Syntilab measuring instruments are designed, developed and manufactured in France. The new Activ W510 and Activ W810 Water Activity Meters feature modern and innovative technology and are suitable for both laboratory and industrial environments.
Fanless chilled mirror technology
Single or double stage thermoelectric module
Built-in temperature control for the Activ W810
Optional connectors for external circulation cryothermostat for Activ W510
Robust, fast, accurate
Easy cleaning, limited fouling
Automated traceability with “Linko” PC software provided
The Activ W510 and Activ W810 models are laboratory meters that perfectly meet the quality and speed standards sought by professionals. Ideally suited for R&D and quality control environments, they are also designed to meet the needs of intensive industrial use on the production line. They are robust and require little maintenance. The technology is based on the chilled mirror principle, which is more precise, faster, more linear and more durable than other technologies.
FANLESS CHILLED MIRROR
The technology used here is patented by Syntilab. It allows fast and accurate measurements without the need for an internal ventilation system. Going fanless is a real technological advance that significantly simplifies the maintenance of a chilled mirror Aw-meter. Its implementation is based on two core elements:
a specific geometry and the optimization of the measuring chamber with a minimized internal volume.
efficient modeling of heat transfer.
The thermoelectric module for cooling the mirror can be single or double stage depending on the model. The double stage configuration allows measuring highly dehydrated products
One of the main advantages of fanless technology is the limited fouling as well as a higher long-term reliability, as the measuring chamber does not include any moving parts. Its cleaning is facilitated by a direct access to the various elements without disassembly. The micro-measuring chamber as well as the cup receptacle/ dish holder are made entirely of 316L stainless steel which ensures optimum mechanical and chemical resistance, as well as recognized food compatibility. An infrared thermometer measures the temperature of the sample without contact.
The Activ W810 features complete and autonomous temperature control of the sample and of the sensor with heat transfer fluid. The setpoint temperature can be set by the user in a range of -10 ° C to + 20 ° C around the ambient temperature.
Requirements for the measurement of water activity according to ISO21807
“… It is recommended to measure Aw at 25 ° C. Variations of ± 1 ° C in the actual measurement temperature have no noticeable effect on water activity … “
The Activ W510 model has no built-in temperature control but can optionally accommodate connectors for the connection of an external circulation thermostatic bath (not supplied).
The instruments can be placed directly in a cold room or in a harsh environment in a range of temperatures from 0 to 50 ° C. The 2017 instrument range benefits from a new sensor with improved thermal insulation. The quality of measurements is not affected in anyway by the proximity of an air conditioner or an oven.
With large color LCD screens, smooth and user-friendly graphic interfaces, and high-capacity internal memories, Syntilab instruments allow optimum measurement use and traceability.
They can be connected to a computer or printer via standard USB and RS232 connectors.
While the instruments are factory-calibrated and offer excellent stability and linearity, they can be very easily controlled and recalibrated with suitable salt solutions. Recalibrations performed by the user can be cancelled if necessary.
These devices feature several modes of configurable measurement, allowing measurement times as fast as 45 seconds, as well as long analyses lasting up to ten days. They can either display Aw or ERH with a selectable 3 or 4 digit resolution. Syntilab Aw-meters are suitable for all types of situations and products, products containing large proportions of volatile substances such as alcohol or propylene glycol must be tested beforehand.
They also have an editable internal database that can store up to 1024 product sheets including the names of the products used, batch numbers and various information such as Aw limit values; water, salt or sugar contents; pH or viscosity. The contents of these sheets can be attached with the measurements made when exporting results to a computer ( see supplied software page ) or a printer.
Water, essential element to all forms of life, is found in varying amounts in the foods we consume ; and while it does not provide energy value, it influences the foods’ properties particularly their proneness to degradation. Water also has an impact on the appearance, texture and flavor of the food.
Water activity is one of the main parameters as regards a product’s shelf life, be it food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, or agricultural seeds. Measuring such activity makes it possible to control and optimize the manufacturing and preservation process to ensure mechanical, physical, chemical and microbiological stability. The measurement of water activity is decisive for the quality and health safety of a product, especially if it is not sterilized or stored in a non-sterile environment. Aw measures form part of the calculation of the CSD and MDD of many products.
Although the concept of water activity emerged and started developing in the 70’s and 80’s, the primary means for correcting water activity have been known since Antiquity, and probably before then: drying, or adding an Aw reducing agent such as sodium chloride (salt) for sausages, or sucrose (sugar or formerly honey) for jams.
Water content and Aw
The activity of water or Aw represents the « free » water contained in a product; it is not a measure of water content, also called moisture content, but a measure of the availability of this water. This water, which is not strongly bound to the product from a physico-chemical point of view, directly influences the growth and toxinogenesis of micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts and molds… as well as the development of enzymatic reactions and oxidations…
Although water activity is correlated with the water content of a product, the relationship between these two quantities is not linear, and it closely depends on the nature of the product under consideration. The relationship between the water content and the water activity of a product at a constant temperature is called sorption isotherm. Sorption isotherm is made of two distinct lines (a phenomenon called hysteresis). A desorption line if starting from a water saturated product with a drying process. An adsorption line if starting from a dry product with the addition of water. The water present in the product thus binds more strongly with its food matrix during drying than during rehydration. This means that water content is not enough to determine a product’s ability to preserve. In other words, water activity measurement is much more accurate than water content measurement as far as the control of food safety and quality is concerned.
In theoretical terms, water activity can be defined as a ratio of vapour pressures. The activity of water equals the water vapour partial pressure of a wet product divided by the saturation vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature:
Aw = p(T) / p0(T)
Water activity therefore varies within a range from 0 to 1, pure water having a water activity value of 1. However, Aw is rarely calculated from a gauge pressure measurement, there are several methods and technologies to determine its value.
Water activity is sometimes expressed as a percentage and is then called Equilibrium Relative Humidity (ERH):
ERH(%) = 100 x Aw
It allows direct comparison with the ambient Relative Humidity (RH) commonly/frequently measured and controlled during drying or storage operations.
The development of microorganisms is closely related to the activity of water due to the influence of the osmotic pressure exerted by the environment on the membranous exchanges within the cells..
Most pathogenic bacteria grow at Aw values above 0.91. This is the value set by European directives as the upper limit allowing the conservation of food at ambient temperature. pH also plays an important role and this limit is pushed back to 0.95 when the pH is lower than 5.2. Most molds start growing from 0.80. Water activity measurement makes it possible to predict which microorganisms are potential sources of contamination. A product may be considered microbiologically stable if its Aw is under 0.6. This is the limit that is sought for products that can be stored at room temperature for a long time.
Water activity and growth of microorganisms in food products
Composite foods and water transfers
Water migrates between heterogeneous media due to the different partial pressures of water vapor that may be present. These different partial pressures will tend to equilibrate more or less rapidly depending on the nature of the constituents. Since water activity is representative of the partial pressure of water vapor, it can therefore be used to predict the movements of water inside a food, composed of several layers of different structures, such as a biscuit and a filling. The water will migrate from the part where it is more active to the part where it is less active until a balance is established. It therefore helps to (re) formulate a product so that it does not deteriorate due to the migration of the water it contains.
Water activity measurement can be used to fine tune settings for cooking processes or to improve their reproducibility. The browning reaction, also called Maillard reaction, concerns foods containing amino acids and sugars. These non-enzymatic reactions reach a maximum when water activity is between 0.50 and 0.70.
Controlling the activity of water is also a way to prevent a clustering or caking phenomenon of powders or wet particles, such as spices, flours, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals … It may be useful to control the Aw of raw materials to avoid the clogging of a supply system that could block a production line.
Water activity measurement is critical for the health security of products stored in a non-sterile environment. It can replace or usefully complement the measurement of the water content of a product and it allows optimizing a manufacturing process. The influence of water activity on texture, flavor, microbiology, water migration, enzymatic, browning and oxidation reactions as well as on powder caking demonstrates that its control is highly valuable in numerous instances.
The devices measuring water activity are called Aw-meters or Water Activity Meters, they generally comprise a dish holder where a sample cup containing the product to be analyzed can be inserted.
Should the samples be crushed ?
The product to be analyzed can be placed in the cup as it is, but it is often crushed/ground or mixed to make it more homogeneous, which considerably speeds up the measurement time of the sample and allows better measurement accuracy.
There is, however, a controversy as to whether or not to crush samples before measuring water activity. The ISO21807 standard does not recommend grinding because of the potential reheating and water loss grinding may cause. Nevertheless, many industries grind their samples before measurement, as it allows quickly homogenizing a product that is not, such as a freshly made product or one that has just been cooked or dried. This homogeneity allows rapid and repeatable measurements representative of the water activity of a product manufactured and stored for some time. We believe that grinding can be useful as long as certain precautions are duly taken, for example:
keep a substantial ratio between the ground sample volume and the grinder’s volume, indeed with a limited volume of air in the grinder, water exchange between the sample and the air remains minimal.
only use a moderate grinding so as not to modify the matrix of the product and not to overheat it excessively.
put a lid on the cup if the sample can not be measured immediately.
In general, the sampling of a product to be measured requires a certain level of cautiousness. The measurement of a large product such as a ham during drying can produce very different results depending on the sampling area. It is therefore necessary to put together a sample consisting of one or more samples – in the same way as coring is used in geology –in order for this sample to be representative of the product as a whole before proceeding with its grinding.
Capacitive sensor: A hygroscopic polymer is used as a dielectric. This polymer absorbs or rejects a certain amount of water in relation to the water activity of the measured sample. The resulting variation in electric capacitance makes it possible to deduce the water activity of the sample.
The main advantages of this technology are its rather low cost and a greater insensitivity to volatile substances such as alcohol and propylene glycol.
The main disadvantages of this technology are the loss of efficiency of the sensor over time and fouling issues. The sensor must be recalibrated and/or replaced periodically. Accuracy is lower and it may present some hysteresis. This technology requires several calibration points for the linearity of measurements to be ensured.
Resistive sensor: This technology is very similar to the previous one, only capacitance measurement is replaced by the measurement of the electrical resistance of a sensor made of hygroscopic salt.
This technology also shows a high degree of similarity with the previous one as regards its advantages and disadvantages.
Dew point by mirror cooled: A mirror, coupled with a thermoelectric module and a temperature probe, is chilled until dew appears in its center. The appearance of dew is detected by means of a photodetector. Controlling the amount of dew to a constant value allows to determine the dew point temperature and to then deduce the water activity of the sample.
The main advantages of this technology include very good accuracy, long lifespan and fast measuring time. It is based on a fundamental principle of hygrometric measurement, its natural linearity does not require several calibration points.
The main disadvantage of this technology resides in its greater sensitivity to volatile substances such as alcohol and propylene glycol, that can generate measurement errors. The chilled mirror must be clean for accuracy to be respected.
Tunable laser diode sensor:This technology called TDLAS for Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy, is of the absorption spectrometry type where the spectrum is extremely narrow and centered on a wavelength specific to the detection of gas phase water. It is a recent technology offering the main advantage of being the most insensitive to volatile substances. Another positive point, that it shares with the chilled mirror, is that there is no hysteresis phenomenon. Accuracy however is lower than that of the chilled mirror ; it requires several calibration points for the linearity of measurements to be effective. It comes at a higher prices and its reliability in time remains to be proven, as this technology has only been available for a few years.
Irrespective of the technology used, the measurement of a product’s Aw is done indirectly. It is actually the air contained in the measuring chamber that is analyzed, that is why the measuring chamber must have the smallest possible volume of air while allowing a maximum exchange surface. Water exchanges between the sample and the air contained take place as soon as the measuring chamber is closed. Only when this air is in thermodynamic equilibrium with the measured product will the measurement of Aw be reliable. Most Aw-meters automatically detect a satisfactory equilibrium state, and stop the measurement as necessary.
The measurement time can vary significantly from one product to another. A fat product can form a lipid barrier that will slow down the migration of water, and thus take much longer to measure than another product. Modern devices offer measurement times of often less than 5 minutes, and yet the possibility of performing long-term analyzes represents a significant advantage in that it allows − beyond the simple Aw measurement − understanding the various water migration phenomena that closely depend on it.
Aw-meters often include a non-contact infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the placed sample.
Water activity devices can be controlled and calibrated using saturated or unsaturated salt solutions, the various existing solutions cover the entire measurement range.
Some devices offer temperature control to make measurements at a stabilized temperature chosen by the user, for example 25 °C which is the temperature recommended by AFNOR, other devices merely measure at room temperature.


