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True ossification of benign brain tumors is unusual, but the molecular mechanism for this process is unclear. The authors present a case of ossified plexus papilloma as an embryonic precursor of benign brain tumor formation. A large calcified fourth ventricular tumor with vascular blush and no hydrocephalus was discovered in computed tomography, MRI, and angiography. VEGF-antibody testing was positive. Ostecalcin was present in this ossified tumor but not in samples of nonossified CPPs collected from other patients, according to additional staining. In the ossified CPP, but also in the nonossified CPPs examined, Staining's for osterix and osteopontin was equivocally positive, but not so positive in the nonossified CPP. The presence of osteocalcin in the ossified CPP indicates that bone formation rather than simple calcification occurs more than merely calcification. This is the first systematic immunohistochemical examination of osteogenesis in choroid plexus tumors.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.3171/2013.3.peds12400
OBJECTIVE The aim of this research was to investigate the role of intraoperative neuromonitoring during benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor resection in order to achieve gross-total resection and reduction of postoperative neurologic complications. METHODS The data from consecutive adult patients who underwent resection of a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor at 7 participating hospitals were combined. The association of IONM and GTR, as well as the occurrence of a permanent postoperative neurological complication in the subgroup of patients with tumors involving a motor or mixed nerve were among the secondary results of concern. RESULTS A total of 337 patients who underwent benign nerve sheath tumor resection were included. During the resection of benign nerve sheath tumors, the authors claim that these findings support IONM being regarded as a standard of care, but they do not believe that these results should be used to systematically oppose IONM.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.3171/2020.8.jns202885
Abstract : Circulating endothelial progenitor cells transplanted to the angiogenic vascular system of malignant tumors have been studied as a marker of tumor remission or progression by therapy in lung and breast cancer. We were keen to investigate the presence of bone marrow derived cEPCs in soft tissue malignancies and correlate treatment effectiveness. Conclusions: The number of hematopoietic stem cell cells in sarcoma and desmoid patients was dramatically higher in sarcoma and desmoid patients compared to GIST and healthy controls. The percentage of VEGFR-2+ cells in sarcoma of 0. 179 percent vs. healthy controls of 0. 018 percent equals 0. 018 percent. Values for desmoid patients were similar to sarcoma, while GIST patients had values similar to healthy patients. Compared to sarcoma and GIST patients, Ang-2 levels before therapy were significantly lower in healthy controls and desmoids. Patients without evidence of tumor recurrence had normal cEPC values at post-treatment controls, while those with progressive disease had elevated cEPC values. Compared to healthy people and patients with GIST, this research shows an increasing mobilization of cEPCs in sarcoma and desmoids tumors. cEPCs recruited for vaping and paracrine effects play a different role in the various subtypes of human soft tissue tumors.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2013-365
paraphrased tumors differentiation between benign parotid tumors and malignant parotid tumors is the aim of this research, which aims to investigate the use of machine learning models based on medical-radiological data and multiphasic CT radiomics characteristics. Methods This retrospective review included 312 patients who underwent multiphasic enhanced CT examinations, which were randomly divided into preparation and test sets. To obtain minority class samples in the education sample, the synthetic minority oversampling procedure was used. Meanwhile, the modeling results of various radiomics models based on single phase and multiphase were compared to determine which model construction technique and phase were more discriminative. In the test set, the combined model based on LR had a lower AUC than the optimal radiomics model, but no statistically significant difference remained.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.913898
Canine mast cell tumors, a common cutaneous tumor of dogs, are characterized by a mild, locally invasive, highly metastatic disease that is not responsive even to multimodality therapy. We suspect that high grade MCTs have a distinctive miRNA expression signature distinct from that found in benign MCTs, contributing to their aggressive behaviour. Methods: Total RNA was isolated by the Trizol technique from 12 biologically poor grade and 12 biologically high grade. The preamplified cDNA analysis of Mature miRNA expression was done using TaqMan Low Density Arrays, interrogating the expression profile of 378 miRNAs, 151 of whom mature sequences are 100% conserved between human and dog, according to Mature miRNA expression. Normalization was performed with the small nuclear RNA U6 and microRNA expressions were calculated using the comparative Ct method. Compared to low grade tumors, miRNAs of known importance in human tumorigenesis, including many members of the miR 17-92 cluster and its predecessor, were noticeably overexpressed in high grade tumors, especially among those of the miR-106b-25 cluster and its paralog. Conclusion: Our results show that specific miRNAs play a role in the biologically active canine MCT phenotype. Unique miRNA expression signatures in high grade tumors were found in comparison to low grade tumors, according to hierarchical clustering. Characterization of miRNA expression in canine MCTs will aid in better understanding the disease's path and the possibility of identifying diagnostic/prognostic factors and therapeutic targets.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am10-3011
Abstract Summary: Thyroid cancer cells contain multiple genomic abnormalities that promote malignant transformation. Methods: We estimated copy number across the genome on 39 thyroid tumors with matched normal tissue on 39 thyroid tumors with matched normal tissue, which included 14 benign tumors and 25 malignant tumors in a 2005 version of the Illumina HumanHap550 BeadChip. Results: 39 thyroid tumor tumors were identified by the comprehensive genetic profile of 39 thyroid tumors, as well as tumor-specific somatic change evaluated using matched normal thyroid tissue as a comparison. With tighter control of the false discovery rate, significant alterations averaged 32 CNVs in benign FAs, and 8 in malignant thyroid cancer, with 17 rises in FAs and three rises in cancers, 2. 9 losses in FAs, and 4. 4 million in cancers. To identify genes for which copy number was related to tumor type, we used empirical Bayes modified ANOVA. In FAs, chromosome 12 increases were more common in FAs than in cancer. Overall, follicular adenomas demonstrated significantly higher rates of copy number variation than the two malignant tumor subtypes investigated, i. e. Conclusions: Benign and malignant thyroid tumors may have characterized and distinguishable genomic profiles. We'll continue to perform transcriptome-wide expression analysis on the same tissue sample set used for the SNP array study and perform an integrated analysis combining DNA genetic changes and differential gene expression to help identify candidate molecular differences in distinguishing benign thyroid lesions.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am10-2159
We used an in vitro cell culture model in which benign epithelial ovarian tumor explants were transfected with an expression vector for SV40 Large T Antigen, allowing for bypass of senescence due, in part, to p53 and Rb inhibition by this antigen. We previously reported that such cells will eventually reach a crisis event that is linked to a cell cycle arrest at the M phase and is independent of telomere attrition. In cells approaching a crisis, Aurora A kinase activity and expression is up-regulated. Aurora A over-expression resulted in reduced BRCA1 levels, resulting in increased tetraploidy and aneuploidy, which were attributed to cells' resistance to a ploidy-associated disease epidemic. Following the downdown of Aurora A kinase using siRNA, BRCA1 expression increased, indicating an inverse association between expression levels of these two proteins. Inhibition of Aurora A in cultured ovarian cystadenomas is a threat to cell growth and a concomitant decrease in tetraploidy. We tested the possibility that this was related to an increase in crisis-related apoptosis by knocking down Aurora A kinase's siRNA technologies in cells facing crisis, followed by western blotting using antibodies against PARP and a fragment of the cleaved CASPASE 7 fragment. Aurora A's role in BRCA1 expression levels in cells facing a ploidy dependent crisis could be a novel one, according to our findings. This may help explain the rise in near polyploidy associated with high grade ovarian carcinomas in part, as well as other epithelial cancer pathogenesis.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am10-1068
Abstract Obvarian cancer is a significant health issue and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. Although a number of candidate precursor lesions have been identified, it is difficult to determine the true contribution of these precursor lesions to the onset of ovarian cancer. About 80% of all ovarian tumors and the serous subtype account for approximately 53% of ovarian epithelial tumors in the United States, according to 70 percent. Serous cystadenomas and cystadenofibromas are common ovarian tumors, accounting for 25% of all benign ovarian tumors and 58% of ovarian serous tumors. Although there are no concrete molecular or histopathological evidence, ovarian serous cystadenomas and cystadenofibromas have been attributed to serous borderline tumors and low grade serous carcinomas, according to several. We conducted copy number and identity verification on 14 ovarian serous cystadenofibromas and 20 ovarian serous cystadenofibromas using the ultra high-resolution Affymetrix SNP6. 0 microarray and the high-resolution Molecular Inversion Probe assay. Each tumor was microdissected to allow the analysis of tumour epithelium and adjacent stroma with matching lymphocyte DNA for each patient. These findings are in accordance with Seidman and Mehrotra's assertion that the bulk of benign ovarian serous tumors are characterized as potentially cystically dilated glandular inclusions and misclassified fibromas with epithelial inclusions. This will significantly reduce the incidence of the serous subtype in ovarian epithelial tumors and change the role of the other epithelial subtypes, with definite implications for studies of serous ovarian u201c prevalence u201d lesions.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2011-lb-271
Using serum steroid profiling in LC-MS/MS in basal state and after ACTH 1-24 stimulation, this research was designed to determine steroidogenesis enzymes function in unilateral and bilateral benign tumors. In LC-MS/MS in basal state and following ACTH 1-24 stimulation in 35 patients with bilateral adrenocortical tumors, 38 patients with unilateral tumors, and 37 control subjects, a serum profile of seven consecutive adrenal steroids was determined. Results: The amplitude of reaction to ACTH in BL was higher in BL than in UL and CT, with a higher amplitude for the seven steroids assayed. Even after comparing patients on adrenal capacity, the difference between BL and UL remained. In comparison to both UL and CT, the enzymatic activity of CYP11B1 on the glucocorticoids pathway was much reduced in BL. CYP11B2 and CYP17A1-17,20 lyase was also lower in BL than UL and CT, as on mineralocorticoids and androgens pathways, as well as in BL.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1530/ec-22-0063
Abstract The classification of ameloblastoma in multicystic or unicystic forms has been associated with its clinical behavior. In addition, we investigated whether the BRAFV600E mutation appears in odontogenic carcinomas. BRAFV600E mutation, specifically 5/6 unicystic, 7/9 multicystic, and 2/2 desmoplastic ameloblastomas were found in Fourteen out of 17 ameloblastomas. BRAFV600E mutation was found in 4/11 malignant tumors, including 3/8 ameloblastic carcinomas and 1/1 clear cell odontogenic carcinoma, although the two ghost cell odontogenic carcinomas did not have this mutation. In ameloblastoma, the SMOF412E mutation was not present in ameloblastoma. The BRAFV600E mutation was less frequent in odontogenic carcinomas than in ameloblastomas. Our results point to the possibility of personalized, molecular targeted therapy for ameloblastomas and ameloblastic carcinomas harboring the BRAFV600E mutation. 2017-1701 : AM2015-702, doi:10. 1158/1542-7445. AM2015-702, AM2015-702; 7396; advance 702. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015: Birmingham, PA; 2017 Sep 18-22; Philadelphia, PA; 65: Abstract nr 702. doi:10. 1158/1602; 2015:60;85: AM2015-702. doi: 10. 1015.
Source link: https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-702
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Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is a simple concept that says you should leave no trace when you leave a natural landmark. Whether you visit the Mt. Irish Archaeological Site for the day or camp nearby, bring bags to keep track of your trash. Either place your trash in the marked cans or dispose of it when you get to Hiko or Alamo. Stick to the marked paths to make sure you do not disrupt the birds and other animals on the site, and never mark any of the ancient rocks or change them in any way as this will do some serious damage. Do not take any of the rocks or other things you see as souvenirs, no matter how small they are. It's also helpful to keep an eye on your campfire and make sure it stays contained.

