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NumFOCUS was well represented at the 2018 SciPy Conference in Austin, Texas.
Presentations given by our projects included:
- Keynote: SciPy 1.0 and Beyond: A Story of Code and Community by Ralf Gommers
- Should this Drug be Approved? A Bayesian’s Answer with Stan by Marianne Corvellec & Konstantinos Vamvourellis
- Practical Applications of Astropy by David Shupe
- Open Source Tools for ‘Heterogeneous Agent’ Modeling by Christopher Carroll and Matthew White
- Re-usable, Open Educational Modules for Engineering Undergraduates by Lorena Barba
- scikit learn and Tabular Data Closing the Gap by Joris Van den Bossche
- Scalable Machine Learning with Dask by Tom Augspurger & Olivier Grisel
- SciPy Tools Plenary Session Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3
(so many Jupyter talks!)
- Jupyter Notebook Driven Development with PYNT PYthon iNTeractive by Edward Banner
- Interactive Data Visualization Leveraging Jupyter, Rust and WebAssembly by Madicken Munk
- Interactive 3D Visualization in Jupyter by Maarten Breddels
- Binder 2.0: Next Gen of Reproducible Scientific Environments w/ repo2docker & BinderH by Chris Holdgraf, M Pacer, & Min Ragan-Kelley
- Building a Weather App using NOAA Open Data & Jupyter Notebooks by Filipe Fernandes & Richard Signell
- bqplot Seamless Interactive Visualizations and Dashboards in the Jupyter Notebook by Silvain Corlay
- Bringing ipywidgets Support to plotly.py by Jon Mease
- Getting Started with JupyterLab (Beginner Level) by Jason Grout
- The Jupyter Interactive Widget Ecosystem by Matt Craig
- An Introduction to Julia (Beginner Level) by Jane Herriman & Sacha Verweij
- pandas .head() to .tail() (Beginner) by Dillon Niederhut
- Anatomy of Matplotlib (Beginner Level) by Benjamin Root & Hannah Aizenman
- Intro to Numerical Computing with NumPy (Beginner) by Alex Chabot-Leclerc
- Parallelizing Scientific Python with Dask by James Crist & Martin Durant
- Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Part 1 and Part 2 by Andreas Mueller and Guillaume Lemaitre
- Image Analysis in Python with SciPy and scikit-image by Stefan van der Walt
- PyViz: Easy Visualization and Exploration for all your Data by James A. Bednar
NumFOCUS was pleased to contribute prize money for the John Hunter Excellence in Plotting Contest 2018.
The winning entry was “History of Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa 2013-2015,” by Gytis Dudas, Luiz Max Carvalho, Trevor Bedford, Andrew J Tatem, Marc A Suchard, Philippe Lemey, & Andrew Rambaut.
You can view all the 2018 entries here.

