trade deal with America and other big countries around the world.
"We would be taking rules from elsewhere without having a say. It would prevent us, probably, from making a deal with America and other countries.
"It is nothing less than a total betrayal of what people had voted for in that referendum and general election."
Mrs May had her Cabinet sign up to the new plans during an intense gathering at her Chequers retreat but Government soon after descended into chaos as two leading Brexiteer ministers, David Davis and Boris Johnson, quit their posts.
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In Narendra Modi’s India, to be Indian is to be Hindu. By connecting the national identity to the dominant faith in the country, the Prime Minister has led a campaign to disenfranchise millions of people who don’t share his beliefs, particularly the minority Muslim population, which represents 14 percent of the country. By blurring the line between politician and spiritual leader, Modi has secured an unprecedented mandate to carry his policies, which tend to affect adversely those who don’t share his faith.
GroundTruth Fellow Soumya Shankar was one of the first reporters on the ground in Kashmir during the recent military takeover by Modi’s government, reporting on the tactics used to secure control of the territory and the protests by its residents. Shankar also traveled to the border with Bangladesh, where thousands of people, mainly Muslims, are being denied their right to vote and even their very citizenship, as Modi tries to redefine Indian identity along religious lines.
Read Shankar’s dispatches from the ground
Follow the entire series
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NBCe1 mediates the regulation of the NADH/NAD+ redox state in cortical astrocytes by neuronal signals.
Astrocytes are a glial cell type, which is indispensable for brain energy metabolism. Within cells, the NADH/NAD+ redox state is a crucial node in metabolism connecting catabolic pathways to oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production in mitochondria. To characterize the dynamics of the intracellular NADH/NAD+ redox state in cortical astrocytes Peredox, a genetically encoded sensor for the NADH/NAD+ redox state, was expressed in cultured cortical astrocytes as well as in cortical astrocytes in acutely isolated brain slices. Calibration of the sensor in cultured astrocytes revealed a mean basal cytosolic NADH/NAD+ redox ratio of about 0.01; however, with a broad distribution and heterogeneity in the cell population, which was mirrored by a heterogeneous basal cellular concentration of lactate. Inhibition of glucose uptake decreased the NADH/NAD+ redox state while inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase or of lactate release resulted in an increase in the NADH/NAD+ redox ratio. Furthermore, the NADH/NAD+ redox state was regulated by the extracellular concentration of K+ , and application of the neurotransmitters ATP or glutamate increased the NADH/NAD+ redox state dependent on purinergic receptors and glutamate uptake, respectively. This regulation by K+ , ATP, and glutamate involved NBCe1 mediated sodium-bicarbonate transport. These results demonstrate that the NADH/NAD+ redox state in astrocytes is a metabolic node regulated by neuronal signals reflecting physiological activity, most likely contributing to adjust astrocytic metabolism to energy demand of the brain.
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WINNIPEG -- A Conservative MLA's public criticism of a proposed universal breakfast program for Manitoba students is causing backlash online, after calling it a "bad idea."
But many are saying the program is needed in a province with soaring poverty rates.
The program proposed by the Manitoba NDP would cost $30 million annually to bring over-arching funding to Manitoba schools allowing them to provide breakfast.
"What we're proposing is to do a province-wide, universal breakfast program that would provide a healthy meal to every kid in the province who needs it," said Wab Kinew, leader of the NDP.
The NDP said a nutritious breakfast will lead to success in the classroom.
Kinew said the multi-million dollar price tag was estimated based on similar programs in Alberta, as well as accounting for the higher rates of child poverty.
Kinew said there may be a higher need for the program in some areas of the province.
A national report card on child and family poverty in Canada found Manitoba has the highest rates (27.9 per cent) of child poverty in the country.
CRITICISM OF PROGRAM SPARKS BACKLASH
James Teitsma, Conservative MLA for Radisson, took to Twitter to share his criticism of the proposed breakfast program, calling it a bad idea.
"Don't get me wrong – kids need breakfast," Teitsma said on Twitter. "But they need to eat breakfast IN THEIR HOME even more."
#Manitoba's NDP are proposing to spend $30million annually providing in-school #breakfasts to students.
This is a #BadIdea.
Don't get me wrong - kids need breakfast.
But they need to eat breakfast IN THEIR HOME even more.
Read more at https://t.co/9wMlfK1L1m#mbpoli pic.twitter.com/YkEuhZt3O7 — James Teitsma (@JamesTeitsma) February 26, 2020
In a longer post on his website, Teitsma said the breakfast program does not address the root issues in the home.
"We need to understand why the children are not getting breakfast at home and take steps to ensure that they do," Teitsma wrote. "A universal school breakfast program doesn't do that."
Teitsma went on to say, providing a universal breakfast program could discourage and remove the responsibility from parents.
CTV News reached out to Teitsma for further comment, but have not heard back.
ACTION NEEDED IN MANITOBA: TEACHERS' SOCIETY
The tory MLA's opinion sparked a backlash on social media, though James Bedford, president of the Manitoba Teachers' Society said he was glad politicians are talking about it.
"I would agree that the ideal solution is that every child receives a breakfast in their own home, but the reality of this province is that we have parents and homes that simply cannot afford due to poverty," Bedford told CTV News.
Bedford said current breakfast programs in place at schools across Manitoba are helpful, but it is a "patchwork system."
He said he hopes a conversation can be started about where and how to implement a universal breakfast program for schools in Manitoba.
Bedford said Manitoba has been talking about dealing with child poverty for years. He said it's time for action.
"I'm simply tired of waiting," Bedford said. "I want something to happen, and I want it to happen now."
Education Minister, Kelvin Goertzen said in a statement to CTV News, that the government knows kids need to have breakfast.
“Our government knows that children do better in all aspects of their life when they are not hungry because they cannot access food. Manitoba Education, school divisions and local schools, together with generous community partners, served 4.8 million snacks and meals in the 2018/2019 school year to students," Goertzen said in the statement.
"While the best breakfast is one that can be provided at home, we will continue to work with our partners to provide food within the school system for those students who are not able, for whatever reason, to access food in a home environment.”
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After starting off with the 21-year-old Highland Park in this vertical tasting series, let’s take a look at the 25-year-old next. The use of mainly European oak sherry casks should make for quite a difference…
Tasting notes:
Colour: medium amber
The nose starts off deep, rich, with a lot going on – it reminds me of the Christmas baking season which is upon us! Caramelised orange dried over a bonfire meets pickled ginger, rum-infused sultanas and baked apples with cinnamon and star anise. A retired baker watches his apprentices from a distance and fills his pipe with sweet, black cavendish-laden tobacco, but doesn’t light it. (Oh, come on now, how many have you had today….?) The European oak is there, but it is by no means overpowering or oaky, which is always good to see or, rather, nose. We don’t want oak to spoil the Christmas bakery, don’t we? Let’s check out the palate before my mind wanders off completely!Interesting! A lot more oomph, kick and spice on the rather dry arrival than the nose made me think there would be. Pickled ginger, a pinch of chilli and white pepper and green baked apple are up front. The fruits are much more subdued and on the “green” side of things – not quite ripe apricots, diluted Sultana puree, apple peel, honey melon with a pinch of Christmas cake spices and the slightest hint of oak. The medium long and quite dry finish has a peppery kick upon swallowing, with the same green/light fruit mixture with a pinch of spice we’ve had on the palate.
Verdict: This is a bit of a Chameleon malt. The nose promises a quite fruity, rich mixture, whereas the palate delivers a rather dry and European oak driven malt, without being oaky. Certainly a very good whisky and a tad above the 21-year-old with an added richness and complexity, but not yet in the superb category of drams. Now, is it worth the obscene price of roughly 400€? Errr, well, I don’t think so, but, hey, if you’ve got cash burning a hole in your pockets and need something to impress your golf buddies with or need a Christmas present for someone who has it all…
Score: 88/100
(Nose: 90 Palate: 87 Finish: 87)
Click here to read about all the Highland Park whiskies I’ve reviewed so far!
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A La Jolla home that's been featured in commercials for Calvin Klein and Visa will soon be on the auction block. And the starting bid is drastically less than its $34 million construction cost and original asking price of $45 million.
Dubbed "The Razor," the bankruptcy home will open for bids onsite noon Tuesday, says Hurwitz James Company, which is listing the property. The Beverly Hills-based real estate firm said the starting bid for the 11,000-square-foot estate is $16 million, with overbids of $100,000 increments.
