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At the start of the 21st century, several federal agencies and organizations began to recognize the potential of improving chemical risk assessment by using the scientific and technological advances in biology and other related fields that were allowing the biological basis of disease to be better understood. Substantial increases in computational power and advances in analytical and integrative methods made incorporating the emerging evidence into risk assessment a possibility. Strategies were developed to use the advances to improve assessment of the effects of chemicals or other stressors that could potentially affect human health. Building on those efforts, the National Research Council (NRC) report Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy1 envisioned a future in which toxicology relied primarily on high-throughput in vitro assays and computational models based on human biology to evaluate potential adverse effects of chemical exposures. Similarly, the NRC report Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy2 articulated a long-term vision for exposure science motivated by the advances in analytical methods, sensor systems, molecular technologies, informatics, and computational modeling. That vision was to inspire a transformational change in the breadth and depth of exposure assessment that would improve integration with and responsiveness to toxicology and epidemiology.
Since release of those two reports, government collaborations have been formed, large-scale US and international programs have been initiated, and data are being generated from government, industry, and academic laboratories at an overwhelming pace. It is anticipated that the data being generated will inform risk assessment and support decision-making to improve public health and the environment. In the meantime, questions have arisen as to whether or how the data now being generated can be used to improve risk-based decision-making. Because several federal agencies recognize the potential value of such data in helping them to address their many challenging tasks, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to recommend the best ways to incorporate the emerging science into risk-based evaluations.3 As a result of the request, the National Academies convened the Committee on Incorporating 21st Century Science into Risk-Based Evaluations, which prepared this report.
To approach its task, the committee assessed scientific and technological advances in exposure science and toxicology that could be integrated into and used to improve any of the four elements of risk assessment—hazard identification, dose–response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Although the National Academies has not been asked to produce a report on epidemiology comparable with its Tox21 and ES21 reports, epidemiological research is also undergoing a transformation. Because it plays a critical role in risk assessment by providing human evidence on adverse effects of chemical and other exposures, the committee assessed advances in epidemiology as part of its charge. The committee highlights here some of the advances, challenges, and needs in each field in the context of risk assessment. The committee’s report provides specific recommendations to address the challenges. Overall, a common theme is the need for a multidisciplinary approach. Exposure scientists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, and scientists in other disciplines need to collaborate closely to ensure that the full potential of 21st century science is realized to help to solve the complex environmental and public-health problems that society faces.
1 Referred to hereafter as the Tox21 report.
2 Referred to hereafter as the ES21 report.
A primary objective for improving exposure science is to build confidence in the exposure estimates used to support risk-based decision-making by enhancing quality, expanding coverage, and reducing uncertainty. The many scientific and technological advances that are transforming exposure science should help to meet that objective. Some of the endeavors that the committee considered promising for advancing that objective and in which progress has been made since the ES21 report are highlighted below.
- Remote sensing, personal sensors, and other sampling techniques. Remote sensing enhances the capacity to assess human and ecological exposures by helping to fill gaps in time and place left by traditional ground-based monitoring systems. Advances in passive sampling techniques and personal sensors offer unparalleled opportunities to characterize individual exposures, particularly in vulnerable populations. If remote sensing and personal sensors can be combined with global positioning systems, exposure and human-activity data can be linked to provide a more complete understanding of human exposures.
- Computational exposure tools. Because exposure-measurement data on many agents are not available, recent advances in computational tools for exposure science are expected to play a crucial role in most aspects of exposure estimation for risk assessments, not just high-throughput applications. However, improving the scope and quality of data that are needed to develop parameters for these tools is critically important because without such data the tools have greater uncertainty and less applicability. Comparisons of calculated and measured exposures are required to characterize uncertainties in the computational tools and their input parameters.
- Targeted and nontargeted analyses. Advances in two complementary approaches in analytical chemistry are improving the accuracy and breadth of human and ecological exposure characterizations and are expanding opportunities to investigate exposure–disease relationships. First, targeted analyses focus on identifying selected chemicals for which standards and methods are available. Improved analytical methods and expanded chemical-identification libraries are increasing opportunities for such analyses. Second, nontargeted analyses offer the ability to survey more broadly the presence of all chemicals in the environment and in biofluids regardless of whether standards and methods are available. Nontargeted analyses reveal the presence of numerous substances whose identities can be determined after an initial analysis by using cheminformatic approaches or advanced or novel analytical techniques.
- -Omics technologies. -Omics technologies can measure chemical or biological exposures directly or identify biomarkers of exposure or response that allow one to infer exposure on the basis of a mechanistic understanding of biological responses. These emerging technologies and data streams will complement other analyses, such as targeted and nontargeted analyses, and lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the exposure-to-outcome continuum. Identifying biomarkers of exposure to individual chemicals or chemical classes within the complex exposures of human populations remains a considerable challenge for these tools.
- Exposure matrices for life-span research. Responding to the need to improve the characterization of fetal exposures to chemicals, researchers have turned to new biological matrices, such as teeth, hair, nails, placental tissue, and meconium. The growth properties (the sequential deposition or addition of tissue with accumulation of chemicals) and availability of the biospecimens offer the opportunity to extract a record of exposure. The question that needs to be addressed now is how concentrations in these matrices are related to and can be integrated with measures of exposure that have been traditionally used to assess chemical toxicity or risk.
- Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. PBPK models are being applied more regularly to support aggregate (multiroute) exposure assessment, to reconstruct exposure from biomonitoring data, to translate exposures between experimental systems, and to understand the relationship between biochemical and physiological variability and variability in population response. An important focus has been on the development of PBPK models for translating exposures between test systems and human-exposure scenarios, development that has been driven by the rapidly expanding use of high-throughput in vitro assays to characterize the bioactivity of chemicals and other materials. That research will remain critical as regulatory agencies, industry, and other organizations increase their dependence on in vitro systems.
The emerging technologies and data streams offer great promise for advancing exposure science and improving and refining exposure measurements and assessment. However, various challenges will need to be addressed. A few are highlighted here.
- Expanding and coordinating exposure-science infrastructure. A broad spectrum of disciplines and institutions are participating in advancing exposure methods, measurements, and models. Given the number and diversity of participants in exposure science, the information is mostly fragmented, incompletely organized, and in some cases not readily available or accessible. Thus,
an infrastructure is needed to improve the organization and coordination of the existing and evolving components for exposure science and ultimately to improve exposure assessment. Infrastructure development should include creating or expanding databases that contain information on chemical quantities in and chemical release rates from products and materials, on chemical properties and on processes, and analytical features that can be used in chemical identification.
- Aligning environmental and test-system exposures. Aligning information on environmental exposures with information obtained from experimental systems is a critical aspect of risk-based evaluation. Concentrations in test-system components need to be quantified by measurement, which is preferred, or by reliable estimation methods. Knowledge of physical processes, such as binding to plastic and volatilization, and of biological processes, such as metabolism, needs to be improved.
- Integrating exposure information. Integration and appropriate application of exposure data on environmental media, biomonitoring samples, conventional samples, and emerging matrices constitute a scientific, engineering, and big-data challenge. The committee emphasizes that integration of measured and modeled data is a key step in developing coherent exposure narratives, in evaluating data concordance, and ultimately in determining confidence in an exposure assessment. New multidisciplinary projects are needed to integrate exposure data and to gain experience that can be used to guide data collection and integration of conventional and emerging data streams.
The decade since publication of the Tox21 report has seen continued advances in an array of technologies that can be used to understand human biology and disease at the molecular level. Technologies are now available to profile the transcriptome, epigenome, proteome, and metabolome. There are large banks of immortalized cells collected from various populations to use for toxicological research; large compilations of publicly available biological data that can be mined to develop hypotheses about relationships between chemicals, genes, and diseases; and genetically diverse mouse strains and alternative species that can be used for toxicological research. Highlighted below are some assays, models, and approaches for predicting biological responses that have seen rapid advances over the last decade; they are arranged by increasing level of biological organization.
- Probing interactions with biological molecules. Chemical interactions with specific receptors, enzymes, or other discrete proteins and nucleic acids have long been known to have adverse effects on biological systems, and development of in vitro assays that probe chemical interactions with cellular components has been rapid, driven partly by the need to reduce high attrition rates in drug development. The assays can provide reliable and valid results with high agreement among laboratories and can be applied in low-, medium-, and high-throughput formats. Computational models have been developed to predict activity of chemical interactions with protein targets, and research to improve the prediction of protein–chemical interactions continues.
- Detecting cellular response. Cell cultures can be used to evaluate a number of cellular processes and responses, including receptor binding, gene activation, cell proliferation, mitochondrial dysfunction, morphological changes, cellular stress, genotoxicity, and cytotoxicity. Simultaneous measurements of multiple toxic responses are also possible with high-content imaging and other novel techniques. Furthermore, cell cultures can be scaled to a high-throughput format and can be derived from genetically different populations so that aspects of variability in response to chemical exposure that depend on genetic differences can be studied. In addition to cell-based assays, numerous mathematical models and systems-biology tools have been advanced to describe various aspects of cell function and response.
- Investigating effects at higher levels of biological organization. The last decade has seen advances in engineered three-dimensional (3-D) models of tissues. Organotypic or organ-on-a-chip models are types of 3-D models in which two or more cell types are combined in an arrangement intended to mimic an in vivo tissue and, therefore, recapitulate at least some of the physiological responses that the tissue or organ exhibits in vivo. NCATS, for example, has a number of efforts in this field. Although the models are promising, they are not yet ready for inclusion in risk assessment. In addition to cell cultures, computational systems-biology models have been developed to simulate tissue-level response. EPA, for example, has developed virtual-tissue models for the embryo and liver. Virtual-tissue models can potentially help in conceptualizing and integrating current knowledge about the factors that affect key pathways and the degree to which pathways must be perturbed to activate early and intermediate responses in human tissues and, when more fully developed, in supporting risk assessments.
- Predicting organism and population response. Animal studies remain an important tool in risk assessment, but scientific advances are providing opportunities to enhance the utility of whole-animal testing. Gene-editing technologies, for example, have led to the creation of transgenic rodents that can be used to investigate specific questions, such as those related to susceptibility or gene–environment interactions. Genetically diverse rodent strains have provided another approach for addressing questions related to interindividual sensitivity to toxi-
cants. Combining transgenic or genetically diverse rodent strains with -omics and other emerging technologies can increase the information gained from whole-animal testing alone. Those targeted studies can help to address knowledge gaps in risk assessment and can link in vitro observations to molecular, cellular, or physiological effects in the whole animal. In addition to the mammalian species, scientific advances have made some alternative species—such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the zebrafish Danio rerio—useful animal models for hazard identification and investigation of biological mechanisms.
The assays, models, and tools noted above hold great promise in the evolution of toxicology, but there are important technical and research challenges, a few of which are highlighted below.
- Accounting for metabolic capacity in assays. Current in vitro assays generally have little or no metabolic capability, and this aspect potentially constrains their usefulness in evaluating chemical exposures that are representative of human exposures that could lead to toxicity. Research to address the metabolic-capacity issues needs to have high priority, and formalized approaches need to be developed to characterize the metabolic competence of assays, to determine for which assays it is not an essential consideration, and to account for the toxicity of metabolites appropriately.
- Understanding and addressing other limitations of cell systems. Cell cultures can be extremely sensitive to environmental conditions, responses can depend on the cell type used, and current assays can evaluate only chemicals that have particular properties. Research is needed to determine the breadth of cell types required to capture toxicity adequately; cell batches need to be characterized sufficiently before, during, and after experimentation; and practical guidance will need to be developed for cell systems regarding their range of applicability and for describing the uncertainty of test results.