domain: library


Taking charge: Women journalists build a more inclusive industry
From websites and newsrooms to databases and collectives, women are working to overcome sexism and discrimination as they shape a new frontier in media.
Women have forged, paved, and maintained pathways in journalism since breaking into the industry in the mid-1800s. Yet the status that women hold in newsrooms, behind the camera, and in positions of power throughout the industry remains bleak.
To cite just a few grim statistics: as of last year women had won only 16 percent of Pulitzer prizes in all categories, a full century after the creation of the award. Only 38 percent of bylines in the top 20 news organizations in the U.S. go to women, and women of color represent just 7.95 percent of U.S. print newsroom staff. In June 2017 Poynter reported that women who were employed full-time by Dow Jones & Company earned less than 85 percent of what their male counterparts earned. Last year, only 13 percent of front page photos in major international newspapers were taken by women. And since the founding of World Press Photo in 1955, only four women have won first prize, none of whom were women of color.
Documentary photographer Donna De Cesare began pursuing a photojournalism career in 1981, at a time when few women had found prominence as photographers. “It was a dominantly male context and fiercely competitive with an ethos of bravura and adventurism,” said De Cesare. “In this context to raise the question of sexism or gender discrimination was to invite ridicule or face being trivialized.”
Ignoring the sexism and “locker-room jibes,” De Cesare pushed forward, putting herself on the front lines of the war in El Salvador in the late 80s. Since then she has worked long-term on documenting the effects of the war, culminating in her book “Unsettled / Desasosiego: Children in a World of Gangs,” which placed as a finalist in the 2013 Picture of the Year International’s Best Photography Book category.
De Cesare’s work exploring gangs in Los Angeles and Central America has been supported by the Dorothea Lange / Paul Taylor Prize, the Alicia Patterson Fellowship for Social Documentary, and the Open Society Foundations Audience Engagement grant. Her work has been exhibited at Visa Pour L’image, the Annenberg Space for Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, among other spaces. De Cesare is also a Fulbright fellow and won the 2013 Maria Moors Cabot Award for her work in Latin America.
De Cesare was my first photojournalism teacher at The University of Texas. I’ll never forget how she stood before an auditorium full of first-year journalism students, myself included, and spoke compellingly of ethics and dedication as her powerful images flipped across the movie-theater size screen. De Cesare says women outnumber men at least three to one in the classes she teaches. (According to The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, women make up more than two-thirds of journalism or mass communication graduates.) Nonetheless, women today face many of the same issues, including professional underrepresentation, that De Cesare has faced throughout her career.
“We still lag behind male counterparts when it comes to salaried staff positions whether at legacy media or at digital startups,” said De Cesare. “Women are most visible among the self-employed ranks of freelance photographers. Career longevity and the struggle to balance career and personal life, whether or not that includes motherhood, remain great challenges for most women in visual journalism.”
De Cesare believes the media industry is quick to overlook structural factors contributing to inequity while pointing to women who are exceptions as proof that one can have it all. “This harms women,” she said.
Like many women afraid of the discrimination they might face for being pregnant or having a family, Associated Press photojournalist Jacquelyn Martin waited five months to tell her boss she was pregnant due to her concern about being treated differently. “Thankfully, the whole desk was supportive and helpful — more than I ever expected,” said Martin.
“There’s security in being on a staff. Freelancers for other organizations have told me they’ve hidden their pregnancies literally until the day they drop. They don’t want people to decide for them that they are no longer able to do the work,” said Martin, who is also a member of Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW), a non-profit organization that nourishes women’s professional success by hosting workshops, mentorship programs, and an annual juried exhibition.
Discriminatory decisions can start even before employment begins. During a job interview, a company representative told reporter Mollie Bloudoff-Indelicato that she looked like someone who would want to “stay home with the kids,” and wouldn’t be a good fit because the job required a lot of travel.
“I’ve had many male editors ask my age, my marital status, and whether I have children — all inappropriate questions and completely unrelated to my competence as a journalist,” said Bloudoff-Indelicato, who recently founded Diverse Sources, a searchable database that provides contacts for underrepresented experts in science, health, and the environment, her fields of expertise.
Until recently, acknowledgment of sexual harassment in the media industry existed only in hushes and whispers, while some predatory men continued to gain accomplishments and recognition. Movements such as Me Too and TIME’S UP have inspired the journalism industry to examine how silence has excused and enabled abusers for too long. But we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. The “Shitty Media Men” list, an anonymous, crowdsourced, private document, was created last year as a way to help women protect themselves by inviting them to share allegations of sexual harassment and assault by men in the media.
“The hope was to create an alternate avenue to report this kind of behavior and warn others without fear of retaliation,” wrote the list’s creator, Moira Donegan, in a piece for The Cut. “Too often, for someone looking to report an incident or to make habitual behavior stop, all the available options are bad ones.”
Donegan shared the document with close friends and colleagues, but it quickly went viral. Only a dozen hours after its creation, she was informed that Buzzfeed would be writing an article about it, thus making the spreadsheet public. By the time Donegan took it offline, shortly after hearing that news, 70 men had been named, who, according to Buzzfeed, worked for organizations such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker, Mother Jones, and BuzzFeed.
Women were able to add to the document anonymously to protect themselves from being “fired, harassed, or publicly smeared” — but Donegan wrote that she lost friends and was fired from her job. “As we have seen time after time, there can be great social and professional consequences for women who come forward,” Donegan wrote. “I’ve learned that protecting women is a position that comes with few protections itself.”
Despite discrimination, harassment, and other obstacles, the power of women — in talent, in sheer numbers, and in the ways we protect and support one another — is impossible to ignore. Women Photograph, founded by Daniella Zalcman last year, is a testament to that power. The website and private database boast more than 700 independent women and non-binary documentary photographers based in 91 countries. The organization has already expanded quickly to offer grants, a mentorship program, and travel funds. This year, Women Photograph won The International Center of Photography’s Infinity Award for Online Platform and New Media.
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of MFON (Women Photographers of the African Diaspora) believes in the importance of community as a way to enrich people’s lives. “This is also important for women of African decent and women of color,” said Barrayan, who is concerned chiefly with encouraging intersectionality to foster empowerment. “For women we know that there is an ongoing issue of sexism and unequal pay. For black women, from my conversations and own experiences, there is just a lack of opportunity that is even worse than it is for our white counterparts.”
The inaugural issue of MFON features the work of more than 100 photographers of African descent. “Issues of lack of diversity, discrimination, the centering of the white male gaze have been expressed over and over again,” said Barrayn. “We have done our part in identifying the problem areas. Now, it is up to the gatekeepers to really have those uncomfortable conversations about their privilege and how it enables the erasure of a balance in representation in the media.”
Marilyn Nance, a photographer and archivist whose work is featured in the first issue of MFON, echoes this sentiment. “The hardest thing for some folks is to be seen. And one of the most important things that one can say is, ‘I see you. I value you.’ When people are overlooked, others don’t see value in them,” said Nance.
To tackle hurdles specific to women of color in the media, photographer and board member of Seattle’s Asian American Journalists Association Jovelle Tamayo joined visual artists Tara Pixley, Rozette Rago, Oriana Koren, Hannah Yoon, Sophia Nahli Allison, Bethany Mollenkof, Rikki Wright, Tia Thompson, and Rebecca Aranda to create the Authority Collective.
“In professional settings, we found ourselves gravitating toward each other as relief from white and male-dominated spaces,” Tamayo said. “Through these connections, we realized we weren’t alone in facing micro-aggressions and harassment in the field and from colleagues, or feeling tokenized or pigeonholed because of our identities.”
The collective, which officially launched in April and currently includes more than 100 members, aims to remove barriers for women, trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people of color who wish to enter the media industry, while elevating the voices of people of color already working in the media.
“We want change, real and lasting change to what is possible in visual media, in representation and among our colleagues’ understandings of what accessibility, accountability, and ally-ship can and should be,” said Pixley. The collective plans to provide resources for its members and community through workshops, meetups, and portfolio reviews, while providing guides on pricing, marketing, storytelling, and navigating the industry as a professional of color.
The collective is currently accepting nominations for the Lit List, which will feature the work of 30 marginalized artists. “Simply put, no white dudes allowed,” the website states. “There are other lists for that.”
For an industry based on the act of seeing, bearing witness, and truth-telling, we should be working overtime to ensure that media makers are just as diverse as the stories they tell — and that the stories we tell are also composed of diverse characters.
Frustrated by the lack of diverse sources quoted in the media, journalist Lauren Bohn co-founded Foreign Policy Interrupted (FPI), an initiative to amplify women voices in international affairs by conducting fellowship programs offering women foreign policy experts media training and editorial mentorships at major publications.
Bohn says she constantly comes across women who are hesitant to give their analysis on an issue even though many of them have doctoral degrees from some of the best universities in the world, along with plenty of field experience. Women hold themselves to a higher threshold of certainty before they share an opinion.
“This much talked about ‘confidence gap’ isn’t some unfortunate result of biological determinism. Over centuries of disenfranchisement and straight-up abuse, women’s insecurity and reluctance to identify as experts — or claim positions of power — have evolved into coping and defense mechanisms,” said Bohn. “It’s no wonder why that’s the case: when women assert themselves, we’re subject to more ridicule and criticism than men are.”
Since its inception in 2014, FPI has granted 40 fellowships to women, including Rhodes Scholars, vice presidents overseeing multi-billion dollar portfolios designed to reduce poverty through economic growth, epidemiologists for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and lawyers investigating and litigating violations of “the war on terror.”
Bohn believes that one thing is clear: gender disparity is not due to a lack of female voices in the media, but rather a “full-blown demand deficit.” And that to truly close the gap, more spaces need to be created that value women’s voices.
“Men — who make up most of the leadership on editorial and executive boards — must not only be allies, but accomplices,” Bohn said.
Many editors have told Bohn that due to time constraints, they’re forced to fall back on who they know. “This sexism is exacerbated by a crazy news cycle in which producers and editors don’t have the bandwidth to identify, much less cultivate, new voices. Unfortunately, that often means referring to a long list of white men,” she said.
Despite the incredible success of longer-established organizations such as the International Women’s Media Foundation and the Women’s Media Center, what’s significant about this recent boom of initiatives is that it is happening at a time when the media industry seems finally to be listening. What’s more, we’re beginning to see men speak out as allies.
Recently at the World Press Photo festival in Amsterdam, photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale gave a speech that sounded like a manifesto on the role of activism in photojournalism.
Bleasdale asked the audience how an industry that prides itself on exposing human rights abuses (including sexual violence) can sit quietly when some members of that industry commit similar injustices.
“They know who these people are, yet they remain silent,” Bleasdale said. “Would they be as tolerant with a world leader who has abused women, or a rebel group who uses rape as a weapon of war, or a government who promotes underage marriage?”
The fact that Bleasdale — a white, cisgender male — spoke out was applauded by many as a significant moment. Unfortunately, examples of speaking out against sexism and racism on such a prominent and public platform are still rare.
“Several agencies are representing themselves as defenders of human rights, yet they protect the very perpetrators in their list of photographers they represent. This is not acceptable. You can no longer defend human rights while protecting the abusers. It must stop, and it must stop now,” said Bleasdale.
We must continue to provide support that goes beyond diversifying hiring practices for women, transgender women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people — through grants, funding, trainings, and mentorships. More space needs to be allocated for working mothers. Studies, trainings, and educational resources on diversity, racism, and sexism need to be more frequently conducted and supplied. And sexual predators should swiftly be held accountable when cases of harassment arise — no matter how minor. Ultimately, more allies need to be willing to speak out against sexism and racism and make concerted efforts to advocate for women.
“We want to challenge who holds power in the visual media world by uplifting our community and holding institutions accountable,” said Tamayo, of the Authority Collective. “We are making a point to focus on actions because we don’t have time to wait for these gatekeepers — who are happy to talk about inclusion but do little to address it in meaningful ways — to follow through.”
And as Bohn points out, including more women and marginalized voices in the media is not simply about diversity for diversity’s sake. “When the voices and expertise of women are included in the conversation, we quickly gain deeper insight into a complex world, one historically narrated by only one segment of society,” she said. It’s these deeper insights that will help lead to solutions — for groups long seen as peripheral and for society as a whole.
Clear systemic problems remain entrenched, halting professional growth for women early in their careers and undercutting any hope of growing the ranks of women at the upper echelons of power. “When women drop out of the field or downsize the amount of time they spend on image-making in order to find more structured or economically stable work lives as editors or teachers, it’s sometimes seen as an admission that you just were not good enough or cut out for the competitive realities of international contract photography,” Donna De Cesare said.
“The current system eats up the young and spits them out.”
There are many more women (and women of color) working as visual journalists today than there were when De Cesare began her career, with some even breaking through to become publishers of print and online media platforms. Still, progress has been slow, and an industry-wide reluctance to work together is self-evident.
“We need to work toward a more collaborative model of working,” De Cesare said. “If visual journalism is to survive and thrive in its mission to show us what is happening to people in our communities, our nations, and our planet, it must rely more on teamwork.”
This is the last piece in our “Truth-Telling” series — thanks for reading. Don’t miss our previous article, in which Danielle Jackson examines the limits of diversifying the field of photography in an age of fragmented media. And here’s a link to the whole series!
Danielle Villasana is an independent photojournalist focusing on human rights, women, identity, and health around the world. She’s a member of The Everyday Projects Community Team and is based in Istanbul. Follow her on Instagram.
Did you like this article? If so, please give us a click of applause and follow Re-Picture, an online publication of The Everyday Projects. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.