domain: travel


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Too bad, it is closed. I enjoyed it as a local seafood spot with good food for reasonable prices. Rumor control has it that the bar business was providing the business to sustain operations, but Helen Back opening just a traffic light away took too much of the bar business.
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.


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Description: Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of the wreckage of a missing jet cargo plane which was found by search parties on a mountain inside near Cold Bay, Alaska.
Date: September 9, 1973, 10:00 p.m.
Creator: WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.)
Item Type: Refine your search to only Script
Partner: UNT Libraries Special Collections

domain: history


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domain: game


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Riesling was the first variety we planted at Lenswood in 1982 with the first small crop in 1985. Our Riesling is on the austere end of the range of Riesling styles made in Australia and as such is the logical extension of the fine, subtle long lasting wines from Eden Valley which have such an established place among the great wines of this variety.
To me the essence of our Riesling is gentle, fine floral aromatics with the palate showing great finesse and delicacy. There is a mineral element about these wines and a wonderful capacity to fill out and grow in complexity with age, free from the heavy, overt, toasty aged characters that dominate many aged Australian Rieslings.
Afer the difficult 2001 and 2002 growing seasons 2003 was a welcome relief. The growing season was free from extremes of temperature and Autumn was near average warmth with no significant rain to upset the harvest. Our Riesling was picked on the 7th of April which is a little earlier than average. The grapes ripe and dry with lovely fine flavour. Crop levels were low at 2.4 kg per vine.
AromaLifted, fragrant, citrus blossom fruit with mineral overtones.
ColourStraw with a light green tinge.
PalateFresh citrus fruit with a crisp, textural savoury edge. Even, mouthfilling, lingering flavour.
RegionLenswood, Adelaide Hills
Excellent ageing prospects, building in honey, lime flavours but without obvious toast or heavy ageing characters.
Ideal with seafood but can be enjoyed with a wide range of foods or on its own. Best with subtly flavoured rather than heavy foods.
Cool. Best between 5 and 10°C.

domain: agronomy


Pivot Traverse Bipod, 14.25" - 29.25"
Whether its staying on moving game, switching between animals or engaging multiple targets at the range, the new Champion Pivot Traverse Bipod delivers smooth rotation and a steady hold. Its innovative traversing technology enables a shooter to horizontally track back and forth, which expands the field of fire and produces increased shooting options--all without having to reposition the rifle. The rapid-adjust lever lock lets shooters go from a fluid swiveling motion to rock steady lock-down in seconds.
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
Model number: 40638