- Addressing biological coverage. Developing a comprehensive battery of in vitro assays that covers the important biological responses to the chemical exposures that contribute to adverse health effects is a considerable challenge. In addition, most assays used in the federal government high-throughput testing programs were developed by the pharmaceutical industry and were not designed to cover the full array of biological response. As emphasized in the Tox21 report, research is needed to determine the extent of relevant mechanisms that lead to adverse responses in humans and to determine which experimental models are needed to cover these mechanisms adequately. Using -omics technologies and targeted testing approaches with transgenic and genetically diverse rodent species and alternative species will address knowledge gaps more comprehensively.
When one considers the progress in implementing the Tox21 vision and the current challenges, it is important to remember that many assays, models, and tools were not developed with risk-assessment applications as a primary objective. Thus, understanding of how best to apply them and interpret the data is evolving. The usefulness or applicability of various in vitro assays will need to be determined by continued data generation and critical analysis, and some assays that are highly effective for some purposes, such as pharmaceutical development, might not be as useful for risk assessment of commodity chemicals or environmental pollutants. It will most likely be necessary to adapt current assays or develop new assays specifically intended for risk-assessment purposes.
The scientific advances that have propelled exposure science and toxicology onto new paths have also substantially influenced the direction of epidemiological studies and research. The factors reshaping epidemiology in the 21st century include expansion of the interdisciplinary nature of the field; the increasing complexity of scientific inquiry; emergence of new data sources and technologies for data generation, such as new medical and environmental data sources and -omics technologies; advances in exposure characterization; and increasing demands to integrate new knowledge from basic, clinical, and population sciences. There is also a movement to register past and present datasets so that on particular issues datasets can be identified and combined.
One of the most important developments has been the emergence of the -omics technologies and their incorporation into epidemiological research. -Omics technologies have substantially transformed epidemiological research and advanced the paradigm of molecular epidemiology, which focuses on underlying biology (pathogenesis) rather than on empirical observations alone. The utility of -omics technologies in epidemiological research is already clear and well exemplified by the many studies that have incorporated genomics. For example, the genetic basis of disease has been explored in genome-wide association studies in which the genomic markers in people who have and do not have a disease or condition of interest are compared. The -omics technologies that have been applied in epidemiological research, however, have now expanded beyond genomics to include epigenomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. New studies are being designed with the intent of prospectively storing samples that can be used for existing and future -omics technologies. Thus, obtaining data from human population studies that are parallel to data obtained from in vi-
tro and in vivo assays or studies is already possible and potentially can help in harmonizing comparisons of exposure and dose. Furthermore, -omics technologies have the potential for providing a suite of new biomarkers for hazard identification and risk assessment.
Like exposure science and toxicology, epidemiology faces challenges in incorporating 21st century science into its practice. -Omics assays can generate extremely large datasets that need to be managed and curated in ways that facilitate access and analysis. Databases that can accommodate the large datasets, support analyses for multiple purposes, and foster data-sharing need to be developed. Powerful and robust statistical techniques also are required to analyze all the data. And standard ways to describe the data are needed so that data can be harmonized among investigative groups and internationally.
The landscape of epidemiological research is changing rapidly as the focus shifts from fixed, specific cohorts, such as those in the Nurses’ Health Study,4 to large cohorts enrolled from health-care organizations or other resources that incorporate biospecimen banks and use health-care records to characterize participants and to track outcomes. Such studies offer large samples but will need new approaches to estimate exposures that will work in this context. Thus, there will be a need for close collaboration with exposure scientists to ensure that exposure data are generated in the best and most comprehensive way possible. Furthermore, various biospecimens are being collected and stored with the underlying assumption that they will be useful in future studies; researchers involved in such future-looking collections need to seek input from the scientists who are developing new assays so that the biospecimens can be collected and stored in a way that maximizes the potential for their future use. All those concerns emphasize the need to expand the multidisciplinary teams involved in epidemiological research.
APPLICATIONS OF 21st CENTURY SCIENCE
The scientific and technological advances described above and in further detail in this report offer opportunities to improve the assessment or characterization of risk for the purpose of environmental and public-health decision-making. The committee highlights below several activities—priority-setting, chemical assessment, site-specific assessment, and assessments of new chemistries—that could benefit from the incorporation of 21st century science. Case studies of practical applications are provided in Appendixes B–D.
Priority-setting has been seen as a principal initial application for 21st century science. High-throughput screening programs have produced toxicity data on thousands of chemicals, and high-throughput methods have provided quantitative exposure estimates. Several methods have been proposed for priority-setting, including risk-based approaches that use a combination of the high-throughput exposure and hazard information to calculate margins of exposure (differences between toxicity and exposure metrics). For that approach, chemicals that have a small margin of exposure would be seen as having high priority for further testing and assessment.
Chemical assessment is another activity in which the committee sees great potential for application of 21st century science. Chemical assessments encompass a broad array of analyses. Some cover chemicals that have a substantial database for decision-making, and for these assessments scientific and technical advances can be used to reduce uncertainties around key issues and to address unanswered questions. Many assessments, however, cover chemicals on which there are few data to use in decision-making, and for these assessments the committee finds an especially promising application for 21st century science. One approach for evaluating data-poor chemicals is to use toxicity data on well-tested chemicals (analogues) that are similar to the chemicals of interest in their structure, metabolism, or biological activity in a process known as read-across (see Figure S-1). The assumption is that a chemical of interest and its analogues are metabolized to common or biologically similar metabolites or that they are sufficiently similar in structure to have the same or similar biological activity. The method is facilitated by having a comprehensive database of toxicity data that is searchable by curated and annotated chemical structures and by using a consistent decision process for selecting suitable analogues. The approach illustrated in Figure S-1 can be combined with high-throughput in vitro assays, such as gene-expression analysis, or possibly with a targeted in vivo study to allow better selection of the analogues to ensure that the biological activities of a chemical of interest and its analogues are comparable. The committee notes that computational exposure assessment, which includes predictive fate and transport modeling, is an important complement to the approach described and can provide information on exposure potential, environmental persistence, and likelihood of bioaccumulation.
Site-specific assessment represents another application for which 21st century science can play an important role. Understanding the risks associated with a chemical spill or the extent to which a hazardous-waste site needs to be remediated depends on understanding exposures to various chemicals and their toxicity. The assessment problem contains three elements—identifying and quantifying chemicals present at the site, characterizing their toxicity, and characterizing the toxicity of chemical mixtures—and the advances described in this report can address each element. First, targeted analytical-chemistry
4 The Nurses’ Health Study is a prospective study that has followed a large cohort of women over many decades to identify risk factors for major chronic diseases.
approaches can identify and quantify chemicals for which standards are available, and nontargeted analyses can help to assign provisional identities to previously unidentified chemicals. Second, analogue-based methods coupled with high-throughput or high-content screening methods have the potential to characterize the toxicity of data-poor chemicals. Third, high-throughput screening methods can provide information on mechanisms that can be useful in determining whether mixture components might act via a common mechanism, affect the same organ, or cause the same outcome and thus should be considered as posing a cumulative risk. High-throughput methods can also be used to assess the toxicity of mixtures that are present at specific sites empirically rather than assessing individual chemicals.
Assessment of new chemistries is similar to the chemical assessment described above except that it typically involves new molecules on which there are no toxicity data and that might not have close analogues. Here, modern in vitro toxicology methods could have great utility by providing guidance on which molecular features are associated with greater or less toxicity and by identifying chemicals that do not affect biological pathways that are known to be relevant for toxicity. Modern exposure-science methods might also help to identify chemicals that have the highest potential for widespread environmental or human exposure and for bioaccumulation.
Before new assays, models, or test systems can be used in regulatory-decision contexts, it is expected and for some purposes legally required that their relevance, reliability, and fitness for purpose be established and documented. That activity has evolved into elaborate processes that are commonly referred to as validation of alternative methods. One critical issue is that current processes for validation cannot match the pace of development of new assays, models, and test systems, and many have argued that validation processes need to evolve. Important elements of the validation process that need to be addressed include finding appropriate comparators for enabling fit-for-purpose validation of new test methods, clearly defining assay utility and how assay data should be interpreted, establishing performance standards for assays and clear reporting standards for testing methods, and determining how to validate batteries of assays that might be used to replace toxicity tests. The committee discusses those challenges further and offers some recommendations in Chapter 6.
A NEW DIRECTION FOR RISK ASSESSMENT AND THE CHALLENGES IT POSES
The advances in exposure science, toxicology, and epidemiology described in this report support a new direction for risk assessment, one based on biological pathways and processes rather than on observation of apical responses and one incorporating the more comprehensive exposure information emerging from new tools and approaches in exposure science. The exposure aspect of the new direction focuses on estimating or predicting internal and external exposures to multiple chemicals and stressors, characterizing human variability in those exposures, providing exposure data that can inform toxicity testing, and translating exposures between test systems and humans. The toxicology and epidemiology elements of the new direction focus on the multifactorial and nonspecific nature of disease causation; that is, stressors from multiple sources can contribute to a single disease, and a single stressor can lead to multiple adverse outcomes. The question shifts from whether A causes B to whether A increases the risk of B. The committee found that the sufficient-component-cause model, which is illustrated in Figure S-2, is a useful tool for conceptualizing the new direction. The same outcome can result from more than one causal complex or mechanism; each mechanism generally involves joint action of multiple components.
Most diseases that are the focus of risk assessment have a multifactorial etiology; some disease components arise from endogenous processes, and some result from the human experience, such as background health conditions, co-occurring chemical exposures, food and nutrition, and psychosocial stressors. Those additional components might be independent of the environmental stressor under study but nonetheless influence and contribute to the overall risk and incidence of disease. As shown in the case studies in this report, one does not need to know all the pathways or components involved in a particular disease to begin to apply the new tools to risk assessment. The 21st century tools provide the mechanistic and exposure data to support dose–response characterizations and human-variability derivations described in the NRC report Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk Assessment. They also support the understanding of relationships between disease and components and can be used to probe specific chemicals for their potential to perturb pathways or activate mechanisms and increase risk.
The 21st century science with its diverse, complex, and very large datasets, however, poses challenges related to analysis, interpretation, and integration of data and evidence for risk assessment. In fact, the technology has evolved far faster than the approaches for those activities. The committee found that Bradford-Hill causal guidelines could be extended to help to answer such questions as whether specific pathways, components, or mechanisms contribute to a disease or outcome and whether a particular agent is linked to pathway perturbation or mechanism activation. Although the committee considered various methods for data integration, it concluded that guided expert judgment should be used in the near term for integrating diverse data streams for drawing causal conclusions. In the future, pathway-modeling approaches that incorporate uncertainties and integrate multiple data streams might become an adjunct to or perhaps a replacement for guided expert judgment, but research will be needed to advance those approaches. The committee emphasizes that insufficient attention has been given to analysis, interpretation, and integration of various data streams from exposure science, toxicology, and epidemiology. It proposes a research agenda that includes developing case studies that reflect various scenarios of decision-making and data availability; testing case studies with multidisciplinary panels; cataloguing evidence evaluations and decisions that have been made on various agents so that expert judgments can be tracked and evaluated, and expert processes calibrated; and determining how statistically based tools for combining and integrating evidence, such as Bayesian approaches, can be used for incorporating 21st century science into all elements of risk assessment.
As highlighted here and detailed in the committee’s report, many scientific and technical advances have followed publication of the Tox21 and ES21 reports. The committee concludes that the data that are being generated today can be used to address many of the risk-related tasks that the agencies face, and it provides several case studies in its report to illustrate the potential applications. Although the challenges to achieving the visions of the earlier reports often seem daunting, 21st century science holds great promise for advancing risk assessment and
ultimately for improving public health and the environment. The committee emphasizes, however, that communicating the strengths and limitations of the approaches in a transparent and understandable way will be necessary if the results are to be applied appropriately and will be critical for the ultimate acceptance of the approaches.

