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The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the behaviour of most of the world’s population, particularly affecting the elderly, including people living with dementia (PLwD). Here we use remote home monitoring technology deployed into 31 homes of PLwD living in the UK to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on behaviour within the home, including social isolation. The home activity was monitored continuously using unobtrusive sensors for 498 days from 1 December 2019 to 12 April 2021. This period included six distinct pandemic phases with differing public health measures, including three periods of home ‘lockdown’. Linear mixed-effects modelling is used to examine changes in the home activity of PLwD who lived alone or with others. An algorithm is developed to quantify time spent outside the home. Increased home activity is observed from very early in the pandemic, with a significant decrease in the time spent outside produced by the first lockdown. The study demonstrates the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on home behaviours in PLwD and shows how unobtrusive home monitoring can be used to track behaviours relevant to social isolation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the behaviour and daily activities of most of the world’s population. In the UK, people living with dementia (PLwD) have been particularly affected1,2. Dementia is the most common co-morbidity associated with COVID-19 deaths in the first wave of the pandemic3, and public health measures aimed at slowing virus spread have dramatically affected PLwD through widespread social distancing and home ‘lockdown’ measures2,4. These measures have protected individuals from infection, while dramatically reducing social interactions and raising concerns about the detrimental effects of social isolation5,6. Hence, there is a need to directly assess the impact of public health measures in vulnerable populations, both to investigate how well individuals with cognitive impairment can follow public health advice and to measure the social impact of these measures.
The use of connected sensing technologies enables continuous remote monitoring of the health and well-being of people at risk of social isolation7. Wearable devices provide direct information about physical activity8 but are challenging for PLwD because of problems with compliance related to their cognitive impairments9. Passive sensor networks provide an attractive alternative as they allow unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of home activity without the need for user engagement10. We report data from an ongoing study of dementia care that uses environmental sensors deployed in the home of PLwD, including passive infra-red sensors, door sensors and smart plugs. Continuously collected information about home daily behaviour through the recent pandemic has provided insights into how COVID-19 has affected the lives of PLwD.
The first national UK lockdown started on 23 March 2020 and introduced social distancing, self-isolation and limited time for outdoor activities. These measures were relaxed mid-May 2020; however, new restrictions were announced to aid in further reducing the spread of the pandemic. Here we present a quantitative analysis of activity levels from the homes of PLwD through the COVID-19 pandemic. Sensor data from the cohort of households were collected before and during the UK COVID-19 lockdowns and were used for continuous assessment of the daily activities. We investigate overall home activity levels and the duration of time spent outside calculated using a custom algorithm, described below in the methods section. This algorithm is developed for this study to determine when the occupants of the house are outside by combining door use with in-home activity levels. The effects of single and multiple occupancies are also explored, as PLwD living alone is more likely to experience social isolation11. The analysis provides insights into how household activity and time spent outside have changed through the pandemic and how PLwD adapted to the changing pandemic restrictions.
Data was acquired from the homes of 31 PLwD between 1 December 2019 and 12 April 2021 using passive infra-red sensors, door sensors and smart plugs in five different rooms, two entry points and three kitchen appliances (Fig. 1c–f). In total, almost 7 million unique observations across 498 unique days were collected. Behavioural changes caused by the pandemic were examined over six time periods: P1 baseline activity level prior to the pandemic (1 December 2019–31 January 2020); P2 onset of COVID-19 pandemic before any measures being announced by the government (31 January 2020–23 March 2020); P3 introduction of lockdown measures such as social distancing, self-isolation and limited time for outdoor activities (23 March 2020–13 May 2020); P4 relaxation of measures and introduction of new restrictions focused on local lockdowns and working from home (13 May 2020–5 November 2020); P5 second lockdown and Tier 4 level restrictions (5 November 2020–6 January 2021); and P6 third lockdown (6 January 2021–12 April 2021).