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Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) is a rare benign tumour of a vestibular portion of the vestibulo-cochlear nerve that is diagnosed from the symptoms of hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus. Smaller tumours are usually treated by radiotherapy but larger ones require surgical removal. A clinical study led by MedUni Vienna has now shown that early surgical removal of a vestibular schwannoma preserves hearing in up to 83% of cases. The results have recently been published in the journal "Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery".
Together with colleagues from the University of Erlangen, a MedUni Vienna team led by Karl Rössler, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital, has conducted a retrospective analysis of 138 cases of patients from the period 2014 to 2017, who had had a vestibular schwannoma removed surgically. It was found that the use of new techniques and monitoring during the operation to remove small tumours results in post-operative hearing preservation in up to 83% of cases.
Intraoperative image of a neuroma during dissection
The fear of post-operative hearing loss is now a thing of the past, at least in the case of small neuromas," explains study leader Karl Rössler, "but our work also confirms the need for early diagnosis of hearing disorders and for surgical removal of neuromas at an early stage."
Service: Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Yavor Bozhkov, Julia Shawarba, Julian Feulner, Fabian Winter, Stefan Rampp, Ullrich Hoppe, Arnd Doerfler, Heinrich Iro, Michael Buchfelder, Karl Roessler; Article first published online: May 25, 2021

domain: biology


text:
2021 Skyscraper Competition
Amit Deutch, Roni Dominitz, Tamar Kerber
The Lluvioso groundwater refilling facility is a mixed-use high-rise structure designed as a response to Mexico City’s variable water-related issues such as flooding, water shortage, and their side effects. The solution we examined in our project utilizes the high-rise altitude to gather rainwater and refill the city’s groundwater supply.
This field of high-rise structures spread out over the city’s flood risk areas, at a height of 400m, would harvest rainwater using an external membrane layer detaching from the building’s facade. The external layer consists of 10 wings, anchored to the main structure at a height of 100m in order to allow the city’s future vertical growth. Thus, resulting in a 600m diameter rain-water collecting Canopée covering a typical city quarter. The collected water would then be directed down into the aquifer as well as upwards towards a pendulum water tank (for self-use). This proposal seeks to reduce flood damage, fill the aquifer and enhance the water supply for the city’s residents.
The city’s first settlement was established on an island in the middle of a lake, where the water levels rose during the rainy season and partially flooded the island, which forced the Mexicas to develop a deep understanding of their surrounding waterscape in order to survive.
As the Aztecs learned to adapt to their environment we hoped to realize a proposal that co-lives with nature and doesn’t seek to tame it.

domain: geography


What To Wear This Spring Season
The runway shows have come and gone but left behind are all the fun, new trends we can embrace this season. From the must-have colors to the styles and cuts of the season, we've narrowed down the top seven trends you should be wearing.
(page 5 of 7)
Abstract and floral prints
While floral prints are always big for spring, a new addition we're seeing is abstract prints too. And this season, the pretty palate of colors is definitely welcome. Anna Sui, BCBG Max Azria and DKNY embraced the romantic feel of these looks. You can also see the trend emerging in fast fashion chains like Forever 21's and H&M's spring collection too.


