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Infectious Disease Pathology
Case 5 -
Jeannette Guarner, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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54 year old woman that is being worked up for a lung mass that was seen in a chest X-Ray.
Coccidioides immitis is endemic in the San Joaquin valley in California. Coccidioides posadasii is
present in desertic regions of Northwest Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico, and desertic areas in Argentina
and Paraguay. However, very little differences have been found in morphology or clinical presentation
between the 2 species. There is a clear correlation between incidence of disease and environmental
factors; coccidioidomycosis increases when there are rainy summers followed by dry winters, following
earthquakes, or when humans settle and develop the previously mentioned desertic areas. In any of these
instances, Coccidioides arthrospores are released in higher numbers than the usual baseline.
Humans inhale the arthroconidia, which in the lung are transformed into multinucleated spherical
structures that contain hundreds of endospores. It is estimated that up to 60% of individuals exposed
have no symptoms while the remainder may present with what appears to be an acute community acquired
pneumonia. In those patients with acute pneumonia, the chest X rays show lobar infiltrates and
adenopathy. Several erythematous rashes (multiforme, nodosum or toxic) are reflections of immune
response to the acute infection. The majority of acute pulmonary infections resolve; however, in a
minority of patients the infection may become chronic progressive ("Valley fever") showing either a
cavity or nodule. Extrapulmonary disease can occur in certain risk groups including African Americans,
Asians, pregnant women, patients with diabetes, or those patients receiving corticosteroids for a variety
of conditions. The most common sites of dissemination include skin, lymph nodes, bones, and joints;
nonetheless the most feared complication is extension to the central nervous system. Besides acquiring
infection through the respiratory route, there are rare reports of direct inoculation of skin giving rise
to primary cutaneous lesions or acquisition through transplanted organs.
Pathological/Microscopic Findings and any Immunohistochemical or Other Studies:
The spherules of various sizes (10 to 100 microns) with multiple endospores (2 to 5 microns) are
characteristic of coccidioidomycosis and can be seen with routine H&E stain. The walls of some of
the spherules may appear ruptured and the endospores spill into surrounding tissues. Active lesions
contain multiple organisms while resolving or residual lesions usually show lower number of organisms.
GMS highlights spherule walls and endospores. In contrast, reactions with PAS vary with age of the
structures: young endospores and spherules stain strongly while staining fades as the organisms mature.
Mycelia can be observed in cavitary lung or skin lesions. Sensitivity for histopathologic detection of
Coccidioides is 84% and 75% for cytology.
Inflammatory reaction to endospores is predominantly neutrophilic while reaction to spherules is
granulomatous. Thus, early in the infection the lesions tend to show pyogranulomas because the
concentration of spherules and endospores is high. Lymphocytic clusters of B and T cells have been
described around well formed granulomas with necrosis and appear to be an important response to
coccidioidomycosis. Eosinophils can be abundant and can create the Splendore-Höeppli phenomenon (an
intense rim of eosinophilic material around the fungal elements). When coccidioidomycosis is suspected
it is important to look for spherules. This should be done by going deeper into the blocks or
submitting/ staining other blocks. It also needs to be remembered that in immunosuppressed patients,
more than one infection may coexist, thus in endemic areas Pneumocysitis and Coccidioides could be found
in the same specimen.
In the United States, Coccidioides spp. are select agents that are governed by specific rules related
to the possession, use, and transfer of these agents. This fungus grows easily in the laboratory (93%
sensitivity) and the arthroconidia can be easily aerosolized, thus all work with cultures must be
performed in a class II biological safety cabinet. Detection of antibodies to Coccidioides can be an
important diagnostic tool. Today, IgM and IgG are generally measured using EIA and/or immunodiffusion;
however, some laboratories continue to perform tube precipitin to measure IgM and complement fixation to
measure IgG antibodies. False negative serology has been seen in up to 38% of patients with hematogenous
infection and 46% of fatal cases. Detection of antigens in the urine using EIA has been shown to be
present in 71% of patients with coccidioidomycosis but shows cross-reaction in 10% of patients with other
Dimorphic fungi are defined as those that appear as yeast forms at 37°C but are molds when cultured at
colder temperatures (usually 25°C). Coccidioides is a dimorphic fungus and, with a few exceptions, most
of the fungi in the differential diagnosis are also dimorphic.
1. Rhinosporidium seeberi, a mesomycetozoan parasite that causes palate and nasopharyngeal polyps, is
in the differential diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis because it produces large sporangia (some can be seen
with the naked eye) with multiple internal endospores. R. seeberi has very similar morphology but its
sporangia and endospores are bigger than Coccidioides spherules, and its inner sporangial wall stains
with mucicarmine. It is important to remember that endospores outside spherules or young spherules
without endospores can be confused with Blastomyces, Histoplasma, Emmonsia, Candida, Pneumocystis and
2. Blastomyces dermatitidis in tissue appear as yeasts that measure 8 to 15 microns in diameter, have
thick refractile cell walls, and may show a single, broad-based bud. The yeasts can be observed in a
variety of specimens including sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, fine needle aspirates from lung, skin or
other lesions, cerebrospinal fluid and surgical resections. The thick refractile cell wall of this
organism gives the appearance of a space between the fungal cell contents and the surrounding tissue when
hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain is used. Inside the cell wall, the multiple nuclei of the yeasts
stain with hematoxylin. Occasionally, B. dermatitidis can show smaller yeast forms, the so called
microforms. In addition, B. dermatitidis can be seen with a variety of routinely used preparations and
stains such as KOH and Papanicolau. The contour of the yeast is best highlighted by staining the cell
wall with fungal silver stains such as GMS or PAS. The inflammatory reaction accompanying the yeasts is
primarily granulomatous with varying degrees of neutrophilic infiltrate, thus it has been described as
pyogranulomatous inflammation. It needs to be remembered that blastomycosis can be concomitantly present
with neoplasias and tuberculosis.
Few studies have systematically compared the presence of broad-based budding yeasts in histopathologic
or cytologic specimens with culture or other diagnostic methods that would confirm the diagnosis of
blastomycosis. A retrospective study of 53 patients showed that Coccidioides immitis, Candida albicans
or Aspergillus were recovered from 4 (10%) pathologic specimens demonstrating broad-based budding yeasts
in direct histopathologic examination. An earlier study of patients with blastomycosis commented that a
high percent of their cultures were overgrown with Candida. This suggests that not all broad
based-budding yeasts in the 8 to 15 micron size range are Blastomyces. Since histopathologic or
cytologic results can usually be provided before the culture is available, there is pressure to use these
results to guide treatment, particularly because B. dermatitidis can take up to 3 weeks to grow or may
not grow at all from these specimens. Sensitivity of culture varies depending on the sample that was
obtained, and may range from 62% to 100%. Diagnostic yield of histopathology will depend on the
expertise present in the center where the patient is seen. Because of the possibility of histopathologic
false positive results, pathologists should describe the yeast and budding pattern that is observed in
the tissue specimen, and should list the yeasts that can have this morphology in the report comment
field. In addition, alternative tests (urine or serum antigen detection or presence of antibodies in
serum) may need to be menitioned in the comment, especially in cases from non-endemic areas or when the
clinical picture is not typical.
3. Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum in tissue is an oval 2 to 4 micron yeast that may show
narrow-based buds. With H&E stain, the basophilic yeast cytoplasm is separated from the surrounding
tissue by a clear zone corresponding to the cell wall. GMS and PAS stains highlight the cell wall.
Because the yeasts are initially ingested by macrophages, they appear to be clustered and some authors
have suggested this is an important diagnostic feature. This clustering within histiocytes and
occasionally within neutrophils is the presentation of Histoplasma in fluids stained with Papanicolaou
stain or blood smears stained with Giemsa. H. capsulatum var. duboisii is larger (8 to 15 microns in
diameter) than var. capsulatum, and has similar morphology but is pigmented.
Few lung tissue samples of cases with acute pulmonary histoplasmosis have been studied and have shown
nodular areas of parenchymal and vascular necrosis associated with lympho-histiocytic vasculitis. The
histopathologic picture resembles lymphomatoid granulomatosis but scattered small granulomas with small
yeasts in the parenchyma should suggest the diagnosis of histoplasmosis. Chronic lung infections that
radiographically appear as coin lesions show typical granulomatous inflammation with central necrosis and
calcified material. Yeasts are usually found in this necrotic calcified material, which can be lost
during processing and cutting of the tissue. In immunosuppressed patients, sheets of macrophages filled
with yeasts characterize disseminated disease. The collections of macrophages distort the organ
architecture and produce necrotic areas. Because the morphology of H. capsulatum is not specific, it is
important to perform clinico-epidemiological correlation.
Several fungi can be confused with H. capsulatum var. capsulatum when studying tissue sections: The
small variant of B. dermatitidis (in these cases the presence of broad-based budding and seeking larger
forms can be helpful in making the diagnosis of blastomycosis), capsule deficient cryptococci (in these
cases size variation and looking for weakly positive mucicarmine-staining yeasts may suggest the
diagnosis of cryptococcosis), endospores of Coccidioides spp. (looking for remnants of a ruptured
spherule or an intact spherule is paramount for diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis), Pneumocystis jirovecii
(these organisms lack budding and have a silver staining dot), Penicillium marneffei (show formation of a
transverse septum rather than budding), lastly, Candida glabrata (may show more size variability than
histoplasmosis). In addition, several protozoa can also show intracellular organisms of similar size
including the agents of leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and Chagas disease, that should be differentiated
from histoplasmosis: The histopathologic difference between these organisms and Histoplasma is that
H&E stains the entire protozoan and none show the halo produced by the fungal cell wall.
Kinetoplasts (a distinct hematoxylin-stained bar to the side of the nucleus) should be observed if the
patient has leishmaniasis or Chagas disease. Infected cells in toxoplasmosis and Chagas disease are
somatic (cardiomyocytes, neurons) rather than histiocytes. In summary, definitive diagnosis of
histoplasmosis can be difficult in tissue sections and, if cultures were not obtained in the tissue
specimen, alternative testing should be considered. Pathologist should describe the yeast in the
diagnosis field and in a comment suggest the different fungi that can have this morphology.
4. Another unusual fungus that is in the histopathologic differential diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis
is Emmonsia crescens. This dimorphic fungus is inhaled or inoculated into the skin when humans are in
close contact with rodent burrows and aerosolized conidia. The amount of conidia inoculated will
determine the presentation: Small inocula are asymptomatic and present as walled off granulomas, while
larger inocula can result in acute severe pulmonary disease. The disease is known as adiaspiromycosis or
haplomycosis, due to the presence in tissue of adiaspores, large thick-walled structures formed by
transformation of hyphae. Adiaspores are thick, double-walled spherules that measure 20 to 400 micron or
more and are empty or contain eosinophilic hyaline globules. When stained with GMS the entire wall
thickness stains and shows fenestrations. Adiaspores usually elicit a granulomatous inflammatory
reaction and the differential diagnosis is frequently with helmiths.
5. In tissues Candida organisms appear as mats of yeasts measuring 3 to 5 microns in diameter
intermingled with pseudohyphae also referred to as filaments. The filaments may show periodic
constrictions. The organisms can be seen with H&E, GMS and PAS. The only Candida species that does
not produce filaments is C. glabrata. Because of its inherent resistance to fluconazole, C. glabrata
needs to be recognized. C. glabrata is the Candida spp. that can be confused with Histoplasma,
Blastomyces, endospores of Coccidioides and Cryptococcus.
6. Atypical inflammatory reactions to Pneumocystis have been documented including interstitial
pulmonary fiborisis, granulomas, hyaline membranes, and interstitial lung infiltrates. In these
instances, it is difficult to suspect that Pneumocystis is present in the lesion. The usual
histopathology of Pneumocystis in lung tissue sections stained with H&E is as foamy intraalveolar
eosinophilic exudates with minimal inflammatory infiltrate. In Papanicolaou stained respiratory cytology
specimens, the organisms blend into the mucous blue green background. GMS stain demonstrates that the
foamy material in tissue sections or cytologic specimens corresponds to multiple organisms which are