Higher daytime home activity levels during the pandemic
The mean household activity was calculated based on the sum of daily activity across the different house sensors. Linear mixed-effects modelling (LME) and ANOVA were used to compare the baseline period (P1) to all other pandemic periods combined (P2-P6). The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant increase in activity within the home, with a 14% change in total activity (LME ANOVA–F(1, 31) = 30.05***, Figs. 2a, 3a, b). This increase is also observed in the mean activity summed across the different locations resampled at 6-h periods between 10 January and 20 February 2020. This demonstrates the gradual change in home activity as a function of the COVID-19 outbreak (Fig. 2b–e).
The main effect of overall changes in activity due to COVID-19 was seen in households with single and multiple occupancies (LME ANOVA–F(1, 31) = 24.25***, Fig. 3a, Eq. (1)) with no interaction between occupancy and activity levels. The change in home activity between P1 and P2–6 was specific to the time of day (Fig. 3c, Eq. (2)). Activity levels changed between P1 and P2–6 during the day (05:00–23:00), but not during the night (23:00–05:00), with a significant interaction between the pandemic period (P1 and P2–6) and time of day (daytime/nighttime) (LME ANOVA–F(1, 93) = 11.37***). A similar result was observed when the pandemic periods were modelled separately (Fig. 3b, Eq. (3)), with the main effect of activity change across the periods showing an overall increase from P1 onwards (LME ANOVA–F(5, 152.17) = 6.97***) with no significant effect of occupancy (LME ANOVA–F(1, 31.12) = 2.99, p = 0.09) and no interaction between the mean activity across periods and occupancy.
Relative changes in entryway events and time spent outside
We next investigated how the pandemic affected the entryway events and the time individuals spent outside their homes. We calculated the daily mean of entryway events and mean-centred this across the periods. This demonstrated an overall reduction in door activity during the first lockdown and the relaxation period, followed by a relative increase in back door usage which suggests more garden activity (Fig. 4a, b). We quantified the time spent outside by identifying door usage (opening and closing) followed by the absence of in-home activity. A standardised measure of mean time spent outside per period per subject was used to allow comparison across the subjects. We examined the average time spent outside for each period while controlling for individual households and the number of household occupants using LME (Eq. (4)). Time spent outside was significantly different across the study periods (LME ANOVA–F(5, 172) = 7.91***, Fig. 4c, d). As expected, all the pandemic periods exhibited reduced time spent outside relative to period 1. However, the first lockdown (see P3 in Fig. 4e) was associated with the most pronounced reductions (LME - t(172) = −6.454***). The average time spent outside fell from a baseline average of 55 to 26 min.
We used passive home monitoring of activity to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients living with dementia (PLwD). In total, almost 7 million unique observations across almost 500 days were collected, providing a unique opportunity to study the effects of unique public health measures in this vulnerable population. Activity levels within the home increased across households early in the course of the pandemic. This change followed the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaration of a coronavirus outbreak but preceded the UK lockdown imposed by the UK government12, which suggests that people affected by dementia proactively changed their behaviour prior to public health restrictions imposed by the government.
Once imposed, UK lockdown restrictions limited movements outside the home, particularly in the first lockdown period (P3). We were able to directly study the impact of these public health measures on behaviour in the home. By recording front door usage and combining this with the measurement of subsequent activity in the home, we were able to derive a measure of time spent outside the home. This showed that lockdown restrictions produced a dramatic reduction in the time our cohort spent outside their home, which was particularly seen during the first UK lockdown period (P3: March–May 2020).
Investigating the effects of these unprecedented public health measures on vulnerable populations is important for several reasons. It allows investigation of how well vulnerable groups can follow public health advice and provides a way to measure its effects on household activity and social interactions. The strong correspondence between changes in household activity mandated by lockdown restrictions and actual household activity illustrates how well this vulnerable population complied with public health measures. Future work might extend this approach to both assess compliance with public health measures, and also the impact of these measures in vulnerable groups who might be at risk of unintended consequences such as social isolation.