As of Thursday, company spokeswoman Violet Simpson said the Hurwitz James Company was close to a deal, so it’s possible the auction may not happen.
“Crossing our fingers,” said Simpson, in an email to the Union-Tribune.
If Tuesday's auction does happen, then only qualified bidders can take part in it and can do so by phone. It's cash only because the seller, who has filed for bankruptcy, will not offer financing for the house, 9826 La Jolla Farms Road.
The company says the home "will be sold free and clear of liens" and will not include personal property such as staging furniture.
From the listing company's blog:
As you can imagine, The Razor is keeping Bob Hurwitz very busy with all of the high-profile interviews and the numerous tours to qualified buyers coming from as far away as Sweden to see this masterpiece property. Bob Hurwitz has been making it known to qualified buyers that the best possible price will most likely be achieved prior to the auction.
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American looking to reach semi-finals at 21-and-under event for first time
Frances Tiafoe is returning to Milan. The 21-year-old American has qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the second consecutive year.
Here are five things to know about Tiafoe before the Next Gen ATP Finals, which will be held 5-9 November.
1. He has an unconventional tennis story.
Tiafoe did not grow up the son a former major tennis champion or destined for ATP Tour greatness. His father, Frances Sr., was the Head of Maintenance at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, USA, and Frances and his twin brother, Franklin, began to play there against a wall at the age of three.
Some nights, all three of them would sleep at the tennis center. Tiafoe's mother, Alphina, and Frances Sr. moved from Sierra Leone to the U.S. in 1996.
“I obviously wasn't a normal tennis story,” Tiafoe said. “The beginning of my career, I was playing for them, trying to do everything for my family. Obviously now I put them in a great place. Now I'm trying to do it for me.”
Watch From 2017 Uncovered: Tiafoe Revisits College Park Roots
2. He enjoyed a breakout run in Australia.
Tiafoe was 0-1 on the season coming into the Australian Open and had never made it past the third round of a Grand Slam. Yet the American won four matches, including against No. 6 Kevin Anderson, No. 35 Andreas Seppi and No. 21 Grigor Dimitrov, to make his first major quarter-final (l. to Nadal).
“[The Australian Open] was an absolute movie for me. Still in disbelief. I [want to] thank everyone who pushed me to make this run, y’all know who you are. I couldn’t be more grateful,” Tiafoe said.
3. He knocked out a Spanish legend in Miami.
David Ferrer retired in May after losing to Alexander Zverev at the Mutua Madrid Open. Along the way, though, Ferrer said goodbye to a few select tournaments, including the Miami Open presented by Itau.
In March, Tiafoe, en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, beat Ferrer in the Spaniard's last match in South Florida. The American also beat 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin before falling to fellow Milan qualifier Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals.
“Absolute war. I [have nothing] but respect for this guy, [David Ferrer]. You will be missed,” Tiafoe said.
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5. He's coming back to Milan.
Tiafoe represented the #NextGenATP in Milan last year, falling just short of the semi-finals. He went 1-2, beating Poland's Hubert Hurkacz but losing to eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and Spain's Jaume Munar. Every year of the Next Gen ATP Finals has had American representation: 2017, Jared Donaldson and 2018, Taylor Fritz and Tiafoe.
Next up for Wawrinka is #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe, who produced a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Brit Daniel Evans for his sixth ATP Tour quarter-final of the year. Earlier this week, Tiafoe qualified for his second appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals, held from 5-9 November in Milan.
American playing in Milan for second consecutive year
Frances Tiafoe has a knack for lighting up any room he enters.
The Next Gen ATP Finals launch party this Saturday was a perfect example of the 21-year-old in his element. He posed for photos with fans, chatted with the media in attendance and led the ongoing banter with his fellow competitors in Milan. Tiafoe thrives on a festive atmosphere off the court, which extends to his love on the court for packed stadiums at ATP Tour events worldwide.
”I’ve always liked the spotlight,” Tiafoe said ahead of his second appearance at this event. “You can always count on me playing my best tennis on a big court. The crowd getting into it is what makes it fun. That’s when all the work you’ve done in the dark comes out.
”I think it’s a privilege to have pressure, to be in a unique position. To play on a big stage with high stakes, you could be in a much worse situation.”
Read More: Tiafoe Lives For The Biggest Moment
A vocal crowd is just one of the reasons that Tiafoe looked forward to returning to Milan. Tiafoe relished the unique format of this event last year, utilising the in-match coaching option and feeding off the fan-friendly environment. Although he didn’t advance out of Group B, he still looked back on the week with fond memories.
Tiafoe also enjoyed how the event provideed an opportunity to spend time away from the court with his #NextGenATP peers. The affable American is one of the most well-liked players in the locker room, and it’s evident when he walks around the Allianz Cloud. When he’s not preparing for his first match on Tuesday against Jannik Sinner, he’s cracking jokes with other players or mingling with tournament staff, buzzing around the complex with the vigour of a seasoned politician.
”I’m really close with Alex de Minaur. Miomir Kecmanovic is a good friend of mine,” Tiafoe said. “I’ve seen Mikael Ymer around since the juniors. I don’t know a lot of the other guys here as well. It’s a new group for me, so I’m looking forward to getting to know them.”
Read More: 5 Things To Know About Milan-Bound Tiafoe
Tiafoe has no problem getting down to business when a match starts, though. The American’s intensity was on full display when he kicked off this season with his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open. He celebrated victories with roars of approval, ripped off his shirt and even mimicked the chest-thumping celebrations of NBA star LeBron James.
The 21-year-old believes the intensity he brings to a match is a sign of respect for his opponent. But once a match is over, he’s able to leave it on the court.
"You want to respect their time. When you’re playing them, it’s still a job,” Tiafoe said. “There’s money on the line, [ATP Rankings] points, opportunity… For those two or three hours, we’ll compete, but then I promise you we’ll be friends after. Some people take [losing] personally, but I’ll talk to you in the locker room 10 minutes later.”
You May Also Like: Scouting Report: The Next Gen ATP Finals Field
Tiafoe is known for being a class act after tough losses, offering a hug or hearty handshake to his opponents. Maintaining relationships has always been a high priority for him. But if the reception he’s gotten from his peers this week is any indication, losing those connections isn't something he needs to worry about.
”I think togetherness is a big thing. You hope to have these relationships forever,” Tiafoe said. “You’re playing against each other, but they’re also your colleagues for the next 15 or 20 years. I’m competitive, but I also want the best for everyone.”
Australian Open quarter-finalist looking to finish 2019 strong
Frances Tiafoe can confidently call his third season on the ATP Tour a learning experience, both on and off the court.
In between the lines, he has experienced some of his best moments, making the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and the Miami Open presented by Itau in the first three months of the year.
But the American, who won his maiden ATP Tour title in 2018 (Delray Beach), didn't reach a semi-final all season and returns to the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan with a 21-25 record.
“It was tough. Obviously, your head gets a little big, you think you can just show up [at] the big events,” Tiafoe told ATPTour.com. “I think I learned a lot this year, and it's going to to help me for next year and the years to come.”
More About Tiafoe
5 Things To Know About Milan-Bound Tiafoe
Tiafoe On #NextGenATP Friendships: 'Togetherness Is A Big Thing'
Groups Locked In For Milan
Off the court, however, might be where Tiafoe has learned the most in 2019. The 21-year-old became a spokesperson for ThanksUSA, a nonprofit organisation that provides scholarships and employment support to children and spouses of U.S. military personnel.
Every Wednesday, when Tiafoe is around his home club, the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, USA, he plays tennis with members of the organisation as part of ThanksUSA's Tennis Corps program. They joke around on court and open up off it.
“We play a bunch of tennis. We take breaks and just kind of talk about life, talk about some of the things they went through in the past and some of the things I've gone through,” he said.
Tiafoe's mother, Alphina, and father, Frances Sr., moved from Sierra Leone to the U.S. in 1996. As a child, Frances sometimes stayed overnight at his home club, with his twin brother, Franklin, and their father, who was the Head of Maintenance. The Tiafoe boys began to play tennis at the club at the age of three.
Watch From 2017 Uncovered: Tiafoe Revisits College Park Roots
The veterans and their families like chatting with Tiafoe about the ATP Tour and follow his results. He enjoys measuring their tennis progress, or lack thereof.