domain: biology


A new experimental device may be able to use converted energy from a patient's heart to generate enough electricity to fully power a pacemaker.
A new experimental device may be able to use converted energy from a patient’s heart to generate enough electricity to fully power a pacemaker.
Research presented at the American Heart Association 2012 Scientific Sessions, in Los Angeles, California, demonstrated the technical feasibility of using a piezoelectric energy-harvesting device to power a pacemaker, potentially showing the way to a batteryless future for implantable cardiac devices.
Current models of cardiac Implanted Electrical Devices (CIED) such as cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators are powered by batteries, and must be surgically removed every 5 to 10 years when the battery voltage is depleted. However, lead study author M. Amin Karami, PhD, of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, presented study results showing it is possible to use electrical charges generated by a patient’s heart’s beating motion (piezoelectricity) to power the devices. This finding suggests that the device would eliminate the need to replace the batteries of pacemakers.
“This approach is a promising technological solution for pacemakers, because they require only small amounts of power to operate,” said Karami.
The study tested an energy harvesting device that uses piezoelectricity, an electrical charge that is generated by motion. Traditional pacemakers can be powered either by linear or nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvesters. The linear devices only work effectively when a patient has a certain heart beat, so if the heart rate alters drastically, the device might be prevented from harvesting sufficient power to run the pacemaker.
Nonlinear piezoelectric harvesters (NPH) of the type used in this study convert ambient vibrations to electrical energy and from vibrations in the chest can produce power greater than the 1 microwatt required for CIED function.
While traditional harvesters capture vibrations in a narrow frequency range, NPH incorporate magnets can be optimized for complex and specific frequency content. The magnets are also used to enhance the power production and make the NPH less sensitive to changes in heart rate.
“Devices such as cell phones or microwave ovens would not affect the nonlinear device,” Karami said.
The nonlinear harvester used in the study generated sufficient power from heart rates of 20-600 beats per minute to power a pacemaker. Karami said that development of this technology promises to decrease size and increase longevity and functionality of CIEDs.
This study was co-authored by David Bradley, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Daniel Inman, PhD, of the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering department.


For this New Sounds program, listen to New Music from South America, including works from Atahualpa Yupanqui, Inti-Illimani, Sergio Cervetti, Egberto Gismonti, and Nana Vasconcelos, Una Ramos, William Ackerman, Bola Sete, and the Tango King Astor Piazzola.
WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820 are New York's flagship public radio
stations, broadcasting the finest programs from NPR, PRI and American Public Media, as well as a wide range of award-winning local
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text:
Choral Academy auditions this month
CONCORD — The Choral Academy is now auditioning children and youth (ages 7-22) to participate in three age-based choirs.
If you have children who love to sing and would like to develop their musical talents in a disciplined choir program, call for an audition time. All youth in Cabarrus and surrounding counties are welcome.
Each choir meets weekly through May at Calvary Lutheran Church to study and perform a broad range of choral literature selected with age and vocal capabilities in mind. Singers will have varied singing opportunities. Choirs are directed by Gary Shive and accompanied by Lynnette Novobilski.
Rehearsals for spring semester began Tuesday. New singers will be accepted all this month.
For more information and to set up an audition, call 704-786-7447.