The automotive transfer case is a unit of gears that distributes the power between front and rear axle of an all-wheel drive (AWD) or a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle. In the all-wheel drive mode, the transfer case distributes torque among all the four wheels of a vehicle and if one wheel loses traction, higher torque goes to the wheel with less traction. The transfer case is made of cast iron or cast aluminum body and consist of a planetary gear unit.
Shift in consumer preference toward high clearance vehicles is fueling the demand for all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles such as SUVs and crossovers, thus boosting the demand for automotive transfer case. SUVs accounted for 42% of total vehicle sales in the U.S. and 26% of total vehicle sales in Europe in 2017. Rising preference for powerful and high clearance vehicle is projected to boost the automotive transfer case market. All-wheel and four-wheel drive applications have become essential in commercial vehicles as they assist while driving in off-terrain environments and improve vehicle stability. Rise in demand for commercial vehicles and increase in affordability of advanced systems in developing countries such as China, Brazil, India, and Mexico are expected to boost the automotive transfer case market in these countries. The transfer case improve traction and helps regain vehicle control. Moreover, it aids in improvising vehicle safety and hence, the demand for transfer case has risen. AWD and 4WD systems have become an imperative part of superior driving experience. Integration of electronics and software to aid the shifting mechanism from low to high speed has improved the function of the automotive transfer case, which in turn is boosting its adoption in passenger vehicles. GKN plc has integrated software to sync the transfer case transmission with other sub-systems, such as anti-lock braking system & electronic stability control, to intelligently control the vehicle and improve vehicle ride.
Transfer cases are not utilized in two-wheel drive vehicles. The automotive transfer case witnesses low penetration in two-wheel drive vehicles such as entry level segments, hatch backs, and compact vehicles, thus acting as a restraining factor.
The global automotive transfer case market can be segmented based on transfer case type, vehicle type, drive, casing material, sales channel, and region. In terms of transfer case type, the automotive transfer case market can be classified into part-time 4WD, full-time 4WD, and active 4WD.The active 4WD segment is expected to expand as the 4WD transfer case has smooth operation due to usage of electronics and less input from the driver.
Based on vehicle type, the automotive transfer case market can be bifurcated into passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle. The passenger vehicle segment is expected to dominate the global automotive transfer case market due to its high rate of adoption in passenger vehicles owing to higher consumer demand.
Based on drive, the automotive transfer case market can be segregated into chain and gear. The chain segment is anticipated to expand in the near future, as this type of drive transfer case facilitates smooth operation, as compared to gear drive, and is more durable.
In terms of casing material, the automotive transfer case market can be split into cast iron and cast aluminum. The cast aluminum transfer case is expected to expand during the forecast period owing to its weight.
Based on region, the global automotive transfer case market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Europe and North America has a high presence of AWD & 4WD vehicles; however, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a higher growth rate during the forecast period.
Key players operating in the global automotive transfer case market include GKN plc, ZF Friedrichshafen, Magna International, BorgWarner, and Schaeffler AG.
The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.
The study is a source of reliable data on:
- Market segments and sub-segments
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- Supply and demand
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The regional analysis covers:
- North America (U.S. and Canada)
- Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)
- Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)
- Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)
- Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)
- Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)
The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industry’s value chain.
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- Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume
- Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments
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Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMR’s reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.


This paper proposes a controlled approach to be used in power factor correction (PFC) circuits to decrease total harmonic distortion (THD) of input current by eliminating the input current harmonics. This method removes the problems of the conventional PFC converters. Since in conventional PFC circuits the input current is controlled to follow the ac input voltage, it will have the same harmonics of the input voltage. This is an important disadvantage of the conventional method especially when the input voltage is distorted. In this approach, a sinusoidal signal is generated by the DSP microprocessor and is used as reference in controlling the converter switch to obtain a sinusoidal input current based on zero crossing points of distorted input voltage. Due to the reflection of input voltage distortions to the output voltage, an adaptive digital FIR filter is designed and embedded into the voltage control loop. The feed forward is also used into the control algorithm. The implementation of feed forward and adaptive digital FIR filter improves the converter performance to obtain a near unity power factor correction with lower input current THD. Average current control mode is implemented and operated in continuous conduction mode. The experiments performed in the laboratory for different cases of operation verify the theoretical and simulation studies performed in MATLAB/Simulink. The control approach is programmed by the TMS320F2812 DSP microprocessor. The experimental results are good in accordance with IEC 61000-3-2 Current Harmonic Standard.


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|You are here: Home -> Pet Grave Markers|
Just like man has always felt a need to memorialize where a fallen loved one is lain to rest, we have always felt the need to mark where a special friend is left. Pet grave markers are also known as pet headstones, pet grave stones, pet memorial stones and even pet tombstones. Whatever the name, these beautiful pieces allow grieving pet owners to keep the memory of their lost friends alive for the ages in any pet cemetery or garden. They also provide a permanent place to visit our companions, which is very important especially after suffering the loss. A beautiful pet memorial grave stone for the pet cemetery will not only pay proper tribute to a truly loved pet, but can also provide the pet owner will a sense of closure in knowing they rest in a dignified place that is intended just for them.
There are several different styles of pet markers, and accordingly some have different purposes. Pet Headstones are made to the same strict standards of their larger counterparts, and are suitable for installation many of the pet cemeteries across the world. The bronze markers have an option of a granite base in the color of the family’s choice, and all arrive carefully packaged, and beautifully cast with your pet’s customized information. While these grave markers are made to meet most cemetery restrictions, they are also perfect for more personal burial sites on private land. Additionally, temporary pet memorials are available for families who wish to wait a little before adding the final tribute to their pet’s grave. This is actually normal, as many families are often not ready to bid that final farewell to their beloved companion, and there should be no pressure on the family to finalize the memorial until they are ready. The temporary memorial offers a way of identifying the grave in the meantime. Cultured pet grave markers are ideal for families that have the privilege of burying their pet on their own property. These beautiful memorials are made of cast stone and many of the beautiful designs offered can be personalized with engraving on an attached black marble plaque. The pet gravestones offer memorials made of granite that can be either etched with information alone, or even a beautiful photo of your choice of your beloved pet. Finally, and perhaps the most popular memorials are the pet upright monuments. These markers follow the classic design of upright headstones, but also feature the etched likeness of the lost pet along with a personal message and their information.
Most pet grave markers can be personalized to include the cherished pet’s name and a line or two celebrating its personality, and the tombstones are available with a variety of options to ensure that the lost pet is properly memorialized. Creating a tribute to a pet is one of the most heartfelt signs of love that a person can demonstrate. A pet memorial stone will bring create a peaceful tribute of your pet for you and your family to visit for many years to come.
"We ordered this lovely purple urn a couple of weeks ago and it arrived (in Canada) on-time and exactly as shown for the price quoted. When she opened the box and saw what was in it - My wife was so very happy with the purchase we made from Memorials.com and of course that is even more important when buying this type of product. Thank you memorials.com! (Now I am being proactive and am picking out my own urn as well)."
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domain: pet