“It's a great organisation. Military families, they don't get enough praise... I love being a part of it. I love playing with those veterans,” he said. “They love seeing me. [We] talk about my results. I talk about, 'Man, you guys haven't improved since I've been gone. What's going on?' They're great people. They deserve that praise. I'm just more than happy to speak for them.”
The experiences remind Tiafoe of his unlikely beginnings and why he plays and travels the world 11 months out of the year.
“I just love being at home in general. Obviously, D.C. means everything to me. Something to have at home like that is great for me. Keeps me grounded, keeps me humble. Understanding where I came from, understanding that it's not a 'me thing,' it's a 'we thing,'” he said. “In due time, I want to do much more. I think that would also give me much more motivation out here to know that I'm [contributing to] something bigger than myself.”
Tiafoe also has plans to do much more this week in Milan. The American didn't advance out of the group stage in 2018, falling in straight sets to Spain's Jaume Munar in his final match.
But Tiafoe is eager to make good on his final appearance at the award-winning 21-and-under event and apply what he's learned this year. (Tiafoe was born in 1998, making him ineligible for the 2020 Next Gen ATP Finals.)
“This year was a huge learning curve. He did some really great things along the way,” coach Zack Evenden told ATPTour.com. “But it's more of an important year for him, because he can learn a lot from it.”
Despite his occasional struggles, Tiafoe has never stopped working hard this season. “We always say whether any player is struggling, if you're putting in the work, good things are going to come eventually,” Evenden said.
For Tiafoe, that good thing would be his first – and final – Milan title, a head-turning finish to match his click-worthy start.
“First priority is to get out the group and, obviously, see where you can go from there,” Tiafoe said. “But ultimately, I want to be playing on the last day and competing for a title.”
American wins the pair's first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting
Frances Tiafoe’s reaction after clinching match point on Wednesday at the Next Gen ATP Finals made it clear that he wants to extend his time in Milan. The second-seeded American fell to the ground in delight after getting on the board this week with a 4-2, 4-3(5), 3-4(4), 4-1 victory over Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
Tiafoe moved to 1-1 in Group B, while Humbert fell to 0-2. The American enjoyed some of the biggest results of his career this season, reaching his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open and his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
Tiafoe makes Milan SF for first time
Second seed Frances Tiafoe found himself in an identical situation to last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals when he took the court on Thursday against Swede Mikael Ymer, but gave himself a different outcome this time.
The American could have advanced to the semi-finals last year if he’d beaten Jaume Munar, but found himself overwhelmed by the occasion and fell in straight sets. But with a semi-final berth on the line again this year, Tiafoe embraced the pressure and produced a convincing 4-2, 4-2, 4-2 win over Ymer.
“I’m pretty stoked. I needed this. The second half of this season has been rough for me, so every match is an opportunity for me,” Tiafoe said. “I love this event and I want to stay. The more you win, the longer you can stay, so I’m happy to be in the semis.
“I thought I came up with the good points when I needed them… I did a good job, nothing fancy and just stayed locked in.”
Read More: Tiafoe Has Milan Title On His Mind
He joined Jannik Sinner as the two players to advance out of Group B. Tiafoe will face close friend and top seed Alex de Minaur in Friday’s semi-final action. The Aussie prevailed in their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting at last year’s US Open.
“I wanted to see him in the final, but unfortunately it has to be in the semis,” Tiafoe said. “He’s a workhorse. He’s going to get every ball, keep every rally extremely long and make me beat him. I’m ready for the task. We’re going to go after each other, but we’ll still be great friends after.”
Read More: Tiafoe Talks #NextGenATP Friendships
Tiafoe joined Thursday's trend of dominant runs at the Allianz Cloud, going on a five-game winning streak from 1-2 in the opening set. Consistently landing first serves at more than 200 kph to set up winning forehands, the second seed dictated the tempo of play and kept Ymer pinned behind the baseline in rallies.
The second seed also showed his growth in the most critical moments of the match. Tiafoe didn't convert his two chances to break last year against Munar, but made good on 50 per cent (3/6) of his opportunities against Ymer. He was equally impressive in deciding points against the Swede, winning four of five on the night.
Tiafoe secured his final break at 2-2 in the third set and raised his arms in triumph after another strong serve wrapped up play after 67 minutes.
American enjoying his time in Milan
Frances Tiafoe is one of the many players who have used their time at the Next Gen ATP Finals to reach even greater heights on the ATP Tour.
Four months after his debut appearance in Milan last year, the American racked up his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open, first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Miami Open presented by Itau and a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 29. The second seed has surpassed his 2018 performance by advancing out of round-robin play and into the semi-finals against top-seeded Aussie Alex de Minaur.
”I think a lot of guys have taken big positives from playing in this event. They have something to strive for. I think you see a lot of young guys playing well because of it,” Tiafoe said. “Putting [us] on a pedestal, making [us] feel known. It’s not easy to [be known] on the Tour with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, unless you go for an outstanding run, which is not easy to take out these top guys.
“I really like coming to Milan. In the next couple of years, I will probably just come and just hang out. I love the city that much. I always love coming back. The fans are great here. I feel very loved here, practising and stuff. Little kids seem to like me quite a lot here. That means a lot to me.”
Read More: From #NextGen To Nitto
Tiafoe’s inspired runs, along with his chest-thumping celebration and emotional on-court interview after reaching the last eight in Melbourne, increased his profile significantly. But the 21-year-old admitted to struggling with the pressure that can come with those results. Tiafoe said after his win on Thursday over Swede Mikael Ymer that “the second half of this season has been rough for me,” but he appears to have turned a corner this week.
“I definitely had higher expectations for myself this year, but it's a big learning year for me. I had to deal with a lot of expectations. I had to deal with being more recognised,” Tiafoe said. "So it was tough. I definitely felt like I was going to have more results on a regular basis. It didn't happe, but all of this is going to pan out for me next year and for years to come.”
Read More: Tiafoe, With Lessons Learned, Has Milan Title On His Mind
For now, his focus is on defeating good friend De Minaur and taking the title in Milan. The American is able to seamlessly separate the personal from the professional, remaining close with some of his biggest rivals on Tour. But when he and De Minaur walk on court, Tiafoe said they’ll have no problem putting their friendship aside.
"You want to respect their time. When you’re playing them, it’s still a job,” Tiafoe said. “There’s money on the line, opportunity… For those two or three hours, we’ll compete, but then I promise you we’ll be friends after. Some people take [losing] personally, but I’ll talk to you in the locker room 10 minutes later.
”I'm really good friends with most of the guys here, so it's all good blood. We battle and then, after that, go and chill. I think that makes good rivalries and good relationships. We have enough respect for each other that no matter what happens, we're going to be there for each other.”
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Embodiments of the present technique relate generally to diagnostic imaging, and more particularly to a technique for adaptive configuration of a source and a detector in an imaging system for optimal data acquisition.
Radiographic imaging systems typically include a radiation source that emits radiation towards an object, such as a patient or a piece of luggage. A radiation beam, after being attenuated by the object, impinges upon an array of radiation detectors. Generally, the radiation beam intensity received at the detector array depends upon the attenuation of the radiation beam through the scanned object. Particularly, each detector in the detector array generates a separate signal indicative of the attenuated beam received by the detector. Subsequently, each detector transmits the generated signal to a data processing system for analysis and further processing to facilitate image reconstruction.
Conventionally, radiation detectors are employed in emission imaging systems, for example, nuclear medicine (NM) gamma cameras, computed tomography (CT) systems and positron emission tomography (PET) systems. Typically, the CT systems include an X-ray source and a detector array that are rotated about a gantry encompassing an imaging volume around the object. Particularly, the detector array in the CT systems employs detectors that convert X-ray photon energy into current signals that are integrated over a time period, then measured, and ultimately digitized. Furthermore, the CT imaging systems typically include photon-counting (PC) detectors that provide dose efficient X-ray spectral information, energy discrimination and material decomposition capabilities. Conventional PC detectors, however, are subject to saturation effects at high X-ray flux, for example, at or above 5-100 million counts per sec per millimeter squared (Mcps), due to pile-up and polarization. Detector saturation causes loss of imaging information, thereby resulting in severe artifacts in reconstructed X-ray projection and CT images. Some CT systems, therefore, employ energy integrating (EI) detectors that do not experience saturation at high X-ray flux rates. These EI detectors, however, provide only limited energy information. Additionally, at low flux rates, these EI detectors suffer from electronic noise.