domain: hobby


text:
MISC/HCC: Fragment of a letter attributed to Tostig, Saint of Heretics (c. 948-1000)
pwerdna at gmail.com
Thu Nov 22 07:53:53 PST 2012
On Thu, 22 Nov 2012 14:30:30 +0000 (UTC), Tom Russell wrote:
> On Thursday, November 22, 2012 1:12:10 AM UTC-5, Andrew Perron wrote:
>> Interesting name. Inspired by Levon?
> No, he's named for Tostig Godwinson, who attempted to overthrow his
> brother Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon king, in 1066. Tostig was killed by
> his brother's army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, along with his Viking
> allies led by Harald Hadrada. (300 ships bore the men to English shores;
> only 24 ships were needed to evacuate the survivors). Harold himself had
> rather bad luck on the battlefield less than three weeks later, at Senlac
> Hill some six miles northwest of Hastings.
> I chose "Tostig" because it is a very Anglo-Saxon name, tied to a
> particular period and place. My initial aim with this was to imply the
> period rather cryptically (Sylvester in Rome being another clue), but then
> I hedged my bets and put the birth-dates in the subject line.
Yeah, I wouldn't have gotten it without that, even if I'd thought to google
the names. Need to be a better researcher!
> I actually didn't know about the song Levon, but now I do. Thank you for
> that. :-D
Heh heh, don't mention it! I guess your parents listened to less classic
rock stations in the car growing up; with mine, it was on ALL THE TIME.
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, and he shall be a good man~
More information about the racc

domain: history


text:
5.8M women have used 'morning after' pill
- FDA approved emergency contraceptive pills in 1998
- Emergency contraception most common among women 20-24
- Use of IUDs and implants is growing
As many as 11% of U.S. women ages 15-44 who have ever had sexual intercourse have used a "morning after" pill at least once, according to the first federal report on emergency contraception, out Thursday.
That's 5.8 million women -- and half say they used it because they feared their birth control method may have failed. The rest say they had unprotected sex.
The National Center for Health Statistics analysis is based on responses collected through in-person interviews with 12,279 women from 2006-2010. Of those, 10,605 said they were sexually experienced.
The FDA approved emergency contraceptive pills in 1998 for use up to five days after intercourse. But experts say there are plenty of obstacles to widespread use.
"There's not a whole lot of information out there about it," says Beth Jordan Mynett, medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, based in Washington, D.C. "There are price issues and access issues and they are not insubstantial. It's not universally stocked and available."
The report finds that 23% of sexually experienced women ages 20–24 had ever used emergency contraception, compared with 16% ages 25–29 and 14% ages 15–19. Just 5% of women 30–44 said they had ever used it, which the report notes may be due to it not being approved during their early reproductive years.
The report shows that emergency contraception was most common among women 20-24, the never married, Hispanic and white women, and the college-educated.
The fact that half of the women used emergency contraception because they worried their contraceptive didn't work suggests that "women are concerned they don't have access to highly effective, long-acting methods," says Deborah Nucatola of Los Angeles, an OB-GYN in clinical practice and senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood.
But use of IUDs and implants is growing, and it will reduce concern about contraceptive failure, she says. "Women using IUDs and implants don't have to remember to do anything. Women using the pill, patch or ring have to remember to do something every day, every week or every month," she says.
Mynett, an internist whose clinical practice is in women's health, says the "morning after pill" should not be confused with the "abortion pill."
"Emergency contraception does not cause an abortion. You take emergency contraception pills to largely prevent ovulation from happening. This is pregnancy prevention," she says. "The abortion pill stops a pregnancy that's already existing. The abortion pill is taken after you already know you're pregnant and it's given by a health care provider."
In a separate report, the agency, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also analyzed contraception use since 1982. The report comes out at a time when contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act is being challenged by some religious and business groups.
Among findings on contraceptive use trends:
-- 99% of sexually-experienced women have used at least one contraceptive method.
-- Nearly 30% have used five or more methods.
-- 82% of sexually-experienced women have ever used the pill -- a percentage that's remained stable since 1995.
-- Condom use (by a male partner) has jumped from 52% in 1982 to 93% in 2006-10.
Claire Brindis, director of the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, says the report points out women's need for different contraceptive alternatives over the years.
"The fact that women may need to use four or five or six different methods in their lives ... points to me to the importance of having many contraceptive options available for women," she says.
By the numbers
-- 93.4% of sexually-experienced women have used condoms.
-- 23% have used Depo-Provera, a three-month injectable contraceptive.
-- 10% have used the contraceptive patch.
-- 7.7% have used any kind of IUD.
-- 6.3% have used the contraceptive ring.
Source: CDC 2006-10

domain: sociology


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Choir honors Fallen Houston Soldier with Impromptu Song on Plane
A Delta Airlines Flight originating in Germany and traveling to Houston had onboard a soldier who was charged with returning the remains of a World War II soldier to Texas.
According to a story from KCCI, also onboard that flight were members of the Iowa Ambassadors of Music Choir. They had just wrapped up a tour of Europe. When they heard the pilot request that all passengers allow the soldier carrying the remains to leave the plane first, the choir decided to give tribute to the situation.
Their impromptu performance of 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' has gone viral...and with good reason.

domain: travel


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Chicken breast, steamed broccoli with brown rice or riceberry. Sauce of your choice served on the side : satay, peanut & herb dressing or spicy ginger sauce.You can add egg (+0,75€).
Marinated salmon steak, mixed vegetables and brown rice or riceberry.Sauce of your choice served on the side : spicy ginger sauce or sweet chilli sauce.
Mixed leaves, spinach, avocado, cucumber, cherry tomato, spring onion and fresh basil served with a Thai dressing served on the side. You can add chicken (+1.95) or egg (+0,75€).
All our meat is produced in Ireland. Vegetables are locally sourced where possible.
San Sab is proud to support local producers.

domain: food


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The Archbishop of Canterbury writes, “ We all benefit from the gifts that refugees bring” in The Big Issue:
The scale of the problem we are facing as a global human family is astonishing. More than half a million people have crossed the Mediterranean and Aegean so far this year. They are fleeing war, persecution and deprivation in Syria and Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea, and other countries.
As the number of people arriving in Europe continues to rise, nearly 3,000 people making the journey have drowned like Aylan or gone missing. My experience, having worked in this area for many years, is that you very seldom meet people who want to be refugees.
It is a desperate, awful, terrible existence. You leave home when the alternative is deathIt is a desperate, awful, terrible existence. You leave home when the alternative is death. In the Levant and Mesopotamia, families are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. They are taking the deep blue sea, and taking their children with them.
… The people of these islands have a long and wonderful history of offering shelter – whether it be Huguenot Christians, Jewish refugees, Ugandan Asians, Vietnamese boat people or many, many others.
So as Christians we’re not just raising our voices – we are doing what the church always does: putting the love of Christ into action. Those Calais-bound cars were just the beginning: there is so much more to be done.

domain: geography


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Although some of their work is done in a laboratory setting, many technicians also talk with animal owners. English Composition OR Journalism 6 semester credits. Injuries and Illnesses Veterinary technologists and technicians have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average.
Decisions on these course equivalencies and Veterinary coursework completion of course requirements rest with the Office of Academic Affairs and the Admissions Committee. You may learn about vaccinations, biosecurity emergency management, and zoonosis protection programs, perhaps going on to work as an advisor in a government department, agricultural organization, non-profit organization or academic research group.
The principles and application of inheritance including concepts of Mendelian, population, and molecular genetics. Work Schedules Many clinics and laboratories are staffed 24 hours a day, so veterinary technologists and technicians may have to work evenings, weekends, or holidays.
Reproductive biology Another possible specialization is reproductive biology.
Veterinary technologists and technicians need to be able to manage and lift animals. People interested in becoming a veterinary technologist or technician should prepare themselves by taking high school classes in biology and other sciences, as well as math. Work Environment About this section Veterinary technologists and technicians typically work in private clinics and animal hospitals.
They do intricate tasks, such as dental work, giving anesthesia, and taking x rays, which require a steady hand. General Physics A full academic year semester of physics. In addition, a growing number of technicians counsel pet owners on animal behavior and nutrition. Veterinary technologists and technicians must treat animals with kindness and must be sensitive when dealing with the owners of sick pets.
Education Veterinary technologists and technicians must complete a postsecondary program in veterinary technology. Veterinary technologists and technicians spend a substantial amount of their time communicating with supervisors, other staff, and animal owners. Veterinary technologists and technicians must handle animals, medical instruments, and laboratory equipment with care.
Statistics A one-semester introductory course. Principles of mechanics, heat and sound, electricity and magnetism, light, atomic and nuclear physics with applications to a number of different fields. Duties Veterinary technologists and technicians typically do the following: If you choose to specialize in this veterinary science topic, you will learn all about animal fertility, reproduction, development and life cycles.Animal Health Diagnostic Center New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Directions. General Information.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca, New York Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Contact College; Careers. Online Veterinary Courses & Training If you love animals, one of the ways you can contribute to their health and happiness is through a career in veterinary medicine. But you may wonder what qualifications you need to become a veterinary assistant or another occupation in this vital field.
Coursework Course preparation varies by veterinary school. It is the responsibility of each student to confirm requirements for the specific schools to.
When asked what a veterinarian does, most people will answer that veterinarians are doctors for animals. However, many people don't know how true that statement really is.
biochemistry, surgical techniques, and many more, as well as in-depth courses on specific animal species and body systems. The early years are. Veterinary Science Degrees shares Animals have played a crucial role in the lives of humans for thousands of years, and ensuring that our furry (and not so furry) friends are happy and healthy has become a firmly established field of expertise.
Courses that satisfy the Reading and Composition requirement at Berkeley will fulfill veterinary school English coursework requirements for most veterinary schools. See a list of those courses. Save your course syllabi in case any veterinary schools express concern that you did not complete their English requirement.Download


You may be irreparably harming your iPhone’s battery. Here are some everyday actions to avoid to help prolong your battery’s health.Nestled within each iPhone, among a litany of silicon, capacitors, and diminutive solder points is a battery. This battery is a consumable resource and eventually will be depleted and need replacing to continue having acceptable battery life on your phone.
Ideally, you’ll have quite some time before it’s necessary to replace your battery. Read more
How to Track Sleep with Your Apple Watch
If you own an Apple Watch, you know how powerful of a device it can be. One of the best and newest features of the...