thin-walled spheres of 2 to 5 microns that have a large capsular dot. Collapsed organisms are usually
found intermingled with intact organisms.
Fungal infections are becoming more frequent because of expansion of at-risk populations and use of
treatment modalities that permit longer survival of these patients. Some of the changes in endemic
fungal infections can be attributed to climate changes, extension of human habitats, ease of travel, and
shifting populations. At-risk populations for opportunistic fungal infections or disseminated endemic
fungal infections include patients who have received transplants, those prescribed immunosuppressive and
chemotherapeutic agents, HIV-infected patients, premature infants, the elderly, and patients undergoing
major surgery. Thus, a shift in the mycoses encountered in the healthcare setting has occurred with
fungi previously considered non-pathogenic, including mucoraceous genera (formerly zygomycetes) and a
variety of both hyaline and dematiaceous molds, now being commonly seen in immunocompromised patients.
Diagnosis of infections outside the usual geographic or epidemiologic setting can be challenging.
Furthermore, advances in diagnostic radiology have allowed greater ability to pursue specific diagnoses
by collecting tissue biopsies from body sites formerly not available for histopathologic examination. In
addition, the therapeutic armamentarium now available and the presence of resistance to different drugs
by these fungi have compounded the diagnostic challenges. Nowadays, the use of fungal GMS cannot solve
alone these challenges and newer diagnostic techniques may be required. However, histopathology
continues to be a rapid and cost- effective means of providing a presumptive or definitive diagnosis of
an invasive fungal infection while waiting for fungal culture results. Histopathology may be the only
material available when no culture growth occurs or cultures were not ordered. Thus, microbiologists,
pathologists and clinicians need to be aware of the limitations of tissue diagnosis, the pitfalls of
morphologic diagnosis, and the tests that can be performed in tissue and other samples to make
Retrospective studies that correlate culture results with histopathology and cytology showed that
overall accuracy for microscopic morphologic techniques can vary from 20 to 80%. The lowest correlation
has been reported for invasive septate molds. Even though GMS and PAS stains were used more frequently
in the cases correctly diagnosed than those misclassified, special stains did not significantly improve
pathologists' diagnostic capabilities. Misclassification of cases occurs when the pathologist has a
false sense of ability to categorize fungal organisms by genus based on microscopic morphology alone,
when inappropriate terminology is used such that other potential molds within a particular category are
not included in the differential diagnosis, or when there is lack of knowledge of morphologic mimics of
yeasts and hyphal forms. The misclassifications with greater potential for adverse consequences occurred
when there were few, folded, fragmented and/or necrotic fungal elements in the specimen and the
structures in hyphae could not be adequately categorized as septate versus pauciseptate hyaline molds.
Therefore, clinicians need to be aware that misclassifications in histopathologic examination occur in at
least 20% of cases, and pathologists need to give as much information as possible without overextending
their diagnostic capabilities.
In order to avoid misclassifications, pathologists should describe the fungal elements observed in the
sample and refrain from trying to offer a specific diagnosis. Pathologists need to remember that there
are very few instances where morphologic characteristics are specific. Some groups have suggested the
use of templates or synoptic reporting for the diagnosis of fungal infections. In these templates the
diagnosis line includes a description of the yeast or mold, the presence or absence of fungal invasion of
tissues and vessels, and the host reaction to the fungus (inflammation, necrosis, hemorrhage). In a
second comment field, the pathologist should clearly state the most frequent fungi associated with that
morphology as well as other possible organisms (fungi and parasites) that should be considered in the
differential diagnosis. All pathology reports should also include a statement in the comment regarding
the importance of correlating clinico- epidemiologic features and results of cultures and other
laboratory tests that could aid in the diagnosis.
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- Bariola J, Perry P, Pappas PG, et al. 2010. Blastomycosis of the central nervous system: A multicenter review of diagnosis and treatment in the modern era. C. Infect. Dis. 50:797-804.
- Brugiere O, Forget E, Biondi G, et al. 2009. Coccidioidomycosis in a lung transplant recipient acquired from the donor graft in France. Transplantation. 88:1319- 1320.
- Bueno-Fischer G, Mocelin H, Bittencourt-Severo C, et al. 2009. Histoplasmosis in children. Paed. Resp. Rev. 10:172- 177.
- Chandler F, and Watts JC. 1997. Histoplasmosis capsulate, p. 1007-1016. In Connor DH, Chandler FW, Schwartz DA, Manz HJ, and Lack EE (ed.), Pathology of infectious diseases, 1st ed., vol 2. Stamford, Appleton & Lange Co., Hong Kong.
- Durkin M, Connolly P, Kuberski T, et al. 2008. Diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis with use of the Coccidioides antigen enzyme immunoassay. Clin. Infect. Dis. 47:e69–73.
- Gupta N, Arora S, Rajwanshi A, et al. 2009. Histoplasmosis: cytodiagnosis and review of literature with special emphasis on differential diagnosis on cytomorphology. Cytopathol DOI:10.1111/j.1365- 2303.2009.00693.x.
- Hartel PH, Shilo K, Klassen-Fischer M, et al. 2010. Granulomatous reaction to Pneumocystis jirovecii: Clinicopathologic review of 20 cases. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 34:730-4.
- Lemos LB, Guo M, and Baliga M. 2000. Blastomycosis: Organ involvement and etiologic diagnosis. A review of 123 patients from Mississippi. Ann. Diagn. Pathol. 4:391-406.
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- Luna M. 1997. Candidiasis, p. 953-964. In Connor DH, Chandler FW, Schwartz DA, Manz HJ, and Lack EE. (ed.), Pathology of infectious diseases, 1st ed., vol. 2. Stamford, Appleton & Lange Co., Hong Kong.
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I have my '77 140hp Evinrude up for sale, good running motor with t/t. I had a buyer inquire about the compression and I told him it was mid 70s on all four. He said he'd have to rebuild it and then the "negotiations" began, I wasn't going to sell the farm for one man's opin.
Tried to inform him that this was a factory modified motor for running on E-whatever gas. Even has the factory sticker on it stating that. The modification include lower compression, don't know why but here's an interesting discussion about that issue. For you guys info.
It's a cut and paste and then I'll put in a picture of the sticker that I have on my motor.
Low Compression Pistons.... Looking for a reason..
I'm new to E-Nation, but not new to the boating world. I'm looking for a non-bias answer to a question that I've heard asked a lot. I work on a lot of older Johnson/Evinrudes and the first thing I do with one is check the spark and compression. 90% of these engines are older then I am, so I don't know a lot of the little things about them. The first time I had, what I thought at the time, low compression numbers (80's and 90's) I told my boss that this engine has a ring issue. He told me that it was common for the loopers to have low comp numbers. So I took that to heart and didn't think twice about it. Lately I've been thinking about it more and more... Doing some reading on forums, I found someone that talked about the fuel changing and taking the lead out of it, John Rudes went to a lower compression to allow a lower octain fuel to be ran. That makes sense to me... Today my boss told me 2 things that I couldn't really wrap my head around. Let me know what you think, as I have no one else to ask...
First, your compression readings are going to be lower if you use a comp gauge that has a long hose then it would be if you had one that screwed right into the head without the hose. I'm not sure about that...doesn't seem correct.
Second, if you have about 90 psi while cranking, once the engine fires and you start moving that piston, the engine doesn't get all of the spent fuel out.... so you're left with your new charge, mixed with some spent charge that will bring the comp up to about 140 while running. What I was told in school, is that the engine as well as the piston are designed with scavenging in mind, to ensure that all of the exhaust has been removed from the cyl. In doing this, there is always a little amount of the new charge that gets sent out of the exhaust ports. Correct me if i'm wrong. I've been trying to find a good answer to the lower compression engines and have not found what I'm looking for. I just don't understand how a 150 can run so well on such low compression. Any info from some old school evinrude guys would be great..
Compression numbers on a 2-stroke engine are dependent on the uppermost area of the exhaust ports. The piston does not start to compress the fuel-air mixture until the top piston ring closes off the exhaust.
As a rule of thumb, performance engines have high exhaust ports and thus at cranking rpm, a compression gauge may indicate a lower psi number than a regular recreational motor with lower exhaust ports. Most people are confused by 2-stroke compression results as they have been indoctrinated by automotive 4-stroke compression numbers as those engines start compressing as soon as the exhaust valve closes and the piston travels a greater distance in the cylinder to "squish" the mixture.
This also explains to me when I take the compression test (with a hose) it reads as stated. When I button it all up and try to turn it over by hand the compression is so hard it's difficult to get over the "hump". The brute fires right up. I've hade motors with low compression before and they were a bear to start.
Because of the size of the exhaust ports, there is a considerable amount of upward travel of the piston before they close up. So nothing is compressed until that point.
Now, remember in an operating engine you have several (4 or 6 in a V engine) dumping into the exhaust system. Add to that, exhaust back pressure from the water column and heat. All will have an effect actual compression.
As for the gauge & length of hose; the volume of the hose must be added to the volume of the cylinder at TDC & that will also effect the reading. This is regardless of 2 or 4 stroke.
I'm not an engineer, I just accept the fact OMC V engines in particular read low but start easy & run strong. I guess these variables are why OMC never published compression & just gave the within 10% standard.
The 140 is a "hot" running motor, i.e. exactly as was said, it's ported for higher performance. So a garden-variety, Plane-Jane 85hp (which has the same bore and stroke as the 140) will likely have more cranking compression than the 140.
My good boating buddy had a 1350 (the earlier brother of the 140) and he said the compression was so high that he had trouble getting it cranked over. He put a new starter motor on it, bigger battery, and ran larger battery cables. It would start OK but still cranked slower than you'd expect. The octane requirement for these was very critical, as they would ping on poor gas. Even the gas left sitting in the fuel lines and carbs for extended periods could degrade and cause detonation issues if you didn't idle the engine for a while and use up that old gas.
OMC did put out thicker head gaskets to lower the compression. Quite sure there was a service bulletin about that, too.
The most important thing is not the ultimate psi number, but that the compression readings are even with each other. It's almost impossible for an engine to wear out such that every cylinder is worn low to the same value. At least extremely unlikely. I don't think I've ever seen one like that, in a problem engine there's always one or more cylinder with lower readings.
Also more important is how it runs. If it starts well, idles in gear smoothly, accelerates and runs well with the power you'd expect for the horsepower, no nasty mechanical noises, it's probably a good engine. Baseline compression is just one aspect of engine health.
A leakdown test is an even better indication of piston/ring/cylinder sealing and many times will detect a problem that you just can't see with a compression test.
Anyway, the guy is just probably trying to get you down on price. Tell him to come over and see the engine run, that should convince him!
What you want to look for on a compression testers hose is a check valve in the fitting which screws into the head. If the hose doesn't have a check valve, you wont get a true reading but with a check valve, the length of the hose doesn't really matter as the compression pressure and the pressure in the hose will eventually equalize. Spinning the motor by rope will take a few extra pulls but it will happen.
Interesting continuation here. I did sell that special motor but the person who bought it could not comprehend the workings and timing. He whined and complained that I cheated him. When he bought the running motor I gave him all the factory information about the special timing and compression, The new rebuilt starter was installed and the motor ran perfect but it did suck gas horribly. He bought another new starter and had the same cranking problem....duh. Messed with the timing and screwed the motor up so bad he parted it out. He just couldn't wrap his head around the modifications. Shame he trashed the special baby. That honey had a working factory t/t, new carb rebuild, new fuel pump, plugs, complete impeller kit, wires etc.
That really soured me to say the least. If he shows at Tomahawk next summer I'll need some help restraining myself.
Let me add something to the compression Ga./hose information. Just an FYi
Not all Shrader valves are the same. Depending on the internal spring pressure of the Shrader valve you will get different compression readings. I went through this process while searching for a replacement valve for my old MAC Tools Ga. Thankfully the other mechanic at the shop had the identical Ga. to mine. Had to do some research into it but eventually came up with the correct Shrader valve and compression readings once again matched between the two gauges.