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Sometimes it doesn't take years to become a great magician.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Sophie talked to hats. No, they didn't answer her, but she talked to them just the same. "You have a heart of gold and someone in a high position will see it and fall in love you," she told one. Soon enough a plain-looking lass bought the plain bonnet and sailed off with the heart of the Count of Catterack.
The blockbuster summer film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is making new fans and having the long-time legions of readers thumbing through their beloved collections of the Potter chronicles. Old aficionados and first-year initiates alike may delve deeper into J.K. Rowling and her world with our scintillating sources.
Mysteries for the mind and the eye, that's what Chris Van Allsburg creates for his readers. His drawings seem quite still and perhaps a little dull-until you notice the huge snake slithering across the mantelpiece (Jumanji) or the brambles stealthily growing out of a sleeping girl's book in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.
C. S. Lewis spent his first years at the family home, called Little Lea, in Belfast, Ireland. He was never really called C. S. or even Clive (C. S. stands for Clive Staples). This young man wanted to be called Jack. Like another college professor (Indiana Jones), Jack nicknamed himself after his beloved dog, Jacksie, who died when the author was quite young. His friends called him "Plain Jack Lewis," and it suited him. He was not especially handsome, but he was kind and bluff and came to have many friends.
Born on September 4, 1924, in Rye, Sussex, England, Joan was the daughter of famed American writer, Conrad Aiken. She decided to be a writer when she was five years old and kept writing to the end of her days.
Growing up in a house filled with art and literature, she thoroughly enjoyed being homeschooled during her early years. When she was 12, she was sent to boarding school at the improbably named Wychwood near Oxford, England.
She was born Madeleine Camp in grand old New York City on November 29, 1918. Young Madeleine took her meals on a tray in her room with her beloved Nanny, in the English fashion. Often at night, her father and mother would go out to the theatre. Other times, the theatre and literary world would come to them. Madeleine's mother, a Southern belle, played the grand piano wonderfully, and the family apartment would be filled with music and friends.
Pick up a handful of David Wiesner's books, and you'll get a glimpse of the kid who knew in third grade that he wanted to be an artist. But not just any artist--an artist full of fun and imagination. He remembers that there were lots of kinds of paintings he'd like to try:
"I'd have turtles with paintbrushes tied to their backs walking around on a big sheet of paper (I got chuckles from the class and the teacher). Or I'd fill squirt guns with different colored paints at shoot at the canvas. I actually tried this with friends. Well it sounded like a good idea."
Dockside in Liverpool, England, was an exciting place to be a kid. Growing up there, young Brian Jacques (pronounced "Jacks") was surrounded by a loving and hardworking family. When his seafaring uncles would stop by between voyages, Brian heard tales of faraway places and amazing adventures. He listened, fascinated as his relatives "painted pictures with words."
Milo was bored. So very bored by school, by books, and by toys that when he found a package marked "One Genuine Turnpike Tollbooth" he figured he couldn't possibly get any more bored by looking at it. So he opened it, set it up, climbed into his electric car and sped off for adventures in Dictionopolis, the land of words, and Digitopolis, the land of numbers. Accompanied by the faithful watchdog Tock, he faces the raucous Dischord & Dynne, the Terrible Trivium, and many other odd and wonderful creatures.

domain: artistic


The bills are being closely tracked by transgender advocacy groups in the wake of the Trump administration decision to rescind federal guidance on the civil rights of transgender students concerning bathroom access and other matters. The administration said that states — not the federal government — should decide how schools accommodate transgender students.
“This is an issue best solved at the state and local level. Schools, communities, and families can find — and in many cases have found — solutions that protect all students,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said after she and Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked the Obama-era directive that transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms aligned with their gender identity.
After facing intense economic pressure — losing $3.67 billion in business, according to one analysis — legislators in North Carolina on Thursday voted to repeal H.B. 2, a law that requires people to use public bathrooms according to the sex on their birth certificate and reversed certain other LGBTQ protections passed by local government. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed the repeal measure soon afterward.
But LGBTQ advocates are unhappy with the bill that replaced it, which bars localities from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances. The NCAA, which pulled championship games from the state to protest the passage of H.B. 2, had threatened to continue its boycott if the law was not repealed.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said deferring to states on these issues “is simply and dangerously wrong and incorrect.” She said that Title IX, the federal law that bars sex discrimination in schools, gives transgender students access to the bathrooms that match their gender identity and that the federal government should enforce that position.
“Enforcing federal laws like Title IX and other civil rights laws are not state-by-state options. They are the responsibility of the federal government,” Keisling said.
Fifteen states have laws providing explicit protections for transgender students, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
But lawmakers in numerous states have sought to turn back protections or to restrict bathroom access. The bills have been filed largely in midwestern and southern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas, according to the ACLU, which tracks the legislation.
They ensure that the debate over whether transgender people — and schoolchildren in particular — should be able to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity will remain at the forefront of the fight over LGBT rights.
Proponents of the bills say requiring people to use bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate is necessary to safeguard privacy and traditional values, particularly in public schools. But transgender students and their parents argue that being forced out of bathrooms that align with their gender identity is discriminatory and a violation of their civil rights. Using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, they say, is an important step in their transition.
Many of the bills would restrict access to public bathrooms — including those in schools — using as the standard for access the sex listed on a person’s birth certificate. Some propose penalties — including fines and court actions — for schools that do not enforce the restrictions. A bill in Washington state would explicitly permit public and private entities to create those restrictions.
The Texas Senate approved S.B. 6 in mid-March. The bill, named the Texas Privacy Act, would compel school districts to pass policies requiring schoolchildren to use bathrooms according to their biological sex. It was backed by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R). It would also penalize school districts that do not enforce the requirement, fining them between $1,000 and $10,500.
“The Texas Privacy Act was written not to begin a controversy, but to end one,” said state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R), who sponsored the bill. “This legislation is a thoughtful solution to a sensitive issue and preserves an expected level of privacy and safety and dignity.”
Matt Sharp of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, said in January that he sees the bills as a reaction to the Obama administration’s stance on transgender students.
“I think a lot of states stepped up and said, ‘This is not appropriate. We need to determine what is appropriate for schools in our state,'” Sharp said.
It is unclear how much traction the state bills will get. At least thirteen states considered similar legislation last year, but only the North Carolina bill became law.
At least five of the bills — including three in Virginia — have died. Virginia Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) filed a bill that would have restricted people to bathrooms that align with the sex on their birth certificate and would have required principals to inform parents if a student asked to be treated as a member of the opposite sex. The legislation died in committee in January, leading the longtime lawmaker to call his colleagues “cowards.”
Opponents, pointing to North Carolina, argue the bills could have financial consequences for states that pass them.
Chase Strangio, a staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project, said he is hopeful that state legislatures will reject the measures to avoid the kind of fallout that occurred in North Carolina.
“I would hope that lawmakers would heed the lessons of North Carolina,” Strangio said. “They would be putting not only vulnerable young people at risk … but also jeopardizing the economy in the state at large and also their political futures.”
Sharp said state lawmakers are seeking to protect the privacy of all students by offering alternate accommodations — like teacher’s restrooms or single-stall bathrooms — for transgender students.
“The events of the last year has highlighted the need for privacy protections for all students,” Sharp said.
Transgender students and their parents worry that the bills, even if they do not pass, will stoke fears about transgender people.
Jennifer Campisi is the mother of a 10-year-old transgender boy who attends a public school outside Fort Worth. A Texas lawmaker has filed a bill that would fine a school for allowing students to use a bathroom that does not correspond with their biological sex. Her son, E.J., is not permitted to use the boys’ bathroom, and the bill, if signed into law, would foreclose the possibility that it would ever happen.
“It just seems like it’s targeting an already vulnerable population. These kids have enough to deal with already. They can already have a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear to deal with transitioning,” Campisi said in January. “To have this kind of legislation is going to make them more targeted and more vulnerable.”
Emma Brown contributed.


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Nice kit problem is the chassis in this kit is the one from evo5 and the front bumper doenst fit well to the chassis.
Fujimi ID-107 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR 1/24 scale kit
Item is a plastic model kit and assembly is required
(supplied with English instructions)
Made in Japan

domain: hobby


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Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on June 14 announced the appointment of Tracy K. Smith as the Library’s 22nd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2017-18. Smith will take up her duties in the fall, opening the Library’s annual literary season in September with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium.
Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and a professor at Princeton University, succeeds Juan Felipe Herrera as Poet Laureate.
“It gives me great pleasure to appoint Tracy K. Smith, a poet of searching,” Hayden said. “Her work travels the world and takes on its voices; brings history and memory to life; calls on the power of literature as well as science, religion and pop culture. With directness and deftness, she contends with the heavens or plumbs our inner depths—all to better understand what makes us most human.”
“I am profoundly honored,” Smith said. “As someone who has been sustained by poems and poets, I understand the powerful and necessary role poetry can play in sustaining a rich inner life and fostering a mindful, empathic and resourceful culture. I am eager to share the good news of poetry with readers and future readers across this marvelously diverse country.”
Smith is the author of three books of poetry, including Life on Mars (2011), winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; Duende (2007), winner of the 2006 James Laughlin Award and the 2008 Essence Literary Award; and The Body’s Question (2003), winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Smith is also the author of a memoir, Ordinary Light (2015), a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award in nonfiction and selected as a notable book by the New York Times and the Washington Post.
For more on Smith, visit loc.gov.