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Crane School of Music & J.S. Cinemas Bring The Met: Live in HD Back to Potsdam
The 2012-13 season of The Met: Live in HD will feature 12 of the most popular operas ever composed in startling high definition and digital surround sound.
Sponsored in the North Country by SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music and J.S. Cinemas, the seventh season of the series is sure to captivate audiences, with live transmissions from the Metropolitan Opera stage beamed to silver screens in 1,900 theaters in 60 countries around the world.
Once again, two of SUNY Potsdam’s alumnae will take the Met stage in starring roles in the series this year. Superstar soprano Renée Fleming ’81 will reprise her acclaimed portrayal of Desdemona in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Otello” on Oct. 27. Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe ’92 will sing the role of the fortune-teller Ulrica in Verdi’s “Un Balla in Maschera” on Dec. 8. In addition, Fleming will once again serve as a host for Met Live presentations this season, conducting live interviews and leading intermission features.
The 2012-13 Live in HD season features 12 transmissions, which include two Met premieres and seven new productions of repertory favorites, as well as one rarely heard gem.
All productions will be shown live worldwide on Saturdays. There will also be encore presentations offered on Sundays locally. For complete information on the season in store, visit www.metopera.org/hdlive.
All performances will be screened at the Roxy Theater, in downtown Potsdam. Robotic cameras, strategically placed around and behind the stage, will capture the beauty and power of live performance from striking angles, and heighten attention to both performance and production. Intermission features and English subtitles will once again bring the stories to life.
Mark your calendars now! Here is the 2012-13 The Met: Live in HD season schedule:
• Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Oct. 13, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21
• Verdi’s “Otello”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Oct. 27, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 4
• Adès’s “The Tempest”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Nov. 10, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 18
• Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Dec. 1, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 9
• Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Dec. 8, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 20
• Verdi’s “Aida”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Dec. 15, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 27
• Berlioz’s “Les Troyens”: Live at noon on Jan. 5, encore at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3
• Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Jan. 19, encore at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 24
• Verdi’s “Rigoletto”: Live at 12:55 p.m. on Feb. 16, encore at 6:30 p.m. on March 3
• Wagner’s “Parsifal”: Live at noon on March 2, encore at 6 p.m. on March 10
• Zandonai’s “Francesca da Rimini”: Live at noon on March 16, encore at 6:30 p.m. on April 7
• Handel’s “Guilio Cesare”: Live at noon on April 27, encore at 6:30 p.m. on May 12
Doors open a half-hour before showtime, and there is immediate seating for advance ticket holders.
The series opens on Oct. 13, with Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore,” starring Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani and Mariusz Kwiecien in a new production, and continues with Verdi’s “Otello” on Oct. 27, starring Johan Botha and Renée Fleming. The Met premiere of Thomas Adès’s “The Tempest” will be presented Nov. 10, conducted by the composer, directed by Robert Lepage and starring Simon Keenlyside. Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” on Dec. 1 stars Elīna Garanča, Giuseppe Filianoti and Barbara Frittoli in this handsome revival. A new production of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” follows on Dec. 8, starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Marcelo Álvarez, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Stephanie Blythe.
On Dec. 15, Verdi’s “Aida” will feature debuting soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, Olga Borodina and Roberto Alagna. Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” on Jan. 5 will be conducted by Luisi and star Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham and Marcello Giordani. The Met premiere of Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” on Jan. 19, brings to life the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots with Joyce DiDonato in the title role. A new production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” screens live Feb. 16, starring Željko Lučić, Diana Damrau and Piotr Beczala, directed by Michael Mayer in his Met debut.
A new production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” will screen live on March 2, starring Jonas Kaufmann, Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei and René Pape. Zandonai’s rarely heard “Francesca da Rimini” will follow on March 16, with Eva-Maria Westbroek and Giordani. A new production of Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” will close the Met Live season on April 27, starring David Daniels as Caesar and Natalie Dessay as Cleopatra.
Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Eric Owens, Sondra Radvanovsky and Deborah Voigt will serve as hosts for the Live in HD presentations this season, conducting live interviews with cast, crew, and production teams, and introducing the popular behind-the-scenes interviews and features.
Tickets are on sale now. Prices are the lowest available in the nation: $18 for an adult, $15 for senior citizens, $12 for students and $9 for youth age 18 and under.
Tickets are available by calling the Community Performance Series Box Office at (315) 267-2277, or visiting the Roxy Theater or Northern Music & Video in downtown Potsdam or the CPS Box Office in the lobby of Sara M. Snell Music Theater. You can also reserve tickets online by visiting www.cpspotsdam.org or www2.potsdam.edu/cps/eventpgs/methd.html.
For more information on the 2011-12 The Met: Live in HD season, visit the Metropolitan Opera website at www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/liveinhd/LiveinHD.aspx.
To learn more about SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music and its award-winning opera program, visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.
Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York’s only All-Steinway institution.