In addition, our results show that remote sensor technology can be used to effectively monitor home behaviour and provides information about potential social care concerns within this population. The analysis provides information that is relevant to the assessment of social isolation in an unobtrusive automated way. For example, alerts about unexpected changes in time spent outside, either reductions or increases produced by wandering, could be responded to by social care teams or carers who are remotely providing support. This approach could assist in identifying unexpected changes in household activity, particularly the time spent outside the home. This is an important marker of day-to-day behaviour, which can be difficult to keep track of in vulnerable individuals. This information might be used as a digital biomarker to assist in targeting support provided by social care and primary healthcare to vulnerable individuals, such as those living with dementia.
Large reductions in the time individuals spend outside the home could have adverse effects on PLwD because increased social isolation is detrimental to the mental health of the elderly5,6. Neuropsychiatric problems such as anxiety and agitation can increase in patients with dementia who have fewer social interactions13, which is also associated with reductions in memory and functional abilities14,15. Confining individuals to their homes can also speed physical and cognitive decline in PLwD and increase caregiver burden16,17. In addition, health and social care have become more difficult to provide during periods of lockdown, further reducing the opportunity for social interactions. Hence, monitoring home activity levels provides information relevant to the neurological and psychiatric health of PLwD, and could be used to identify patients at risk of social isolation who would benefit from targeted support from care teams.
Our study has a number of potential limitations. One potential concern is that our participants behaviour may be impacted by the presence of sensors in their homes. We believe this is unlikely for a number of reasons. Our participants are part of an ongoing study conducted by the UK Dementia Research Institute, which investigates the use of technology to support people living with dementia with the main aim to develop new ways to identify health problems, such as falls and infections that lead to hospital admissions. This study started in April 2019, with participants recruited steadily since then. Moreover, the data reported here is collected from participants who have been part of the study for at least 6 months prior to the pandemic, hence, from the participants’ perspective, non-obtrusive sensor technology was unrelated to COVID-19. Also, at no stage was there any discussion about the participants’ behaviour in relation to compliance with COVID-19 protocols. This study provides an ideal measure of the effects of COVID-19 measures that occurred unexpectedly during the ongoing data collection.
The sensors deployed in this study provide specific information about moving around the house and the use of household appliances. Hence, it is not possible to use this approach to infer more detailed information about other aspects of cognitive function or detailed behaviours. This does not affect the results we report, but future research would benefit from deploying additional sensors capable of providing other types of information. Along similar lines, our set-up did not provide complete household coverage by sensors. The standard set-up for motion detection uses five passive infra-red sensors placed in the main rooms of the house, as identified by the participants, however, some participants can have more rooms than those with sensors. This creates challenges in understanding the behaviours that make use of those locations.
The sensor technology deployed allows us to monitor behaviour related to movements through the home. Although this does not provide detailed information about the cognitive or psychiatric state of an individual, the impact of large changes such as lockdown instructions can be identified, as we have demonstrated.
In summary, our results confirm the potential for passive monitoring of activity levels in the home of vulnerable adults. We show that unobtrusive home monitoring using passive infra-red (PIR) sensing technology can be used to measure home activity, derive indicators of social activity such as time spent outside the home and track the response of vulnerable populations to public health interventions. These digital measures have the potential to be developed as real-world digital biomarkers with utility in health and social care. Future work should focus on how best to incorporate these measures into the health and social care for vulnerable adults.
Motion sensor data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from 31 households that formed part of an ongoing study of dementia conducted by the UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI), Care Research & Technology Centre. Data were continuously collected across a 16-month period inclusive of the three UK national lockdowns. Participants had a diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, were more than 50 years of age (age range 75–93 years old, Fig. 1b), were living in the community and had a study partner who either lived with them or who was involved in their care. Full inclusion/exclusion criteria for the study are attached in the supplementary file. The study was ethically approved by the Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee, and all participants provided written informed consent. Individuals were living alone in 10 households (4 male and 6 female). The other 21 households had more than one occupant (14 male and 7 female) (Fig. 1a).