domain: hobby


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domain: artistic


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After an inspired reading of Snowman At Night, little learners create snowmen of their own and write about their nighttime adventures. 📚📝☃
Students loved reading the wonderful Caldecott medal winning nonfiction children’s book ‘Snowflake Bentley’ about the amazing Wilson Bentley who dedicated his life photographing and studying snowflakes! After our reading, the students crafted snowflake poems using their own creative adjectives and verbs to describe their snowflakes, and got to create snowflakes of their own. ❤📚📝❄
Students are having so much fun diving into these great snow-themed books 📚, dressing up for a Southern California snow day of their own ☃, making snowball soup and snowmen❄, and having a real snowball fight just like the characters in these great books! 📝
Adventures in the Schoolhouse is a multi-dimension, creative learning environment made for children like yours! Join our adventure as we learn through interactive play, multi-sensory projects, and intuitive lesson plans!


text:
Also known as;
Sodium Dithionite, Thiourea dioxide, Thiox, Hydrosulfite Sodium or the brand name Spectalite (which is less strong).
Chemical reducer for your indigo vat.
To be used with our premium quality indigo from Tamil Nadu. Sodium Hydrosulphite is a chemical used to quickly reduce oxigen from an indigo vat so the indigo will become soluble in water. Other methods for doing this are by using henna, madder roots, or by making a sugar vat.
Learn how to make your indigo vat with this step-by-step PDF instruction, click here.