domain: literature


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Apple Games Features C&C Red Alert 3
6:00 AM | Cord Kruse | 1 comment
Apple Games latest feature article turns the spotlight on Command & Conquer Red Alert 3. The real time strategy title follows the action as the Allies face off against the Soviet war machine and the Empire of the Rising Sun in a fictional futuristic setting. Apple's article includes commentary from associate producer Matt Ott, an explanation of the game's alternate timeline, and tips and tricks for success.
Of course, there’s also a role for you in Red Alert 3: a new commander who helps the Allies, Soviets, and Imperials achieve victory in their campaigns. Each faction features a supporting cast whose members help you complete your objectives. In fact, Ott notes, “every campaign mission was designed from the group up with the assumption that you will always have an ally at your side. These missions employ a whole range of mechanics that require you to coordinate your activities with a co-commander’s army.”Click over to the link below to read the full article.
Apple Games: C&C Red Alert 3
He adds: “That’s Red Alert 3’s biggest innovation: the co-op campaign, the inspiration for which came from cooperative shooter games. For the first time, you can go online and experience all the missions cooperatively in real-time with a friend. Offline, you can enlist the aid of an AI general: each faction has three generals with very unique personalities. They won’t be afraid to share their opinions with you, and their support may come begrudgingly if they think you’re making a mistake.”
The game’s other big innovation is its use of the ocean as a tactical resource. “In most real-time strategy games,” Ott explains, “naval gameplay is tacked on as an afterthought; from a gameplay perspective, it feels like blue painted ground. We set out to blur the shorelines and make controlling the seas an integral part of Red Alert 3.”
He points out that many of the game’s units are amphibious, with different roles to play when on land or in the sea. “We were careful to make this added layer of depth feel very integrated and simple to use, so switching between a unit’s land or sea forms happens automatically,” Ott says. “Every mission in the campaign, along with every multiplayer map, has some amount of water, so players can focus on land, sea, air, or a combination of the three.”
Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
Buy Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
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domain: game


I’ve been on a journey with the Apple Watch Ultra. When rumors of a “Pro” Apple Watch first began to surface, I was against the idea. I always appreciated the way you could buy any Apple Watch and still get the same features and processor. This new hypothetical watch would break that.
However, over time I came around to the idea. As Apple products mature, they diversify. In every class of Apple hardware (Macs, iPhones, and iPads) there are consumer products and “Pro” products. Why wouldn’t that also happen for the Apple Watch, which had a slow start but is now very much a success? A MacSparky Labs member also pointed out to me in one of our meetups that having a “Pro” class of Apple Watch also lets Apple try features and hardware that isn’t appropriate or ready for the standard Apple Watch.
So that was my mindset as Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra yesterday. The Ultra accomplishes what I’d hoped. It gives Apple the freedom to make an Apple Watch very much not for the masses. The Ultra is bulky with a big battery and a lot of accommodations for its active users that would not appeal to everyone. So the Ultra is an offshoot of the Apple Watch, and it looks like it is well suited for that job. I’m looking forward to early reviews.
It does make me wonder, however, if Ultra is not the only class of offshoot Apple Watches. For example, I’ve heard from doctors that rely on the Apple Watch for communications and images when working rounds. Could Apple make a watch that serves them better? Likely not. Apple doesn’t generally seem inclined to split their product lines very much, as the iPhone mini could attest. Still, it’s a fun experiment to imagine where else they could go.


text:
Welcome to the HSC Student Health Clinic!
Our exceptional providers and staff are committed to providing optimal healthcare to our students by offering primary and preventive services. Our mission is to provide HSC students with easy access to affordable healthcare for a healthier HSC community.
Student Health visits are by appointment only. Same-day appointments may be available. To schedule an appointment, click the button below or give us a call at 817-735-5051. If you have a medical question or need to request a refill for a medication, you can communicate with your provider directly using the Patient Portal!

domain: medical


text:
Evaluating the performance of two rapid antigen detection tests in diagnosis of SARS- COV- 2 infection
Background:Rapid antigen detection tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection could promote the clinical and public health policies to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid antigen detection and molecular approaches could expand entry to checking and initial evidence of issues and playing an essential role in public health managing choices that may decrease the transmission. Objectives: We evaluated the diagnostic accurateness of couple of rapid antigen recognition tests equated with the molecular-based assays for verdict of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: The 100 nasopharyngeal swabs were verified by the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR kit as a gold standard for COVID-19 recognition. SARS‐CoV‐2 antigen (Ag) was evaluated in the nasopharyngeal swabs using iFlash and UNICELL-2019-nCoV antigen methods. The iFlash-2019-nCoV antigen assay, which is a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA), was used to qualitatively determine the nucleocapsid protein antigen, where the other one was used to identify the nucleocapsid protein antigen by lateral flow immunofluorescent test. Results: Out of the 100 samples, 62% were positive by RT-PCR. Amongst 62 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 43 (69.4%) were positive by iFlash and 40 samples (64.5%) were positive by the UNICELL-2019-nCoV antigen assay. The specificity of both I Flash-2019-nCoV antigen assay & UNICELL-2019-nCoV antigen assay with RT-PCR were 100% and sensitivity were 69.35 and 64.52%, respectively. This sensitivity was augmented to 100% compared with the PCR with Ct-value of ≤25 and specificity of 80.28 and 84.51%, respectively. Conclusion: Antigen detection rapid diagnostic tests may be motivating in the initial stage of the infection when the viral load is elevated, and the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission be high.
Authors have copyright but license exclusive rights in their article to the publisher (Zagazig University).


text:
BICKNELL, Ind. (AP) — Police say a man was fatally shot during an argument in a southwestern Indiana town and that the suspected gunman later killed himself while officers were pursuing him.
State police Sgt. Todd Ringle says the first shooting happened about 2 a.m. Wednesday in the Knox County town of Bicknell. Investigators believe 33-year-old Paul Russell of Bruceville saw 48-year-old Todd Godare of Bicknell approaching him and went into a nearby home for a baseball bat. The two men argued and Russell was shot.
Ringle says Godare drove away in a pickup truck that was spotted a couple hours later by police officers in the nearby city of Vincennes. Officers tried to stop the truck, but Godare continued driving for a few minutes before stopping and shooting himself with a handgun.

domain: law


text:
Search Results for 'carrots'Page: 1 of 1 | (1 symbol has been found)
To dream of a carrot represents wealth and prosperity. It can also be a play on the phrase 'dangle a carrot.' Be wary about entering into a relationship or endeavor that seems too good to be true. Thoroughly research before you commit.
Or did you mean?
Still coudn't find what you were looking for? Try different keywords or Web 2.0 search.
For social discussion about this dream, Try Web 2.0 search.
Still haven't found meaning of your dream with different keywords search? Request a new symbol for future inclusion in our dream dictionary here.

domain: psychology


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There are three types of treatment systems for Marine Waste:
Electrolytic (on-line treatment)
Biological (or Aeration) treatment
The OMNIPURE IMO/USCG Certified treatment process from STDN is the ONLY electrolytic type sewage treatment unit available on the market that oxidize sewage in the electrochemical cell as well as generate NaOCL for the disinfection of the marine waste streams.
The Electrolytic Treatment advantages are:
Requires less installation space 10 times smaller than other systems
Unit operating weight is up to 10 times less than other treatment systems
No dangerous and costly storage of chemicals or chlorine is required
Complete unit is modular and skid mounted
Complete treatment of influent occurs in approx. 30 minutes, as compared to 30 hours with other systems
Can be used onboard oceangoing vessels and production platforms
More sanitary when performing simple maintenance
True on-line operation, with no adverse effect when unit is turned off
No microogranism colony to keep alive
No additional disinfection chemicals or additives are required
Not affected by sea motion
No bark to replace
Easily accompanies various vacuum collection systems
Large units can be automated to lessen intervals between manual routine maintenance
USCG Required NRTL Type Certification for entire product line for units used in classified, hazardous areas as defined by the National Electric Code (NEC)
The function and operation of every OMNIPURE unit is the same regardless of size. The process is simple and proven effective.
Incoming sewage and wastewater is first collected in the V-1 Surge Tank. The treatment cycle begins when the wastewater triggers the High Level Start Switch.
The Macerator Pump effectively grinds the raw sewage down to a max particle size of 1/16 inch. As it removes the wastes from the V-1 Surge Tank, a measured amount of the macerated sewage is returned to the macerated stream. A percentage of the macerated sewage stream is returned to the V-1 Surge Tank for reprocessing. The slurry of the seawater is electrolyzed in the cell. The result is a total bacteria kill and a rapid 90-95 percent oxidation of the sewage stream.
The treatment cycle ends when the level in the V-1 Surge Tank drops to the Low Level Switch. The system is now in stand-by mode. A High Level Alarm Switch is provided to monitor high sewage levels in the V-1 Surge Tank.
Onsite Oxidant Generation
The treated wastewater enters the quiet zone of the V-2 Effluent Tank, where the required 30-minute residence time allows for the completion of the process. The treated effluent is discharged to sea, in accordance with USCG/IMO standards.
Local control panel ensures safe and efficient operation of the treatment process
Local switches and status indicators allow for simple operator interface
The electrolytic process naturally generates a minimal amount of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. These byproducts are safely and efficiently diluted with air and discharged into the atmosphere via an air ejector or a blower.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolution MEPC.2 33 CFR 59
United States Coast Guard (USCG) Type Test Certified
Certified for use in Hazardous Areas per NEC 501-1 of NFPA 70 (CL.1, C/D, Div.2)
China Classification Society No. NYT02610001
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping No. 97.143.009
Certified by Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)
NFPA 70, UL1604 and NFPA 496
Applicable sections of Article 500 of the National Electric Code (NEC)

domain: chemistry


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Listing Agent: Michael Kissinger
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Updated: 21st October, 2017 11:04 PM.
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domain: geography