Accordingly, recent detectors have been designed to provide either or both of photon counting and energy discriminating feedback. These types of detectors, however, still have limited count rates. Moreover, these detectors may not cover broad dynamic ranges encompassing very high X-ray photon flux rates typically encountered with conventional CT systems, where the very high X-ray photon flux rates ultimately lead to detector saturation.
Several techniques have been proposed to address detector saturation. These techniques include simultaneous readout of PC and EI data so that EI data is always available in regions where the PC data is saturated and PC data is available in regions where the flux is small. Although these simultaneous readouts solve the problem of saturated regions by providing EI data, these techniques fail to provide energy information in the saturated regions. Accordingly, alternative techniques have been designed to employ a predictive algorithm for configuring a desired detector setting for acquiring imaging data in different regions. It is however noted that actuation of the predictive algorithm may be regional on the detector making it difficult to select a setting (PC or EI) that works for neighboring regions.
A particularly challenging task is to configure detector settings for imaging coronary vessels in a lung field. As the lung field is adjacent to the coronary vessels and the sternum, high flux and low flux regions are proximally positioned and are encountered at the detector in rapid succession in time. Accordingly, switching a detector from a PC mode to an EI mode in conventional imaging systems may not be fast enough to allow acquisition of sufficient data for an efficient image reconstruction which, in turn, may affect accuracy of a diagnosis.
It would therefore be desirable to design a method and a system that overcome flux rate limitations of conventional detectors and organize acquisition of sufficient data for different system configurations to reconstruct a high quality image. Additionally, there is a need for a system that provides faster scanning and efficient material discrimination capability even with lower doses of radiation.
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World changes faster
With a wink to my previous post, I can say that at the same location, you will now find a working DLL loader that works in threaded applications, and thus in Totem, too. This means, in effect, that we now support QDM2 and WMV9. Thanks to Mike Hearn for helping me fix the threading issues!
I also updated the ffmpeg snapshot, which means that current CVS of everything now supports ALAC (Apple lossless), too.
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419 F.3d 462
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants,v.PLYMOUTH WHALERS HOCKEY CLUB, et al., Defendants-Appellees.
No. 04-1173.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
Argued: February 4, 2005.
Decided and Filed: August 15, 2005.
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED ARGUED: Michael P. Conway, Grippo & Elden LLC, Chicago, Illinois, for Appellants. Stephen F. Wasinger, Wasinger, Kickham & Hanley, Royal Oak, Michigan, for Appellees. ON BRIEF: John E. Bucheit, John R. McCambridge, Grippo & Elden LLC, Chicago, Illinois, for Appellants. Stephen F. Wasinger, Gregory D. Hanley, Wasinger, Kickham & Hanley, Royal Oak, Michigan, for Appellees.
Before: SILER, COLE, and CLAY, Circuit Judges.
OPINION
CLAY, Circuit Judge.
1
Plaintiffs, the National Hockey League Players Association ("NHLPA"), Anthony Aquino ("Aquino"), and Edward Caron ("Caron") appeal the dismissal, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, of their suit under the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1, against Defendants, the Ontario Hockey League ("OHL"), its member Clubs, and its Commissioner, David Branch ("Branch").
2
This case is before this Court for the second time. In 2003, we reversed the district court's grant of a preliminary injunction to Plaintiffs, on the ground that Plaintiffs had failed to identify a relevant market as required under the Sherman Act. Nat'l Hockey League Players' Ass'n v. Plymouth Whalers Hockey Club ("NHLPA I"), 325 F.3d 712, 714-17 (6th Cir.2003). Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint in an attempt to cure the defects identified by this Court in NHLPA I. The district court found these efforts unpersuasive, and dismissed Plaintiffs' suit for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. For the reasons that follow, we AFFIRM the order of the district court.
BACKGROUND
I. Substantive Facts
3
Many of the facts set forth below were included in this Court's factual discussion in NHLPA I. We reiterate them here because of their importance to our determination of the claims at issue in this appeal.
4
The Ontario Hockey League ("OHL") consists of twenty teams, with players aged sixteen to twenty. Two of the teams are located in Michigan, one is in Pennsylvania, and the remaining teams are based in Ontario, Canada. The OHL, along with the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, form the "Major Junior Leagues" of the Canadian Hockey League ("CHL"). The Major Junior Leagues constitute one of the three major sources of players in the National Hockey League's ("NHL") entry draft; the others are European leagues and American colleges and high schools.
5
OHL eligibility rules permit each team to carry only three twenty-year-old, or "overage," players. Additionally, under the OHL's Rule 7.4, which is at the heart of this case, no overage player can be signed by an OHL team unless he was previously on a Canadian Hockey Association ("CHA") or USA Hockey Player's Registration the previous season. The National College Athletic Association ("NCAA") does not permit players holding either type of registration to play at a NCAA school. These two rules — the OHL rule requiring overage players to have a been on a CHA or USA Hockey Registration, and the NCAA rule barring players with either of those registrations — combine to prevent OHL teams from signing any twenty-year-old NCAA players, because such a player would not have been permitted by the NCAA to have obtained the registration required by the OHL of twenty-year-old players.
6
Rule 7.4 is commonly referred to as the "Van Ryn Rule." Mike Van Ryn ("Van Ryn") was a University of Michigan hockey player when he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils, an NHL team, in June 1998. Pursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreement ("CBA") between the NHL and the NHLPA, the Devils thus obtained the rights to Van Ryn for one year, at which point, if the Devils failed to sign Van Ryn, he would become an unrestricted free agent. Under the terms of the CBA,1 those rights would only be extended past one year if Van Ryn remained in NCAA competition, or went to play for a non-affiliated hockey league.
7
Van Ryn remained in NCAA competition at the University of Michigan for one year following the draft, which extended the Devils' rights to him for one year. He then signed with the Sarnia Sting, an OHL club. The OHL is affiliated with the NHL, and therefore, the Devils' rights to Van Ryn were not extended by Van Ryn's signing with the Sting. Van Ryn thus became an unrestricted free agent in June 2000, and signed a three-year contract with the NHL's St. Louis Blues. Had Van Ryn not played in an affiliated league for the year during which the Devils had exclusive rights to him, his only path to free agency would have been to sit out for the season.
8
The Devils, with the support of the NHL, attempted to declare Van Ryn a "defected player" ineligible for free agency, but an arbitrator rejected this effort. Within two months of the arbitration decision and Van Ryn's signing with the Blues, the OHL adopted the "Van Ryn Rule." Unsurprisingly, Plaintiffs regard the adoption of the rule as an attempt to prevent other NCAA players from achieving free agency via the route traveled by Van Ryn. Defendants dispute this motive, and note that a rule similar to the Van Ryn Rule, which prevented overage players from playing in the OHL if they had not played there as nineteen-year-olds, was in effect from 1992 to 1998. David Branch, the OHL Commissioner, has stated that the rule was implemented because, given that "the opportunities for overage players are obviously limited by OHL rules, it seemed fitting and appropriate to include those players who had given the OHL their time and talent over a number of years and to exclude those who had not done so."
9
Defendants also point out that former NCAA players who will not turn twenty before December 31 of any season may play in the OHL. However, pursuant to Section 8.4 of the CBA, players generally must be at least nineteen years old to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft. Thus, few NCAA players who have been drafted by an NHL team will be able to sign with an OHL team and follow the path taken by Mike Van Ryn to unrestricted free agency.
10
Plaintiffs Anthony Aquino ("Aquino") and Edward Caron ("Caron"), were, at the time the complaint was filed, twenty-year-old NCAA hockey players who aspired to play in the NHL. Both players contend that the Van Ryn Rule precluded them from achieving unrestricted free agency and the financial rewards it can confer. Aquino was drafted by the Owen Sound Attack, an OHL team, at age sixteen. He chose to play instead at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, and remained at Merrimack for three seasons. The Sound Attack later traded its rights to Aquino to another OHL team, the Oshawa Generals. In June 2001, Aquino was drafted by the Dallas Stars of the NHL. Aquino desired to play in the OHL during the 2002-2003 season, and did in fact play for the Generals briefly after the district court issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the Van Ryn Rule and until that injunction was stayed by this Court in NHLPA I. Aquino ultimately signed an NHL contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. Caron similarly argues that he sought to play in the OHL in 2002-2003, and that he would have signed an OHL contract but for the Van Ryn Rule.