text:
On April 30th in 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, George Washington took the oath of office to become the first president of the United States. He took that oath amidst a widespread surge of popularity and consensual respect that has yet to be replicated in any subsequent presidential election in this country. For two terms, Washington was able to govern, and govern well, because even before he won the election as president of the United States, through his deeds, Washington had won the respect and trust of all of colonial America. If measured against...
You have the talking points down pat, but the facts all wrong. The dims took over both houses of congress in January 2007. That's when the uncontrolled spending took off. It was the Republicans who tried to reign in a runaway Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and it was the dims who protected them. Click on this link and see where you have been lied to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxMInSfanqg
- That ISIS guy who promised to raise Islamic flag over the White House? He’s dead Noah Rothman 12 mins ago
- Remembering James Foley and his work Ed Morrissey 52 mins ago
- NY Daily News cover blasts Obama for vacation return after Foley murder Ed Morrissey 1 hour ago
- Dems fret that ISIS will force America to return to Iraq Noah Rothman 2 hours ago
- Video: Don Lemon claims “most people” can buy automatic weapons in America Ed Morrissey 2 hours ago
- Video: The shooting of Kajieme Powell Allahpundit 3 hours ago

domain: news


text:
The Depiction of Women in Japanese Prints from the Seventeenth Century to the Twentieth Century
Date of Award
Masters Research Paper
School of Art and Art History, College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences
Prints, Japanese, Ukiyoe, Women in art
Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Miller, Julia, "The Depiction of Women in Japanese Prints from the Seventeenth Century to the Twentieth Century" (1979). Art and Art History: Master's Research Papers. 3.

domain: library


Crafted of luxurious navy leather, this polished Common Projects sneaker is our latest collaboration for BNY Sole Series, our collection of exclusive shoes developed by the Barneys team and some of the best shoe brands out there. “The upper of this new, exclusive sneaker is hand-burnished as a follow-up to our exclusive Achilles from last season,” notes Chris Pepe, Senior Men’s Footwear buyer. By utilizing the artisanal hand-burnishing technique, each sneaker is guaranteed to be unique, and on the back of each pair is the brand’s signature gold stamping. The debossed metallic numbers represent the size, style, and—for this release—the limited-edition color-way.
“Working with Common Projects is always a fun challenge,” Pepe continues, “We want to keep the brand’s overall clean and understated aesthetic, while at the same time putting a Barneys New York spin on the design.” All of the brand’s pairs are manufactured in Italy using high-quality materials, and the same was done for this limited-edition pair. Considering Common Projects’ cult-like following, the footwear team hopes to appeal to that same customer base with the artisanal navy drop.


text:
This is going to hurt
California’s poor will likely get hit harder under Brown administration than they did under Schwarzenegger
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown will hit California’s poor harder than his Republican predecessor ever did. And the state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature appears willing to help.
Under Brown’s budget proposal, more than 100,000 families, including 230,000 children, will lose their benefits entirely under the state’s welfare-to-work program, called CalWORKs. For others, the state’s safety net will shrink to the size of a kerchief.
Brown has called for an end to tax loopholes for corporations, a revision in the state pension system, and is asking that voters approve a series of tax extensions to prevent further cuts to education and public safety. He’s also promising deep cuts to health and human services programs.
“In other words, everything’s on the table,” said Bruce Wagstaff, director of Sacramento County’s Countywide Services Agency, which oversees 11 departments, including the Department of Human Assistance, under which CalWORKs falls. “I don’t mean the cuts aren’t going to hurt—they are. But it doesn’t feel like the poor are being singled out to bear the brunt of the budget woes like they were under the previous administration.”
Maybe not, but they might be hurt more than they were under the previous administration—at least at first.
CalWORKs includes cash aid, food stamps, Medi-Cal, and a welfare-to-work component as well. A family of three receives a maximum of $526 in monthly food stamps.
Only people with children may receive CalWORKs aid. They may be single, but have to have at least one child to qualify.
Recipients from a one-parent family must complete 32 hours of work-related activity per week. This may include working a job, job training, education or a combination of activities. Recipients who earn money from employment have that income deducted from their monthly grant.
Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened total elimination of the CalWORKs program last year. But Democrats pushed back, and the program only sustained a 4 percent hit, resulting in a monthly grant reduction for recipients of $28.
If Brown’s proposal goes through, a family of three will see its monthly grant go from $694 to $604—a 13 percent hit.
Set to go into effect June 1, the 13 percent grant reduction will save the state $13.9 million in 2010-11 and $405 million in 2011-12. (The big jump is due mostly to the fact that fiscal year 2010-11 will be over by the time the changes go into effect.)
Brown combines this with a severe reduction in the amount of time a family is allowed to receive welfare benefits, from 60 months to 48 months, retroactively.
That will immediately result in 115,000 families, including 230,000 children, being eliminated from the program in 2011-2012.
Some families may continue to receive drastically reduced “child-only” grants past the 48-month eligibility period if they currently meet federal work activity requirements. But the Western Center on Law and Poverty contends that the proposal unfairly targets the neediest of the needy—the ones with little to no other source of income.
“We believe this policy is backwards and we urge the committees to reject it,” said Michael Herald, legislative advocate for the center, in a letter to legislative budget committees.
In Sacramento County, about 8,000 families would lose their eligibility for CalWORKs benefits if the new time limits become law. As of December 2010, there were 88,524 people on CalWORKs countywide, including more than 65,000 children.
But if things are potentially worse off for the poor under Brown’s proposals than they were under Schwarzenegger, Democrats seem more willing to go with the program.
“I think it’s partly that you have a Democrat saying these things, but also it’s his approach,” said Wagstaff. “He’s taking a balanced approach, with the across-the-board cuts, raising revenue, and the whole restructuring of state and county government through realignment, and the dollars that come with that.”
Wagstaff, whose time in state government started at the Department of Social Services during the first Brown administration, and who worked with the Legislature helping craft welfare-reform legislation during the Pete Wilson administration, said that the cuts must be endured because they know things could be much worse.
Along with the cuts, Brown is proposing a June ballot measure to extend temporary sales and income tax hikes. The taxes, raised in 2009, are set to expire July 1. Brown’s proposed ballot measure would extend them for five years, bringing in about $12.5 billion for the state for 2011-12. That’s about half of the current $25.4 billion deficit.
Schwarzenegger supported a similar ballot measure less than two years ago, but voters rejected it. And Brown needs a two-thirds vote of the Legislature just to get to the ballot, which means at least getting a handful of Republican votes.
But most GOP legislators have signed pledges not to support or assist in raising new taxes. Republicans control just over one-third of the seats in the Capitol, just enough to negate any plan hammered out between Brown and legislative leaders.
If that measure fails, and there’s a good chance it won’t even reach the ballot, that means deeper cuts.
“We’ve been told to take the cuts proposed and double those,” said Paul Lake, director of the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance.
Western Center’s Herald said it’s “absolutely essential for these revenues to be extended for the time that the governor is proposing, and for Republicans to suggest that it shouldn’t even be on the ballot is disingenuous.”
“Even if you plan to vote against it—what is it saying that you won’t let it on the ballot? That you won’t trust voters with the big issues?”
Herald says advocates for the poor are being more restrained in how they approach this governor. “This governor is not calling these recipients’ names. He’s not telling the world that our clients are lazy and sitting at home, eating bonbons. So we’re being civil as well. But we’re critical of the governor’s budget, and we’re talking about it to whoever will listen.”

domain: finance


LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The market for automotive thermal system is directly impacted by the automotive production trends. In 2012, the world market for thermal automotive system almost reached USD 40 million. Air conditioning compressors are the essential part of the thermal automotive system. The key producers of air conditioning compressors for thermal automotive systems production are based in Japan, while China-based companies mainly offer the compressors for maintenance. As a result, their products are lower-priced than goods offered by Japanese manufacturers.
New market research report “Global and China Automotive Thermal System Industry Report, 2011-2012” elaborated by ResearchInChina offers a comprehensive guide to global and china market for automotive thermal system. It provides in-depth description of the of both global and Chinese automotive thermal system markets, detailed analysis of the automotive thermal system industry and profiles of market majors. Sales volumes, monthly revenues and Y-o-Y growth rates, supply-demand equilibrium, customers’ distribution and future expectations can be found in the study.
Top companies examined include: Visteon; Denso; Behr; Toyota Industries Corporation; Sanden; Valeo; Delphi; Nanjing Aotecar; Chongqing JianShe Automobile A/C Co.; Calsonic Kansei; SONGZ Automobile Air Conditioning Co.; Ltd.; Mudanjiang Foton Automotive Air Conditioner Co., Ltd.; Keihin.
Title: Global and China Automotive Thermal System Industry Report, 2011-2012
Published: September, 2012
Price: US$ 2,200.00
More Global and China Market Research Reports by ResearchInChina Include:
- Global and China Automotive Electric Motor Industry Report, 2011-2012
- Global and China Gypsum Board Industry Report, 2011-2012
- China Polyether Monomer (MPEG/APEG/TPEG) Industry Report, 2011-2012
More new market research reports by ResearchInChina can be found at http://marketpublishers.com/members/researchinchina/info.html
Source: The Market Publishers, Ltd.