It is used to real 3D shots by two KineRAW cameras. For KineRAW camera, with creative design on sync function, it just needs the sync cable to connect with two KineRAW cameras, no need Genlock and other sync signals. Easy enough for frame sync, scan sync and timecode sync.
The 3D SYNC cable, two plugs are push-pull 7-Pin: robust and reliable.
Its length is 150cm.


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Court to consider appeal for extension of Yulia Kuzmenko arrest on Tuesday
The Kiev Court of Appeal will appeal the decision of the court of first instance to extend the detention of the doctor and volunteer Yulia Kuzmenko, suspected of the murder of the journalist Pavel Sheremet, on Tuesday.
This was reported on the Free Dr Kuzmenko Facebook community page.
“Tomorrow, June 2, at 3:30 pm, the Kiev Court of Appeal will consider the appeal of the decision to extend the detention of Yulia Kuzmenko. The presiding judge is Tatyana Rosiko, ”the statement said.
As reported by Ukrinform, journalist Pavel Sheremet died on July 20, 2016 in Kiev as a result of a car explosion.
Home Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov announced on December 12, 2019 the detention and the suspicion of the accused in the Sheremet murder case.
The investigation suspects doctor and volunteer Yulia Kuzmenko, the nurse of one of the paratrooper battalions Yana Dugar and ATO veteran Andrei Antonenko.
See also: Sheremet case: court dismissed lawyer Kouzmenko’s judge’s challenge
On May 22, lawyer Nikolai Orekhovsky announced the completion of the preliminary inquiry into the murder of Pavel Sheremet.
On May 25, the Pechersk court in Kiev granted the request of the prosecutors and changed the preventive measure of Yane Dugar from house arrest to bail in the amount of 168,000 hryvnia. Lawyer Dugar Vitaliy Kolomiets later reported that more than 500 people had transferred the amount needed to deposit in less than a day.
Kuzmenko and Antonenko are now in prison.
According to the materials: ukrinform.ru

domain: news


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Started in 2009 with a grant from Polk County, the Highland, Oak and Union Park neighborhood organizations worked together to create this fun, family-oriented neighborhood festival. Our Summer Concert Series is free and open to the public.
Funds raised have been directed to the renovation project planned at Riverview Park. In 2015 - Rendezvous on Riverview made a significant contribution to the project. More information can be found at: www.riverviewrising.com
We feature live music from some of Central Iowa's best bands. Lots of food and beverage options including beer, soft drinks, walking-tacos, hot-dogs, snacks and much more.
Rendezvous on Riverview will be held every Friday night in June and July from 5:30 to 9:30pm, so please join us and bring your friends, or come and make some new ones at Rendezvous on Riverview! Come and have a great time, but please, no coolers.

domain: artistic


Why do Telangana people accept Telugu movies if almost all the movies show Telangana people in negative light?
One Andhra commenter asked:
Tell us what is the primary, if not the only, motive of a movie-producer? Making money or not? If a producer is dumb enough to make a movie showing discrimination, wouldn't his Nizam area collections tell him to correct his ways in the next movies?
Andhras reason this quite simplistically. They reason that a movie producer is interested in making money and nothing else. The producer is not sitting there to insinuate a message that Telanganas are inferior. There is no benefit for the producer doing that negative characterization because he will tend to lose certain portion of the audience.
Andhras ask if indeed there is a negative characterization of Telanganas in the movies, why do Telangana people go and watch these movies? They could have easily exercised their right not to watch these movies, right?
Since the collection from Telangana is quite substantial, isn’t it clear that people of Telangana gladly welcome these movies? Since they welcome these movies, isn’t it clear that there is absolutely no negative characterization of Telangana people in these movies?
I think that’s a simplistic way of looking at complex things such as a group discrimination. We can easily say that the motive of a publisher is only to make money, yet many written words have created revolutions, bringing great changes for good or worse, toppling governments and changing regimes. Many publishers have been prosecuted for what they have published. If the motive was simply to make money, why would the publisher risk being prosecuted? Doesn’t make sense, does it?
When the producers make movies showing Telangana people in the negative light, they are not being dumb. In fact, they are being smart; they are catering to the prejudices of people, pandering to their biases, thereby legitimizing them, perpetuating them, and over a period of time institutionalizing them. Take a look at the history of Hollywood and associated themes on negative portrayals of Blacks and other ethnic groups. One can feed into one’s prejudices and still make money. Even the group which is being targeted may not realize it is being targeted and happily watches the movies.
When a lower caste person in a village is called ‘chamar’, he does not realize it is an insult because he is used to being called that all his life. A lower class person may not know he is being discriminated against unless he is enlightened. For many centuries, our lower castes thought that it was their fate to carry upper caste shit on their head. Only very recently, they have started to assert themselves.
For a very long time Telangana people were ashamed to speak Telangana in front of others, and the practice continues even now though it is declining. Many Telangana people hide their accent when heard in public forums. In some families, Telangana people ridicule their own folk who speak Telangana and try to correct them. Some Telangana families grew up imitating their Andhra neighbors completely rejecting their identity. They hate being associated with the tag of Telangana. They take pride in the new found Andhra language which is seen as an ‘improved’ version.
The negative portrayal of Telanganas has created a low opinion of Telanganas amongst their own people. It’s like dark colored person feeling inferior and not feeling anything wrong with the negative portrayal in movies. They try their best to get rid of that dark color instead of fighting the negative portrayal. It doesn’t occur to them that a dark colored person is being humiliated or insulted. They have experienced it for so long that they have accepted it as a norm. Being ridiculed for their ‘inferior’ language, which has been ‘bastardized’ by Urdu, is something Telanganas accept without questioning the practice. Indians accepted British rule for nearly two hundred years till some enlightened Indians came along and told them they could aspire for something higher and better -freedom and self-rule.
Something similar is happening in Telangana now. Telanganas are not getting ‘brainwashed’ as some Andhras allege. They are getting enlightened. They are realizing that they don’t have to feel inferior anymore. Telanganas are no longer ready to cow down and change their accents. They proudly speak it in front of others and nowadays it is even being considered cool amongst the new generations. The time has come for Telangana to assert itself. But it is a long journey to enlighten your own people, the way it was a long journey to tell Indians they can rule themselves, or to tell our lower caste they can enter a temple with pride. It takes time. But it is a one way street. Once the idea is inseminated, it is a powerful one. Nothing can stop it. And that’s what we are witnessing now in Telangana -an awakening.
But unfortunately, it is not always articulated properly by the masses. Poor articulation is not a good reason for discrediting a movement. Andhras have to concede that Telanganas are not ready to be cajoled into another farcical arrangement because the rejection comes from deep within and is more complex than how Andhras would like to believe. Writing it away as an artificial creation of few petty politicians doesn’t help. Discrediting it as a pastime of few unemployed youth adds to the insult. If we have to debate this issue, we have to set aside such simplistic arguments and see the problem in the eye, which I doubt many Andhras are ready to.


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domain: library


Presented by Yellow Solo – as part of the programme “Performative Archive: Balatonboglár 1970-73”
Blue Chapel, Balatonboglár, Hungary
(The former Chapel Studio by György Galántai)
On two dates:
September 26 and 27, Tuesday and Wednesday
Door opens: 6 pm
Starts: 7 pm
“Nemo Point Soundmap for Terrestrial Melanoheliophobics”, composed in 2021, was a synthesizing, improvisationally structured work by Ahad aka Zsolt Sőrés, in which the artist wanted to summarize his experimental musical performance practices and the possibilities of instrument-based (5 string viola) electroacoustic noise music as a solo form.
The second part of the work premiered in September 2023 as part of Hajnal Németh’s Freedom Trap project, takes the solo form even further. A broader palette of effects and a concentrated use of electronics add new layers to the improvisational process. It is about process music, about capturing transitions, about the “flux” nature of sounds, about experiencing the auditory emanation, for which the Blue Chapel in Balatonboglár, once a sacred space, is an excellent medium.
The performance is part of the project Freedom Trap by Hajnal Németh and part of the programme Performative Archive: Balatonboglár 1970-73, curated by Gabriella Schuller and László Százados. The series evokes and thematizes the neo-avant-garde and fluxus artist György Galántai’s Chapel Studio in Balatonboglár from 50 years ago. The exhibition space, which operated in the early 1970s, was a forum for exemplary self-organising, progressive artistic initiative, independent of official cultural policy, a venue mainly featuring Hungarian avant-garde artists considered politically undesirable, as well as foreign guest artists. After four years of activity, including 35 exhibitions, concerts, poetry recitals, theatrical performances, and film screenings, under constant surveillance by secret agents and harassment by the authorities, the place was finally walled up by the regime.
Zsolt Sőrés (b.1969) is one of the key figure of the Hungarian electro-acoustic, improvised music scene who has been active for 30 years. His music explores the possibilities of conceptual-meta-musical free improvisation: it is music enhanced to extremity, unearthed through the liberation of the forces of sound modeling alternative sonic realities, and the creation of resonant-dynamic live music spaces, by the techniques of “inner virtuosity” and “form shredding”, and the formation of a gently-layered meta-repertoire. His current projects: Inconsolable Ghost (with Anthea Caddy, Hilary Jeffery, Gideon Kiers, Miodrag Gladović), duo formations with Christian Kobi, Anla Courtis (from Reynols), Rudi Fischerlehner, Franz Hautzinger, André Vida, collaborations with Nicola L. Hein, Simon Rose, Olaf Rupp, Ute Wassermann, the krautrock band faUSt etc. Zsolt Sőrés is also a 2021 fellow of the DAAD Artist-in-Berlin-Program.
Special thanks to: Artpool Art Research Center
Partner in realisation: Babel Camp
Commissioned by: Veszprém-Balaton 2023 – European Capital of Culture