In-home monitoring technology
The households in this study had a range of Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technologies that were deployed in the home by Howz. The analysis reported uses anonymised binary data collected by Develco sensors (https://www.develcoproducts.com/) from households. Passive infra-red sensors (Develco Motion Sensor Mini) were installed in the bedroom, the lounge/living room, the kitchen, the bathroom and the hallway (Fig. 1e, f). Sensor placement varies according to the house layout, such that the sensors are placed within the most active locations within the house. Door sensors (Develco Window Sensor) were placed on the front door, the back door and the fridge door, and they collect information about a door being open or closed. Two smart plugs (Develco Smart Plug Mini) were placed on kitchen appliances such as the kettle and toaster or microwave, allowing the collection of data about the usage of these appliances.
As shown in our study, the sensors are capable of collecting movement data over long periods that we can interpret with the help of aggregate measures of household activity. The sensors used in the study are commercially available. Passive infra-red sensors are standard motion sensors that record a binary signal when motion is detected within a range of up to 9 m in a 45° up/down, left/right angle. Once a signal is recorded, there is a customisable off-time until the next trigger. The door sensor uses a magnetic sensor which detects and records two signals—the opening and closing of the door. The smart plug only records information about whether an appliance is in use or not. The accuracy of the data recorded can be affected by a number of technical factors, sensitivity and off-time, which are dependent on the customisation and placement of the sensors in the house. In our study, we obtain maximum sensitivity at around 3 m and have set the ‘off-time’ to 30 s. Furthermore, our system includes a monitoring team who responds both to clinical events and also technical failures. Data are monitored in near real-time as it enters the system, and sensor failures that might result from damage are identified and responded to by a maintenance team responsible for the deployment of the system into the home.
The analysis comprises of six stages that define the progression of the pandemic and the measures decided by the government. These stages are represented as periods in response to government announcements of the pandemic measures. A pre-COVID baseline is calculated from the data collected before the appearance of COVID-19 and that of any self-isolation measures being in place (P1). The analysis comprises of six stages that define the progression of the pandemic and the measures decided by the government. These stages are represented as periods in response to government announcements of the pandemic measures. Period two (P2) defines the time between the first case being recorded in the UK to the first lockdown. There are three national lockdown periods denoted by P3, P5 and P6. P4 denotes the relaxation period between the first and the second lockdown. The timeline is as follows (Fig. 1c):
P1: pre-COVID-19 baseline (T0—1 December 2019 to T1—31 January 2020, 61 days)
P2: COVID-19 outbreak (T1—31 January 2020 to T2—23 March 2020, 52 days)
P3: first national lockdown (T2—23 March 2020 to T3—13 May 2020, 51 days)
P4: relaxation (T3—13 May 2020 to T4—5 November 2020, 176 days)
P5: second national lockdown (T4—5 November 2020 to T5—6 January 2021, 62 days)
P6: third national lockdown (T6—6 January 2021 to T7—12 April 2021, 96 days)
Aggregate measures: total household activity and time spent outside
For the household analyses, we used two main aggregate measures: total household activity and time spent outside. The mean household activity was calculated based on the sum of daily activity across the different house sensors. Sensor total activity was combined from all sensors (PIR, door and appliances) and resampled by household into either daily (from midnight to midnight) or 6 hourly periods (Figs. 2 and 3).
A second analysis focused on the changes in entryway events and time spent outside. The daily entryway events mean was mean-centred to show the relative changes in door activity across the different periods. The time spent outside measure was identified by the combination of: (a) entryway activity [two doors open > close states] for either the front or back door; and (b) the absence of PIR activity within the home until the next entryway event [open to close state]. Time spent outside is then calculated as the time difference between states. Time spent outside was then thresholded by removing any events that lasted less than 3 min and greater than 9 h. This eliminated very short events likely to relate to sensor noise and also events where participants did not return to the home overnight. A standardised measure of mean time spent outside was then calculated to allow comparison across the subjects.