Samsung has announced the arrival of its latest touchscreen handset – the Samsung Jet.
Shaping up to be a veritable 'maverick' of the mobile world, the Jet houses a 3.1-inch WVGA AMOLED display and the phone is powered by a super-speedy 800MHz processor.
Using Dolfin, users will be able to browse the internet on the handset which makes use of widget bookmarking, background downloading and one-finger zooming.
There's even a built-in ad-blocker so pesky pop-ups should be a thing of the past.
Other features include a 5-megapixel camera, built-in GPS, DNSe and SRS Sound Effect technology for superior sound quality, and DivX and XviD video support.
For those who want to keep music and movies saved on their phone, the Samsung Jet offers 2GB in-built memory, and the ability to expand this to 32GB via its external MicroSD slot.
Pricing and availability for the Jet are still to be confirmed.
Read TechRadar's extensive hands-on to see if the Samsung Jet is a 'top gun' in the mobile phone world.


Station development is another tool that can be leveraged to support expanded and improved passenger rail services. Rail stations are often located in desirable, downtown locations, and can become the focus around which significant residential, commercial, and retail development can occur.
Value capture methods such as tax increment financing can be a means to leverage that private sector development to spur transportation improvements.
Finally, railroads themselves can proactively use their own property to create additional funding sources. For instance, railroad rights-of-way can be used to place telecommunication and other non-transportation infrastructure. In 2012 Amtrak generated $94 million in real estate-related revenue, and I would like to work with them to grow that number.
Again, I thank the witnesses for being here today.


text:
Outcome and relapse risks of thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura: an Egyptian experience
- Noha M El-Husseiny1,
- Hady Goubran2,
- Hala M Fahmy1,
- Nehad M Tawfik1,
- Heba Moustafa1,
- Sherif N Amin3,
- Magdy El-Ekiaby4
- 1The Clinical Haematology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- 2Saskatoon Cancer Centre, Saskatoon, Canada
- 3Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- 4Shabrawishy Blood bank, Shabrawishy Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
- Correspondence to Dr Noha M El-Husseiny, The Clinical Haematology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt;
Contributors All authors contributed to manuscript writing and preparation. NMEH: prepared the manuscript and did all the statistical work. HG: prepared the data and participated in preparation of the manuscript. HMF:prepared the data on the patients and participated in preparation of the manuscript. NMT: participated in manuscript preparation and data collection. HM: participated in manuscript preparation and data management. SNA and MEE did all the laboratory work-up of the patients.
- Received 13 August 2011
- Accepted 4 February 2012
- Published Online First 20 March 2012
Background Thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP) is a rare life-threatening disease. Plasma exchange has signiﬁcantly decreased the mortality from this disease, which still tends to recur in a substantial proportion of patients. This study describes the clinical spectrum and response to treatment and explores the risks of relapse in a cohort of patients.
Methods Patients treated for TTP at the Clinical Haematology Unit, Cairo University, Egypt, between 2000 and 2008 were identiﬁed. Complete demographic, clinical history and full clinical examination, laboratory, treatment modalities and duration, and outcome data were collected and analysed. The follow-up duration was 24 months.
Results 30 patients; 13 men (43%) and 17 women (57%) with a median age of 42 years were treated for 46 episodes of TTP. The median duration of disease onset to diagnosis for the ﬁrst episode was 7 days. Twenty-three patients (76.66%) were diagnosed as idiopathic primary and seven patients (23.33%) were secondary TTP. Four patients died during the ﬁrst 24 h. Of the 26 patients, 22 (85.6%) achieved remission with an average of 7.55 plasma exchange sessions, Another nine patients had 25 relapses (mean 2.7). Splenectomy was performed in three patients (11.5%). The 24-month overall survival was 80%. The initial low platelet count and high LDH were the only two statistically signiﬁcant relapse predictors.
Conclusions The current results conform to the reported literature on the outcome of TTP. The very early mortality due to late referral highlights the need of education about the disease among primary healthcare providers.
Competing interests None.
Patient consent Obtained.
Ethics approval Ethics committee approval for the study was obtained from the Faculty of Medicine ethical committee board.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

domain: health


text:
The FIFA Executive Committee voted in Zurich on December 2, 2010 to award Qatar the hosting privileges of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani, chairman of the Qatar bid, thanked FIFA for the opportunity and promised that they make FIFA proud and not let them down. In the time that has elapsed since the successful bid for the 2022 World Cup hosting privileges, however, at least 1,200 construction workers have already been found dead. According to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) if the trend continues, more than 4,000 workers will have died before the Qatar World Cup 2022 takes place.
For comparison, the construction for the 2014 World Cup being hosted in Brazil this summer ended with only six workers dead. Sochi, Russia’s resort city and host of the 2018 World Cup has had 60 deaths due to construction done for that event. The report from the ITUC indicates that the 1,200 workers dead are migrant workers from Nepal and India. The figures reported from both the Nepalese embassy and the Indian embassy support the figures from the ITUC statement.
Workers on the construction site have told reporters that they have been treated like animals. They indicate that they must live like livestock in a stable under squalid conditions and that they are routinely denied payment for work. In additional to the withheld pay, the employees have told of being denied rest and food during labor in 122 degree heat. There have been reports that their passports have been confiscated to ensure the migrant laborers do not leave Qatar. The Qatar World Cup construction situation which already has 1,200 workers dead has been referred to as modern day slavery.
The Qatar World Cup committee denied the death-toll numbers as stated. While the Qatari committee indicates their awareness of construction process issues, they also state that changes cannot be made overnight. In a released statement they indicate that while the figures are both misleading and incorrect, the construction issues will be addressed and the committee for the World Cup has the commitment and the will to see it through.
These reports follow on the heels of a recent call from Amnesty International to FIFA regarding the possible abuses of the construction worker’s human rights. A representative from Amnesty International said that FIFA, the governing body of the sport and the group who awarded Qatar the ability to host a World Cup event, was involved in the issues whether they approve or not. The president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter stated on Friday that the organization does own some responsibility for the situation. However, Blatter did not give an indication that the organization would intervene. Blatter said that the responsibility is both Qatar’s and those companies who have employed the workers.
A meeting is scheduled for today between FIFA and the ITUC in response to the recent reports on the working conditions. FIFA has dismissed all allegations that there have been talks about changing the place of the tournament for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. There will, however, be a vote in 2015 to determine if the event will be changed to the winter season in order to avoid the difficult summer heat. That decision will have wide ranging implications. Qatar originally promised to hold the event in the summer as scheduled, hoping to use cooling systems but has since abandoned that idea. The construction being done now for the scheduled 2022 World Cup in Qatar already has 1,200 workers dead with the possibility of more in the future. The decision of FIFA to allow Qatar to host the event has been widely criticized from the start but FIFA has no plans to reverse their decision at this time.
By Dee Mueller


text:
Recommended Poker Rooms
Top Poker Offers
Football fans share all manner of interests outside of the beautiful game.
Some of them like to take on the dealer in blackjack or roulette, while others might prefer to tackle opponents directly at online poker tables.
Here at Gambipedia.com, you can also receive helpful advice in order to sharpen your online poker experience.
Starting from this point, you will be presented with a handpicked selection of the top poker sites in the world.
From this section, you will also have access to a specially commissioned range of online poker strategy guides.
There is a wealth of information out there to improve your strategy, so why not check out a guide or two?
Intertops Poker is another destination where you can use your first deposit to unlock even more funds to add into your bankroll.
By making a minimum deposit of $25 or more, Intertops Poker will super-charge your stake with a 200% bonus boost.
Intertops Poker Bonus
For the most ambitious players, they will be able to deposit $500 and unlock up to $1,000 worth of bonus funds, making the Intertops Poker offer one of the largest of its kind.
Intertops is also known for operating a casino site, which is why the welcome offer will also deliver 100 free lines on casino games.
At a glance, the terms and conditions reveal some crucial requirements.
The first is that you must submit the bonus code “1000ITP” or else the welcome offer will not be activated on your initial deposit.
The second is that your funds will be awarded in $5 increments by completing Frequent Player Point Demands (FPPs). For reference, it will require 83.335 FPP in order to release the $5 increments to your account. You can read the terms and conditions for full details.
Intertops Poker Games
Intertops will give you the choice of accessing games instantly in browsers or else from the downloadable poker interface.
All of the upcoming poker tournaments are displayed throughout the day, with an array of buy-ins and prize funds to play for.
Intertops is also well-known for hosting special promotional tournaments.
These can often let online players complete for the prize of attending real-life poker tournaments alongside famous professionals.
Then, there are on-going tournaments like Sunday Six Max.
Betfair Poker follows suit by delivering yet another competitive welcome pack to challenge both bet365 and Intertops.
So, just stand by for a full rundown of all the perks you can potentially receive from Betfair.
Betfair Poker Bonus
At Betfair Poker, you can deposit £10 or more to unlock the 200% bonus.
This will give you the opportunity to have up to £1,000 extra in your bankroll, but reaching that level will require a £500 deposit.
Betfair Poker has packed the deal with many more perks, including £10 worth of bonus funds to play on slot games.
Moreover, you will receive one full week in which to play Twister for free.
You will also have the ability to play in multi-table tournaments (MTTs).
Betfair Poker will award you a £5 MTT token that will provide access to the tables during your first 45 days.
Finally, you will be presented with Welcome Missions that will deliver even more bonuses and extras by completing a series of challenges.
Betfair Poker has shared a selection of terms and conditions that are important to understand.
One of those will be the Status Points that are needed to convert the bonus funds into cash.
Basically, you have to earn 1,250 points before releasing funds in £10 increments.
Betfair Poker Games
Betfair Poker can be installed to desktop, Android, iPhone, and iPad devices.
As a result, you can benefit from having seamless access to online poker games and tournaments.
The options are clearly displayed by name, buy-ins, fees, game type, start times, and rebuy.
Texas hold’em is the overwhelming favourite, but players are given access to variants such as Guaranteed, Super Turbo, Deepstack Turbo, Warm-up, and more.
Betfair also has the special Twister games that will give you the chance to win 1,000 times your buy-in by activating the side-bets.