II. Procedural History
11
Plaintiff NHLPA, an unincorporated labor association and the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current and future NHL hockey players, filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on March 12, 2001, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief on behalf of present and future NHL players. Defendants moved to dismiss the suit on the grounds of forum non conveniens and lack of personal jurisdiction. The district court denied appellants' motion to dismiss. Nat'l Hockey League Players' Ass'n v. Plymouth Whalers Hockey Club et al., 166 F.Supp.2d 1155 (E.D.Mich.2001).
12
On July 18, 2002, the NHLPA moved to amend the complaint to add Aquino as a plaintiff and requested a preliminary injunction, barring enforcement of the Van Ryn Rule, on his behalf. Both motions were granted on August 30, 2002. Defendants appealed the grant of the preliminary injunction to this Court, which stayed the injunction on November 4, 2002, and then reversed and remanded the case to the district court.
13
On remand, Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint, which added Caron as a plaintiff and incorporated additional allegations in an attempt to address this Court's opinion in NHLPA I. Defendants, arguing that Plaintiffs had not succeeded in curing the defects identified by this Court's decision, moved to dismiss the complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The district court granted that motion and entered judgment in favor of Defendants on December 30, 2003. Notice of this appeal was filed on January 20, 2004.
DISCUSSION
I. Standard of Review
14
This Court conducts de novo review of a district court's dismissal of a complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). PR Diamonds, Inc. v. Chandler, 364 F.3d 671, 680 (6th Cir.2004) (citing Valassis Communications v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 97 F.3d 870, 873 (6th Cir.1996)).
15
In considering whether a complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, this Court construes "`the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, accept[s] all factual allegations [of the plaintiff] as true, and determine[s] whether the plaintiff undoubtedly can prove no set of facts in support of his claims that would entitle him to relief.'" Ricco v. Potter, 377 F.3d 599, 602 (6th Cir.2004) (quoting Marks v. Newcourt Credit Group, Inc., 342 F.3d 444, 451 (6th Cir.2003)) (citations omitted). Although this is a liberal pleading standard, it requires more than the bare assertion of legal conclusions. Rather, the complaint must contain either direct or inferential allegations respecting all the material elements to sustain a recovery under some viable legal theory. In re DeLorean Motor Co., 991 F.2d 1236, 1240 (6th Cir.1993).
II. The Sherman Act
16
Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act provides that "[e]very contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal." 15 U.S.C. § 1. As is obvious from the language and purpose of the Sherman Act, the unilateral actions of a solitary actor cannot violate Section 1, and therefore a threshold issue in all Sherman Act cases is whether more than one actor is implicated in the challenged restraint. See Copperweld Corp. v. Independence Tube Corp., 467 U.S. 752, 769-70 & n. 15, 104 S.Ct. 2731, 81 L.Ed.2d 628 (1984).
17
Because every contract could be construed as a restraint of trade, the Supreme Court has held that for a claim to be actionable under the Sherman Act, the restraint challenged must be "unreasonable." Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n v. Bd. of Regents of Univ. of Okla., 468 U.S. 85, 98, 104 S.Ct. 2948, 82 L.Ed.2d 70 (1984). Whether a restraint is unreasonable is determined under either a per se rule or the "rule of reason." NHLPA I, 325 F.3d at 718 (citations omitted).
18
The per se rule is appropriate where the challenged practice is "entirely void of redeeming competitive rationales." Id. (quoting Law v. Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n, 134 F.3d 1010, 1016 (10th Cir.1998)). In granting Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, the district court applied the per se rule. This Court reversed the district court and held that the rule of reason approach was appropriate, noting that "`courts consistently have analyzed challenged conduct under the rule of reason when dealing with an industry in which some horizontal restraints are necessary for the availability of a product' such as sports leagues." Id. at 719 (quoting Law, 134 F.3d at 1019). We apply the rule of reason here as well.
19
Under the rule of reason, a plaintiff has the burden of demonstrating significant anti-competitive effects within a relevant market. If the plaintiff meets this burden, the defendant is required to proffer evidence of pro-competitive effects of the restraint justifying the anti-competitive injuries. Assuming the defendant succeeds in doing so, the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to "show that any legitimate objectives can be achieved in a substantially less restrictive manner." Id. at 718 (citations omitted); see also Worldwide Basketball and Sport Tours, Inc. v. Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n, 388 F.3d 955, 959 (6th Cir.2004).
20
III. Plaintiffs' Claim of a Conspiracy Among Defendants
21
With these principles in mind, we turn to Count I of Plaintiffs' second amended complaint, which alleges a conspiracy among the member teams of the OHL to adopt the Van Ryn Rule in violation of the Sherman Act.
A. Multiple actor requirement
22
A threshold requirement of the Sherman Act is that the challenged agreement be entered into by multiple parties. 15 U.S.C. § 1; see Copperweld Corp., 467 U.S. at 769-70 & n. 15, 104 S.Ct. 2731. While Defendants do not contend that the OHL acted as a single actor in this case, we nonetheless will briefly explain our conclusion that the OHL and the various member teams of the OHL represent multiple actors.
23
Other courts considering the actions of professional sports leagues have found the leagues to be joint ventures whose members act in concert (i.e., agree) to promulgate league rules, rather than one solitary acting unit. N. Am. Soccer League v. Nat'l Football League, 670 F.2d 1249, 1257 (2d Cir.1982); see also Fraser v. Major League Soccer, 284 F.3d 47 (1st Cir.2002); Bd. of Regents, 468 U.S. at 100-101, 104 S.Ct. 2948. The Second Circuit explained that to hold otherwise would create a "loophole [that] would permit league members to escape antitrust responsibility for any restraint entered into by them that would benefit their league . . . even though the benefit would be outweighed by its anticompetitive effects." N. Am. Soccer League, 670 F.2d at 1257. We are persuaded that this logic applies in the instant case. Just as the National Football League could not accurately be characterized as a "single economic entity," id., neither could the OHL, which exists only as constituted by its twenty member teams. We therefore conclude that when they adopt eligibility rules, the member teams of the OHL constitute multiple actors who act in concert. Thus, the adoption of the Van Ryn Rule represents an agreement between multiple actors, as required by Section 1 of the Sherman Act.
24
B. Whether the district court erred in determining that Plaintiffs failed to identify a relevant market, as required to state a "rule of reason" anti-trust claim
1. NHLPA I
25
As we noted in NHLPA I, Plaintiffs' first complaint did not attempt to define a relevant market. NHLPA I, 325 F.3d at 720. Nevertheless, in granting the preliminary injunction, the district court determined that the relevant market was "the market for competition among OHL and CHL teams for player services." We rejected that holding, explaining that:
26
[t]he market for player services in the OHL . . . is not a market that involves economic competition. The OHL rules clearly limit the amount a player may be paid to schooling and a limited stipend.2 . . [T]he effect on the market as defined by [Plaintiffs] is on athletic competition, which is not protected by the antitrust laws. The application of the Van Ryn Rule does not result in any economic injury to the `market for competition among OHL and CHL teams for player services,' but merely substitutes one arguably less skilled player for another arguably more skilled player. While a player barred by the Rule is precluded from taking advantage of the benefits of playing on an OHL team, numerous other categories of players, including anyone under sixteen or over twenty, are similarly barred.
27
Id. (citations omitted).
28
Plaintiffs argued before the district court on remand, and now before this Court, that the determination by the Sixth Circuit in NHLPA I that the OHL market for player services is not an economic market is not binding under the law of the case doctrine because it was made on appeal from a preliminary injunction. We disagree. The district court is bound by the determinations of this Court unless one of three circumstances is met: 1) substantially different evidence is subsequently raised; 2) a subsequent contrary and controlling view of the law is decided; 3) or a decision is clearly erroneous and would work a manifest injustice. Hanover Ins. Co. v. Am. Eng'g Co., 105 F.3d 306, 312 (6th Cir.1997). On remand from NHLPA I, Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint which added some general allegations regarding the OHL and/or CHL as a market for player services, including the assertion that "the OHL and CHL Clubs provide unique developmental opportunities for players like Aquino and Caron. Other professional leagues in North America and Europe are inferior developmental opportunities and/or are unwilling to sign players like Aquino and Caron." However, these broad allegations only confirm this Court's earlier holding that with respect to the market for player services in the OHL and/or CHL, the harm alleged is to athletic and not economic competition. Furthermore, these allegations do not constitute "substantially different evidence."