Linear mixed-effects modelling of household activity
Linear mixed-effects (LME) multilevel modelling, using the R in Python (‘rpy2’) lme4/lmerTest package18, was used to test the relationship between home activity and pandemic phases while considering the individual heterogeneity of the households. Fixed effects of pandemic periods and home occupancy were modelled alongside random effects related to heterogeneity across the individual households. Unless otherwise stated, we use standard significance reporting (i.e.: p < 0.0001***, p < 0.001**, p < 0.05*, p < 0.1).
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Research Reporting Summary linked to this article.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
The code used in this study will be made available by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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We would like to acknowledge support from the UK Dementia Research Institute, Care Research and Technology, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust and to thank the participants who took part in the research. This study was supported by the UK Dementia Research Institute, Care Research & Technology Centre, the UK Department of Health and NHS England TIHM for Dementia Project led by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. A.I.S. was supported by the UKRI CDT in AI for Healthcare http://ai4health.io (Grant No. P/S023283/1).
The authors declare no competing interests.
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Serban, AI., Soreq, E., Barnaghi, P. et al. The effect of COVID-19 on the home behaviours of people affected by dementia. npj Digit. Med. 5, 154 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00697-4

domain: health


It's Fleet Week in New York, where for the last 19 years, thousands of sailors and Marines have hit the city to blow off steam, and even more civilians get the chance to see some of the military's newest technologies, even those still under construction.
This year the Office of Naval Research, which has partnered with companies both public and private to keep our fighting men and women on the cutting edge, showed off some high-tech gadgets that could be making their way to the private sector sometime soon.
Though a super-sonic cruise missile is unlikely to be available at your local Costco or Wal-Mart, translation and communication technology on display could change how and with whom we speak.
A Computer That Speaks a Dozen Languages
In one corner of the USS Kearsarge, a massive aircraft carrier spending the week docked at Pier 88 in Manhattan, one of the Navy's most exciting projects lives, unimpressively, in a commercial laptop on a small banquet table.
But what is simply known as Restore and Interact is anything but unimpressive.
Restore is a program that can restitute wrinkled, stained and doodled-on foreign-language documents, like the ones soldiers find all the time in Iraq, to their original form.
Then comes the "wow" part. The program interprets and then translates the document into English, or another chosen language.
"In a matter of a few seconds, the document is cleaned and translated," explained Sean Lanahan, business development manager for SpeechGear Inc., the company behind the technology.
But Lanahan said that's only one part of its overall goal.
"Our mission is to be able to translate anything you hear, read, say, write or type," he said.
To that end, the second part of SpeechGear's project, Interact, is a voice translator more advanced than anything you've seen before.
If you speak into a microphone, the computer understands what you say, and with just a few clicks of the mouse or by just tapping the buttons using a touch pad or tablet PC, the software translates what you've said into text but also verbally translates it, speaking in a synthesized voice.
"We have two Arabic dialects, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian and we're working on Chinese," Lanahan said. "We want to give people the ability to translate two-way, spontaneous, free-form speech for conversation."
Because languages like English and Arabic are so different, the company has focused on retaining the meaning of what's being said rather than a direct translation that might be difficult to understand.
Lanahan said the technology is already in use in the field, at checkpoints and such, and could be used at border crossings, by customs, local law enforcement and, of course, by civilians who just don't speak the same language.
Communicating by Line of Sight
Also on display on the Kearsarge was a new way to help ships communicate over long distances using a set of binoculars and a device that attaches to the eye pieces.
Using LED technology like the type found in your television remote-control, LightSpeed can transmit voice and data over about 2½ miles, as long as the recipient and the person sending the signal are within the same range of vision.
"In the field, there are a variety of conditions they [military personnel] can't speak in," explained Greg Hays, chief technology officer for SPAWAR -- Space and Naval Warfare Systems.
Whether you're on a covert mission, or lack available frequencies or are simply fearful that a traditional signal may set off an IED or other explosive, you need only be in the field of vision to emit or receive a signal.