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Towards the end of Clorinda Matto de Turner’s Aves sin nido (1889), the mestizo couple Fernando and Lucía Marín, who are in effect the book’s heroes, because they are sufficiently enlightened to take pity on Peru’s indigenous peoples, are shown leaving the highland town of Kíllac where most of the novel’s plot is set. With them are two young indigenous girls, Margarita and Rosalía, their daughters who they are adopting because their parents have died, victims of violence stirred up by the town’s local authorities. There is no place for them in Kíllac, which is (as another character has declared, pages earlier) “barbaric” (49) and perhaps beyond salvation. If there is a future for the girls, it can only be in Lima, the nation’s capital and “antechamber of Heaven” from which can be glimpsed “the throne of Glory and Fortune” (80). Just as much to the point, moreover, is the fact that the Maríns themselves are hardly safe in the Andes. It was their efforts on behalf of the indigenous that provoked the disturbance in which the girls’ parents were killed. It’s time to get out of Dodge.
Along the way, headed for the train that is to be both the vehicle of their escape and potent symbol of the modernity that Kíllac so notably lacks, Fernando and Lucía mull over the dramatic events that have led them to this point. “What do you think of the things that happen?” the wife asks her husband. “I’m stunned just thinking back over the coincidences,” he replies. “Ah! Life is a novel” (140).
But life is not, of course, a novel. And when characters within a novel are made to protest otherwise, rather than heightening the realism of the events depicted, such claims instead undercut it by reminding us that it is, after all, a literary construction that we hold in our hands. The fact that the book needs to tell us that life can assume the shape of a novel is a sure sign that somehow it is failing to show us convincingly that the tale it tells is lifelike. Here, indeed, it is as though Matto de Turner were trying to prepare us for the hardly plausible plot twist with which her book ends. For it turns out that Margarita, too, is mestiza; her true father, as divulged in her mother’s dying breath, is Kíllac’s former parish priest. Worse still, her suitor, a young man named Manuel who is following along behind the family and hopes to ask the Maríns for their adopted daughter’s hand in marriage, turns out to be hiding the very same secret: he too is the lascivious priest’s bastard offspring. The would-be newly-weds are brother and sister! And with the revelation of that shocking coincidence, worthy as much of a telenovela as of a novel, the book’s plot eventually comes grinding to a halt. After all, novels end even if life has to go on.
Yet perhaps there is something lifelike (and indeed, not very novelistic) about this story’s strange and rather abrupt conclusion. For novels customarily end with some kind of resolution: a birth, a death, or a wedding, for instance. By refusing such a tidy ending, by ensuring through the scarcely believable device of making her young lovers siblings that there will be no marriage here, Matto de Turner is perhaps highlighting the artificiality of the novel form. Aves sin nido is true to life, and to Peru’s “Indian problem,” in its final recognition that it has no pat answers. Heaven can wait, as the glimpse of the throne of Glory is snatched away.

domain: library


We have found a good deal of custom made creations from United kingdom-primarily based Kahn Vehicles above the several years, but we have in no way found a single very like this decked-out Mercedes G-Course. It is officially known as the Mercedes-Benz G-Course Undertaking Kahn Carbon Large Monitor Version, and considering the fact that that is a hilariously lengthy title, it shall henceforth be referred to as the Carbon Large Monitor, or ridiculous-custom made G if you desire.
The G-Course has lengthy been a issue of notice for high-stop tuners, but what grabs our notice on this certain edition is the odd roof spoiler that is section of Kahn’s overall body kit. For the document, Kahn does contact it a roof spoiler but in reality, it appears extra like two roof scoops mounted at just about every corner. We think the thought stems from wild two-piece rear wings found on hypercars like the Ferrari FXX-K, but even in AMG G63 trim with 577 horsepower (430 kilowatts), the boxy G-Course is no hypercar, or supercar for that matter.
As for the rest of the updates, Kahn bolts up a carbon hood overlay along with a entrance chin spoiler and a new grille to tweak the SUV’s confront. A roof shield previously mentioned the windshield complements the odd rear wing wings, and the natural way, beefy fender flares at all four corners contribute to the wider visual appeal. Within individuals flares are 23-inch Kahn wheels carrying Continental tires, of which Kahn is eager to point out its partnership with the tire corporation. The inside gains an readily available Bengal Purple up grade, and an optional exhaust up grade is also available.
As for selling price, Kahn delivers its Carbon Large Monitor as a change-critical automobile primarily based on the muscular G63 for the not-insignificant sum of £224,999. At current conversion rates, that interprets to $306,383 in US currency but Kahn lists the package by yourself as a £40,000 ($fifty four,468) up grade for any existing-generation G-Course.


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DISCLAIMER: I don’t know at all if this is the right category but I feel like my scripts just miiiiight be the cause of this.
I am making a game currently:
Upon loading the game, at least for me and one of my tester-friends, the ROBLOX loading screen would load for a little bit and then ROBLOX just completely freezes up and the only way out is closing the game.
While testing in studio, the loading screen just temporarily freezes up, and then the game loads with no problems or errors in the console or output box, completely normal and business as usual. I’m scared because I’ve been working on this project nonstop for several weeks, can anybody help me?


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Justin Bieber is not any stranger to body tattoo. Now the pop icon has taken it to the following level by getting tattoo on his face.
The “baby” hitmaker, journeying across the US in support of his Purpose Tour, sent the virtual international right into a tizzy when he published a selfie with an surprising mark on his face on Instagram, stated by eonline.com.
Tattoo artist Jonathan “JonBoy” Valena showed the information: “yes, I did tattoo a small move near the corner of Justin’s eye.”
He also added: “It changed into a representation of his faith in Jesus and his journey with finding purpose in God.”
The Grammy Award-winning singer got his inking at West four Tattoo here. “CINEWS”