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Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (1979)
Directed by Chang Cheh
Stars: Alexander Fu Sheng, Lo Meng, Sun Chien, Ti Lung, Lu Feng, and practically EVERY FUCKING Shaw Bros. star!!
"I should give you a lesson you'll never forget...some broken bones!"
This is Chang Cheh's Altman moment! An awesome kung fu flick that will have you applauding at the end. The Shaw Brothers pull out all the stops in this one, the cast is simply phenomenal. Yes, you will recognize every face in this one, even the bit actors.
The narrative is a bit confusing, but the gist is this...ten warriors band together to protect a rebel leader. Forget the plot, you'll be too busy picking your jaw up from the floor from a.) seeing all these guys in one movie, and b.) the kick ass fight scenes. You have died and gone to kung fu heaven (and Bruce Lee is not there!) Best scene- a baddie gets his head KICKED OFF. Blood sprays! Yes!!

domain: entertainment


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Beach visitors in SWFL are fed up with brown, murky water creeping closer to our shores.
The water is visibly darker around Sanibel, but travelling south to Vanderbilt Beach, the water is still blue.
“We have a condo in Fort Myers Beach and the water is kind of like a creeky color,” said Nina Leone.
Leone and her husband Lou came to Vanderbilt Beach in Collier County to spend the day.
“This is the water we like to see and go in nice blue green water, and the water in Fort Myers, although it seems to be clean, brown water doesn’t do it for us,” Lou said.
One week ago, the US Army Corps of Engineers started releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River to lower water levels. The goal was to protect the Herbert Hoover Dike. But the murky water is now showing up on several SWFL beaches.
“Our neighbors say might as well go into somewhere else,” Nina said.
Michael Henderson comes to Vanderbilt Beach often and says more people are now flocking to those shores due to the better water quality.
“I wouldn’t doubt that at all once they see that brown water up north, yes they do come south to the Naples beaches, there’s no doubt about that,” Henderson said.
And even though he lives in Naples, he wants to see officials pay more attention to the water releases and their effects.
“I think they need to pay more attention and be more precise and critical on these Lake O releases because it’s a known fact every time it happens, it causes a problem,” he said.
Additionally, some people looking to permanently move to SWFL say it’s making them think twice about where they should be looking to live.
The South Florida Water Management District hopes to add another reservoir north of the lake to cut back on releases.


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The front bar is a 35mm (1.375") hollow bar with a 4.7mm (.188") wall and the rear is a 22mm (.875") solid steel bar. We recommend that these bars be installed as a front and rear set to achieve optimal performance. The bars are designed for use with OEM end-links and the kit includes all necessary hardware including low-deflection polyurethane bushings, brackets, and special bushing grease. All Progress anti-roll bars are precision-cold formed and manufactured in-house.
Front anti-sway bar: 61.0635 $182.75
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The island has two parts; Koh Phi Phi Don is the main island where the inhabitants are occupied and while Koh Phi Phi Lay is much smaller than the later and only day activities are allowed there recently. This island can be easily accessible from Phuket and Krabi and there are ferry services available from both these places. But be cautious of the timing as it may vary from time to time and season to season. It is a mere 2-hour journey to this heavenly paradise. The ferry will cost approximately around 400 baht (one way) and if you get any cheaper offer the better. There several options to choose from for your hassle-free stay. From hostels to hotel rooms the price range goes around from 200 TBH to 2,450 THB depending upon your convenience and budget. It is not recommended to book a hostel/hotel near the beaches if you are looking for a quiet place to get your rest.
Now let’s get onto the real exciting part; things to do in this superstar island. The first thing on everyone’s mind would be to go snorkeling in Maya Bay, but don’t get your hopes high as you may get disappointed at the fact that the government has banned tourism in that area to protect the coral reefs. But you can still get to the bay and enjoy the place in the day time. The second option would be to take the twenty-minute hike to the viewpoint to enjoy a splendid panoramic view of the landscape. It can be pretty tiring and there is a small cafe to enjoy your drink after the hike. If you are a rock climbing fanatic, then Tonsai Town will be your paradise. There are several limestone mountains perfect for rock climbing. Diving is another great option and Hin Muang is one the places you can enjoy it, diving trips to at Hin Muang start from around 3,950 THB for experienced divers.
Some of the other interesting stuff you can do in and around Phi Phi Islands is to enjoy the nightlife which is crazy around here. There are massive beach parties with fire shows and Thai boxing matches nearly every night of the week. The Money Beach can be very good hangout spot with its white sands and diving areas but feeding the monkeys will surely get you into trouble. A-Trak Phi Phi a new tour company has organized taking 10 people on an afternoon jungle trek through the center of the island. The interiors of the island can be explored in this trek like the secluded beaches, lookout points, etc. Every basic necessity like food, water, lights are included in the trek and it costs around 1,390 THB. While searching for tours in this area, be aware to search for discounts on tours as well t so as not to burn a hole in your pocket. So these are some of the amazing stuff you can do on the island and never feel dissatisfied after this trip. You are bound to fall in love with this place at the very first sight.


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In the wake of upsetting the telecom industry with its free offers and hyper-focused levies, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd wants to make its own particular cyptocurrency, JioCoin.
With Mukesh Ambani’s senior child Akash Ambani driving the JioCoin venture, Reliance Jio intends to fabricate a 50-part group of youthful experts to chip away at blockchain innovation, which can likewise be utilized to create applications, for example, brilliant contracts and inventory network administration coordinations.
“The organization intends to enlist 50 youthful experts with normal age of 25 years for Akash Ambani to lead. There are numerous utilizations of blockchain (for the organization). The group would chip away at different blockchain products and solutions,” a person familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.
Blockchain is a digital or and electronic ledger for storing data including, but not limited to, financial transactions.In straightforward terms, blockchain decentralizes data without it being duplicated. The data is hung on blockchain through a common database which can be gotten to consistently. This database isn’t put away on physical servers however on the cloud, which makes it simple to store boundless information.
The most famous utilization of the innovation has without a doubt been cryptocurrency or cryptographic money, and Reliance Jio likewise plans to make its own rendition called JioCoin.
“One (application) is cryptocurrency or cryptographic money. We can send keen contracts. It can be utilized as a part of production network administration coordinations. Reliability focuses could inside and out be founded on JioCoin,” the individual refered to above stated, including that the greater part of this was “in proposition arrange”.
An email sent to Reliance Jio looking for a reaction stayed unanswered till squeeze time.
“Dependence Jio likewise tries to get into Internet of Things (IoT). Blockchain innovation would prove to be useful there,” the individual said.
IoT is a integerated network of devices and gadgets, for example, cell phones, smart phones, wearable gadgets, home appliances and automobiles and automated vehicles, associated with the web or internet, which empowers these items to interface, exchange and trade information. Specialists have additionally brought up that blockchain could possibly deliver security dangers to IoT as it gives a shield against data tampering by labelling each block of data.
Altogether, the Indian government has cautioned and warned number of times against cryptocurrencies or cryptographic forms of money, expressing that virtual monetary standards were not supported by resources and acted dangers such like tax evasion. On 2 January, finance minister Arun Jaitley told the Rajya Sabha that the administration was all the while contemplating the issue.
“A panel under the chairmanship of secretary, bureau of financial undertakings, is pondering over all issues identified with digital currencies to propose particular moves to be made,” Jaitley stated, including that the administration does not view cryptocurrencies or cryptographic forms of money to be a legal tender.
Bitcoin and different digital currencies have gone under the scanner of governments over the world as their taking off costs pulled in examiners and unsophisticated retail financial specialists in large numbers. On Thursday, Bitcoin dropped as much as 12% to $12,801, its least since Christmas day, as South Korea’s justice minister reiterated his proposal to ban local cryptocurrency exchanges.