domain: news


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Purpose To determine associations between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status during a World Athletics Championships in hot-humid conditions.
Methods From 305 marathon and race-walk starters, 83 completed a preparticipation questionnaire on health and acclimation. Core (Tcore; ingestible pill) and skin (Tskin; thermal camera) temperatures were measured in-competition in 56 and 107 athletes, respectively. 70 in-race medical events were analysed retrospectively. Performance (% personal best) and did not finish (DNF) were extracted from official results.
Results Peak Tcore during competition reached 39.6°C±0.6°C (maximum 41.1°C). Tskin decreased from 32.2°C±1.3°C to 31.0°C±1.4°C during the races (p<0.001). Tcore was not related to DNF (25% of starters) or medical events (p≥0.150), whereas Tskin, Tskin rate of decrease and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient were (p≤0.029). A third of the athletes reported symptoms in the 10 days preceding the event, mainly insomnia, diarrhoea and stomach pain, with diarrhoea (9% of athletes) increasing the risk of in-race medical events (71% vs 17%, p<0.001). Athletes (63%) who performed 5–30 days heat acclimation before the competition: ranked better (18±13 vs 28±13, p=0.009), displayed a lower peak Tcore (39.4°C±0.4°C vs 39.8°C±0.7°C, p=0.044) and larger in-race decrease in Tskin (−1.4°C±1.0°C vs −0.9°C±1.2°C, p=0.060), than non-acclimated athletes. Although not significant, they also showed lower DNF (19% vs 30%, p=0.273) and medical events (19% vs 32%, p=0.179).
Conclusion Tskin, Tskin rate of decrease and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient were important indicators of heat tolerance. While heat-acclimated athletes ranked better, recent diarrhoea represented a significant risk factor for DNF and in-race medical events.
- hot temperature
Data availability statement
Data are available on reasonable request.
This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
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The globalisation of sport (eg, mega-events such as the Olympics or FIFA world cups for the first time in South-America, Asia, Africa or Middle-East) alongside global warming and congested competition calendars increasingly expose athletes to hot conditions. While an air-conditioned stadium was used during the recent 2019 athletics World Championships (WC), this is evidently not possible for endurance road-race events. Unfortunately, despite some retrospective analyses,1 2 there is a paucity of data on how hot ambient conditions affect the physiological responses, health and performance of elite athletes during competition.
In-competition studies report core temperatures ≥40.0°C (a threshold commonly used to determine the severity of exertional heat illness (EHI))3 in asymptomatic endurance athletes,4 with some elite athletes reaching as high as 41.5°C.5 While most athletes remain asymptomatic when competing in the heat,6 severe EHI (ie, exertional heat stroke (EHS)) is one of the two main causes of death in athletes.7 8 EHI risk is increased in athletes with a previous EHI and/or a recent episode of illness (predominately gastrointestinal),6 9 while heat acclimation is the most important countermeasure to protect athlete health and performance in hot ambient conditions.10 11 Despite this, only 15% of athletes acclimated in 2015, before the Beijing athletics WC.12 The following year, educational materials were developed by the International Cycling Union and 38% of cyclists acclimated in 2016, before the cycling WC in Doha.13 World Athletics further developed similar educational material in 2019, ahead of the Doha WC (online supplemental appendix 1). However, the subsequent proportion of athletes who acclimated for this event remained to be determined; and the relationship between acclimation, previous EHI, recent illness and thermal responses, remain largely unclear, particularly within elite male and female athletes. Such data would help tailor preventive measures with greater validity to elite competition, given current measures are currently based predominately on non-elite athlete data.
The current study aimed to initially determine athletes’ thermal responses during the male and female road-races of the 2019 Doha WC, alongside ascertaining their preparation strategies and health-status before the event (eg, acclimation strategy, recent illness, etc). The overall objective was to establish any differences and/or association between these factors and the risk of did not finish (DNF) or suffering an in-race medical event.
This cross-sectional study included: (i) a pre-race questionnaire; (ii) an in-race monitoring of core (Tcore) and/or skin (Tskin) temperatures and (iii) a retrospective analysis of the medical events and performance. Athletes were free to participate in any measures of this cross-sectional study irrespective of completing other measures.
The study was conducted during the road-races of the Doha WC (27 September–6 October 2019), held in hot and humid environmental conditions (table 1). The marathons, 20 km (20KRW) and 50 km (50KRW) race-walks were completed on 7 km, 1 km and 2 km loop laps, respectively. All road-races were held during the night with starting times between 23:30 and midnight (table 1).
All athletes competing in the marathons, 20KRW and 50KRW (n=305) could participate. They were informed of the project through their national federations, coaches or support staff. Tskin (n=107 athletes) and Tcore (n=56 athletes) were measured, with 83 athletes completing the prerace questionnaire. The 80 athletes visiting the medical facilities were classified as per the International Institute of Race Medicine classification (by their attending physician and the WC chief medical officer) and 10 of them were not included for final analyses (8 presented for injury plus 2 were discharged without symptoms); leaving 70 athletes with in-race medical events (ie, related to illness) to be analysed. The sample sizes for the different comparisons are presented in table 2.
Tcore (precision 0.1°C; sampled every 30 s) was continuously recorded using e-Celsius ingestible capsules (BodyCap, Caen, France). Athletes ingested the capsule 4–6 hours prior to their event, encouraging transit through the stomach into the gastrointestinal tract while minimising pill-loss through defaecation.5 Peak Tcore (consistently observed at the end of race) alongside Tskin during the last lap, were used to calculate the Tcore-to-Tskin gradient at the end of the event. For DNF, the end of their event was determined as the point of race abandonment.
Nude skin temperature
Tskin (average of the frontal, lateral and posterior nude areas) was recorded during the first and last lap of the races via thermal cameras (FLIR A6750sc and FLIR T1030sc).14 Details are provided in online supplemental appendix 2.
Ranking and finishing times were extracted from official race results, with the latter expressed as a percentage of the athlete personal best at the time of the WC (PB; obtained from World Athletics’ official starting list).
Participants completed a preparticipation questionnaire (available in 12 different languages; online supplemental appendix 2) similar to the questionnaire developed and used before the 2015 athletic WC12 and the 2016 cycling WC.13 The questionnaire surveyed: (i) demographic data such as sex; (ii) EHI history; (iii) recent illness during the 10 days preceding the event and (iv) heat-acclimation strategy.
Measured every 30 min using a heat stress metre (Kestrel 4400, Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, USA) mounted on a tripod ~1.5 m above the floor, ~4 m from the course (near the start/finish line).
Data were analysed in Wizard (V.1.9.41, Evan Miller). The thermal responses (eg, Tcore, Tskin or Tcore-to-Tskin gradient) were analysed through two-tailed t-tests when comparing two categories (eg, sex, or yes/no for previous history of EHI, recent illness or acclimation) and analysis of variance when comparing multiple categories (eg, event). The categorical variables (eg, number of medical events vs sex or yes/no for previous history of EHI, recent illness or acclimation) were compared using χ2 tests. Sidak adjustments were applied for multiple comparisons. Two-tailed alpha was set at ≤0.05. Data are presented as mean±SD.
From 305 starters, 219 athletes finished their race (72%), 75 DNF (25%) and 11 were disqualified (during race-walks). No differences in age, height or body mass were observed between finishers and DNF (all p≥0.337, table 1). Finishers completed their event 12%±7% slower than their PB (table 1).
Peak Tcore was 39.6°C±0.6°C (independent of event, p=0.499).15 The Tcore of the DNF athletes (p=0.150), or of athletes with a medical event (p=0.576), were not different from other athletes (figure 1). Conversely, DNF finished their race with a higher Tskin than finishers Tskin during their final lap (32.0°C±1.4°C vs 30.6°C±1.2°C, p<0.001, figure 1). The absolute Tskin decrease during the entire race (−0.1°C±1.1°C vs −1.5°C±0.9°C, p<0.001) and the rate of Tskin decrease per kilometre (0.00°C/km±0.07°C/km vs −0.05°C/km±0.04°C/km, p<0.001) were lower in DNF than in finishers. Similarly, athletes with a medical event had a lower Tskin rate of decrease per kilometre than others (−0.03°C/km±0.05°C/km vs −0.06°C/km±0.06°C/km, p=0.011).
While potentially affected by early withdrawal, the Tcore-to-Tskin gradient was lower in DNF athletes than in finishers (6.7°C±1.2°C vs 9.4°C±1.5°C, p<0.001; figure 1). Athletes with a medical event had a lower Tcore-to-Tskin gradient than others (7.6°C±1.5°C vs 9.0°C±1.7°C, p=0.029).
Fifty-seven per cent (n=43) in DNF vs 17% (n=37) in finishers (p<0.001) visited the medical facility including: 20 exercise-associated collapse; 16 exercise-associated muscle cramps; 16 heat-exhaustion; 12 gastrointestinal disturbances; 1 heat-exhaustion with exercise-associated collapse and 1 heat-exhaustion combined with gastrointestinal disturbances. No EHS was diagnosed in the medical tent. One athlete was transferred to a hospital emergency ward (possible panic attack) and was discharged some hours later.
Average systolic/diastolic blood pressures were 115±13/69±13 mm Hg at admission, with an extreme value of 73/40 mm Hg in a female marathoner diagnosed with hypotensive collapse and dehydration (discharged after intravenous fluid replacement and leg elevation). Most athletes were conscious (100%) and alert (94%), but required assistance (wheelchair (n=33), stretcher (n=12), buggy (n=7), ambulance (n=3); while 17 walked-in).
Of the survey responders, 61% had previously experienced a variety of EHI symptoms while training/competing in the heat (eg, cramping, headache, nausea) and 17% of all responders declared to have been previously diagnosed with EHI. Cramping was the most common symptom previously experienced (26.5%) as well as the most common complaint at the medical facility during the WC (9%, n=27).
The DNF subsample was not associated with a history of EHI symptoms (p=0.459) or EHI diagnosis (p=0.860). The peak Tcore was also similar between athletes with a history of EHI and others (39.6°C±0.6°C vs 39.6°C±0.6°C, p=0.968). However, in-race medical events were higher in athletes with a previous history of EHI symptoms (16/51 or 31% vs 4/32 or 13%, p=0.050).
Of the responders, 33% declared symptoms of illness during the 10 days preceding their event (independent of event; p=0.116) (figure 2). Overall, this was not associated with DNF (p=0.688) or in-race medical events (p=0.385). The most common symptom was insomnia (figure 2). Only three athletes reporting insomnia had their Tcore monitored (peak Tcore 39.5°C, 40.3°C and 40.7°C).
The second most commonly reported symptom, diarrhoea (9% of all athletes) was more prevalent in the athletes suffering an in-race medical event than in others athletes (5/17 or 29% vs 2/60 or 3%, p<0.001). Concerningly, 71% (ie, 5/7) of athletes reporting a diarrhoea episode in the 10 days preceding the competition suffered an in-race medical event vs 17% (ie, 12/70) of the athletes not reporting recent diarrhoea (p<0.001, figure 2). Moreover, although not statistically significant (p=0.167), 43% of the athletes with recent diarrhoea DNF (ie, 3/7) vs only 20% (ie, 13/65) of the other athletes. The final Tcore (39.8°C±0.8°C vs 39.6°C±0.6°C, p=0.549) and Tskin (31.1°C±1.8°C vs 30.8°C±1.4°C, p=0.734) were not statistically different between athletes with and without recent diarrhoea.
Most athletes (80%, independently of event, p=0.596) had some form of heat exposure before the current WC. The proportion of athletes with a dedicated 5–30 days heat preparation period was 63%, depending on event (p=0.049), with a lower prevalence in marathon than 50KRW (48% vs 82%, p=0.028; 20KRW 63%, figure 3). Within the athletes training in the heat, the methods also differed between events (p=0.049) with 83% of marathon runners relying on natural outdoor heat only, whereas 33% of the 50KRW and 55% of the 20KRW trained in a hot room (figure 3). Similarly, the proportion of athletes incorporating passive heat exposure during their taper was lower in marathoners (21%) than in race-walkers (55%) (p=0.010).
Athletes who acclimated had a non-significantly lower Tcore at the start (−0.2°C, p=0.095) and a significantly lower peak Tcore (−0.4°C, p=0.044) compared with athletes who did not acclimate (figure 3). Athletes who acclimated had a non-significantly higher Tskin during the first lap (+0.7°C, p=0.060) that was compensated by a larger decrease during the race (−1.4°C±1.0°C vs −0.9°C±1.2°C, p=0.060) and no differences in final Tskin (p=0.646). Athletes who acclimated ranked better during their race (18±13 vs 28±13, p=0.009), but the relative performance was not different (112.6%±5.1% PB vs 113.3%±7.3% PB, p=0.643). Lastly, although not statistically significant (p≥0.179), 30% (n=9/30) and 32% (n=10/31) of the athletes who did not acclimate were respectively DNF or in-race medical event, versus only 19% (n=9/47 and n=10/52) of the athletes who acclimated (figure 3).