domain: celebrity


What’s Right To Know all about?
Right To Know is a company limited by guarantee, a not-for-profit focused on vindicating the access to information rights of Irish citizens.
What’s “access to information”?
Access to information (ATI), sometimes called right to information (RTI), but more commonly referred to as Freedom of Information (FOI), are laws created to give you a right to access information from your government. Over eighty countries have implemented ATI laws in the past twenty years, including Ireland.
At Right To Know, we consider this right to be a human right, as part of your rights of freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The connection between the two has been made by the European Court of Human Rights in several court cases.
In Ireland, how do citizens express their access to information rights?
Anyone can send a request to a public body in Ireland seeking access to information. There are two main laws that give you this right: the main one is the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014, and a second one is the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations 2007-2014. Both are free although you may be charged fees to search and retrieve records.
Isn’t this something to do with Data Protection?
No. Data Protection laws are different. Data Protection allows people to access information relating only to themselves, from both public bodies and private companies.
FOI and AIE allow citizens to access any records (or environmental information) from public bodies only, subject to certain exceptions.
So with FOI and AIE I can ask for records about anything from a public body?
In principle, yes. However the release of records may be refused on the basis of exemptions in either law, or on the basis that you may have asked for too many records.
And this is for Irish public bodies? What about EU public bodies?
European Union institutions are subject to their own access to documents regime, called Regulation 1049. This law allows any EU citizen to access documents from any EU institution. There are similar exemptions in place for refusing access to certain records or types of data as there are under Irish FOI or AIE laws.
So using these laws, Right To Know plans to get access to documents? To what end?
Yes, but more than that. We’ve become quite experienced in obtaining records under these laws over the past decade or more, and have trained or assisted many citizens and journalists to help them do the same.
We believe making more documents available about how government makes decisions and how public resources are allocated strengthens our democracy. We want to support people in making requests and appeals, but also we have identified deficiencies and problems with how these laws are implemented.
To this end, as well as seeking documents and data under these laws, we will also seek to push the boundaries on the rights these laws give to citizens, up to and including and if necessary, court action to help vindicate the public interest.
This sounds like a lengthy process to undertake. What about scoops and headlines?
We are more concerned with the long arc of how information flows in society than we are in scoops or headlines. Information is the oxygen of democracy, and secrecy breeds maladministration. To that end we see Right To Know as a very long term project. We spent 5 years involved in a case trying to make NAMA more transparent – and we have no doubt that future projects will take just as long, if not longer.
However if information comes to use that we think is deserving of media coverage, we have the option of either telling that story ourselves, or to do it in partnership with a news organisation we think could help spread the story better than one website operating on its own.


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A free market minded physician in St. Louis sent me this. Nothing brings the healthcare corporate low lifes out to a city council meeting like a little competition. This entrepreneurial orthopedic surgeon was able to obtain a zoning ruling allowing him to keep his patients up to three nights after their surgery without being classified as a hospital. This will allow him to perform total joint replacements and all manner of cases much too complex to be performed on a simple outpatient basis.
SSM health care says, “it’s not fair,” essentially. Arguing that this new facility doesn’t have to maintain an emergency room that “takes all comers” is the old worn out argument they used. St. Anthony hospital here in Oklahoma City, belonging to the SSM system, not satisfied with all of the “red ink” generated by their emergency room, has built free-standing emergency rooms here in the Oklahoma City area. They just can’t get enough of this bad business, I guess!
Hats off to Dr. Paletta, St. Louis orthopedist. He has looked the dragon in the eye and he prevailed. I’ll be watching to see if he posts his prices. Imagine the reaction of the big box hospitals then.
G. Keith Smith, M.D.

domain: medical


text:
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Title:||Dialogue and Domination: A Theory of Judicial Review|
|Publisher:||Princeton, NJ : Princeton University|
|Abstract:||Abstract: This dissertation justifies a general republican theory of how and why modern courts and legislatures should pursue constructive dialogues about legal rights. It provides a general theory for why constructive dialogue might realize freedom from domination, an explanation of how republican citizens should reason about rights, and applies the general theory to the “new commonwealth model” of constitutionalism. In the first chapter it distinguishes between three reasons and corresponding norms of dialogue: interrogative dialogues, which require courts to assess legislative reasons for justifiably violating rights; interruptive dialogues, which require courts to interrupt statutes threatening rights but then defer to legislative replies; and constructive dialogues, which require courts and legislatures to share and take responsibility for the role of specifying indeterminate rights. Only constructive dialogue will realize the equally shared control of the citizenry over the legal functions of modern courts and legislatures. The second chapter explains the theory of rights underpinning the interrogative conception of dialogue, and argues that this conception of rights is at odds with legally finite rights, and also with two basic desiderata necessary for it to connect with justice: relational consistency and normative conclusiveness. The third chapter develops a republican-specificationist theory of practical reasoning about rights, and argues that republican citizens must prioritize the political justice of freedom from the state over patterns of social justice in order for their reasoning to be consistent and conclusive. This recursively reinforces the claims of the first chapter regarding the justification of the norm of constructive dialogue. The final chapter models how the pre-enactment rights review and non-final judicial review of the “new commonwealth model” is dependent on the norm of constructive dialogue. It demonstrates how the Canadian constitutional version of this model is uniquely dependent on a Madisonian form of co-ordinate construction, and vulnerable to interrogative and interruptive dialogues. It also demonstrates how the New Zealand and UK statutory bills of rights constitute their own model with its own form of potential constructive rights dialogue. Constructive rights dialogues between courts and legislatures are justified as part of the republican watchword: audi alteram partem (listen to the other side).|
|Alternate format:||The Mudd Manuscript Library retains one bound copy of each dissertation. Search for these copies in the library's main catalog: catalog.princeton.edu|
|Type of Material:||Academic dissertations (Ph.D.)|
|Appears in Collections:||Politics|
Files in This Item:
This content is embargoed until 2020-06-08. For more information contact the Mudd Manuscript Library.
Items in Dataspace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


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On this week’s edition of The MMA Insiders Podcast, Jason Floyd and Sam Caplan start of the show by discussing some of the latest news in the sport.
Following the quick news portion of the show, the guys discuss the Reebok pay for the fighters. They discuss how fighters have reacted to the pay, how Bellator is handling this situation, and more.
In addition to talking about the Reebok pay, they discuss the stoppage in the UFC Fight Night 65 main event and preview this weekend’s fight cards.
Follow Sam Caplan on Twitter: @SamCaplanMMA
Follow Jason Floyd on Twitter: @Jason_Floyd
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Leave a Reply