text:
By Stephanie Rutt with a postscript by Tom Cowan. Then one day I knew if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed. God is everywhere. —Alice Walker from The Color Purple Some thirty years ago, my husband took me deep into the Maine woods to introduce me to wilderness...
Stephanie Rutt is Director of the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living, and Founding Minister of the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple in Amherst, NH. She received her DMin from Andover Newton Theological School, now Andover Newton Seminary at Yale, where she graduated with honors. She's the author of five books, as well as the interfaith curricula program for the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary, and she has appeared on the TEDx stage.

domain: literature


text:
Research Interests and Biography
Kevin Plaxco is a Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with shared appointments between the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Biomolecular Science and Engineering Graduate Program. Prof. Plaxco also serves as Director of campus’s Center for Bioengineering. Prior to joining UCSB in 1998 Dr. Plaxco received his Ph.D. from Caltech and performed postdoctoral studies at Oxford and the University of Washington. Dr. Plaxco’s research focus is on the physics of protein folding and its many and varied engineering applications.
A major aim of the group’s applied research is to harness the speed and specificity of folding in the development of sensors, adaptable surfaces, and smart materials. Dr. Plaxco has co-authored nearly a dozen patents and more than 180 papers on protein folding, protein dynamics, and folding-based sensors and materials, and is recognized by Thomson Reuters at one of the most highly cited chemists of the prior decade. He serves on the scientific boards of a half dozen biotechnology firms (several of which are commercializing technologies developed by his group), and has also written a popular science book on Astrobiology.

domain: chemistry


text:
Professor of Music, School of Performing Arts
DPhil (Oxford), MMus (London), BA (Hons)(Dartington), LTCL (tchg), LTCL (perf)
Joined the University of Otago in 1995
Associate Director of the Centre for Global Migrations
Former Associate Dean International (Humanities), Head of Department (Music), Programme Coordinator (Performing Arts)
Henry is an internationally respected music researcher. He has published numerous books, chapters and scholarly articles with major publishers and top-tier journals in his fields of expertise. His primary field of teaching and research is the study of people making music. His research outputs mainly have a social focus, with much work crossing other disciplinary fields (Asian Studies, Japanese Studies, Island Studies, Diaspora Studies, Performance Studies, and Cultural Studies). The ethnographic component of his research methodology includes original field study in diverse contexts, where he engages with music at the intersection of theory and practice.
- MUSI 103 Music in Popular Culture
- MUSI 104 World Music
- MUSI 105 Music Matters
- MUSI 265 Music and Theatre
- MUSI 266 Film Music
- MUSI 268 Performance in Asia and the Pacific
- MUSI 269 Popular Music 2
- MUSI 365 Music and Theatre
- MUSI 366 Film Music
- MUSI 368 Performance in Asia and the Pacific
- MUSI 369 Popular Music 3
- MUSI 386 Community Project
- MUSI 486 Community Project (Advanced)
Background including creative and research interests
A prolific and internationally acclaimed researcher in music, Henry has undertaken extensive field study on three continents: Europe, Asia and Australasia. His prestigious appointments have included Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellow, Visiting Academic at the University of Oxford, Visiting Professor at Kagoshima University, and Visiting Researcher at Seikei University. He is the recipient of numerous research awards, including grants from the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange. He was a collaborator in the European Cooperation in Science and Technology research initiative, “Investigating Cultural Sustainability”.
Henry is Associate Director of the Centre for Global Migrations, past President of the New Zealand Asian Studies Society, and past Chair of the International Council for Traditional Music Australia and New Zealand Regional Committee. As a performing musician, he has performed koto and sitar on BBC television and radio, and continues to perform extensively on taiko in Aotearoa.
Henry is currently researching the history of Chinese music in Aotearoa New Zealand with the support of the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange:
Areas of research supervision
- Aotearoa New Zealand
- Diaspora studies
- Music education
Selection of PhD supervision topics
- Music education
- Music diaspora
- Pacific music in New Zealand
- Music and language in Hawaiian music
- “Indie” guitar-pop
- Musical poetics in Ireland, Scotland and Nova Scotia
- Musical instruments
- Music therapy
- Scottish piping
- Acoustemology, environmental influences and sustainability
- World music education
- British contemporary folk music
- Rotenese gong music
Other musical and community activities
- Performer with O-Taiko, Dunedin's Japanese-inspired drum group
Johnson, H. (performer) (2023, 21 February). O-Taiko, performance at the University of Otago Inter-College Competition Sports Day, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Performance].
Johnson, H. (performer) (2023, 7 October). O-Taiko, performance for the Queenstown Multicultural Festival, Queenstown, New Zealand. [Performance].
Johnson, H. (performer) (2023, 28 January). O-Taiko, performance for Chinese New Year, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Performance].
Johnson, H. (performer) (2023, 11 January). O-Taiko, performance at the University of Otago Summer School opening event, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Performance].
Johnson, H. (performer) (2023, 18 March). O-Taiko, performance at the Southland Multicultural Food Festival, Invercargill, New Zealand. [Performance].


text:
Orange, California (PRWEB) August 21, 2013
Broadview Mortgage has announced an endorsement for a recent policy change from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In Mortgage Letter 2013-26 HUD clarifies some definitions pertaining to extenuating circumstances.
This is a long awaited program that add clarification to the extenuating circumstances exception guidelines. This is to specifically address shortening the waiting period to buy a home after a hardship.
Extenuating circumstance exceptions are typically very vague and rarely granted. Unlike other extenuating circumstance definitions, the Back to Work program gives us a very specific definition for qualifying.
"This is excellent for people who have been victims of the recession and are serious about obtaining government financing," says Scott Schang, a branch manager for Broadview Mortgage.
"There are so many people who are incredibly credit worthy who, due to circumstances outside their reach, were ineligible for government financing. This recent mortgagee letter brings some relief to these people," says Schang.
Even with the recent mortgagee letter release, individuals applying for credit must still meet other guidelines set forth by the federal government.


text:
For the second time in just three months, 16-year-old Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu has beaten world champion Magnus Carlsen, the latest victory coming Friday at the Chessable Masters online rapid chess tournament.
Praggnanadhaa closed out the win after Carlsen made a one-shot error and misplayed his jumper. The win gave the Indian three valuable points and kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage alive.
“I’m not so thrilled with the quality of my game. I’m missing tips, tricks and tactics so tomorrow I have to be sharper,” said the Indian teenager as quoted by chess24.com.
In February this year, Praggnanandhaa won praise for the amazing world number 1 Carlsen in an online championship.
Sixteen-year-old Praggnanandhaa, who in 2016 became the youngest international master in history at age 10, beat Carlsen at the Airthings Masters rapid chess tournament.
Praggnanandhaa told CNN after the 39-move blackout win earlier this year that, “Usually I don’t celebrate things too much because, OK, it’s just a win, and that’s is just a win, and it’s a quick game, so there’s a lot more to do and a lot more to work on,”
On Friday, Carlsen had a stunned look on his face at the end as he realized he had made a mistake when even Praggnanandhaa looked on rather quizzically. Commentators have observed that this was a pattern that was beginning to emerge in the legendary player’s game in the recent past.
But the champion and world number 1 quickly bounced back to win the next match of the day against American Abhimanyu Mishra, the world’s youngest GM.
Among the Indians, others have beaten Carlsen – including Indians Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna – but Praggnanandhaa became the youngest to do so since the Norwegian became world champion in 2013.
You can watch the final stages of the match from around 50 minutes in the video below:
The tournament standings are here.