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Emerging economies, such as Brazil and India, have been the growth drivers for the world economy. The fintech sector is emerging strongly in both countries, and the successful combination of technology and entrepreneurship has been fundamental to address the increasing demand for financial inclusion and the modernization of the respective economies.
In the spotlight section of this paper, we have summarized the status of financial inclusion in Brazil and India, including various initiatives taken by both countries to push the financial inclusion agenda, including digital payments, infrastructure, mobile penetration, and regulatory programs.
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There are lots of cool games that you can find on the Roblox platform and some of them belong to the RPG genre. One of these projects is called Blox Fruits and it has a huge amount of various locations you can visit. Also, you will be able to fight lots of bosses and one of them is named Diamond. It seems that some players don’t understand how to get to this character. So, this guide will tell you where is Diamond in Blox Fruits.
Who Is Diamond in Blox Fruits?
Diamond is one of the bosses that you will need to fight in Blox Fruits. This character wears Longsword and will try to spam you with different melee attacks. However, this boss is not the toughest opponent in this game and he is relatively easy to beat. In order to fight with Diamond, you will have to learn where he is located and today we will tell you about his location.
Related: How to Awaken Phoenix in Blox Fruits
Where is Diamond in Blox Fruits?
In order to find Diamond in Blox Fruits, you will have to reach the Second Sea. It has many different locations that you can visit and you will have to search for Flower Hill. It looks like a giant green hill filled with flowers. Also, it has a huge tree that grows in the middle of it.
Diamond can be found under this giant tree. He will fight you with Longsword and you can get this weapon from him. Diamond shouldn’t be too difficult and we recommend you avoid his attacks and hit him from distance.
There are lots of different bosses you can encounter in Blox Fruits and we will be glad if this guide will help you to find Diamond. Good luck with your further fight!


The student assembly of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences delivered a forceful rebuke Wednesday night to Yale’s graduate student labor movement, breaking years of silence on the unionization issue.
At its biweekly meeting in the Hall of Graduate Studies, a deeply divided Graduate Student Assembly voted for two resolutions opposing the overall organizing efforts of Local 33 and the election strategy the unofficial union is currently pursuing in court. In a third vote last night, the GSA, which had previously taken no position on any issues involving unions, voted by a wide margin to declare neutrality on graduate student unionization in general.
Still, in a night of tense discussion, the GSA meeting demonstrated that graduate students are profoundly divided on the union question, a controversial topic that has generated fierce debate at Yale since the 1990s.
In August, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that graduate students at private universities are employees and thus have the right to unionize. Last month, Local 33, previously known as the Graduate Employees and Students Organization, filed with the NLRB for union elections in 10 individual graduate school departments. Yale is currently challenging this microunit strategy — a novel approach to unionization that no other graduate student at a public or private university has ever attempted — in federal court in Hartford.
But while the GSA’s rebuff of Local 33 was grounded in long-standing complaints about the union’s recruitment tactics, representatives at the meeting stressed that the GSA vote is not completely representative.
“This [vote] by no means represents every person in this room, or every department in this room,” said GSA chairman Nicholas Vincent GRD ’17, addressing the entire assembly.
In recent history, the GSA has never adopted an official position on the question of graduate student unionization, former GSA chairwoman Elizabeth Salm GRD ’18 told the News after the meeting. Last year, before the NLRB’s August decision, the GSA leadership decided that the union issue was insufficiently pressing to justify putting it to a vote, she said.
But as graduate student unions across the nation gain steam, the GSA took a stand last night against the efforts of Local 33, even as it declared neutrality on the more general issue of graduate student unionization.
After an initial period of debate, the GSA voted 45 to 10 to remain neutral on that broad question. But a later vote on whether to remain neutral on the specific efforts of Local 33 ended in a tie. After further debate, the GSA voted 37 to 26 to oppose those efforts, and then voted again, 44 to 17, to oppose the department-by-department election strategy.
“We appreciate the GSA perspective,” Local 33 chairman Aaron Greenberg GRD ’18 said in a statement Wednesday night. “Our focus remains on the graduate teachers who have finally won their right to a federally supervised NLRB election as employees of Yale.”
In the past, Greenberg has claimed that two-thirds of Yale graduate students support the union movement, citing the number of petition signatures and union authorization cards collected by organizers.
At the GSA meeting, many students condemned Local 33’s organizing tactics as overly aggressive, while others insisted that union leaders still have graduate students’ best interests at heart.
GSA representative Fabian Schrey GRD ’19, an economics student, spoke out against what he called the “outrageous” tactics of Local 33, recounting an episode in which union organizers canvassed economics students for petition signatures as they waited to deliver their thesis defenses. According to Schrey, the organizers asked the students to hastily sign a Local 33 petition without reading its contents.
“We have it pretty good. We have a lovely supporting faculty. Our department is our family,” Schrey added. “The only [sense of Local 33] that we as people get is the way you behaved toward us and our department. It’s very hard to make the argument that we would support that.”
Still, he added, “We realize that the GSA ought to represent other departments, which leads us to our general stance that we’re going to be neutral toward unionization.”
Student representative Stephanie Ranks GRD ’20 defended Local 33 at the meeting, emphasizing that the students who run the union, like the rest of the student population, want to improve graduate student life.
However, as the meeting progressed, complaints about Local 33’s organizing tactics piled up, with one student noting that “everyone in this room probably has some GESO boogie-man story.”
After the meeting, all three GSA representatives interviewed expressed frustration about the verdicts and complained that the meeting felt rushed.
“We had a tie vote on neutrality, which is the most beautiful expression of neutrality,” said student representative Connor Williams GRD ’21. “People want neutrality, because that’s the proper position for a body like this to take. Neutrality is the only responsible stance.”
Williams added that the debate, which stretched long past its scheduled ending time, felt hurried, with students given only a few seconds to make their arguments to the assembly.
David DeLeon GRD ’21, a student representative from the English department, expressed similar frustrations, saying that given the wide spectrum of opinions within the GSA, the organization should have remained neutral on all three issues.
There are 80 departmental representatives in the GSA.
Correction, Oct. 6: A previous version of this article stated that the GSA voted 34 to 17 to oppose the department-by-department election strategy. In fact, the GSA voted 44 to 17.