domain: entertainment


text:
"This process helps explain how our biological clocks keep such amazingly good time," said Justin Blau, an associate professor of biology at NYU and one of the study's authors.
Blau added that the findings may offer new pathways for exploring treatments to sleep disorders because the research highlights the parts of our biological clock that "may be particularly responsive to treatment or changes at different times of the day."
The study's other co-authors were: Dogukan Mizrak and Marc Ruben, doctoral students in NYU's Department of Biology; Gabrielle Myers, an undergraduate in the Biology Department; Kahn Rhrissorrakrai, a post-doctoral researcher; and Kristin Gunsalus, an associate professor at NYU's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology and NYU Abu Dhabi.
In a previous study, Blau and his colleagues found that rhythms in expression of a potassium channel (Ir) helps link the biological clock to the activity of pacemaker neurons. But Ir does not function as a simple output of the clock—it also feeds back to regulate the core clock. In the Current Biology research, the scientists sought to understand the nature of this feedback.
In exploring this mechanism, the researchers examined the biological, or circadian, clocks of Drosophila fruit flies, which are commonly used for research in this area. Earlier studies of "clock genes" in fruit flies allowed the identification of similarly functioning genes in humans.
By manipulating the neuronal activity of pacemaker neurons, the researchers showed that changes in the electrical activity of clock neurons produce major changes in the expression of circadian genes. With increased electrical activity in the evening, when clock neurons are normally fairly inactive, the researchers found that clock neurons have a circadian gene-expression profile more typically found in morning hours. In contrast, by diminishing electrical activity in the morning, gene expression was shifted to look more like it does in the evening. In other words, the electrical state of a clock neuron can dramatically affect circadian gene expression in clock neurons.
"What was striking about these results was the coordination between the firing of neurons and gene expression," observed Blau. "This is one of the remarkable processes that helps keep clock neurons stay synchronized and run so accurately."
To find the mechanism, Blau's lab brought in the computational expertise of Gunsalus' lab at NYU to identify regulatory DNA motifs in genes that respond to neuronal activity in clock neurons. One of these motifs binds the well-known set of factors that regulate gene expression in neurons involved in learning and memory.
"These data really make us focus on 'the clock' as a neuronal system rather than a set of genes," noted Blau.
James Devitt | EurekAlert!
New application for acoustics helps estimate marine life populations
16.01.2018 | University of California - San Diego
Unexpected environmental source of methane discovered
16.01.2018 | University of Washington Health Sciences/UW Medicine
What enables electrons to be transferred swiftly, for example during photosynthesis? An interdisciplinary team of researchers has worked out the details of how...
For the first time, scientists have precisely measured the effective electrical charge of a single molecule in solution. This fundamental insight of an SNSF Professor could also pave the way for future medical diagnostics.
Electrical charge is one of the key properties that allows molecules to interact. Life itself depends on this phenomenon: many biological processes involve...
At the JEC World Composite Show in Paris in March 2018, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will be focusing on the latest trends and innovations in laser machining of composites. Among other things, researchers at the booth shared with the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL) will demonstrate how lasers can be used for joining, structuring, cutting and drilling composite materials.
No other industry has attracted as much public attention to composite materials as the automotive industry, which along with the aerospace industry is a driver...
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Tohoku University have developed high-quality GFO epitaxial films and systematically investigated their ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties. They also demonstrated the room-temperature magnetocapacitance effects of these GFO thin films.
Multiferroic materials show magnetically driven ferroelectricity. They are attracting increasing attention because of their fascinating properties such as...
The oceans are the largest global heat reservoir. As a result of man-made global warming, the temperature in the global climate system increases; around 90% of...
08.01.2018 | Event News
11.12.2017 | Event News
08.12.2017 | Event News
16.01.2018 | Materials Sciences
16.01.2018 | Materials Sciences
16.01.2018 | Power and Electrical Engineering

domain: news


text:
Command armies and nations during the greatest wars in world history.
More War Games
Crush devious magical enemies that threaten your survival.
Take out your toy box and shred your enemies to pieces.
Descend into the depths of the dungeon to challenge the darkness.
Gather precious materials from each world before the solar system goes kaboom.
- See All War PC Games


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A high daily dose of vitamin E slowed functional decline in patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease by about six months, according to a new study.
However, the research to be published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, found no impact on memory and doctors said there was no evidence that vitamin E prevents the debilitating disease.
The study, which ran from 2007 to 2012, is one of the largest and longest studies in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and involved 613 patients at 14 Veterans Affairs medical centers who were already taking Alzheimer's drugs like Aricept. Researchers followed patients for an average of 2.3 years and found those receiving 2,000 international units of vitamin E daily showed less of a decline on a commonly used measure of daily functioning than patients in a placebo group.
Patients in the groups started out with a score of about 57 points on the scale, which measures activities of daily living. Those in the placebo group declined about 17 points on average, while the decline in the vitamin E group was about 14 points.
Though the benefit may seem small, lead researcher Maurice Dysken, a research scientist at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, said it could represent the difference between patients who can still dress or bathe independently and those who cannot. It also translates into about a six-month slowing in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The study also showed that caregiver time increased the least among the vitamin E group.
"I think it's very meaningful to patients and caregivers to preserve function," Dr. Dysken said.
Alzheimer's currently affects more than five million Americans. The progressive brain disorder leads to memory loss and eventually the ability to think and function.
Scott Small, an Alzheimer's expert at Columbia University in New York who wasn't involved in the research, said he might consider using vitamin E for some of his Alzheimer's patients. But he said healthy people worried about developing Alzheimer's should exercise and eat healthy foods rather than take supplements. Dr. Small said there is evidence that the part of the brain associated with age-related memory loss benefits from physical exercise.
A 1997 study of vitamin E in patients with more severe Alzheimer's disease had a similar outcome, finding that a high daily dose of 2,000 international units delayed disease progression.
But enthusiasm was blunted in 2005 after an analysis involving 19 vitamin E studies showed a higher death rate in people taking more than 400 international units per day of the supplement. Researchers in the current study looked at death rates and other safety measures in light of the earlier findings. Dr. Dysken said there wasn't an increase in mortality seen in the study related to vitamin E.
The study released Tuesday also included a group of patients who received memantine, another Alzheimer's drug sold by Forest Laboratories Inc. under the brand name Namenda, and a group that received both memantine and vitamin E. Neither of those groups showed statistically significant improvement compared with placebo. Dr. Dysken said it wasn't clear why the group receiving both memantine and vitamin E didn't do as well as the group on vitamin E alone.
Maria Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, which wasn't involved in the study, called the results "encouraging" but said they should be replicated in future studies. "No one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's except under the supervision of a physician," she said.
Write to Jennifer Corbett Dooren at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Emilia Clarke, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh
All names, but what ties them together? They all star in this new movie, Last Christmas, which looks pretty incredible tbqh.
Kate (Emilia Clarke) is a young woman who continuously makes bad decisions. What was her last date with disaster? Accepting to work as Santa's elf for a department store.
However, everything changes when she meets Tom there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.
With Paul Feig as director, featuring the music of George Michael, not to mention Emma Thompson developing the story, this should be one festive flick we can all get around!
Trailer below, what do you think?

domain: artistic


Thixotropic 2 part polyurethane modified epoxy jointing compound suitable for filling joints, sawn joints in longs strip flooring and larger concrete pours.
Available sizes: 1kg, 2.5kg, 5kg
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Pumexpand V can withstand heavy duty wear and will adhere well to concrete, grano, asphalt, epoxy, polyurethane, polymer modified floor and wall finishes.
Resdev is one of the UK’s longest established (Currently in its 5th Decade) family owned Industrial Resin Flooring manufacturers. All our products are manufactured by us in the UK We pride ourselves that the basic principles that have supported us through this time still remain today as the backbone of the business with a more now approach. With such brands as “PUMADUR”, “PUMAFLOR”, “PUMATHANE”, “MOZAICO”, “DECKMASTER” we continue to push the boundaries of quality Industrial Resin Flooring. The history is important and relevant to the story of now and the future.