domain: sports


South Beach Top
A must-have for the inner boho chic femme, South Beach is a strappy back number with crisscross self-ties.
XS=0, S=2-4, M=6-8, L=10-12, XL=14.
Details & Care
- Adjustable straps
- Removable soft cups
- 84% polyester, 16% spandex
- Hand wash, line dry
- Color/Print: All over tie dye


text:
Related Group is likely realizing big profits at Brickell Heights, after buyers completed closings on the majority of condo units there.
There are 690 residential condo units in two towers. Since closing started in June, a total of 632 deeds, or over 90 percent, have been recorded in county records:
June – 207
July – 247
August to date – 178
At least two of those deeds are for commercial spaces. The ground floor retail space will include a Rosetta Bakery and a Capital One Bank. Another commercial space includes Equinox and SoulCycle. Both have been sold.
Between the two towers, about 80 units are listed as flips for resale on the MLS.
There are also about 230 units that are either listed, pending, or closed as rentals (some are double listed for rent and for sale). Rentals that have been completed have gone for about $2.70 per square foot.

domain: economics


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Again, whether you fully believe Donaghy or not, he does provide a fascinating perspective into the world of refereeing that simply no one else can provide.


Forty nine people were killed and more than 20 seriously wounded in mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand’s Christchurch on Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand had been placed on its highest security threat level. But who all are suspects and what are the latest updates on the case? Watch this news report to know more
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.


text:
Software applications may outnumber the stars in the sky.
And who can count the expanding universe of computer devices that run them?
Yet, somehow, there’s often nothing off-the-shelf to capture data and manage it in a cost-effective way. That deficiency
is generating a lucrative business for Indianapolis-based Optiform Inc.
The 12-person firm recently “graduated” from five years at the Indiana University Emerging Technologies Center,
along the Central Canal. It needed more space, and has found elbow room at 429 N. Pennsylvania St.
Before, trial data was entered on paper. (IBJ Photo/ Perry Reichanadter)
The closely held firm just finished a profitable year and is projecting revenue of $2.5 million.
Much of that business has come from the medical and life sciences realm, where the demand for capturing and processing data
Meanwhile, the Great Recession has driven companies to deploy work-flow automation tools so they don’t need as many
people on the payroll.
“Every year, people want more data and you have fewer people to collect it,” said Optiform’s managing partner,
He runs a shop more akin to a car customizing garage.
While the company writes its own software, many of its products result from customizing and combining software from other
firms, through licensing or certified partner arrangements, for example.
“We take the best-of-breed components and we bolt these to existing products,” McLaughlin said. “Why reinvent
A prime example is a project with IU School of Dentistry’s Oral Health Research Institute.
The institute was conducting clinical trials of a dental device. In a typical trial, details are collected on paper forms,
which are later scanned or typed into a computer. The data also needs to be combed for errors that might have occurred during
To cut time, the institute wanted to hand out tablet-size PCs to researchers, allowing them to enter their observations electronically,
on the spot.
But it turned out data-entry software for PC tablets compliant with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation “didn’t
exist,” said Melissa Mau, director of the Clinical Research Core at the IU institute.
Optiform put together recognition software that allows handwritten entries on the tablet PC to be converted to data in an
allowable FDA format, nearly instantaneously. The software also conducts its own quality checks. Enter the wrong date, for
instance, and the pad flags the error instantly.
Ordinarily, it would have taken about 72 hours to manually enter paper data.
It “eliminates the need for data entry and data quality checks since these functions are built into the program and
can be addressed in real time, which is crucial,” Mau said. “This results in huge cost and time savings.”
Optiform put together a similar system for orthopedic-device maker Zimmer Inc. for its clinical trials.
Automation is destination
Hospitals are particularly ripe for Optiform’s applications.
When a hospitalized patient is discharged by a cardiologist, for example, nursing staff must complete a patient outcomes
database. Sometimes it involves 400 or more variables.
Optiform assembled software that allows the nurse to grab patient data from hospital admission records, with the information
instantly repopulated into the cardiologist’s records.
Time is a big deal to cardiologists who may perform a dozen or more procedures in a given day. “I used to have to count
the syllables when I communicated with them,” said McLaughlin, who once worked in a cardiology practice.
Perhaps the hottest segment lately for Optiform has been automated process for paper “EOBs,” short for explanation-of-benefits
An insurer will send a hospital an EOB detailing what it will pay for a surgery. Sometimes, these EOBs consist of 100 or
more pages of data. It can take two people six hours apiece to enter data into a hospital system and to reconcile what’s
been paid versus what else should be covered.
Optiform put together a system that includes a logic engine capable of reading and interpreting data in 20 minutes.
It’s a far cry from early ambitions of Optiform’s predecessor, Semtek, which was founded in 1994. Back then,
it merged with another small firm that wrote medical-practice-management software.
“We were going to set the world on fire with medical imaging records,” McLaughlin said.
But the firm was a bit ahead of its time. It instead took on projects such as converting paper records to electronic data
for public health agencies in Indiana and Illinois.
In 1999, the company split and Optiform emerged to set up offices in the Stutz Building. Duct tape applied to the floor served
as office partitions at the budding firm.
Then, about 10 years ago, McLaughlin ran across doctors at Sutter Health, a hospital system in San Francisco. They wanted
personnel to be able to enter chart data onto a clipboard that could digitize it and dump it into the hospital’s IT
“We tried all kinds of interesting contraptions,” McLaughlin said, recalling early handheld units that got so
hot “you could heat your car seats” in winter.
They eventually found the right hardware and developed an application, selling 100 units to Sutter. Subsequent customers
included Clarian Health, in Indianapolis, and the Cooper Institute, in Dallas.
Targeting multiple industries
Optiform sees opportunities in most any industry. One customer is gasoline chain Speedway Super America, for human
The petroleum company has been flooded with applicants during the recession and struggled to keep up with processing. Optiform
assembled a system allowing people to apply online and to attach their resumes. The system also automatically processes credit
and background checks and sends promising prospects to the appropriate regional office.
“We always say, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if forms could route themselves automatically, just like IP [Internet
protocol] packets route themselves through the Internet?’” McLaughlin said.•


text:
Ugbekile David Osemeke known As Boy Spyce, a Nigerian artist has shared the “weirdest” act he has ever done for love.
According to him, he once took out a loan in order to stop his girlfriend from going out with another man.
The Mavin signee said this in a recent interview with reality personality Tacha on Cool FM Nigeria.
He said, “The farthest I have ever gone for love is borrowing money. It sounds very basic but it’s actually something I would never do anymore. If I no get, I no get. I no go kill myself to impress anybody.
“This was years back. I think it was about N50,000. And at that time, it was a lot of money for me. She was like she wanted to go and have fun and eat somewhere. I think a guy wanted to take her out and I was like, ‘Why will you go out with a guy when you are with me?’ And she was like she has been wanting to go the place. She likes it. So, I have to go and like borrow money.”


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If you read the Baseball America report, there were some other notable actions:
- Jae Seo granted free-agency
- Lew Ford outrighted off 40-man roster
- Brad Sullivan granted free-agency
- J.R. House outrighted off 40-man roster
Also, not noted at BA was that the Nats outright another former Mets pitcher, Mike Bacsik. He’s no great shakes, but no worse than, say, Brian Lawrence. I wouldn’t mind seeing him as a filler option in AAA.
Seo has been abysmal since leaving Rick Peterson and the Mets. Would he be worth a flyer to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation? Why the heck not? At worst he’d be decent depth in AAA.
Ford is probably not worth picking up, but he has been a regular / semi-regular outfielder in a Major League lineup for a few years, showing some pop in 2004-2005. He could be a good righthanded bat off the bench.
Sullivan was once a #1 pick, he’s a 25-year-old pitcher not far removed from leading the NCAA in strikeouts two years in a row and pitching for Team USA. He was overworked in college, though, and has battled health issues as a pro. Scouts like his wicked slider, composure, and bulldog demeanor. Who knows, he could be worth a gamble.
The J.R. House thing I don’t get, as I was of the assumption that he was part of the Orioles future behind the dish — perhaps he’s not moved fast enough, as he’s already 27. However, he has hit at every level, with some power. His main issue has been his arm, but he has enough bat to be used as a backup catcher / first baseman / outfielder. If the Mets don’t re-sign Ramon Castro, he could be considered.
Take a look at that Baseball America article and let me know if I missed anyone of note.