text:
Russia's population politics
A new study by the International Laboratory on Political Demography and Social Macro-Dynamics in Moscow suggests that Russia is experiencing a massive increase in its fertility rate:
The demographic situation in Russia has improved markedly in recent years. This is in large part due to the successful implementation of policy measures to support fertility, reduce harmful alcohol consumption, and improve the health care system. In 2006-2012 Russia recorded the fastest increase in total fertility rate (TFR) in Europe, and the second fastest in the world. TFR rose from 1.3 to 1.7 children per woman (30% increase).
Not so fast. One must be very cautious believing politically oriented data coming out of Russia.
Some in the mainstream media regurgitate these Russian “facts” as if they are gospel, yet even a cursory review of Russia’s population data over the past decade raises serious question. We have no idea as to what this country’s real population is or where it is headed.
Not unexpectedly, given the nature of this authoritarian state, the report from Moscow reads like a promotional piece for Vladimir Putin. It is littered with favorable quotes from him, as well as discussions of his population policies and efforts to increase Russia’s fertility rate:
At present, Russian demographic policy is defined by a number of statutory acts. The basic document is the Concept of Demographic Policy of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2025 approved by Order of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1351 of 9 October 2007. The adoption of the Concept reversed the trend of the state policy in Russia, positioning the state strongly towards supporting demographic growth ...
We believe the most important policy actions in regard to fertility were mentioned in the State of the Nation Address by Russian President Vladimir Putin (12 December 2012): these are to create favorable conditions for combining motherhood and professional activity, to develop the childcare and pre-school education system and to provide housing support to families with children.
The report actually undersells Russia’s purported fertility rate performance since 2006. If we include 2013 data, the fertility rate increase in Russia from 2006 to 2013 is the highest in the world – by a substantial margin.
Russia’s world-leading fertility rate increase over the past seven years is 31 percent. The nearest rival is Belarus at less than 26 percent. In fact, the gap between Russia and second-place Belarus is larger than the gap between any other rank neighbors in the top 196 countries. Conveniently “successful” data given Putin’s stated policy objectives over this period?
However, the Moscow authors see no reason to doubt the data quality:
Following some slowdown in 2008-2011, an upsurge in fertility observed in 2012 confirmed the efficiency of the newly introduced measures. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has remained understudied by sociologists and demographers so far. A tentative explanation links this resumed growth, which continues into 2013, with some regional measures such as land allocations after third childbirth, introduction of the regional maternity capital, and allowances to families with three or more children ... the support given to families with second and third children evidently resulted in a substantial increase in the birthrate after 2006, rather than merely a short-lived forward shift in birth-giving.
The report was clearly geared toward an international audience, given its presentation in well-written English – even though only 5 percent of Russians speak this language.
A good review of this demographic report also helps further debunk the strange belief in some conservative circles that Putin himself is some form of a social conservative.
Putin is not a proponent of conservative family values. His policy approach instead is an EU model of daycares and two working parents whose incentives for having and raising children are born entirely from large government programs and wealth redistribution schemes (i.e., factory farm model of child production, not true traditional family values). Putin’s demographic policies also rely heavily, in addition to child production subsidization, on social engineering mechanisms such as high alcohol/tobacco taxes and smoking bans, as well as massive increases in public health care spending.

domain: news


text:
Yep yep, I feel like my blood is bad, i often feel like i would rather die than live another year like this,.... but not really, i have little ones that need me, as i need them. if not for them i wouldn't care.
I felt that way with the blood thing when I first got sick. Not so much anymore. Its 6 years later now, for me. Everyone has to find their way through this, nightmare. I had every test in the book. MRI's, CT scans, colonoscopy, the other one that goes down your throat. I've had every moronic thing said to me. I was made to feel horrible by, Doctors. If something didn't show up on any test they did, then it was me, whining, basically. They cause you to doubt yourself. You know you're not, lazy, far from it. Just a month ago you were fine. Going about
life. In the beginning, besides being, sick and my muscles hurt anytime I tried to do anything, I couldn't sleep. I went weeks actually months on, 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. No one would even treat my symptoms. I was, 58 at the time. I told my daughter, " everything taste like, swamp and smells like swamp. " you have a feeling going on in you, you can't explain. Like you're trying to die. At points you wished you did. My throat hurt, my glands were swollen, at times my saliva glands were as big as, lemons. That had been going on for quite awhile. Everything was dismissed as a general virus. finally my daughter told me there was a clinic that she had gone to, down the main street. She said she saw the, PA, there and she really liked her. So, I went. I told her what had been going on and all the test that were done and nothing. But, just from my symptoms, swollen glands, smell, taste, sick, weak, she ran a few blood tests. After a few days I didn't hear anything, so, I figured it was nothing in those too. On the, 5th or 6th day after the blood work, they called. It was mono, and she said, your, B12 and D are extremely low, and even if you didn't have, mono you would feel that kind of tired. So, she told me there was nothing they could do for the, mono but treat the symptoms. and she gave me the, supplements B12 and D3. She gave me something for pain..and stuff to numb my throat. I still couldn't sleep. After 6 months I was still sick..so she called the, CDC, they said after 6 months with mono, they call it, Chronic fatigue. So, you may wake up one day and it gone, or, it never will go away. Then about
a year or so later, I told her I can't take it anymore..I couldn't go anywhere or do anything, i was just too tired. The sick, part wasn't quite as bad. So, she put me on, amphetimine. Low doses of it worked pretty good. Then she changed it to another kind that seems to work better without side effects.. So, with pain meds (the pain has been spreading to all over) amphetimine, and sleep meds. I'm able to get up (wait a couple of hours for the pain to subside and the stiffness to clear up) but, I can get a day going, do things, go places go fishing with my grandsons, etc. Before, I kept my house clean, I knew if I could get up, get my shower, and keep my house clean..I would make it. when I could no longer do that...then it was time to leave. I just went a couple of months ago to a, CDC doctor that sent me to a Rheumatologist, that said, " with the history of mono, chronic fatigue and the all over pain..I had all the symptoms of, fibromyalgia. There is no test to prove it...they go by symptoms. I even had a doctor tell me, " I don't believe you have mono " so he did the blood work. a week later. He said, " yup, you've got mono. But in all my years of practice, I've never seen a someone at your age, with mono " So, to him it didn't matter that i Had already had that test done a half a dozen times. or that anyone can get mono...its just not common for someone my age...We pay for those opinions, folks. So, anyway, since I'm stable on the meds...and able to have energy for anything. I put me and my husband on a, no dairy, no wheat, no sugar, eating regimen...everything is organic. We take cell detox capsules. B12, D3, magnesium in a few forms. at least 20 minutes of direct sunlight, we juice somewhat, we are growing our own vege garden, we eat meat, but it has to be organic to...no chemicals. Our shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, everything, is toxin free, I use essential oils, no deodorant, and no, we don't have, BO. I use hydrogen peroxide to rinse my mouth in the morning after brushing. We with EBV tend to get thrush. So, I keep that gone. Everywhere we can remove any toxins or any non organic foods we do. The cell detox capsules are helping to clear our bodies of built up toxins.. No soda, no milk, we get our water from a natural spring. We go fill up once a week...for drinking water. But if not for getting my symptoms under control so I could function I wouldn't be able to try and heal myself. Doctors that are willing to let people suffer is doing more harm. As I feel better step by step, I reduce my meds...and its working. But, 6 years was way too long. I had to have relief of symptoms. I'm not going to be a, martyr ...treat my symptoms so I can work on the healing. I've set my goal for next year at this time. I may not be, 100% but it sure will be better than what it had been for all those years.

domain: health


text:
Bad Poetry Night 10
Fri, Apr 13 / 7pm doors - 9pm show
Theme base challenge poems, blind readings, witty haiku, and totally original prose about any number of topics. From clever puns to the most titilating levels of blue humor performed with PowerPoint presentations, Interpretive dancing, or stylish musical accompanied dramatic readings. Bad Poetry Night has so much poetic humor packed into one evening you only need to go once a year.
When amateur poets compete you win!
7pm doors - 9pm show


NTSB Identification: CHI94LA272.
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 03, 1994 in SPIRITWOOD, ND
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/05/1995
Aircraft: PIPER PA-25, registration: N6568Z
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
Upon landing on the private airstrip, the airplane started to shudder and veered to the left. The pilot tried to regain directional control by applying the right brake and increasing power, but the pilot states these actions only accelerated the turn. The airplane ground looped and came to rest on the left side of the runway. A postaccident investigation revealed eight inches of the vertical fuselage tubing and the aft diagonal tubing in the empennage near the tailwheel assembly were broken in several locations. Rust was observed on the inside of the tubing wall near the breaks.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: the failure of the fuselage tubing in the empennage. Full narrative available
Index for Aug1994 | Index of months