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As was inevitable, someone has been taken to court for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and using god as a defense. In a US district court, Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, got all teary-eyed as she explained why her faith required her to deny couples a right they were entitled to by law. (This Davis is different from Casey Davis, a clerk in another county who also refuses to issue licenses.)
Rowan County’s clerk prayed and fasted over her decision to refuse marriage licenses for same-sex couples, she testified in federal court, and she said believes she is upholding her oath under the Constitution.
Clerk Kim Davis’ refusal to provide licenses has drawn wide attention after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that marriage is a fundamental right for all couples. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear ordered clerks to comply with the decision.
“It wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision,” Davis said. “It was thought out, and I sought God on it.”
On the stand Monday, Davis described herself as an Apostolic Christian who believes marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman under the Bible — “God’s holy word” — and said she contemplated her policy for months.
She choked back tears at times as she argued that issuing licenses under her name would violate her religious beliefs even if a deputy clerk performs the task in her stead.
“If I say they are authorized, I’m saying, ‘I agree with it.’ And I can’t,” Davis said.
Monday’s testimony marked a second hearing in the case, and U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning said he expects to release a decision around Aug. 11. Meanwhile, Davis said she is denying licenses to all couples to avoid discriminating against those in same-sex relationships.
During Monday’s hearing, Davis repeatedly cited religious rights under the First Amendment in her defense. She testified that she attends church “every time the doors are open” and performs a Bible study at a local jail once a week.
She is also refusing to resign.
I wish, when these religious people say they asked god about this or that decision, they would be questioned about what form the answer from god took. Did they hear voices? Did god appear and speak in sign language? Did he send at text message?
I would be very surprised if the court doesn’t order her to issue licenses and then fine her for contempt if she still does not do so. And then she would have something to really cry about.
Honestly, I am just sick of these people whining about their religious beliefs being violated when what they really want is to be able to follow their prejudices. I wonder how many contempt citations it will take with how many clerks before god suddenly ‘reveals’ to them that he has changed his mind and that it is cool with him if they issue licenses.

domain: law


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Sound the Art workshop #5
During the fifth Sound the Art workshop and masterclass for young people together with Anna Palmer (of Dorcha) we will be searching for new ways of expression through different tones and sounds!
At the workshop our participants will have an occasion to create and play with new sounding objects. Each participant will contribute to an improvised and generative sound composition that will evolve throughout the workshops, and culminate in a collective work..
?2.30PM - 4.15PM - workshop
?4.15PM - 4.30PM - break
?4.30PM - 5.30PM - masterclass
There is no need to have experience playing music to take part Sound the Art events and they are open to people of all musical abilities.