There were no differences between sexes regarding whether athletes had some form of heat exposure (78% vs 81%, p=0.731), a 5–30 days acclimation period (56% vs 68%, p=0.242), a recent illness (38% vs 29%, p=0.426), a previous history of EHI (12% vs 21%, p=0.307) or DNF (p=0.355). Women had faster relative performance than men in the 20KRW (p<0.001) and 50KRW (p=0.006), but a slower relative performance on the marathon (p<0.001, likely related to the difference in environmental conditions, table 1).
The proportion of women with an in-race medical event was higher than men (32% vs 17%, p<0.001). This difference was however likely due to the different environmental conditions during the women and men marathons (table 1) as there was no effect of sex on the prevalence of in-race medical event during race-walks (p=0.597), where environmental conditions were similar.
The peak Tcore was not different between women and men (39.5°C±0.6°C vs 39.6°C±0.6°C, p=0.544). The final Tskin was higher in women than men (31.5°C±0.8°C vs 30.4°C±1.6°C, p<0.001). Whereas this may be largely related to large differences during the marathons (31.5°C±1.2°C vs 29.0°C±1.1°C, p<0.001), the final Tskin of the women was also marginally higher than the men during the race walk (31.5°C±0.4°C vs 31.0°C±1.4°C, p=0.145). The Tcore-to-Tskin gradient was significantly lower in women than men (7.8°C±0.9°C vs 9.3°C±1.9°C, p=0.005), but only during the marathon.
The current project aimed to determine the athletes’ thermal responses and preparedness for a WC held in hot-humid conditions. First, athletes commonly reach Tcore above 40.0°C with the maximum Tcore observed during the 20KRW (41.1°C); confirming that the highest Tcore are not always reached during the longest events.5
Second, there were 70 medical encounters related to in-race illness. An increase in environmental heat stress has been reported to increase the number of heat-related illness cases in international marathon and race-walk events.2 Given that up to 13 athletes required a wheelchair during a single event (women’s marathon, table 1), the current study suggests that event organisers should consider a 1:5 wheelchairs to starters ratio for WC road-races in hot and humid conditions.
Third, numerous athletes (26.5%) reported to have previously experienced cramping when exercising in the heat. This proportion is similar to that reported in elite long-distance athletes (25.5%)12 and cyclists (26%).13 Cramping was also the most frequently observed complaint at the medical facility (9%). While most muscle cramps are attributed to premature muscle fatigue,16 the current observation support that exercising in the heat may still promote cramping in some athletes.17
Fourth, there was no consistent effect of sex on relative performance, refuting the common belief that women are at a greater disadvantage than men when competing in the heat. Indeed, most differences arise from anthropometric differences and sex per se does not significantly affect thermal responses, except during intense exercise in dry heat allowing full sweat evaporation.18–20 Thus, in the humid conditions of the current WC, where sweat rates exceeded the maximal evaporation rate possible, the effect of sex on performance was likely trivial.21 Moreover, a retrospective analysis of 7 international athletic championships revealed 132 cases of heat illnesses, but did not observe sex differences.2 No effects of sex were also observed for heat-related illness in elite cycling13 and beach volleyball.6 Yet, this latter study reported that 60% of the heat-related medical time-outs were among women,6 and the current study also showed a higher proportion of women than men suffered a medical event (although due to the higher ambient temperatures during the women’s). Also, Tcore >41°C were only observed in female athletes both during the 2016 cycling WC5 and the current athletic WC. Overall, there may be an effect of sex on the sensitivity to heat in elite athletes, but it appears marginal as compared with the large effects of exercise heat stress per se.
Fifth, despite an elevated 41% DNF during the women’s marathon, a Spearman’s rank correlation showed that the overall DNF proportion did not differ from previous WC (p=0.206, based on public data since 1983) (online supplemental appendix 3). However, as compared with the standing World record at the time of each WC (ie, to account for the evolution of performance across three decades), completion time was relatively slower at the 2019 WC than previous WC (p<0.001, online supplemental appendix 3). Therefore, the main performance consequence of heat in elite athletes was a reduction in speed (ie, a lower absolute intensity), likely due to the attempted maintenance of the same relative intensity (eg, heart rate).22
Sixth, the fact that 63% of athletes heat-acclimated for 5–30 days indicates increased awareness of, as well as increased number of athletes adopting heat acclimation. Indeed, only 15% and 38% of the athletes undertook heat acclimation prior to the 2015 athletic WC12 and 2016 cycling WC,13 respectively. This increase likely reflects the efficacy of educational material produced by the International Cycling Union (UCI) ahead of the 2016 cycling WC and then by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ahead of the 2019 athletic WC (online supplemental appendix 1). While marathoners were less inclined to have a dedicated heat acclimation block, this could be partially explained by the fact that more marathoners than race-walkers declared living in hot countries, and thus may have considered it not necessary to perform specific acclimation (figure 3).
Seventh, a third of the athletes declared symptoms of illness during the 10 days preceding their event. This is a worrying increase compared with the 13% of athletes reporting symptoms during the 4 weeks preceding the 2015 athletics’ WC,23 or the 22% of cyclists reporting symptoms during the 10 days preceding the 2016 cycling WC (ie, same questionnaire as the current study).13
Risk factors and countermeasures
The leading objective of the current project was to determine the associations between the above responses and the risk of DNF or medical event. For example, it has been shown that 19% of amateur runners experienced illness symptoms in the 8–12 days preceding a long distance endurance event, increasing their risk of DNF ~twofold.24 In the current study, there was no overall relationship between DNF or in-race illness and a recent symptom (the most common symptom being insomnia possibly due to the races being held close to midnight). However, the second most common symptom, diarrhoea, was a major risk factor for in-race medical events (figure 2). This confirms a recent retrospective analysis of beach volleyball WC and world-tour events suggesting that a recent episode of diarrhoea increased the severity of heat-related medical time-out.6 Considering the changes in gut microbiota and gastrointestinal symptoms affecting thermoregulation when exercising in the heat,25 it is likely that starting a race in a hot and humid environment with less than optimal gastrointestinal health/function may impose increased thermoregulatory challenges. The deleterious effect of diarrhoea on the capacity to exercise in the heat is likely multifactorial (including hydration and electrolyte level) as final Tcore (39.8°C±0.8°C vs 39.6°C±0.6°C, p=0.549) and Tskin (31.1°C±1.8°C vs 30.8°C±1.4°C, p=0.734) were not statistically different between athletes with and without recent diarrhoea. The current data also confirm that EHI history is a risk factor for experiencing a medical event when competing in the heat,9 but to a lower extent than a recent diarrhoea.
Heat acclimation is the most important preventative countermeasure to protect athlete health and performance in hot ambient conditions.10 11 In line with laboratory data showing that heat acclimation lowers Tcore for a given exercise load (and sometimes at rest),26 the current data show a non-significant lower Tcore at the start and a significantly lower peak Tcore in competition (figure 3). Importantly, athletes who acclimated had a better finishing position (figure 3), although it may reflect a general tendency for the best athletes to better prepare rather than a different relative performance. It is also noteworthy that >30% of non-acclimated athletes DNF and/or suffered an in-race medical event, versus only 19% of the acclimated athletes (figure 3).
In the effort of determining the associations between the various physiological and pathophysiological responses to competing in the heat, a new technology was also deployed (online supplemental appendix 2) to provide the first in-race Tskin measures ever obtained.14 Although it is important to reaffirm that Tcore is the clinical criterion to diagnose EHS and associated risk of organ damage, the current data showed that higher Tskin and a reduced Tcore-to-Tskin gradient are important indicators of the athlete’s ability to cope with heat stress, finish the race and/or potentially require medical attention (figure 1). This confirms for the first time, during outdoor elite competition, that the Tcore-to-Tskin gradient is a central component of exercise capacity in the heat.27 Indeed, a lower gradient requires a higher skin blood flow to maintain a given level of heat dissipation.28 Importantly, the current WC road-races were contested at night and further studies remain necessary with different thermal loads.
The current data represent a snapshot of the 2019 WC, held late in the season, during a pre-Olympic year and at night. Variations in events, period or time may lead to slightly different observations. Given the ‘real-world’ observations performed, not all athletes provided all information and they were free to follow their usual routines without any restrictions imposed by the research team. Therefore, values such as skin temperature may have been affected by the different cooling strategies of the athletes. Future studies should obtain nuanced detail behind DNF and medical events. The results from previous WC are presented only for context and complete retrospective analyses of the relationships between weather, health and/or performance are available elsewhere.2 29
The present study is the first to determine the association between athletes’ thermal responses, preparation, health status, medical events and performance during a ‘real-world’ elite sporting event held in a hot-humid environment. Heat acclimation is increasingly practised and demonstrates various ‘real-world’ benefits for elite athletes competing in the heat. However, the prevalence of precompetition illnesses is concerning and a recent diarrhoea episode was markedly associated with an in-race medical event. Our results also challenge some current beliefs and practices such as considering Tcore ‘only’. Tskin and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient are shown here to be important indicators of the athlete’s ability to cope with heat stress.
What is already known on this topic?
Athletes commonly reach core temperatures >40.0°C when competing in the heat.
The risk factors for developing exertional heat stroke are unclear but acclimation may be an important countermeasure to protect health and performance.
What are the findings?
Skin temperature, its rate of decrease and the core-to-skin temperature gradient (but not core temperature per se, 39.6±0.6°C) were related to did not finish (DNF) or an in-race medical event.
Nine per cent of surveyed athletes had diarrhoea in the 10 days preceding the World Athletics Championships, increasing their likelihood of DNF (from 20% to 43%) and an in-race medical event (from 17% to 71%).
Sixty-three per cent of athletes had a dedicated heat acclimation of 5–30 days.
They were better ranked, less likely to DNF or have an in-race medical event, alongside having lower thermal strain than the other athletes.
How might it impact on clinical practice in the future?
Real-time measuring technologies under development should integrate skin temperature monitoring.
Health status during the 10 days preceding a competition in the heat should be closely monitored, with a particular attention to diarrhoea.
Educational materials on heat acclimation should be promoted to assist athlete preparation for hot weather events.
Data availability statement
Data are available on reasonable request.
Patient consent for publication
The study was approved by the Anti-Doping Lab Qatar Institutional Review Board (E2019000302) and conformed to the current Declaration of Helsinki guidelines. Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before taking part.
The authors thank the World Athletics Health and Science Department for their endorsement, financial and operational support. The authors thank the local organising committee for their operational support.
This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content.
Twitter @ephysiol, @Ihsan_mo, @paolo_emilio, @DrJuanMAlonso, @Marco_Cardinale, @NicolvanDyk, @chris_esh, @goipergormance, @Louidoc, @DrNathanT
Contributors SR designed the study and is responsible for the overall content as guarantor. All authors contributed to data collection and/or analyses. All authors revised the manuscript and approved the final version.
Funding This study was supported by World Athletics (formerly International Association of Athletics Federations).
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.