29
Neither this Circuit nor the Supreme Court, subsequent to the opinion in NHLPA I, has issued an opinion contrary to that case. Finally, we are satisfied that our prior decision in NHLPA I was not only not "clearly erroneous," but in fact was correct. Thus, none of the conditions announced in Hanover Insurance are met in this case, and both the district court and this Court are bound by our holding in NHLPA I that the OHL market for player services is not a market that involves economic competition. NHLPA I, 325 F.3d at 720.
30
However, this Court expressly refused to apply a rule of reason analysis to other markets for player services, as they had not been alleged in the complaint. Id. Nonetheless, in dismissing the case on remand, the district court concluded that "Plaintiffs have not made any persuasive arguments or cited any authority that would lead the Court to a different conclusion than the Sixth Circuit's that `the market for player services,' whether it is in the OHL, CHL, or NHL, is not a market that involves economic competition within the meaning of the Sherman Act." J.A. at 64. (emphasis added). This is an erroneous and overbroad reading of NHLPA I. In NHLPA I, this Court's determination that the OHL market for player services is not an economic market was grounded in the fact that OHL players are paid fixed stipends and thus OHL teams do not compete with each other economically for players. Again, this Court expressly refused to consider whether other markets for player services might constitute relevant markets. NHLPA I, 325 F.3d at 720. The holding in NHLPA I therefore does not bar a finding that another market for player services is a relevant market if Plaintiffs can establish that it does involve economic competition, and the district court's apparent conclusion to the contrary was in error.
31
2. The market for sixteen- to twenty-year-old hockey players in North America is a relevant market
32
We consider whether any of the remaining four proposed relevant markets alleged by Plaintiffs in their second amended complaint constitute relevant markets under Section 1 of the Sherman Act. They are the market for player services among teams in the Canadian Hockey League; the market comprised of North American organizations that compete for the services of twenty-year-old hockey players; the market comprised of North American organizations that compete for the services of hockey players ages sixteen through twenty; and the market for player services in the National Hockey League.
33
Generally, a relevant market is one which includes "products or services that are reasonably interchangeable with, as well as identical to, defendant's product" affected by the rule or regulation being challenged. Am. Council of Certified Podiatric Physicians and Surgeons v. Am. Bd. of Podiatric Surgery, Inc., 185 F.3d 606, 622 (6th Cir.1999); see also Brown Shoe Co. v. United States, 370 U.S. 294, 325, 82 S.Ct. 1502, 8 L.Ed.2d 510 (1962); United States v. E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co., 351 U.S. 377, 404, 76 S.Ct. 994, 100 L.Ed. 1264 (1956). A similar rule applies to supplier markets such as the employment market in the instant case: the relevant market is one where employment positions are reasonably interchangeable with those offered by defendant. See, e.g., NHLPA I, 325 F.3d at 719; Todd v. Exxon Corp., 275 F.3d 191, 201 (2d Cir.2001); see also Alabama Power Co. v. Fed. Power Comm'n, 511 F.2d 383, 389 n. 10 (D.C.Cir.1974). Reasonable interchangeability "may be gauged by (1) the product uses, i.e., whether the substitute [employees] can perform the same function, and/or (2) [employer] response (cross-elasticity); that is [employer] sensitivity to price levels at which they elect substitutes for the [employees'] service[s]." White & White, Inc. v. Am. Hosp. Supply Co., 723 F.2d 495, 500 (6th Cir.1983).
34
We conclude that the relevant market in this case is the pool of players from which the OHL draws its players, i.e., the market for sixteen- to twenty-year-old hockey players in North America. This market includes the NHL, the OHL, and other North American leagues. This market meets the requirement of reasonable interchangeability of employees with Defendants' employees, as there is significant substitution between the market for player services in the NHL and that for sixteen-to twenty-year-old players in other North American leagues, including the OHL. Indeed, as the NHLPA alleges in its complaint, "[t]he NHL and OHL share players and have detailed rules providing for the loan and recall of players between the OHL and NHL." J.A. at 42.3
35
Furthermore, unlike the market for player services in the OHL, this market is economically competitive. This is so because while the member teams of the OHL may not compete economically with each other for players within their league, they do have an economic impact on the market for sixteen- to twenty-year-old hockey players in North America, as do the other relevant leagues.
36
Because of the cross-elasticity of demand between the NHL, OHL, and other leagues in North America for the services of sixteen- to twenty-year old hockey players, the remaining markets alleged by Plaintiffs (the market for player services among teams in the Canadian Hockey League; the market comprised of North American organizations that compete for the services of twenty-year old hockey players; and the market for player services in the National Hockey League) are overly narrow. The Eighth Circuit confronted a similar issue, albeit in a products market rather than a services market, in Brookins v. Int'l Motor Contest Ass'n, 219 F.3d 849, 854 (8th Cir.2000). In that case, a manufacturer of auto transmissions sued an automobile race sanctioning body over its restrictions on the types of transmissions which could be used in sanctioned races. Plaintiffs attempted to define the products market narrowly, as transmissions used in modified car racing sanctioned by Defendants. The court rejected that assertion because it required proof, which Plaintiffs failed to provide, that "there is no cross-elasticity of demand between this [sanctioned] game and other games that modified car racers might choose to play." Id. (citations omitted). The court instead defined the relevant market as transmissions used in all oval track racing.
37
We similarly conclude that the alternative markets proposed by Plaintiffs must fail because in each instance, Plaintiffs have failed to show that "there is no cross-elasticity of demand" between the market as narrowly defined (i.e., limited to the market for player services in the CHL, or the NHL, or limited to twenty-year-old players) and the broader market definition we accept today. See also Queen City Pizza, Inc. v. Domino's Pizza, Inc., 124 F.3d 430, 437-41 (3d Cir.1997) (finding the market for a particular brand of pizza ingredient to be too narrowly defined to constitute the relevant market); TV Communications Network, Inc. v. Turner Network Television, Inc., 964 F.2d 1022, 1025 (10th Cir.1992) (finding the market for TNT channel to be too narrow to constitute a relevant market; "a company does not violate the Sherman Act by virtue of the natural monopoly it holds over its own product").
38
C. Whether the district court erred in determining that plaintiffs failed to identify anti-competitive effects of the Van Ryn Rule
39
Although we conclude that the district court erred in determining that Plaintiffs had failed to identify a relevant market, we decline to reverse the district court's dismissal of Count I of the complaint because Plaintiffs have failed to sufficiently identify anti-competitive effects of the Van Ryn Rule. As noted above, a plaintiff alleging an unreasonable restraint on trade under the rule of reason theory must show significant anti-competitive effects of the challenged restraint. NHLPA I, 325 F.3d at 718; see also Worldwide Basketball, 388 F.3d at 959.
40
Plaintiffs essentially allege two types of anti-competitive effects of the Van Ryn Rule: an effect on competition among OHL teams, and an effect on player salaries in the relevant market because some players who might otherwise have achieved free agency in the NHL are unable to do as a result of the Van Ryn Rule. For the reasons that follow, both of these arguments fail.
41
1. Harm to athletic competition is not a cognizable anti-competitive effect under the Sherman Act
42
Plaintiffs allege in their second amended complaint that "the Van Ryn Rule has an actual and significant impact on quality. By the OHL's own admission,4 the Van Ryn Rule substitutes less skilled hockey players for more skilled hockey players, which has an actual and detrimental impact on the quality of the players in the OHL labor pool and the quality of the hockey games produced as a result." J.A. at 46.
43
This is exactly the argument that was rejected by this Court in NHLPA I, which noted that athletic competition "is not protected by the antitrust laws." 325 F.3d at 720. Plaintiffs do not allege that diminished quality of athletic competition results in an economic injury. The district court correctly rejected Plaintiffs' claim that the diminished level of play in the OHL as a result of the Van Ryn Rule is an anti-competitive effect within the meaning of the antitrust laws.
44
2. Any harm caused by some players' inability to achieve free agency in the NHL is caused by the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, and not the Van Ryn Rule
45
The other anti-competitive effect alleged by Plaintiffs is that players who would have become NHL free agents by spending one year in the OHL must now enter the NHL through its draft system. The district court found that this effect had no detrimental economic effect on the markets identified by Plaintiffs, concluding that Plaintiffs "continue to confuse injury to competitors, which is not protected by antitrust laws, with injury to competition." J.A. at 67.