Traditionally, naval vessels have used hand signals or semaphore or used lights to send messages back and forth. Now, as long as the signal can be seen and is within range, it's as easy as speaking.
Hays explained that the device is not limited to the military or binoculars.
He said there's already been interest from local law enforcement and first responders who need to stay in touch regardless of how more traditional frequencies are behaving or interfered with.
Fastest Missile on the Market
Of course this is the Navy and not everything is about communication and peaceful resolution. At times, force is needed, and that's where the RATTLRS supersonic cruise missile comes in.
RATTLRS stands for Revolutionary Approach to Time-critical Long Range Strike. But basically, it's a really, really fast missile.
"The secret sauce in this missile is the engine," explained Lawrence Ash, program officer for the Office of Naval Research.
The engine allows the craft to travel at mach 3, three times the speed of sound, and although the researchers were tight-lipped about the details, it can cover distances larger than 500 nautical miles in a short amount of time.
"This gives us the ability to hit time-sensitive targets," he explained. "It's time-responsiveness that we simply haven't had before."
Ash says that means that the soldier in the field is both far out of harms way and that when the military pinpoints a target that's mobile, there's less travel time needed for the missile to hit its mark.


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Calithera Biosciences, Inc. to Post Q3 2017 Earnings of ($0.27) Per Share, Leerink Swann Forecasts (CALA)
Calithera Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:CALA) – Equities researchers at Leerink Swann decreased their Q3 2017 earnings per share estimates for shares of Calithera Biosciences in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday. Leerink Swann analyst J. Chang now anticipates that the biotechnology company will post earnings per share of ($0.27) for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of ($0.21). Leerink Swann also issued estimates for Calithera Biosciences’ Q4 2017 earnings at ($0.30) EPS, FY2017 earnings at ($0.95) EPS and FY2018 earnings at ($0.98) EPS.
Calithera Biosciences (NASDAQ:CALA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.15) EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.29) by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $7.26 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.80 million.
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CALA has been the topic of several other reports. BidaskClub raised shares of Calithera Biosciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 7th. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Calithera Biosciences from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $20.00 price target (up from $15.00) on shares of Calithera Biosciences in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target (up from $14.00) on shares of Calithera Biosciences in a research note on Monday, June 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.50.
Shares of Calithera Biosciences (NASDAQ CALA) opened at 12.05 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $15.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.67. Calithera Biosciences has a one year low of $2.20 and a one year high of $20.05. The company’s market cap is $427.49 million.
In other Calithera Biosciences news, VP Keith Orford sold 2,120 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.31, for a total value of $38,817.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,470 shares of company stock worth $61,817. Insiders own 16.30% of the company’s stock.
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Calithera Biosciences during the second quarter worth about $120,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Calithera Biosciences during the first quarter worth about $117,000. Nationwide Fund Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Calithera Biosciences during the first quarter worth about $131,000. KCG Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Calithera Biosciences during the first quarter worth about $144,000. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new position in shares of Calithera Biosciences during the first quarter worth about $160,000. 54.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Calithera Biosciences Company Profile
Calithera Biosciences, Inc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. The Company focuses on discovering and developing small molecule drugs directed against tumor and immune cell targets that control key metabolic pathways in the tumor microenvironment. It is engaged in developing agents that take advantage of the metabolic requirements of tumor cells and cancer-fighting immune cells, such as cytotoxic T-cells.
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domain: news


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Dr iur (Frankfurt), LLM (Harvard); Professor of Law, University of Bielefeld: Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. This text is based on a Lecture at the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung, Munich 1994 (privately published ibid. 1995). A German language version appeared in (1995) 50 JuristenZeitung 58. Translated by lain L. Fraser.
Does Europe Need a Constitution?