domain: medical


text:
How many exhibition works:
Walk into the navy blue colour field to encounter six-eight surreal, theatrical, photographic cut-outs of pointed fingers mounted on pendulums, poised in balance waiting to be activated by the viewer. The pendulums are set in motion and the cartoon-like fingers satirically mock each other with every swing on the axle creating a slapstick exaggerated finger wag. These larger-than-life kinetic collages create the feeling you are walking into an animation, from an uncanny world of clunky mechanical Victorian toys and fairground games in a bizarre collision between bodies and machines. The Blame Game, despite its dry humour, is inspired by the political agendas of recent times, and the 6-8 sculptures will be positioned through the space so that they are all blaming each other, pointing fat fingers across the room in different directions with no obvious resolution. Each pendulum is swinging with its own rhythm and momentum, the squeaks and clunks from the mechanisms add to the character of each sculpture. As the energy dissipates they become still again one by one. The cutouts are also mounted on a hook, so within the momentum of the pendulum moving side to side, the pointed fingers will also swing more freely, giving it a more theatrical choreography and punctuation.
Lucy Gregory (b. London) graduated from the The Ruskin School of Art, 2016 and The Royal College of Art (Sculpture) , 2018. Exploring the theatricality of flatness, she creates large-scale ‘kinetic collages’ that rely on audience participation to activate surreal mechanisms. (Gregory’s sculptural environments play with a collision between bodies and machines to create the feeling you are walking into an animation – referencing the body and its flexible instability flattened on screen, and the violent slapstick humour of cartoons. ) Lucy won the Ingram Prize and her work is now part of the Ingram Collection. She received the Gilbert Bayes Trust Studio Grant and the RCA Arts & Humanities Art Criticism Prize. She recently exhibited at Bold Tendencies, Contemporary Sculpture Fulmer with Brooke Benington Gallery, MK Gallery, Daniel Benjamin Gallery and was included in the HIX Prize, FBA Futures and the Affordable Art Fair’s Recent Graduates’ Exhibition.
3-15 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1DU

domain: artistic


text:
American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) announced a oct 17 dividend on Thursday, October 12th, RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.18 per share by the real estate investment trust on Thursday, November 9th. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 30th.
Shares of American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ AGNC) traded up 0.28% during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $21.56. 3,712,913 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged. American Capital Agency Corp. has a one year low of $17.30 and a one year high of $22.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.20. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $21.48 and a 200 day moving average of $21.06.
American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.07. American Capital Agency Corp. had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 161.49%. The firm had revenue of $181.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $203.44 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.73 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that American Capital Agency Corp. will post $2.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AGNC. BidaskClub upgraded American Capital Agency Corp. from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “hold” rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of American Capital Agency Corp. in a report on Tuesday, July 4th. Maxim Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $21.25 price target on shares of American Capital Agency Corp. in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded American Capital Agency Corp. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. American Capital Agency Corp. has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.61.
American Capital Agency Corp. Company Profile
AGNC Investment Corp., formerly American Capital Agency Corp., is a real estate investment trust. The Company invests in agency residential mortgage-backed securities on a leveraged basis. Its investments consist of residential mortgage pass-through securities and collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a government-sponsored enterprise, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), or by the United States Government agency, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) (collectively, GSEs).
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text:
Ostozhenka is often dubbed as Moscow’s “Golden Mile.” If look around, you will find yourself surrounded by the facades of ornate art nouveau buildings. It once formed the heart of the city and still continues to be its cultural epicentre. This area was once frequented by the likes of Ivan Turgenev and Mikhail Bulgakov. Many of the city’s prominent institutions are also seen nestled in the century old buildings of Ostozhenka. The Moscow House of Photography is located here as is the Galina Vishnyevskaya Opera Centre. What’s more it is one of the hotbeds of Moscow real estate market.
Ostozhenka Park Palace itself possesses many of the features typical to an art nouveau building. The residential complex was completed in 2009 offering spacious accommodation in a number of its apartments. But nothing inside Ostozhenka Park Palace or in its surrounding will prepare you to encounter futurism as you are about to in this apartment whose details we are going to uncover today.
This futuristic apartment occupies 420 sq metres of Ostozhenka Park Palace residential complex. It exhibits a predominance of shiny white laminated surfaces duly balanced with wooden elements. Despite the availability of space, use of furniture and decorative features are minimal. However, care has been taken to induce a sense of comfort within its futuristic, if not slightly eccentric, frame. It is planned by Studio Maxim Rubtsov, an eponymous design firm of Maxim Rubtsov who boasts of considerable experience in the sphere of architecture and design.
The cosy white living room is marked by the presence of a modish sectional sofa, chair and coffee table. A grey area rug provides a suitable backdrop for the furniture. But the lighting fixture acts both as an essential and decorative element. Ceiling décor and introduction of wooden texture massively help in suitably tempering the atmosphere of the living room.
The narrow and oblong kitchen shares its space with the formal dining area. The designer used a combination of shiny white synthetic surface and matte wood to decorate its interior. The storage units are neatly tucked in the wall mounted cabinets. The worktops and a few other items of décor are simple, but sufficient for preparing a hearty family meal.
The dining space is defined by the presence of stylish chairs surrounding a wood top table. The cloud like lighting fixture, though trendy, is not exactly futuristic but has been invented in the last century. Shiny metallic elements create a remarkable interior throbbing with energy.
The master bedroom boasts of simpler décor and, thanks largely to the wooden floor and wall panels, a more amiable finish. Wardrobe, clad in white robe, occupies one of the corners. The bed is comfortable and upholstered in furnishings with cheery tones. Chairs and stools are available to sit on and have a heart to heart talk at any available opportunity.
The entertainment room is adorned with wood panelled walls. But the accent wall boasts of even more stylish décor. Cosy duo tone sofa and chairs provide sufficient space to enjoy a good movie or listen to some soulful tracks. This area has the potential of doubling up as a secondary bedroom if need be. Once realised, this place also aims to have sufficient greenery for creating a more gentle ambience.
The home office cum library is adorned with a combination of playful study table, chair, lighting fixture, comfortable sofa and metal coffee table resembling the trunk of a tree. The bookcases occupy an entire wall a part of which is snugly upholstered to give a stylish finish to the entire room.
This apartment has provisions for multiple bedroom suites one of which is decked up with a curvy platform bed. The wall décor, shiny coffee table, dresser and tv cabinet collaborate with the bed to give the room a futuristic appearance. A reclining chair is placed close to the window to have a sumptuous view of Ostozhenka’s elegant surrounding.
The en suite bathrooms show same lavish décor made prominent by the use of graceful wood panels, premium quality marble and surprisingly rustic furniture. The sanitary fittings are all prim white and of regular shape unlike the wooden boards that hold them. Lighting fixtures once again act as major ornamental feature of this private space.
The trendy shower room is defined by luxury wooden features, wash basin, mirror and meticulous wall décor. The curvaceous design makes it a unique space. Except for the wall mounted cabinet and a stool no other elements of furniture clutter the space.


text:
Robert Schindler,Sr., the father of Terri Schiavo has died. National Right to Life has released this letter:
“NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE MOURNS THE LOSS OF ROBERT SCHINDLER, SR.
WASHINGTON – The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nation’s largest pro-life group, today joined with pro-lifers nationwide in mourning the passing of our dear friend Robert Schindler, Sr., the father of Terri Schindler Schiavo. Mr. Schindler died this morning in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“Bob Schindler was an extraordinary father, husband and friend,” said Wanda Franz, Ph.D., National Right to Life President. “His death is a profound loss for all of us in the pro-life movement. Today, our thoughts and prayers are with his loving wife, Mary and their children, Bobby and Suzanne.”
Despite facing legal setbacks at virtually every turn, the Schindlers, with their children at their side, fought unceasingly to defend the right of their daughter, Terri Schindler Schiavo, to receive food and fluids. Their brave struggle ended on March 31, 2005, when Terri died from a court-ordered withdrawal of nutrition and hydration.
Following Terri’s death, the family began advocating for other medically dependent and disabled patients facing similar circumstances through the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation.
In 2007, the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund honored the Schindler family with the Proudly Pro-Life Award for their dedication and public witness to the cause of life.
“In life, Bob, and his wife Mary, never sought the spotlight. They only wished to care for their beloved daughter, Terri. Through their selfless dedication to Terri, they showed the nation and the world what it means when someone says they are ‘pro-life’,” added David N. O’Steen, Ph.D., National Right to Life Executive Director.
The National Right to Life Committee, the nation’s largest pro-life group is a federation of affiliates in all 50 states and 3,000 local chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide.”
Terri Schiavo of course was judicially murdered by the State of Florida in 2005 at the behest of her “loving husband”, Michael Schiavo. A few comments about that judicial travesty: Read the rest of this entry »