46
In our view, the district court's analysis mischaracterizes Plaintiffs' argument. Plaintiffs contend that the Van Ryn Rule eliminates one path to NHL free agency, thereby limiting the competition between NHL clubs for these players' services and rendering the market for NHL players, and, presumably, the market for all other young professional hockey players in North America, less competitive. Such an injury is an injury to competition within the meaning of the Sherman Act. See Atlantic Richfield Co. v. USA Petroleum Co., 495 U.S. 328, 338, 110 S.Ct. 1884, 109 L.Ed.2d 333 (1990) ("The antitrust laws were enacted for `the protection of competition, not competitors.'") (quoting Brown Shoe Co. v. United States, 370 U.S. 294, 320, 82 S.Ct. 1502, 8 L.Ed.2d 510 (1962)) (emphasis in original).
47
However, we must still consider whether the Van Ryn Rule can fairly be said to be the cause of this injury. Defendants argue that the alleged effects of the Van Ryn Rule are actually caused not by the Rule but by the NHL's collective bargaining agreement ("CBA"), which sets forth the rules governing eligibility for free agency. Any anti-competitive effect of a properly bargained collective bargaining agreement is excluded from antitrust scrutiny by a non-statutory antitrust exemption. See, e.g., Clarett v. Nat'l Football League, 369 F.3d 124 (2d Cir.2004). Therefore, if Defendants are correct that the injury complained of by the NHLPA is actually caused by the CBA, and not the Van Ryn Rule, then Plaintiffs have not stated a cause of action under the Sherman Act. (And certainly have not stated one against Defendants, who bear no responsibility for the CBA). We agree with Defendants that any anti-competitive effect caused by a restriction on the means by which players may achieve free agency in the NHL must be ascribed to the CBA and not the Van Ryn Rule, and that Plaintiffs have consequently failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
48
This Court has not articulated a standard for determining when an injury to competition can be said to have been caused by an alleged restraint on trade. Indeed, we have been unable to uncover any cases addressing the issue of whether a defendant is subject to antitrust liability for secondary anti-competitive effects of the defendant's actions. We consider the alleged anti-competitive effects of the Van Ryn Rule to be secondary, at best, because although the Van Ryn Rule has had the effect of closing one formerly open route to NHL free agency, it is the CBA which prescribes the ways in which a player may achieve free agency in the NHL.
49
We decline, in this case, to establish definitive rules regarding whether or when an anti-competitive injury that is only secondarily or indirectly caused by a defendant's alleged restraint on trade may ever support a viable claim under the Sherman Act. We decline to do so because any definition we adopt would not permit us to conclude that the Van Ryn Rule causes the anti-competitive effect alleged by Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs' quarrel is about who gets to be a free agent in the NHL, and it is the CBA that permits free agency for players drafted by the NHL who subsequently spend a year in the OHL and prohibits it, for example, for players who stay in the NCAA or go to a European league for the year following their selection in the NHL draft.
50
The reason Anthony Aquino and Edward Caron (assuming they possessed the requisite talent) were unable to achieve free agency in the NHL is not that the Van Ryn Rule prohibited them from playing in the OHL; it is that the CBA governing eligibility for NHL free agency says that they are not eligible for free agency. We would draw this conclusion under even the most lenient proximate cause standard. Ultimately, we draw this conclusion because common sense requires it. Only indefensibly circuitous logic would blame the rules governing who can play in the OHL, and not the rules governing who can become an NHL free agent, for preventing players from achieving free agency in the NHL.
51
IV. Plaintiffs' Claim of a Conspiracy Between the OHL and the NHL
52
Count II of Plaintiffs' second amended complaint alleges that Defendants conspired with the NHL to implement the Van Ryn Rule, with resultant anti-competitive effects, in violation of the Sherman Act. Although we conclude that Plaintiffs sufficiently alleged the existence of an agreement between the NHL and the OHL, this claim ultimately fails for the same reason that Plaintiffs' claim under Count I fails: Plaintiffs cannot show that the Van Ryn Rule is the cause of the alleged anti-competitive effects.
53
To succeed on their conspiracy claim, Plaintiffs must allege sufficient facts to support the existence of an agreement between the NHL and the OHL. This Court has held that circumstantial evidence can support a conspiracy claim, so long as the evidence is not "equally consistent with independent conduct." Re/Max Int'l, Inc. v. Realty One, Inc., 173 F.3d 995, 1009 (6th Cir.1999). Factors to consider in weighing circumstantial evidence of a conspiracy claim are: "(1) whether the defendants' actions, if taken independently, would be contrary to their economic self-interest; (2) whether the defendants have been uniform in their actions; (3) whether the defendants have exchanged or have had the opportunity to exchange information relative to the alleged conspiracy; (4) and whether the defendants have a common motive to conspire." Id. (citing Wallace v. Bank of Bartlett, 55 F.3d 1166, 1168 (6th Cir.1995)). A showing that the defendants' actions, taken independently, would be contrary to their economic self-interest will ordinarily "tend to exclude the likelihood of independent conduct." Id.
54
In light of the liberal pleading rules, which require a court considering a 12(b)(6) motion to accept all factual allegations in the complaint as true and construe them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, Ricco v. Potter, 377 F.3d 599, 602 (6th Cir.2004) (citations omitted), we conclude that the district court erred in determining that Plaintiffs had failed to allege facts sufficient to support the existence of an agreement between the OHL and the NHL. This conclusion is based on our analysis of the allegations in the complaint relating to each of the factors to be considered in weighing circumstantial evidence of a conspiracy.
55
First, on the question of whether the defendants' action would be contrary to their economic self-interest if taken separately, Plaintiffs allege that the OHL has admitted that the Van Ryn Rule negatively impacts player quality, because it prevents OHL Clubs from signing talented twenty-year-old NCAA players. While diminished athletic competition in the OHL would not have an adverse impact on the market for player services in the OHL (because player salaries are fixed), Plaintiffs reasonably assert that it does adversely affect the economic success of the OHL and its marketing of its product. Defendants argue that the OHL's eligibility rules allow the OHL to "offer a different type of competition for an audience that enjoys watching developing young players," thereby helping "create the product which the OHL markets." Def. Brief at 22. This may well be true, but at this stage of the litigation, the Court is required to make all reasonable inferences in favor of Plaintiffs. We find it not only reasonable but self-evident that better players provide a better product.
56
Second, Defendants' behavior in implementing the Van Ryn Rule could be interpreted as inconsistent with evidence presented by Plaintiff that Defendants earlier embraced the presence of overage NCAA players. Plaintiffs allege that after Van Ryn joined the OHL, the League Commissioner announced that the presence of a player of his caliber in the OHL would be of great benefit to his team and the league as a whole. It is at least odd that a rule designed to prevent such players from joining the league subsequently would be adopted.
57
Third, Plaintiffs have offered detailed allegations regarding the relationship between the OHL and the NHL which, if believed, would support a finding that officials of the two leagues "had the opportunity to exchange information relative to the alleged conspiracy." Re/Max, 173 F.3d at 1009.
58
Finally, Plaintiffs have alleged that the NHL had a strong interest in blocking the OHL as a path to free agency for its future players, and that the NHL exerts considerable financial influence over the OHL, resulting in a "common motive to conspire." Id. at 1009. These factual allegations, if believed, could support a finding that the NHL and OHL conspired to implement the Van Ryn Rule.
59
Of course, our inquiry does not end there. Plaintiffs still must show that the object of the conspiracy was a violation of the antitrust laws. In this regard, they make precisely the same argument that failed with respect to their claim under Count I: that the Van Ryn Rule causes players not to be able to achieve free agency in the NHL, with resultant anti-competitive effects. For the reasons discussed in the previous section of this opinion, Plaintiffs' argument must again fail. The Van Ryn Rule, whether adopted by conspiracy between the member clubs of the OHL or by conspiracy between the OHL and the NHL, does not cause the anti-competitive effects alleged by Plaintiffs. We therefore affirm the district court's dismissal of Count II of the complaint.
CONCLUSION
60
For the foregoing reasons, we AFFIRM the district court's dismissal of this case.
Notes:
1
As hockey fans are painfully aware, the CBA expired in September 2004 and a new CBA was not agreed upon until July 2005, resulting in the loss of the 2004-2005 NHL season. In February of this year, Defendants submitted a tardy and extremely cursory "suggestion of mootness," based on the expiration of the CBA. As Defendants failed to articulate any reasonable basis upon which this Court could conclude that the expiration of the CBA renders this appeal moot, we reject the "suggestion of mootness."