text:
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: The Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
Tickets: $35 general; $50 Gold Circle
Undoubtedly, the banjo would be a more obscure instrument without Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn. The husband/wife pair haven't made many waves yet as a duo, but individually, they have brought the banjo to a prominence that it simply would not have otherwise.
Fleck, you probably know. The New York-born musician first gained wide notice as the hotshot young player in New Grass Revival in the 1980s, and since, with his band the Flecktones and as a solo artist, Fleck has done as much to expand the vocabulary and context of the banjo as any one musician has.
Washburn was on her path to become a student of ancient Chinese culture when she discovered the banjo and in her own career, has spread the gospel of the banjo around the world. The two play Saturday at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz.
She may, in fact, be the world's leading figure in interpreting Chinese tunes with banjo.
She first heard banjo in the music of Doc Watson and was instantly struck by its deep beauty and earned emotion.
"I was a student of Chinese culture and language," she said, "and it really had a spell on me because it was just so deep and profound. We're talking 10,000 years here. So I was fully immersed in that when I first heard Doc Watson and I thought, well, this is stunning too, and it's American. I hadn't heard anything in American culture that I thought was as striking and profound as Chinese culture until I heard the sound of Doc Watson."
Since then, she had made it a mission to bring the banjo to China and has played there many times. "It's really on the front edge of the phenomenon of cultural globalization, not just the mainstream products of trade, like Western music and Hollywood, but these small strains of authentic tradition being found and spread."
She and Fleck share an abiding faith in the versatility of the banjo, but they play different styles. Washburn is more focused on the clawhammer style of playing and Fleck is from the three-finger school. Washburn is more rooted in the old-timey Americana song styles, while Fleck emerged from progressive bluegrass. Still, they're touring in advance of their first album as a duo.
"Abby is a warm, solid and inventive banjo player," said Fleck. "Her old-time clawhammer style is actually quite different than my three-finger style in technique and in attitude. She tends to hold the songs together while allowing me to improvise over the top, and color the songs in differently every night."
With the attention given to the recent death of the banjo ambassador Pete Seeger and comedian/actor Steve Martin's latest career foray into the banjo (which he's been playing since his youth), the banjo is enjoying a cultural prominence not seen in a while.
"It's definitely being received with less prejudice than it has in the past," said Fleck. "Folks generally seem to appreciate it and see it as a special connection to the past. For a long while, it was too associated with things like the movie 'Deliverance,' which helped the banjo, even as it hurt it."

domain: entertainment


text:
Here’s something a little different for day five of Wales Biodiversity Week. This is not a specific location – it could be at your house, at the bottom of your garden, in the street where you live, in the middle of a city or in the depths of the countryside.
Stone and brick walls are all around us, and they frequently offer superb examples of a biodiverse environment in miniature. The roots of enterprising plants, like ivy and ivy-leaved toadflax, seek out the tiniest cracks and crannies to establish themselves, as do the many varieties of the garden-escapee Campanula species, which are providing magnificent displays in shades of lilac, blue and purple on the walls here in Cardiff right now. On the damper sides of walls and along the bottoms ferns, mosses and lichens make themselves right at home. Bees, birds and ants frequently nest in the larger holes, as do the occasional rats and mice, and a damp crevice at ground level can make the perfect home for a toad.
And then we have the smaller critters – bees and butterflies often bask in the sunshine on walls; slaters, millipedes and snails inhabit the dark spaces between stones and old bricks; and spiders find the gaps convenient places to string their webs. When you’re next out walking, don’t ignore the walls – take a closer look. You might be surprised what you find.

domain: geography


The UK Government has recently published several pieces of VAT legislation that will take effect if there is a no-deal Brexit. Financial services businesses should note one announcement; they will continue to suffer a restriction of VAT recovery on exempt supplies to UK and EU counterparties post-Brexit. As EU businesses serving UK customers will be entitled to recover local VAT related to UK business this legislation could create an unlevel playing field and lead UK businesses to transfer operations to the EU.
Many financial services benefit from an exemption for VAT purposes. This means that whilst VAT is not charged on the provision of services, financial organisations suffer a restriction on the amount of VAT that they can recover on operating costs incurred in respect of supplies made to EU based customers. By contrast, EU law also states that VAT may be recovered on costs of serving non-EU customers.
So, if a UK financial organisation engages with a business in say Frankfurt no VAT recovery will be allowed on costs associated with that supply; but if it engages with a company in Tokyo or New York then it can recover VAT on associated costs. This is designed to ensure that EU businesses can compete with non-EU financial institutions that do not have to suffer VAT on costs.
The UK Government has now confirmed that, post-Brexit, it will maintain the status quo whereby supplies made from the UK to an EU counterparty will continue to be exempt from VAT with no underlying VAT recovery. But how will the same transaction be treated if made by a Frankfurt-based business to a UK counterparty?
If the supply made by Frankfurt-based business to a UK counterparty is now to be treated in the same way as a transaction with a business in say Tokyo or New York, then this could enable the financial services provider to recover VAT which is currently restricted. Depending on the current level of trading with UK counterparties businesses based in the EU could benefit from a significant reduction in the level of irrecoverable VAT.


text:
dreamfields - creative workshops enquiry
Craig Dent holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary English).
In a career spanning four decades, he has been awarded a $10,000 writer's grant from the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, won a creative writing prize that took him on safari to Africa, and has held several writer-in-residency positions, including community and youth writing projects at Western Plains Zoo and Macquarie Primary School.
He has published and exhibited a number of works, including Broken Drought (1989), Silent Rebellion (1989),
Ghosts of the Living (1991), The Spinning Tree (1993), Zanzizoo (1995), Atom to the Planet (1999),
A Girl Called Novella (2002) and Ghostology (2016).
In 2016, Craig was commissioned to write a book on Benambra by North East Catchment Management Authority,
'Released From The Wild'. In 2017, he released his first children's book, 'The Laugh
That Shook The World'. This year, he is again a Writer in Residence at Macquarie Primary School in Canberra,
writing a book for the school's 50th anniversary.
Craig is sharing his creative experience and enthusiasm in Dreamfields creative youth workshops, focusing on the areas of writing, music and photography. Rates for the program are $100 per hour. The program also links youth to the annual Dreamfields Festival at Henty Machinery Field Days.
For more information, contact Craig on email@example.com
digital prints - official order form
High quality digital prints of Craig's creative work are available in two formats.
Prints inclusive of lyrics
can be purchased at an actual size of 60cm x 60cm (click for sample).
Prints without lyrics (image only) are available in two sizes:
75cm wide x 50cm deep for landscape format shots or 50cm wide x 75cm deep for portrait format shots.
35cm wide x 25cm deep for landscape format shots or 25cm wide x 35cm deep for portrait format shots.
Print this order form and mail it, along with a cheque or money order, to:
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Micro-Traction-Drives are made from modified angular-contact ball bearings. It was developed for its small size and transmission of high torque. The structure of a Micro-Traction-Drive is as follows: The traction force is generated by the thrust preload between the inner race and the outer race. The retainer that is connected to the output shaft transmits the driving torque. The retainer is made of copper alloy. Test-runs of the Micro-Traction-Drive have been carried out as the tandem stage type (reduction ratio: 7.3). Results from testing show that a Micro-Traction-Drive has been successfully operated at 20,000 rpm. Furthermore, the output shaft torque, volume of the preload of a Micro-Traction-Drive, and number of balls were examined, resulting in a design manual of the Micro-Traction-Drive.
|Number of pages||11|
|Journal||Japanese Journal of Tribology|
|Publication status||Published - 2006|
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mechanical Engineering


“After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation, it is important that I listen to my body, and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion, in a statement released by the French tennis federation.
“I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on the court,” he said.
Federer, who turns 40 on August 8, was competing in his first major tournament since the 2020 Australian Open. Shortly after that event, he had the first of a pair of operations on his right knee.
He had played just three matches this season before arriving in Paris for the clay-court Slam, which he won in 2009.
Federer had made clear last month that he did not see himself as ready to contend for the French Open title this time and instead had his sights on Wimbledon, the grass-court major he has won a men’s-record eight times. Play begins at the All England Club on June 28.
Federer edged 59th-ranked Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the third round, a match that began Saturday night and ended as 1 a.m. approached Sunday.
The No. 8-seeded Federer was supposed to play No. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the fourth round on Monday.
The winner of the match will face either No. 1 Novak Djokovic or unseeded Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals.
The Roland Garros tournament is sorry about the withdrawal of Roger Federer, who put up an incredible fight last night,” tournament director Guy Forget said in a statement.
“We were all delighted to see Roger back in Paris, where he played three high-level matches. We wish him all the best for the rest of the season.
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