domain: law


The final concert in the Nørgård in New York series explores the composer’s fascination with the natural world in works for large ensembles that incorporate the physical and aural aspects of nature. The highlight of the concert is the U.S. Premiere of Nørgård’s major chamber symphony Night-Symphonies, Day Breaks.
The evening’s program also includes the recent percussion concerto Three Scenes; Prelude and Ant Fugue, a delirious deconstruction of Bach’s C Major Prelude; Prelude to Breaking, a study in the harmony of waves; and the gorgeous Nova Genitura with soprano Sarah Joy Miller, perhaps the most beautiful piece in Nørgård’s entire body of work. The concert features performances by the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, soprano Sarah Joy Miller, and percussionist Neeraj Mehta.
About Nørgård in New York
Discover the music of Per Nørgård, Denmark’s greatest living composer. Queens-based Lost Dog New Music Ensemble presents three illuminating concerts at Scandinavia House that reveal Nørgård’s connections to American music and poetry, his vital contributions to the string quartet repertoire, and the influence of the soundscape of the natural world on his music. Featuring 11 major U.S. premieres, including a rare performance of his ravishing Night-Symphonies, Day Breaks. The series includes performances by guest artists Momenta Quartet, soprano Sarah Joy Miller, and percussionist Neeraj Mehta.
“The festival program for Nørgård in New York is a comprehensive presentation of my music, and I am very grateful for this endeavor. It is difficult not to be both touched and impressed by the work done by the musicians and ensembles involved in presenting my music to audiences in New York.
The works in the program come from different periods of my production, and I hope that my music will open the ears of the New York audience to new melodies and new beginnings.”—Per Nørgård
Series pass $45


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Crystals are common forms of solids characterized by the order of the molecules. In this activity students explore crystal structure.
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Crystals are ordered repetitive arrays of atoms.
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domain: chemistry


Eli and Daniel, two Korean American brothers, own a struggling shoe store and have an unlikely friendship with Kamilla, a street wise 11-year-old African American girl. Kamilla ditches ...
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A Korean-born man finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana, where his architect father is in a coma. The man meets a young woman who wants to stay in Columbus with her mother, a recovering addict, instead of pursuing her own dreams.
Haley Lu Richardson,
Set over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World.
Eli and Daniel, two Korean American brothers, own a struggling shoe store and have an unlikely friendship with Kamilla, a street wise 11-year-old African American girl. Kamilla ditches school, Eli stresses about the store, and Daniel tries to have a good time. It's just another typical day at the store until the Rodney King verdict is read and riots break out. With the chaos moving towards them, the trio is forced to defend the store while contemplating the future of their own personal dreams and the true meaning of family.Written by
Director, writer, and lead actor Justin Chon wrote the role of Mr. Kim specifically for his father Sang Chon, but it took 3 months to convince his father to accept the role because of the nature of the film and the similarities to their own family history. See more »
In multiple scenes throughout the film, you can see a mic taped under the shirts of various actors. See more »
It was a compelling movie touch touch me and many others
Well the movie was about bringing out the raw emotions of the story without gimmick or compromise. The title says it all, one that most people would not dare to use to get a movie out. But this movie was not made to make money or impress but rater get a story out that would reach and touch people. The black and white was effective portraying more of the raw feelings. It was a compelling movie touch touch me and many others. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone.
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Crew Rebrands to “Columbus Soccer Club” and Fans React
The soccer team formerly known as the Columbus Crew SC formally announced a reband this afternoon, moving the team forward with a new look, new logo and new name. The Major League Soccer team headquartered here in the city will now be known as “Columbus Soccer Club” or “Columbus SC” for short.
“The current direction of our Club and our city provides a natural time to examine our identity going forward,” stated Crew President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a press release issued this afternoon. “Our identity and brand evolution includes a shift in our mindset to be consistent contenders on the pitch, but also includes evolving our look both in the community and across competitions.”
Many long-time fans and supporters were surprised to learn over the weekend that the Crew name was being dropped formally from the team’s identity, although the club is stressing that “The Crew” will remain as an informal nickname. According to today’s press release, the C in the logo “represents the Crew primarily and also Columbus.”
The branding is the first major update for the team since October 2014, when the club’s popular badge was rolled out and “SC” was added to the team’s name.
A very informal Twitter poll conducted earlier today by Columbus Underground garnered primarily negative responses with over 90 comments at the time of publishing.
Additionally, The Nordecke fan community issued a statement condemning the move.
“The Nordecke is deeply saddened by the decision to rebrand the club, in the process stripping it of its name and heritage,” stated the release. “The Crew has been the club’s name and heart since its inception, it has served as our rallying cry when we had to save the team from relocation, and our unified cheer when we have seen victory. We condemn these changes, and more importantly, the lack of transparency in this process and urge the team to reconsider with meaningful input from the Crew community.”
Columbus SC will host its first home game in the new stadium on July 3, 2021.
“We are Columbus Soccer Club, we are The Crew, and we will always be the Black & Gold,” stated Bezbatchenko.
For more information, visit columbuscrewsc.com.


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Misinformation in the health sector has become a pressing global concern, contributing to vaccine hesitancy, endangering public health, and eroding trust in scientific expertise. Misinformation is a term used to describe false and misleading information that spreads unintentionally 1. Within this spectrum is health misinformation typically most often, which refers to information that contradicts the established consensus within the scientific community regarding, for instance, the safety or side-effects of a vaccine 2 .For a healthy information ecosystem, it is imperative we delve into the murky waters of misinformation, and its causes, and find innovative approaches to combat it, while emphasizing the need for public health programs to incorporate elements that seek to address this growing crisis.
How Misinformation fools us
The internet which has increased access to health information as well as health misinformation, is a double-edged sword. With the rise of social media as a primary source of information, for many, a myriad of official and unofficial sources are available to provide answers on every topic imaginable3. An individual might repeatedly see health misinformation and eventually hold it as truth whereas it is in fact a myth. This is known as the illusory truth effect, where repeated exposure to misinformation fosters belief4. By seeking out information which aligns with the misinformation they now believe to be true believes to be true, confirmation bias another cognitive mechanism allows the misinformation to become entrenched5. Once misinformation has turned into a misbelief, it has been found to be remarkably difficult to uproot, often persisting even after efforts to correct it, for example by exposing the individuals to factual reliable information have been undertaken6. In other words, misinformation is a tricky problem driven by several factors.
The gatekeepers in addressing misinformation
Some promising approaches to address misinformation include accuracy nudges. These nudges are designed to encourage the target audience to pay greater attention to the veracity of information they encounter. This simple intervention has been found to reduce the tendency to share falsehoods7. A second approach is debunking interventions which seek to provide comprehensive alternative factual information to the target audience in a bid to eradicate their misbeliefs8.
A more novel approach in health is the concept of inoculation against misinformation9. This involves teaching audiences about manipulation techniques, and enhancing their digital literacy by, for instance, by teaching how to assess the credibility of online sources 10 11 . These strategies aim to create a more resilient populace less susceptible to the siren call of misinformation.
Across all approaches, a central factor influencing the efficacy of interventions is perceived source credibility12. If someone debunks a myth around a vaccine, it matters who that person is and how credible the audience considers them to be.
Collaborations with public health programs and clinical health providers are needed to address health misinformation. Health care providers are trusted entities and are well positioned to debunk patient held health misinformation especially if they have an understanding of their patient’s values, information sources and their comprehension13. While public health programs with their reach can impact misinformation within communities.
In conclusion, addressing health misinformation demands a comprehensive strategy14. While tackling specific myths is vital, it’s equally crucial to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge to discern fact from fiction in our information-saturated world. As we combat the misinformation pandemic, it’s imperative that public health programs incorporate these multifaceted approaches to protect the health and well-being of our communities. Misinformation is a formidable foe, but with the right tools, a vigilant public, and a commitment to truth, we can prevail in the battle for truth in public health.