NRMA: Breaking new ground
Detailed information on the performance of the Australian heavy vehicle fleet has long been inaccessible for the general public, most often because it simply didn’t exist. Roadside assistance specialist NRMA Business Motoring has now attempted to change that.
Commercial road transport is the lifeblood of the Australian economy, with both national and international businesses relying on it to work as smoothly as possible. But even the best maintained truck is not immune to a breakdown – making it vital for transport businesses large and small to be prepared for the worst case.
“Let’s face it – breakdown cover is hardly the most stimulating topic, but it’s one of those things you really need to have for peace of mind,” says Matthew Beattie, Head of NRMA Business Motoring. “Even though commercial vehicles are far more reliable nowadays than they once were, experience has shown that mechanical or electrical problems can strike at any time. The question is, are you prepared for such a scenario or not?”
He adds, “Imagine you break down with a load of fresh produce on the back and the clock ticking and you don’t have a policy in place. I don’t think I exaggerate if I say you will face a perfect storm of problems, which could prove extremely stressful for everyone involved – both up and down the supply chain.”
Agrees Dr Peter Hart, Chairman of the Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association (ARTSA) and a nationally recognised heavy vehicle roadworthiness expert. “In today’s highly competitive transport market, where every minute is accounted for, a breakdown is always a bit of a nightmare for the transport company,” he says. “Every professional fleet should have a clear process in place on how to react to a breakdown.
“Think about it – you may end up stuck on the roadside needing to make ad hoc arrangements, potentially placing you at personal risk – especially if the breakdown happens far from head office, or in the dead of night. Your first priority must be to protect your people and the public from road trauma or from violence. A disabled vehicle creates vulnerability. Secondly, you could face an expensive bill for repairs and towing, or for a last-minute sign-up to a breakdown service, which will always cost you more than arranging cover in advance.”
Peter says the reasons for a breakdown can be as varied as Australia’s truck population – from the tow coupling through to rub on the wiring harness. But it’s tyre and wheel issues that have recently caused a stir in the industry. “Wheel-end problems are definitely an issue, particularly on trailers,” he says. “Faulty tyre pressure, bearing failure due to excessive bearing play and failed bearing lubrication are still an everyday occurrence in Australia. Trailers are most vulnerable because they are the poor cousin of the prime mover and maintenance is often overdue. Excessive wheel-nut tightening torque in the workshop is another problem. Studs can be stretched and it is also possible to crack an aluminium wheel that way.”
Even though he says wheel-end issues are likely to be the number one breakdown cause, Peter adds that they are also the easiest to prevent. “Frankly, pending wheel-end failures could and should be dealt with in the pre-trip or at inspection during the driver’s break. We all like to see the pilot inspecting the plane on the tarmac, so why not expect the driver to walk around and inspect the truck wheels at every break stop?
“I also like to see mechanics lifting wheels at every service and giving them a shake and a spin. That way they will soon learn whether they are developing bearing problems.”
Also high on Peter’s hit list are electrical issues, which he says can easily lead to a fully-fledged truck fire. “Developing shorts on the main cables will cause incandescent lights to flutter. So why not drive with lights on? There is a road safety benefit to be had as well,” he says.
“The same is true for braking issues. Brake maintenance is not hard, it’s just a constant challenge, as brakes are wearing parts that need to be checked every couple of weeks. Keep on top of the maintenance and you will keep out of trouble – because any brake-related problem is likely to draw an out-of-service cannery and that means a call-out before the vehicle can be moved.”
In his role at NRMA Business Motoring, Matthew has come across many a ‘do or die’ scenario following a breakdown, prompting him and his team to dive deep into the topic and try to quantify Peter’s feedback*. “NRMA Business Motoring is currently looking after businesses with more than 6,000 vehicles consisting of trucks and heavy vehicles within their fleet Australia-wide, so it was only logical to take the vast amount of data generated in helping them to shed some light on the topic and see just how common a breakdown really is,” he says – pointing out that to simplify the process and align the research with market feedback, the team started with the state of New South Wales, and the 2014-15 Financial Year as the initial time window. “We thought it made sense to start such a big project by analysing our home state first. In co-operation with Prime Mover, we will then look at the rest of the nation to create the first complete breakdown overview for the commercial vehicle market.”
In analysing the stockpile of NSW and ACT data NRMA Business Motoring has compiled since July 2014, Matthew and his team were able to verify Dr Peter Hart’s assumption that wheel and tyre issues are a key breakdown cause, followed by electrical faults and defects of the diesel fuel system. Transmission problems also rank high on the list, while substantial engine work is much less common. In a positive for the industry, steering and suspension issues seem to be almost non-existent in NRMA Business Motoring’s FY 2015 data for the state of NSW, at least not to a degree where they would lead to a breakdown service call.
The top breakdown reason on the ranking NRMA Business Motoring has compiled for Prime Mover, however, is the battery. Dr Peter Hart explains, ”Electrical loads are steadily increasing. Yesterday it was the starter motor load that the batteries felt. Today it might be the steady amperage to drive electronic equipment through the lay-off times. Batteries don’t like extreme heat and they don’t like vibrations. Occasionally the alternator voltage needs to be checked because batteries also don’t like only being half charged.”
Trouble with the cooling system is also part of NRMA Business Motoring’s roadside call top ten. According to Peter, the issue with cooling systems is mainly with connections. “The more connections you have, the greater the potential for loss of coolant - the main failure mode for the cooling system. Of course a fleet is as much in the hands of the truck OEM as its own shops here, but the specification of long-life coolants, premium hoses and solid clamps, along with technicians trained to look for and deal with cooling system issues early will always help,” says the expert.
Next to identifying the top breakdown causes in NSW, Matthew’s research team was also able to create a precise map of where roadside assistance is commonly needed, with the Sydney metro region topping the list. “Naturally, you see the majority of breakdowns occur along the main trade route on the eastern seaboard,” says Matthew. “But there is a distinct spike on the Hume Highway between Goulburn and Campbelltown, for example, as well as on the M1 between Wollongong and Port Botany.”
According to Matthew’s research, the M1 between Gosford and Newcastle is extremely “breakdown prone”, with a breakdown density close to the one seen in metro Sydney, where traffic has been increasing steadily over the past decade. “Sydney and Newcastle make for the majority of the work we carry out in NSW, but it’s the strip in between where we see a lot of movement, too. Naturally there is an increased probability with more heavy vehicle traffic in the area, but maybe there is something else to it that we haven’t uncovered yet.”
In country NSW, NRMA Business Motoring’s research team has identified breakdown clusters around the transport hubs of Wagga Wagga, Dubbo and Tamworth, with the town of Griffith a fourth hotspot. “Again, we can see that there is increased breakdown activity around a classic trucking route, the Newell Highway,” says Matthew. “What’s interesting, though, is that we see more clustered call-outs in this area as for example on the Hume, which may have to do with the quality of the road in certain spots.”
With the average response time for a heavy-duty truck breakdown coming in at just under 40 minutes and the result for light-duty equipment around the 35-minute mark, Matthew says the NRMA Business Motoring program is setting a benchmark in responsiveness for the state of NSW. “We are extremely happy with such a figure, knowing that any issue will be attended to so quickly, wherever it may be. That’s exactly the outcome we were hoping to achieve.”
With the geographic breakdown now providing NRMA Business Motoring with a detailed map of potential breakdown hotspots, Matthew says reducing the average response time even more will be the organisation’s next goal. “We’re all about continuous improvement and making the whole breakdown experience less painful, so we will use the data to keep streamlining our processes and ensure our patrol services are equipped with the most appropriate tools, such as a torque multiplier, heavy duty bottlejack or a simple battery tester,” he explains – even though the business NRMA Business Motoring is dealing in is everything but predictable.
Vehicle age, for example, won’t necessarily give away the likelihood of a breakdown – even though there is the odd exception. While the majority of vehicles NRMA Business Motoring attended to in 2015 has been manufactured somewhere in between 2000 and 2012, the years 2000, 2007 and 2008 rank especially high on the list, with 2010 the clear standout. Expectedly, new vehicles built in 2014/15 are the least breakdown prone.
While the spike in the 2010 bracket is anyone’s guess, a 2011 interview with Bruce Stockton, then Vice President of Maintenance for US transport giant Con-way, might give Australian businesses a clue. Back then, he told Prime Creative correspondent Steve Sturgess that 2010 (US) engines were throwing “a lot of fault codes”, which meant the trucks either had to make their way to a dealership or back to a terminal to check out the situation. Surprisingly, he said the issue was occurring much more often on 2010-plated vehicles than with any other year of manufacture.
Staying in the time category, the weekday with the highest breakdown risk, according to NRMA Business Motoring, is Monday, with the weekend ranking lowest on the breakdown risk table. With overall call-outs almost stagnant over the last Financial Year as compared to the previous one, the risk pattern remained almost unchanged, with slightly less incidents reported during the week and a marginal increase on Friday and Saturday. “What has changed most compared to 2014 is that we don’t see the same early morning spike anymore,” says Matthew. “In the past, there was a distinct call-out surge between 6:00 and 9:00 am. While that bracket is still somewhat of a rush hour for us today, it seems like the time window has widened a little, with more activity now visible in the early afternoon.”
Over the course of the full Financial Year, NRMA Business Motoring has found early January to be the busiest time, with a distinct drop in call-outs in mid-February. Q2 has proved to be the most stable quarter for the company, with call-outs steadily around the 700 mark, while 2015 also saw a short-lived spike in August. With increased holiday traffic around the New Year, Matthew says the risk of getting stuck in stop and go traffic, in combination with added stress and heat, may lead to a more fragile vehicle fleet. What’s more, delivery volumes spike during the holiday season, with added traffic on the road until Australia Day and beyond.
What’s most important, says Matthew, is that the person behind the wheel, as well as all back office staff, have a plan of what to do when the infamous ‘check engine’ warning light comes on or any other issue occurs while a commercial vehicle is still in transit – even though ARTSA head Dr Peter Hart says that regular maintenance and inspection by drivers could avoid 90 per cent of the most common problems NRMA Business Motoring has detected.
“The unfortunate reality is that issues do occur, and even though we now have a better understanding of where and why they happen, there is still no alternative to playing it safe,” he says. “Any roadside issue could result in additional costs for repair, towing, downtime, re-dispatching another truck, the lost opportunity cost for the truck that is down and in some cases, result in the loss of a customer. Our research hasn’t covered it, but I would assume the majority of transport businesses would rather have peace of mind than take that risk.”
For more info, contact NRMA on 1300 556 947 or visit the website.
The full story has appeared in the November edition of Prime Mover. To get your copy, click here.


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- Round collar
- Fast drying
Real sports T-shirts, the RED BULL T-shirt is manufactured and made on demand from COOL MAX high performance fabric, the manufacturing time is between 3-6 days.
T he COOL MAX high performance fabric keeps you dry and wicks away moisture and has the advantage of not fading over time, being lightweight, and not being wrinkled.
This item is a US size it runs extra large!
Be sure to take your measurements before ordering to limit any risk of receiving the wrong size.
Size guide in Cm:
Free information :
UNOFFICIAL product , all designs are FAN ART, do not violate property rights. Each name; Trademark, design, LOGO belongs to COPYRIGHT holders.
Each design is a tribute print.
- Tested and approved by hundreds of satisfied customers.
Customer service at your service to answer all your questions.
- Tracked delivery
- Internet exclusive


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PJ Salvage Eastern Influence Pant RCEIP2
Sorry, no other customer-recommended styles found.
This product was discontinued August, 2017 and is no longer available. Please consider one of the Customer-Recommended Replacements above, or try a new search.
Highly detailed Asian-inspired patterns decorate these wonderfully soft and lightweight sleep pants. Made of woven rayon.
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domain: design