Table of Contents
THE FA Cup continues this week with some tasty midweek fifth-round action.
West Ham boss David Moyes makes his Old Trafford return
When is Man Utd vs West Ham?
- Manchester United vs West Ham takes place on Tuesday, February 9.
- The FA Cup fifth round tie kicks off at 7.30pm UK time.
- Old Trafford – with no fans in attendance – plays host.
What TV channel and live stream is Man Utd vs West Ham on?
Manchester United vs West Ham will be broadcast live on BBC One in the UK.
The match will live streamed via the BBC iPlayer.
How can I watch Man Utd vs West Ham for FREE?
BBC is free-to-air to all of those with a valid TV licence.
What is the team news?
Dean Henderson is set to be handed a golden opportunity to stake his claim for the No1 jersey in Manchester United’s FA Cup showdown.
The England stopper is likely to start in the fifth-round showdown with West Ham.
While Henderson has been Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s cup keeper this season, the current No1 shirt is up for grabs following David De Gea’s latest blunders.
The Spaniard was heavily criticised for not being brave enough to stop Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s last-gasp equaliser in the 3-3 draw with Everton at the weekend.
How Man Utd could line up against West Ham
Henderson, 23, is chomping at the bit for regular starts following his two-year successful stint at Sheffield United and knows a solid performance could see him get the nod in the league.
Meanwhile Solskjaer is likely to field almost his strongest side as he looks for his first piece of silverware at United boss.
Alex Telles could come in for Luke Shaw but Paul Pogba remains a huge doubt in midfield.
What are the FA Cup fifth round matches?
- Burnley vs AFC Bournemouth (5.30pm) BT SPORT 1
- Manchester United vs West Ham United (7.30pm) BBC ONE
- Swansea City vs Manchester City (5.30pm) BT SPORT 1
- Leicester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion (7.30pm) BT SPORT 2
- Sheffield United vs Bristol City (7.30pm) BBC Red Button/ BBC iPlayer
- Everton vs Tottenham Hotspur (8.15pm) BT SPORT 1
- Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Southampton (5.30pm) BT SPORT 1
- Barnsley vs Chelsea (8pm) BBC One / BBC iPlayer


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Li Wenzu attempted to march 100 kilometres (60 miles) to a detention facility in neighbouring Tianjin to highlight her husband's plight
A Chinese human rights lawyer charged with state subversion over two years ago will make a court appearance the day after Christmas, his wife said Monday.
Li Wenzu, who last week shaved her head in protest of her husband's indefinite detention, posted on Twitter that Wang Quanzhang would be going to trial in two days in the northern city of Tianjin.
"On December 24, 2018, Christmas Eve, I found out: the trial starts the day after Christmas," Li wrote.
"December 26 is an especially meaningful date. The court session starts at 8:30am (1230 GMT) so Beijing-based me will have to leave bright and early."
Wang, who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, disappeared in the sweep aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities.
Charged in January 2016 with alleged "subversion of state power", Wang is the only one of over 200 lawyers and activists arrested in the so-called "709 crackdown" in 2015 who is yet to be tried or released.
In April, Li attempted to march 100 kilometres (60 miles) to a detention facility in neighbouring Tianjin to highlight her husband's plight before she was thwarted by police.
A month later, she met with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing -- a rare opportunity as heads of state often avoid making public statements about human rights during trips to China.
It is not the first time the Chinese government has chosen to sentence a political dissident during the year-end holiday season when international attention towards human rights cases is at a lull.
On Christmas Day 2009, Nobel laureate and Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who died of terminal liver cancer last year while under police custody, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for subversion.
Last year, Chinese activist Wu Gan, who refused to plead guilty to charges of "subverting state power", was sentenced to eight years in prison the day after Christmas.
"We think this is deliberate because obviously a big part of the world will be having a holiday and will not be able to respond", Doriane Lau, China researcher at human rights organisation Amnesty International, told AFP.
"It will also mean that journalists and diplomats... are less likely to try to attend the trial," Lau said, adding that Chinese authorities have used this tactic "many times before".


West End Redevelopment Sub-Committee
The West End Redevelopment Sub-Committee (West End RSC) was formed in 2016 to review and recommend changes to the West End Redevelopment Plan which was adopted by the City Council in 2003. Copies of the plan can be obtained at City Hall or downloaded from the City’s website.
West END RSC held its first organizational meeting on February 11, 2017 and has held 7 meetings/workshops since that time.
Below, you will find the recommendations we have made to date. However, we value your feedback and would like to hear from you.
Brendon M. Barber, Mayor
Sheldon A. Butts, City Council
Talicia Dease-McCants, Citizen
Cynthia Dozier-Hazel, Citizen
Jerry Miller, Architectural Review Bd.
Jocelyn Patterson, Citizen
Winfred Pieterse, Planning Comm.
Shauna Simmons, Citizen
Fred Williams, Citizen
Gerald Williams, Planning Comm.
West End RSC Recommendations (to date):
- Expand study area to include all of West End
- Rehab existing housing stock and develop more housing
- Funding (especially from Georgetown County/Bailey Bill)
- Historic sites, markers, and cultural significance
- Business and entrepreneurship development
- Workforce development and training
- Internships and apprenticeships for students
- Public transportation to areas of high wage jobs
- More parking spaces for Michael Johnson and Howard Center
- Additional sidewalks, lighting, and cameras needed for safety
- Reduce and/or monitor speed limits
- Eliminate gang graffiti on houses
- Engage the faith-based community in redevelopment efforts
Meetings are usually held at 6:00 pm on the third Monday of the month at the Municipal Court located at 2222 Highmarket Street in Georgetown.
- Streets: Landscaped median was added to Front Street (Fraser to Merriman in 2009) and (Merriman to Alex Alford in 2011); Bourne paved (2011); Streets paved beginning Spring 2016 (with cost): Front St from West to Seaboard ($75,544); Kaminski St from end to Bourne ($335,218); West St from West Front St to Ridge St ($23,068); Legion St from Merriman Rd to end of State Maintenance ($47,288); B St from Winyah to Front ($33,966); Streets A, D, and H were resurfaced in 2017.
- Drainage: Installed drainage from Merriman to end (2011); Congdon and Highmarket (2017).
- Water and Sewer: System maintained, replaced, and repaired system on Congdon Street (2007-2008) and
- Merriman Road (2016).
- Major renovations at Ben Cooper Park: Phase I: Splash Pad (2014); Phase II: Parking lot (2016); Picnic Shelter; and currently Phase III: Bathhouse; adding sidewalks, landscaping, and gazebo.
- Major renovation of Howard Recreation Center by the County and opening of the Mitney Center by The Mitney Project.
- Renovations planned for Kaminski Street Park/Tennis Courts in 2017-2018: Replacement of nets, new benches, and gazebo or shelter.
- Community garden on Winyah in 2011; planted 22 crepe myrtle trees on Emanuel December 2016; trees obtained through Palmetto and planted by SAVE; planted roughly 6 crepe myrtle trees on Kaminski Street.
- Lighting on Front Street from Fraser to Alex Alford has been replaced in several phases. This involved 48 decorative poles and globe fixtures at a cost of roughly $96,000.
- R5 Zoning District was created (2/19/2004) to allow for the development of small lots and mix of housing types.


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When debates arise revolving around refugees and asylum seekers, a swift reactionary response often follows.
Anyone who hints that immigration should be restricted, or that refugees should be screened before entry, are dubbed racists and xenophobic. Anyone who suggests that some of these refugees should undergo some form of monitoring is deemed to be a seething Nazi in disguise. It is all well and good for these reactionaries to state such things when they are far detached from the situation, however the reality of being negligent when it comes to immigration is slowly emerging across Europe.
Over the last few months, several terrorist attacks have struck France, Belgium and now Germany. There is no doubt that more will soon follow. From these attacks, we know that several came to Europe via flawed immigration policy.
The latest example of this is the attack that occurred in Germany, where a Syrian refugee detonated an explosive device outside a bar. A few days before that, an Afghan refugee slaughtered an innocent woman with a machete. When countries fail to do their utmost to truly protect their citizens, this sort of chaos is bound to follow. The European states must strictly contain their borders, and allow refugees in only after full and detailed background checks. This is the only way to be both compassionate towards those actually needing asylum and safety, and protecting the citizens of Europe from radical Islamists.
While it is an inevitability that the choir shouting ‘racist’, ‘xenophobe’ and ‘Nazi’ will appear on the stage again if such restrictions were enacted, but it is time for the governments of Europe to ignore such childish whining. The purpose of the state is to protect it’s citizens lives. These past few months have shown that Europe has been failing in this regards.
Changes must be made in order to save lives. And if this offends bleeding hearts in their posh cafes and university classrooms, so be it. It is better to be safe than sorry. It is better to be alive than dead.
Harold Ohayon, Belfast


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Google the term “examples of healthy recipes” and you’ll notice there’s very little variety in what healthy eating looks like.
When healthy eating is presented through a Eurocentric lens the implication is that other cultures’ foods are not as healthy.
What you see online reflects popular attitudes about healthy eating—lots of kale, green smoothies, and quinoa.
However, nutrition and healthy eating are not a one-size-fits-all dietary prescription. Traditional meals and food culture deserve a seat at the table too.
What are cultural foods?
Cultural foods — also called traditional dishes — represent the traditions, beliefs, and practices of a geographic region, ethnic group, religious body, or cross-cultural community. Cultural foods may also represent a region, such as pizza, pasta, and tomato sauce from Italy or kimchi, seaweed, and dim sum from Asia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans is one of the gold standards for nutrition guidelines in the West.
It recommends meeting people where they are — including their cultural foodways.
What does healthy eating actually look like?
Healthy eating is loosely defined as the consumption of a variety of nutrients from dairy, protein foods, grains, fruits, and vegetables — what’s known in the United States as the five food groups.
The main message is that each food group provides essential vitamins and minerals needed to support good health.
Yet, true healthy eating is a fluid concept that neither has a specific look or ethnicity nor needs to include specific foods to count.
Healthy eating looks different across communities and locations based on food access, sustainability, and food cultures.
How does culture affect what you eat?
Culture influences the foods you eat, your religious and spiritual practices, and your perspective on wellness, healing, and healthcare.
Research suggests that even your thoughts about certain foods and your willingness to try new ones are largely influenced by your cultural background.
Moreover, your classification of what’s regarded as food, and what isn’t, is linked to your culture.
For example, in the United States, dinner is likely the main meal of the day, while lunch is a light salad or sandwich.
However, in the other parts of the world like the Caribbean, lunch is often the heaviest meal. Whereas dinner is lighter and, more often than not, remarkably like breakfast.
These cultural foods exemplify healthy eating by combining several food groups and including a variety of nutrients:
- Ugali: a staple dish in Tanzania made with cornmeal and often served with traditional meat and vegetable dishes
- Ema datshi: a spicy stew, popular in Bhutan. It is served with yak cheese and may include mushrooms, green beans, and potatoes
- Pelau: a popular one-pot dish in the Caribbean made with caramelized chicken, parboiled rice, pigeon peas, and an array of vegetables and green seasonings
Healthy eating is simply the consumption of multiple nutrient-rich food groups to support good health.
Contrary to mainstream health and wellness messages, healthy eating looks different across communities and regions. It doesn’t have a specific look or require particular foods!