2
Overage players receive a stipend of $150 per week; players under twenty receive fifty dollars per week. (footnote added)
3
A plaintiff bears the burden of proving facts, such as the existence of substitutability between products or cross-elasticity of demand, within each alleged market, such that a court could conclude, without more, that the market alleged was relevantSee, e.g., Tanaka v. Univ. of S. Cal., 252 F.3d 1059, 1063-64 (9th Cir.2001). Plaintiffs have not provided much market data or other significant facts to support their allegations as to substitutability for (or cross-elasticity of demand for) employees in the markets they allege. However, Defendants appear to accept that the North American employment market for hockey players aged sixteen to twenty is the relevant market. See Def. Brief at 11-12. We would also emphasize that this case is before us on appeal from a 12(b)(6) motion. See Todd v. Exxon Corp., 275 F.3d 191, 199-200 (2d Cir.2001) ("Because market definition is a deeply fact-intensive inquiry, courts hesitate to grant motions to dismiss for failure to plead a relevant product market") (citing Found. for Interior Design Educ. Research v. Savannah Coll. of Art & Design, 244 F.3d 521, 531 (6th Cir.2001)). Given this concession by Defendants, the fact that Plaintiffs have alleged some facts related to the relevant market inquiry, and the early stage of this litigation, Plaintiffs' failure to further develop these facts does not pose a barrier to relief.
4
Although the district court challenged Plaintiffs' assertion that the Van Ryn Rule results in a diminished level of play in the OHL, Defendants appear to concede this point, but note: "[t]he whole league might be a more skilled league if it had no age restrictions at all. Who can quarrel that the best 20 year olds are, on the whole, more skilled than the best 16 year olds." Def. Brief at 17. (footnote added)
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Dear fellow FP users and collectors
After successful group buys of BAMBOO MODEL & RANGA MODEL 4C & Model 3 & Model 5 & Zeal & Model 8 & BAMBOO MODEL (ROUND 2) & DESIGNER.
This is a group buy effort for – RANGA MODEL 3 and RANGA MODEL 3-C. This is the second time for Model 3 and the first time for Model 3-C. The Group Buy will be available until Dec 25, 2016, i.e. until Christmas only. And is already active on Fountain Pen Network
Model 3 is with Flat top & Bottom (as per the image at top) whereas Model 3C is with Rounded Top and Bottom (as per the image below). Pen is approx 152 mm in length and Barrel Dia is 14 mm and Cap Dia is 16mm.
Available Colours are as follows:
A. Special Ebonite Colours (SE Series)
Solid Forest Green Forest Green – Black Ripple Forest Green – Honey Ripple Forest Green – Khaki Ripple Forest Green – Mustard Yellow Ripple Forest Green – Teal Blue Ripple Teal Blue – Black Ripple Teal Blue – Khaki Ripple Mustard Yellow – Black Ripple Khaki – Black Ripple Solid Cherry Red Rose Red – Black Ripple Rose Red – Mauve Ripple Rose Red – Blue Ripple Rose Red – Forest Green Ripple Rose Red – Bottle Green Ripple Rose Red – Mustard Yellow Ripple Brick Red – Khaki Ripple Brick Red – Black Ripple Teal Blue – Orange Ripple
B. Regular Colours (RE Series)
Ref 1 : Link Ref 2 : Link
Solid Black Matte Brown Ripple Olive Ripple Green Ripple Mottled Brown Mottled Green Mottled Olive Brown
C. Premium Ebonite Colours (PE Series)
Solid Blue Black Yellow Swirl Blue Pink Swirl Solid Pale Green White Blue Swirl Pale Pink Black Swirl Green Yellow Swirl Solid Pink Blue Green Orange Swirl Solid Orange
Prices are as follows:
(For shipping within India kindly pm me and fill the order form below)
RANGA Model 3 & 3C (ED Version) REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE : US $28 PREMIUM EBONITE : US $40
RANGA Model 3 & 3C (CC Mechanism) REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE : US $55 REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE without nib threaded to take JoWo/Schmidt : US $41 PREMIUM EBONITE : US $70 PREMIUM EBONITE without nib but threaded to take JoWo/Schmidt : US $56
Finish – Polished or Matte (Bakul)
Clip Option – Clip-less or Gold Clip or Silver Clip
Nib Option : For Eyedropper Wality F Gold Coloured (included in price) Bock (With Conklin imprinted) M or B is available (extra @ 8 USD) Ambitious Nib 35 mm – Fine Nib – Dual Tone ( extra @ 3 USD) Kanwrite Nib 35 mm Flex – Chrome Tone ( extra @ 5 USD)
Nib Option : For C/C mechanism (with Schmidt K5 Converter) #6 Nib Options (included in price) Fine Nib – Gold Tone Medium Nib – Gold Tone Broad Nib – Gold Tone Fine Nib – Chrome Tone Medium Nib – Chrome Tone Broad Nib – Chrome Tone No Nib – Threaded for Schmidt #6 No Nib – Threaded for JoWo #6
Shipping : Via Registered Post which is included in Price and takes 2 -4 Weeks.
Making Time : 3-4 Weeks after payment
In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the post with “Form Submitted”.
Order Form Link : https://goo.gl/forms/MmEqeNToJhVMSf0q1
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2.Cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.
3. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl
4. Cut butter or lard into cubes and put in flour mixture. Cut into flour mixture using a pastry cutter until crumbly. Make a well in the middle of the bowl.
5. Slowly add milk 1/4 cup at a time. You may not need to use all the milk, please don't add it all at once! You want just enough liquid to hold the dough together. Once combined, knead the dough in the bowl a few times to ensure it's fully mixed.
6. Move the dough to floured counter or cutting board and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness, roughly a 10X10 inch square. Spread butter and sugar mixture evenly on dough - spreading right out to the edges.
7. Tightly roll the dough into a log and slice into 1 inch pieces.
8. Place a few inches apart from each other on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes.
9.While buns are baking prepare a second cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once buns are done baking, place second tray over the first and flip them over on the clean tray.
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Welcome To Bushel &A Peck!
Hi, I'm Amy-Lyn!
I am the lady behind this here blog! I live in the sticks with my animals, my super handsome husband, and my 3 amazing kids! Here you'll find things from recipes (gluten-free, paleo, and strait up junk food!), DIY ideas, thoughts on raising a son with autism, and whatever else pops into my brain! : ) Read more about me by clicking here!
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Q:
Circuit step-by-step check
I've soldered a stompbox for guitar and stuck into having no sound on the output. Visually I checked everything about the soldering and it seems good. As I am not so good at electronics I wish getting any help on how to step-by-step check the place where there could be a trouble using multimeter or some another methods.
UPD:
A:
You should follow the signal path.
Start where you apply signal, the input, and check if there is the signal actually is what you expect.
Then follow the signal path and search where it disappear. Here is the fault.
Oscilloscope is a great help for this type of task.
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Artificial Intelligence Post Number 4
Vicarious FPC
While warning of Artificial Intelligence dangers, Elon Musk of Tesla, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, and Ashton Kutcher (portrayed Steve Jobs in the movie) made a $40 million investment in Vicarious FPC, a secretive artificial-intelligence company. Vicarious’ goal is to replicate the thinking done in the neocortex, the part of the brain that mainly processes the human’s visual inputs and the thinking/actions that evolve from these inputs.
Of the 20 technical people the company lists on their web site, 14 have PhD’s. 11 have backgrounds in image recognition or related graphical interpretation. This is consistent with their emphasis that the thinking that we do related to visual input is defined by our ability to generate patterns with very little input data and extrapolate that into processing that both tests those patterns against reality and also enables “thinking” conclusions based on those graphical representations.
One of the traditional tests to determine if a computer is truly “thinking” is a Turing test, which tests a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to a human. Way back in October, 2013, Vicarious claims to have passed this test. Vicarious co-founder D. Scott Phoenix: “this is the first time this distinctively human act of perception has been achieved, and it uses relatively minuscule amounts of data and computing power. The Vicarious algorithms achieve a level of effectiveness and efficiency much closer to actual human brains.”
I am posting this as an indication of what progress companies are making on the road to AI. Or, at least the progress they are advertising. In this case they were able to convince Musk, Zuckerberg, Kutcher, and other investors.
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