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Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) Director Richard Belluzzo sold 10,000 shares of Viavi Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.00, for a total transaction of $90,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 198,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,790,190. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Richard Belluzzo also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Friday, October 13th, Richard Belluzzo sold 10,000 shares of Viavi Solutions stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.54, for a total transaction of $95,400.00.
Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $8.73. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,730,066 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,039,483. The stock has a market cap of $2,030.87, a PE ratio of 29.77, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.19. Viavi Solutions Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $8.13 and a fifty-two week high of $11.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 2.20 and a quick ratio of 2.10.
Viavi Solutions (NASDAQ:VIAV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.05 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $195.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $183.89 million. Viavi Solutions had a return on equity of 8.99% and a net margin of 10.57%. Viavi Solutions’s quarterly revenue was down 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.09 EPS. equities analysts predict that Viavi Solutions Inc. will post 0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.
VIAV has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. B. Riley restated a “buy” rating and set a $14.00 target price on shares of Viavi Solutions in a report on Thursday, August 10th. BidaskClub cut shares of Viavi Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 14th. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $11.00 price objective on shares of Viavi Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, August 16th. MKM Partners increased their target price on shares of Viavi Solutions from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 16th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded Viavi Solutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $12.78.
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VIAV. Creative Planning grew its stake in Viavi Solutions by 177.9% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 11,302 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 7,235 shares during the last quarter. Aperio Group LLC grew its stake in Viavi Solutions by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. Aperio Group LLC now owns 90,782 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $956,000 after buying an additional 9,964 shares during the last quarter. Quantitative Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Viavi Solutions by 45.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quantitative Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 17,831 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $188,000 after buying an additional 5,555 shares during the period. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan lifted its holdings in shares of Viavi Solutions by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan now owns 54,370 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $573,000 after buying an additional 2,080 shares during the period. Finally, John G Ullman & Associates Inc. increased its stake in Viavi Solutions by 74.1% during the 2nd quarter. John G Ullman & Associates Inc. now owns 206,500 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $2,174,000 after buying an additional 87,900 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.49% of the company’s stock.
About Viavi Solutions
Viavi Solutions Inc (Viavi) is a provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions to communications service providers, enterprises and their ecosystems. The Company also offers thin film optical coatings, providing light management solutions to anti-counterfeiting, consumer and industrial, government and healthcare and other markets.
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The finishes near the top of our class rankings, and it has one of the best interiors in the class. We Gather all the material from the Internet, and we can not guarantee the accuracy of such information. It will be powered by a 2. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis. Remaining portion of the crossover would remain untouched when we exclude possible new color options, wheels designs, and similar things.
While it's fine for driving around town, this engine lacks pep and provides slower acceleration than rivals' engines. You are able to rely on around 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. However, the vehicle's sloping roofline and narrow windows can make the cabin feel small. Almost every other costs more. With that in mind, you might want to consider alternatives like the and. The Luxury package will even include heated and ventilated seats, 20-inch wheels, and upgraded leather. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is mated to the engine, and the F Sport is the sole model in the lineup with paddle shifters.
The drivetrain is capable to launch 295 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. With the aim of serving an international market, the 200t is expected to be powerful while at the same time showing great fuel economy. A better suspension system is also in place to make riding in the car as smooth as possible. In spite of its credentials, there is only so much that it can do with whatever it has on tap. Simply turn the drive mode dial to S+ to experience less body roll and a higher cornering limit. Text and image: Greg Yang.
However, if they had gone with wider tires there would be more road noise and rolling resistance so a trade-off had to be made. Thankfully, the turbocharger elevates the performance of the car to acceptable levels, with adequate torque to pull it along nicely. The main hallmark of a Lexus is its ability to remain poised and elegant when chauffeured but give it a good stab and Mr. The rear and front wheel arches will be more pronounced, angular and flared. Though it lags behind the competition in some areas, it provides a roomy interior, good gas mileage, and a terrific predicted reliability rating. The tough, no-nonsense exterior proposition will surely appeal to go-getters and the domineering types who wish to win big in their careers and on the road, while also appealing to the gentler folk with a mean streak once they get behind the wheel.
The system earns a rating of Good the highest rating for its ease of use, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. SeatingFilter selectedSeatingList, null ; seatingFilter. That's one of the highest ratings in the class. The latter performed better in corners even without an active stabilization system to check body roll. This could mean a few tweaks to the spindle grille and front fascia, but definitely nothing significant.
You can only compare 3 cars at a time. Also, the integrated fender that discovered the grille primarily listed here the Lexus symbol is gone, as well as the side to side nightclubs within the grille. News Best Cars has been ranking vehicles since 2007, and our team has more than 75 years of combined experience in the automotive industry. This is the engine for use in China and other countries. Why You Can Trust Us U.
Models from 2015 through 2017 are nearly identical. Its futuristic design and many hard angles will soon be ornated with the large 20-inch wheels in the F Sport model that'll give it even more aggressive appearance. The Premium package will add wood trim, real leather, and roof rails. TruckCabinFilter selectedCabinList, null ; truckCabinFilter. A floating roof effect is created by the incorporation of the blacked out C-pillar.
You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it the highest rating of Good in five crash tests. The sharp edges of the fog lamp housings also do their part to point you in the right direction. The specific information on the fuel economy to expect is not yet out but it is expected that it will be among the fairest in the market. For this power to be produced effectively, the engine will work hand-in-hand with an air-to-liquid intercooler to combat heat that may reduce power and a twin-scroll turbocharger.


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LLAH (AFP) - The global Palestinian population reached 10.9 million in 2009 with more than half living outside the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority said Tuesday.
The survey by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics found some 1.5 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip and about 2.5 million are in the occupied West Bank including east Jerusalem.
Another 1.25m reside inside Israel and are the descendants of those Palestinians who did not flee or were not driven out during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that followed the creation of the Jewish state.
Some 3.24m Palestinians live in Jordan, another 1.78m are in other Arab countries and around 618,000 Palestinians in other countries.
From 1997 to 2007, the total fertility rate in the Palestinian territories declined from 6.0 to 4.6, the report said.
Israels total population is nearing 7.5m of which 5.5m are Jewish, according to government figures released in September.

domain: sociology


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The continued existence of Grand Theft Auto Online is still a bumpy experience. After advising players not to save over the slots of disappeared characters due to failing cloud saves, Rockstar have stated today that lost characters and progress are gone for good.
Rockstar made this announcement on their official site, stating “for those asking about their lost characters or rank, those will not be able to be restored“. To make up for this Rockstar is giving players a major cash injection in the form of $500,000 of in game currency. Many players feel this will break the balance of the game or take away part of the fun from earning in game rewards that could be bought with the money.
What do you think? Is an apology enough or do you want more? Do you feel the cash takes away part of the fun or do you welcome the wealth? Let us know in the comments.

domain: hobby


Tyres are considered as the one-man army for any vehicle. Not just your car but even for your bicycles, so much so that the existence of the vehicle is good for nothing if it doesn’t have the tyres. The invention of tyres is the pure blessing to our life. Let’s not forget that even after providing your vehicle with so many advantages, the importance of tyres is often overlooked. In case you are still in doubt about the function of the tyres, let’s have a quick look upon the work of tyres.
Providing traction– The tyres are counted for fulfilling the responsibility of providing traction to your vehicle which ultimately results in a better gripping system of your vehicle.
Lifting the weight of the vehicle– It is an obvious fact that the tyres are under every part of your vehicle hence it is the one that has to hold the weight of the vehicle and everything inside it.
Work as a link– As you already know that the tyres are under every part of your vehicle hence it is the one that has to connect your vehicle with the road that it is running over. There is no other direct link if not tyres.
Helps with the brakes– The tyres with its gripping power helps your vehicle to stop right after you apply the brakes. You won’t be able to stop your vehicle if it runs on wheels rather than the tyres.
Better looks– There’s no denying the fact that the tyres enhance the looks of your vehicle and put a nice impression wherever it goes. You can go for the Sunny Tyres on this account.
Now the tyres may work dynamically with different needs and the types of the vehicle. Let’s discuss it with the help of an example, shall we?
How Do Tyres Work With Off-Road Vehicles?
The tyres are usually manufactured to provide traction and grip on the well-paved and smooth roads. For off-road situations, the vehicle needs different tyre types to provide the same gripping on muddy and sandy paths. The tyres are the only ones that you can count on to get out of the rocky paths of the off-road. You should consider all kinds of driving situations before buying tyres for your vehicle. Although the manufacturers have launched various types of off-road tyres in the market. There are three main varieties of Car Tyres available for the off-road vehicle to save them from all the discomforts on their path.
All-terrain tyres – This is one of the kinds of off-road tyres that your vehicle may need at its splitting time in between off-highway and the main highway use. These tyres are manufactured with the interlocking gripping elements. It provides a better grip on icy and snowy roads.
Mud- terrain tyres– This is the type of off-road tyre that can be used if your vehicle runs off-road most of the time. It has the aggressive lugs and treads patterns that does an amazing job at providing grip on muddy, wet and snowy roads. These tyres have the toughest sidewalls and are really durable. It easily absorbs all the shocks from the rocky path and provides you with a very comfortable ride.
Snow tyres– In cold countries like the UK, the use of snow tyres for off-road situations is the best option in winters. It guarantees you safety and comfort while driving by staying pliant and soft in low temperatures.
These were the three types of off-road tyres that you must acknowledge in order to make your decision about choosing the most suitable tyre for your vehicle.