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Noblesville, Ind. – The anticipated opening of Stone Creek Dining Company in Hamilton Town Center has arrived. The restaurant opened Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008, in the new Hamilton Town Center Mall, located across from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Stone Creek Dining Company is one of the most innovative new restaurants on the north side of Indianapolis. This is the eighth restaurant in the Cunningham family of restaurants to open in the Midwest in the last 11 years. Other Cunningham restaurants include Boulder Creek, Brownsburg; Café 251, downtown Indianapolis; Charbonos, Avon; and Stone Creek in Greenwood, Plainfield, Zionsville and Cincinnati.
The company, founded by Cincinnati native Mike Cunningham, has seen tremendous growth in the past 11 years. Boulder Creek Dining Company, an upscale, casual restaurant with mountain lodge décor, was the company’s first restaurant and opened in Brownsburg in 1997. Following the success of Boulder Creek, Cunningham moved to Avon in 1999 to open Charbonos, which welcomes guests to the Tuscan countryside and serves up ample portions of salads, pastas featuring housemade sauces, tender steaks and wood-fired pizzas. Cunningham then opened his first stand-alone restaurant on the southside in 2003, Stone Creek Dining Company. This new addition blended the casual elegance of Charbonos with the hearty warmth of Boulder Creek in a more contemporary setting. The menu was a chance to experiment and features a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, seafood, pastas, steaks, chops and chicken. The restaurant was such a success, that Stone Creek Plainfield soon followed in 2005, Stone Creek Zionsville in February 2007, and Stone Creek Montgomery, located in Cunningham’s hometown of Cincinnati, in August 2007.
The Cunningham’s are excited about their most recent endeavor in Noblesville.
“Noblesville is a thriving area with tremendous growth and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Managing Partner Mike Cunningham. “This is our eighth restaurant in Indiana and is the best yet. Shoppers will now be able to enjoy steaks, pasta and fresh seafood in a great atmosphere, finished by our award winning Cranberry-Golden Raisin Bread Pudding.”
The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner daily and will offer private dining facilities for special occasions with friends and family or important meetings with colleagues or clients. The restaurant also provides off-premise catering. Hours are Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–11:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
For more information, visit stonecreekdining.com.


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What is self-love? How do you define self-love? Self-love is exactly what it sounds like – loving yourself. Loving every facet of your being, by recognizing and accepting who you are, all your weaknesses, mistakes, failures, flaws, everything and every part of you that you would have considered awful, ugly, silly, hideous or dreadful in the past or even in the present.
Self-love is holding yourself to the standard you set – if any – for your well-being and satisfaction.
I would also add some more to that. Self-love isn’t abandoning yourself for the sake of being with someone in a relationship that is unhealthy. It isn’t saying yes because you want to please the other person while choking on your will to say no and you are absolutely aware that it doesn’t benefit you. It isn’t accepting that invitation, and while sitting among your peers, and you can’t get your comfy bed out of your mind.
This is how some of us allow ourselves to suffer emotionally and mentally. Going after things that are meaningless, and don’t forget this also involves people.
If we never learn from our experiences they will keep repeating themselves until we find ourselves up against a wall scampering for solutions to our problem. If we continue, a time will come when we will encounter someone or something else that will teach us a lesson that may be worst than what we have already been through, and hopefully, we realized that person or thing was been served as a mirror to what we do to ourselves. This is exactly what I have experienced. The hardest lesson is taught in the school of life.
If you have ever had these experiences you will know that it is difficult to be in such a place. It becomes even harder when you have no support base. And I’m not talking about money. I mean, the moral and emotional support from family and perhaps even friends; who may be there physically, but nothing more.
There are people out there who stay in bad marriages and relationships despite being treated horribly. They believe it’s part of love and it’s what happens when you love someone. Then there are those who allowed themselves to be treated anyhow in common friendship because as one person said, “their friend/s have done so much for them and they must show loyalty.” This isn’t loving or respect. Every time you do this it shows a lack of control and respect for yourself.
Developing and cultivating self-love is a process. It requires a lot of work on ourselves. But first, we must realize who we are, where we are and what we deserve.
Realizing who we are: Recognizing who we are is discovering ourselves, and the importance of knowing ourselves becomes even more clearer.
Where we are: Accepting that we are in a place where we don’t belong and being conscious of the fact that we need to change that, because it isn’t doing us any good.
What we deserve: Recognizing who we are and accepting that we need to change the people we have around us because we deserve to be treated better. This is where it starts – with ourselves and subsequently those around us. This rut isn’t an easy place to emerge from.
Below, I have put together 10 rules for practising, while on your journey of self-love.
Honour your boundaries: First, you must know what your boundaries are to ensure that others don’t cross them. You honour your boundaries because you want to be treated the way you want to be treated. Being respected for being you, your values and beliefs. Remember this, if you do not honour your boundaries, others won’t. And that is not what you want, right?
Own yourself: To own yourself is to believe in yourself. Accept yourself for who you truly are. Not everyone is a role model. As a matter of fact, most people aren’t, because in more than one way we do not want to be like them.
It’s hard to own yourself in a world that is constantly trying to own you given that there is so much social conditioning around. If you really think about it, you can be owned by so many elements out there. There is much work to do in aligning yourself with whom you truly are.
When you become less perturbed, own your voice, free of expectation, grounded in yourself, self-reliant and understanding at the same time, that “no man is an island,” appreciating genuine connections, not controlled by thoughts and emotions and knowing what you want, you are on your journey of self-sovereignty.
Stop overthinking: This is, but is not limited to, dwelling on things that have already happened. You know, the ones we cannot control. How do you know when you are overthinking? When you experience repetitive thoughts – thinking about something over and over again. Dwelling on how bad you felt or what could have been, or how you should have reacted. It is never helpful. It’s not healthy, and it doesn’t solve problems.
Overthinking will leave you restless and mentally drained. It can delay your decision-making and create a lot of doubts and uncertainty in your life. It is you surrendering to the guidance and authority of others and when this happens we lose ourselves. This would mean giving in to the wants of others and prioritizing them.
Connections are good, but only worthwhile if they are healthy and beneficial to us. No one is worth losing yourself over. If we love ourselves overthinking is one of your biggest hurdles to be working on.
Connect with yourself: To connect with yourself is to be observant and mindful of what is going on inside you and know who you are. In meditation, I have truly found the importance and benefits of self-connection. It is how I begin and end my day.
I have also learned a lot from Jess Shepherd and Louise Hay. The latter is now passed. We live in a technologically driven world and so it is easy to become disconnected while losing ourselves in what is happening in society. It is important to spend time away from people and things sometimes. Spending time with yourself, journaling, meditating, nature walks whatever suits you. They help to shift your energy and allow you to be more introspective.
Build your self-esteem: Treat yourself with kindness, love and encouragement. Cultivating self-esteem isn’t easy. We all experience self-doubt. We doubt that we are and that that we can be. Where does this doubting come from? It comes from a place where we see ourselves as incapable and not having what it takes to do something. And this perspective gives us a feeling of unworthiness and devalued.
Challenge the way you see yourselves. Demonstrate to yourself that you are valued. Practice Affirmation. For example, “I love myself, I am worthy of love, I deserve every good thing” etc. If you are interested you can find many of her interesting and encouraging videos on YouTube.
Invest your time in your vision: Investing time in your aspiration shows that you care for yourself and want the best for yourself. After all, this is what anyone would do when they want to become successful.
Stop craving for things and people who are of no use to us. If they aren’t going anywhere there are no reasons to be around them. We all have our own path to walk in this thing call life. Make yours worthwhile and fulfilling.
Respect yourself: How do you show respect to yourself? What would make you respect yourself? One of the ways in which you respect yourself is by not letting others define what is right and good for you. If you are proud of who you are you will respect yourself. And mind you, you don’t have to be a scientist or someone in the echelon to feel this way about yourself.
Treat yourself the way you want others to treat you. And you don’t need to be perfect to show yourself respect. It’s also being honest with yourself. Respecting yourself means defining your worth as an individual. If you don’t respect yourself you open the door for others to treat you however they may. So it starts with YOU.
Celebrate yourself: What does it mean to celebrate yourself? It is giving yourself the downtime that is needed. Listen to your favourite music that touches your heart. Going to your favourite restaurant. Get dressed for no reason. Take the time out and give gratitude. You deserve it. All this is self-love. Accept, encourage, and empower yourself.
We don’t have to always burden ourselves with the cares of this world. After all, none of us is getting out alive. That is why celebrating yourself can happen anytime for any reason. But while we live, let’s just live.
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domain: psychology