text:
Consumers who are unable to afford ACA-compliant coverage may soon be able to purchase short-term coverage with a much longer duration. Federal regulation changes finalized this summer and announced this month will make it possible for many buyers to purchase a short-term plan with an initial duration of nearly a year – with renewal options that allow the plan to remain in force for three years.
You can learn all about health insurance, get free online health insurance quotes, compare health plan prices and benefits side-by-side, choose from a large selection of affordable health insurance plans from leading health insurance companies, and apply for health insurance online. We have created a place where individuals, families, small groups, and students can choose the health insurance plan that is right for them.
Genetics, or inherited traits from parents, also play a role in determining the health status of individuals and populations. This can encompass both the predisposition to certain diseases and health conditions, as well as the habits and behaviors individuals develop through the lifestyle of their families. For example, genetics may play a role in the manner in which people cope with stress, either mental, emotional or physical. For example, obesity is a significant problem in the United States that contributes to bad mental health and causes stress in the lives of great numbers of people. (One difficulty is the issue raised by the debate over the relative strengths of genetics and other factors; interactions between genetics and environment may be of particular importance.)
Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org. Her state health exchange updates are regularly cited by media who cover health reform and by other health insurance experts.
Nearly one in three patients receiving NHS hospital treatment is privately insured and could have the cost paid for by their insurer. Some private schemes provide cash payments to patients who opt for NHS treatment, to deter use of private facilities. A report, by private health analysts Laing and Buisson, in November 2012, estimated that more than 250,000 operations were performed on patients with private medical insurance each year at a cost of £359 million. In addition, £609 million was spent on emergency medical or surgical treatment. Private medical insurance does not normally cover emergency treatment but subsequent recovery could be paid for if the patient were moved into a private patient unit.
The Commonwealth Fund, in its annual survey, "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall", compares the performance of the health care systems in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the U.S. Its 2007 study found that, although the U.S. system is the most expensive, it consistently under-performs compared to the other countries. One difference between the U.S. and the other countries in the study is that the U.S. is the only country without universal health insurance coverage.
Having that kind of control over your heart health is particularly welcome news right now, with cardiovascular disease remaining the number-one killer of both men and women. A recent CDC report revealed that “largely preventable” heart problems killed around 415,000 Americans in 2016. Under its Million Hearts campaign—which aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2022—the CDC identified approximately 2.2 million hospitalizations and 415,000 deaths from heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and related conditions in 2016 that likely could have been avoided.
Living a healthy life means making lifestyle choices that support your physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Managing your health can be challenging at times; while one facet of your wellness demands more attention than others, you may end up struggling to maintain a good balance in other areas. To be of sound body, mind, and spirit, it’s important to pay attention to all aspects of health—your mental, emotional, and spiritual sides all play a role in your physical welfare, and vice versa. A state of optimal well-being means more than just the absence of disease or disorder; it also means having the resources to cope with problems and circumstances beyond your control and recover from difficult or troubling situations. This intersection between health and behavior can help you prevent illness, and steer you to make better decisions about your well-being.
The Affordable Care Act has delivered health insurance for millions who were unable to find affordable coverage on the individual market in the past. And, while we strongly encourage our readers to take advantage of the comprehensive ACA-compliant coverage, we do recognize that there is a segment of the individual market population that is facing daunting rate increases. We realize that their coverage options may be limited.
The resulting programme is profession-based: all people working are required to pay a portion of their income to a not-for-profit health insurance fund, which mutualises the risk of illness, and which reimburses medical expenses at varying rates. Children and spouses of insured people are eligible for benefits, as well. Each fund is free to manage its own budget, and used to reimburse medical expenses at the rate it saw fit, however following a number of reforms in recent years, the majority of funds provide the same level of reimbursement and benefits.
If you suffer an injury or illness, individual health insurance can help pay for the cost of health care. Health insurance can also help pay for a wide range of medical services including medical emergencies, routine doctor's appointments, preventative care, prescription drugs, and inpatient/outpatient treatment. You'll typically pay a monthly premium, plus a deductible or copayment.
Today, this system is more or less intact. All citizens and legal foreign residents of France are covered by one of these mandatory programs, which continue to be funded by worker participation. However, since 1945, a number of major changes have been introduced. Firstly, the different health care funds (there are five: General, Independent, Agricultural, Student, Public Servants) now all reimburse at the same rate. Secondly, since 2000, the government now provides health care to those who are not covered by a mandatory regime (those who have never worked and who are not students, meaning the very rich or the very poor). This regime, unlike the worker-financed ones, is financed via general taxation and reimburses at a higher rate than the profession-based system for those who cannot afford to make up the difference. Finally, to counter the rise in health care costs, the government has installed two plans, (in 2004 and 2006), which require insured people to declare a referring doctor in order to be fully reimbursed for specialist visits, and which installed a mandatory co-pay of €1 for a doctor visit, €0.50 for each box of medicine prescribed, and a fee of €16–18 per day for hospital stays and for expensive procedures.
Scheduled health insurance plans are not meant to replace a traditional comprehensive health insurance plans and are more of a basic policy providing access to day-to-day health care such as going to the doctor or getting a prescription drug. In recent years[when?], these plans have taken the name "mini-med plans" or association plans. The term "association" is often used to describe them because they require membership in an association that must exist for some other purpose than to sell insurance. Examples include the Health Care Credit Union Association. These plans may provide benefits for hospitalization and surgical, but these benefits will be limited. Scheduled plans are not meant to be effective for catastrophic events. These plans cost much less than comprehensive health insurance. They generally pay limited benefits amounts directly to the service provider, and payments are based upon the plan's "schedule of benefits". As of 2005, "annual benefit maxima for a typical mini scheduled health insurance plan may range from $1,000 to $25,000".
Insurance companies are not allowed to have co-payments, caps, or deductibles, or to deny coverage to any person applying for a policy, or to charge anything other than their nationally set and published standard premiums. Therefore, every person buying insurance will pay the same price as everyone else buying the same policy, and every person will get at least the minimum level of coverage.


Bahrain’s United Steel Company (Sulb) has completed the acquisition of a 450,000 tonne-a-year rolling mill located at Jubail in Saudi Arabia for an undisclosed amount.
The United Gulf Steel (UGS) plant manufactures a range of products that includes equal angles, flat, round and square bars. Billets for the plant will be transported by barge from Sulb’s $1.2bn Hidd Steel Mill project currently under construction in Bahrain (MEED 15:10:10).
The new facility will allow Sulb to produce everything from light to heavy steel sections, making it the only steel producer in the region to do this.
Sulb is a joint venture between Kuwait’s United Steel Holding Company (Foulath) and Japan’s Yamato Kogyo Company.
Kuwait’s Gulf Investment Corporation owns 50 per cent of Foulath, 25 per cent is owned by Qatar Steel, 10 per cent each by the Kharafi Group of Kuwait and the National Industries Group of Kuwait, and 5 per cent by the Kuwait Foundry Company.


text:
The Accounting and Review Services Committee is seeking comments on the exposure draft Proposed Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services, The Use of the Accountant’s Name in a Document or Communication Containing Unaudited Financial Statements That Have Not Been Compiled or Reviewed.
The proposal amends SSARS no. 19, Compilation and Review Engagements (AICPA, Professional Standards, vol. 2, AR sec. 60), to address considerations for accountants asked to permit the use of their name in a document or communication containing unaudited financial statements that have not been compiled or reviewed.
The proposed SSARS would establish a requirement that prior to permitting the use of his or her name in such circumstances, the accountant should read the financial statements and other information in the document and consider whether such financial statements and other information appears free from obvious material misstatements and from material inconsistencies with other knowledge or information that the accountant may have obtained.
The proposed SSARS would establish a nonreporting option when the accountant permits the use of his or her name in a document or written communication containing unaudited financial statements that have not been compiled or reviewed provided that the accountant requests that the client clearly indicate that the unaudited financial statements were not compiled or reviewed by the accountant.
The proposed effective date is for unaudited financial statements that have not been compiled or reviewed for periods ending on or after Dec. 15, 2011. The comment period for the ED ends April 29.
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The orthopedic devices industry is expected to continue being a hotspot in the global medical technology space and is expected to come in third in terms of sales/revenue, after in-vitro diagnostics and cardiology, by the year 2020. The innovations in the advancements of technology and the rising incidence of orthopedic ailments are expected to be the major drivers of market growth. This article highlights some of the latest advancements in orthopedic devices technology, and the key players regarding the same.
Robotic surgeries have led to an exponential decrease in the post-operative care costs and time, due to the lesser number of incisions made during the surgery. The incisions are also smaller in size which makes the procedure less invasive than conventional surgeries. Orthopedic surgeries involving robots also provide for extreme precision which can be repeated and copied over multiple surgeries. This leads to shorter hospital stays and quicker time of recovery.
The Da Vinci Surgical System was the first robotic system to be approved by the US FDA in 2000. Many companies today are investing in this field for the provision of improved navigation at the time of surgery and also for obtaining 3D scans which aid in the designing of customized joints. Stryker, Mazor Robotics, OMNlife Science Inc., Zimmer Biomet, Smith & Nephew, Verb Surgical, and Intuitive Surgical, are some of the forefront companies investing in robotic surgeries. The recent acquisitions among these include
- The acquisition of Medtech by Zimmer Biomet which led to the introduction of the ROSA robotic device used in the surgeries of the spine and brain.
- The acquisition of Mako Surgical Corp. by Stryker for gaining access to robotic products for total hip replacement and total knee construction.
- The acquisition of Blue Belt Holdings by Smith & Nephew for partial knee replacements robotic surgery products.
However, the technology pertaining to robotic surgeries is quite expensive to be acquired and there is a requirement for stronger evidence-based studies for demonstrating that better outcomes can be achieved through robotic surgery.
Orthobiologic technologies are aiding in the acceleration of the healing process. Orthobiologics function by harnessing the regenerative potential of the cells within the human body and are made from substances which occur naturally in the body. They are used for improvement in the healing time and capacities of injured muscles, tendons, ligaments, and broken bones. Orthobiologics include autologous conditioned serum, autologous blood, growth factors, bone grafts, stem cells, and platelet-rich plasma, among others. Further, the development of desired tissues from the mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow has been proven to be effective.
The latest innovations in this field such as growth factor and stem cell-based strategies are expected to lead to drastic reductions in recovery times. Drug-eluting bone grafts are an innovation which can be applied in dealing with conditions like orthopedic surgical infections. The efficiency of growth factors has also been proven by clinical studies, which show that the healing process can be accelerated by their application. The uses of stem cells in self-regeneration have also increased to encompass the healing of bone fractures and non-unions, articular cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and also the spine.
The key players investing in the field of orthobiologics include
- DePuy Synthes (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) – for solutions in spinal care
- Stryker – development of biomaterials for spine, joint replacements, and trauma
- Smith & Nephew – bio-implants and joint replacement systems
- ISTO Technologies – development of concentrated bone marrow aspirate systems for formation of new bones in spinal fusions, and novel bone grafts
- LifeNet Health – development of bio-implants for repair of joints and trauma
- Wright – developing bone void fillers
- Exatech – developing spinal and orthobiologic solutions
The other developments in the orthopedic devices industry include
- The advancements in surgical procedure by the application of motion preservation techniques, performance of minimally invasive surgeries by the use of endoscopes, tubular retractors, and computer-aided navigation systems, tissue guided surgery, and cement-less knee replacements.
- The application of technologies and implants which have been smart sensor enabled, and provide real-time information to surgeons for the monitoring of post-operative dynamics as well as for better positioning. Stryker and OrthoSensor are working together on a smart knee implant for the optimization of joint balance during total knee arthroplasty. Zimmer Biomet and OrthoSensor have also entered into a partnership for co-marketing of smart implants.
- The improvements in 3-D printing technology are also a development to look forward to as they are currently aiding in the production of medical devices, customized implants, and orthotics from a variety of materials. The benefits offered by this technology include the reduction in surgery times. Cost savings, and better stability of the implant in the long-run, among others.
Therefore, there has been a plethora of innovations in relation to the advancements in the technology of orthopedic devices. These developments have aided in the reduction of costs and time, and have also provided for the optimization and personalization of outcomes. The future of orthopedic devices holds the likes of technological developments such as “Intelligent Orthopedics” which is an amalgamation of high-end technology with traditional techniques.
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The Motorola Razr is as iconic a smartphone as they get. It’s a rarity to find someone who hasn’t owned or didn’t know about the devices back in the day. Well Motorola wants back in and feels that technology has come a long enough way to guarantee a smartphone experience in the shape of the Razr from over a decade ago. This brings us to the Motorola Razr 5G.
Earlier in the year, we saw the first iteration of the Motorola Razr come to the UAE. It was the first foldable smartphone in the region but wasn’t able to make its mark with consumers.
Motorola Razr 5G
The Motorola Razr 5G comes to the UAE will a whole lot of improvements but are these enough to get users on board?
Body and Displays
The display on the Motorola Razr 5G is the same as its previous iteration. The soft plastic feels a bit ‘dated’ after having experienced Samsung’s UTG displays on the Z Flip and Z Fold 2. The issue is more of feel and durability rather than clarity or colour. Soft plastic can easily be damaged by a key or a nail which kept me worried my whole time using the Razr 5G.
As a display, the screen is a 6.2″ P-OLED folding display. It’s not bad but it doesn’t have that pop that you see on other smartphones. It’s just about does the job. Watching content on the screen is very much acceptable and colour is decently accurate.
When the displays is switched off you can very much see the points at which the plates below the display push the up causing a sort of triple crease. Like all creases on foldable phones, these too are barely visible once using the phone.
Hinges and Plates
Speaking of the plates, the body of the new Motorola Razr 5G is strikingly beautiful. When opened, its an edge-y phone, giving you those retro-Razr vibes in the hand. Opened up the phone at its thinnest point is just 7.9mm. The phone has curves on the sides giving an extremely comfy hold. Folded the Razr is 16mm thick and is pretty nice and pocketable.
The Razr 5G comes in with a welcome few upgrades compared to its predecessor. The hinge gets covered up, the back becomes glass (but no wireless charging) and the chin gets a little slimmer. The chin on the bottom is the most important part to maintain nostalgia but also ruins the look and feel of the display.
When closed you get to see the outer display of the Motorola Razr 5G. The outer ‘QuickView’ display is obviously glass and comes with updated functionality. There’s a lot more you can do with display now. Reply to a WhatsApp message, watch a video on YouTube or even quickly glance apps like Twitter or Instagram.
The QuickView display is definitely a massive plus point on the phone. Compared to the Samsung Z Flip , which offers almost no interactivity when the phone is folded shut, the Razr 5G gets so much done with the smaller display.
The Motorola Razr 5G comes with just two cameras. A 48 MP, f/1.7 lens on the back of the device and a 20 MP, f/2.2 on the the inside. While the rear camera is a decent attempt, it doesn’t come with the all the bells and whistles that most smartphone cameras come with. Unlike something like the Google Pixel, the Motorola Razr doesn’t really successfully provide a great camera experience with just a a single lens. The photos it produces are decent when the scenario is well lit. Colour accuracy is off and details aren’t evident.
Here are some samples from the smartphone:
Now the Razr 5G comes with Motorola’s My UX on top of Android 10. Now while it might be the ‘Motorola skin’, My UX is one of the most vanilla experiences you can find on an Android smartphone. While brands have concentrated on the look and feel of their skins, Motorola has merely added some pretty neat functionality to the device. Usual gestures such a twisting the phone in your hand to launch the camera or a chop-chop action to launch the flash are much more useful than you think.
Apart from that everything is clean and vanilla. The phone uses Google Photos as its primary gallery, google calendar as it primary calendar and so on. Vanilla Android lovers will definitely love seeing this on the Motorola Razr 5G.
Processing and Power
The Motorola Razr 5G comes powered by the extremely capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G supported 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. During my testing of the phone, I didn’t particularly find any glitches or slow down of the phone. It blazed through every task I put forward. Replying to emails or video were not an issue at all. For testing purposes I tried a bit of multitasking and it wasn’t an issue.
Gaming is pretty much a no-go on the device. I tried playing Call of Duty and Asphalt 9 on the phone. Now the games did work but with a decent amount of lag. The body of the phone doesn’t really allow comfortable two-hand landscape usage of the phone.
The phone comes powered with a larger (compared to the previous Razr) 2800mAh battery. The battery survived a full day for me with ease but that being said if you push hard this quickly reverses itself. The phone supports 18W charging which is nowhere close to what competition is offering but still does the job of charging the phone in just over 90 mintues.
5G shouldn’t be a massive factor in considering the Razr 5G right now but will definitely come into play if you keep your phone for over a year. With the rapid pace at which 5G is growing in the UAE, it is nice to that the Razr 5G is slightly future proof.
Should you buy the Motorola Razr 5G?
The Motorola Razr 5G is currently available for Dh5499 at Etisalat, Du and a few other retail and online stores. At this price, I expect much more from the Motorola Razr 5G.
While the new device does have 5G (which still isn’t widely available all across the UAE), it’s current competition, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (released at the beginning of the year) offers way more at a much more affordable price of Dh2929. A better UTG display, dual cameras, a much more familiar display experience without 5G. In the now, these features are way more useful than 5G. Specially when we’re spending so much more time at home using Wi-Fi.
At 5499, the Motorola Razr 5G just doesn’t offer that flagship experience I expect. It doesn’t have a flagship processor, it’s display isn’t the latest in folding display technology and it’s cameras are not properly optimised. If the phone were in the Dh3500 category, it would have still been suggestible but at this price Motorola can’t expect users to shell out money for features that aren’t even the newest in the market.
Compared to the Motorola Razr from earlier this year, the Motorola Razr 5G is definitely a step in the right direction. It does have improvements but just not enough to compete with what’s int the market. Maybe the next version is the one we’re waiting for?
The Motorola Razr 5G is a beaut to hold in the hand. It handles the average joe’s everyday smartphone usage with ease and gives you that extra pizzazz when you snap the phone shut after a call.
If you’re a user who needs a good looking phone which does the minimum expected from a smartphone and obviously have over Dh5000 to spare, the Motorola Razr 5G might be a phone for you.