Version of Record online: 9 SEP 2010
1995 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
European Law Journal
Volume 1, Issue 3, pages 282–302, November 1995
How to Cite
Grimm, D. (1995), Does Europe Need a Constitution?. European Law Journal, 1: 282–302. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0386.1995.tb00033.x
- Issue online: 9 SEP 2010
- Version of Record online: 9 SEP 2010
Abstract: In what has become known as the ‘Maastricht II’ debate the call for a European constitution plays a great part. Often it is even expected to provide the solution to Europe's democracy problem. This paper looks at the calls for a constitution and asks how far they are already met by the Treaties and what consequences fully meeting them would have for the Union and the Member States.

domain: library


Product Description & Reviews
Liberty Garden Products four wheel hose carts are designed for all your garden and landscaping needs, they also make hose storage easy and stylish. The 870-M1 Four Wheel Hose Reel Cart holds 300-feet of 5/8-inch hose. The pneumatic tires allow this cart to roll easily over rough ground and the low center of gravity helps prevent tipping. Made of 13 gauge steel, this cart has a tough, weather resistant powder coat finish and brass/galvanized fixtures. Includes 5-feet of inlet hose. Color: tan.Perfect for professional/commercial garden/landscaping needs, Functional and durable.
Features & Highlights
- Perfect for professional/commercial garden/landscaping needs, Functional and durable
- Holds up to 300-feet of 5/8-inch hose (hose not included), Non-slip handle
- Features 13 gauge steel construction, durable powder coat finish that is weather resistant, Brass/galvanized fixtures, 90 degree brass swivel connector
- Low center of gravity helps prevents tipping, 4-10" pneumatic tires, Keeps hose neat - ready to use
- Assembly required, Color: tan. NOTE: Refer user manual and instructional video before use
|Brand:||Liberty Garden Products|
|Item Weight:||35 pounds|
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Justice Jawad Rahim, acting chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), raised the issue of the pollution due to electromagnetic radiations emanating from mobile towers.
PATNA: Patna University will soon install solar energy panels on its important buildings and take up rainwater harvesting projects with a view to creating an eco-friendly environment on the campus.
BHOPAL: One-third of wells analysed in Bhopal are reporting a decadal water level fluctuation.
NEW DELHI: In its effort to make 'housing for all by 2022' a reality, the Centre has proposed to ease green norms for the building and construction sector where projects up to 50,000 sq metres will
Nairobi — The government is set to launch a National Water Storage and Harvesting Authority in a bid to improve rainwater collection and stocking.
The city-based NGO, Siruthuli’s efforts in construction of rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in public places across the city has helped in improving the groundwater table, says a release.
The board’s managing director M. Dana Kishore informed on Monday while reviewing the progress of Jalam-Jeevam programme, HUDCO and projects.
ENVIRONMENT, Water and Climate minster Oppah Muchinguri has revealed that her ministry was recently allocated $80 million by Treasury to construct and repair dams, as part of efforts to intensify w
The National Green Tribunal has issued a bailable warrant against the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Managing Director Mangu Singh for failure of its officials to appear before it to apprise i
57% wells show decline in water levels; 20 districts record heavy metals over acceptable limits
Forfeiting our commons
The Lancet’s Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition
President Obama's grand climate plan does not add up
Climate change can no longer be ignored
NGO demands withdrawal of Niyamgiri gram sabha notificatio


The current market landscape for small businesses has changed a lot. Gone are those days when small businesses were confined to doing localized businesses as the current technological modernization has allowed small businesses to reach outside the boundaries of their own country without becoming a giant firm. From highly advanced technological solutions like QuickBooks Hosting to simple cloud storage, there are many options for small businesses in the current era. But along with the technological solution that businesses use in their day to day operations, there are technology management services available in the market as well and in this blog post, we are going to talk about one such technology; the managed IT services Brisbane is known for.
In the current market, small businesses are leveling the playing field by using advanced technologies but these advanced technologies are not easy to manage. With more advanced technological solutions, there comes the hassle of managing it. It is not very difficult for giant businesses since they have the budget and manpower to fulfill the IT management needs but the situation becomes challenging for small businesses. Most of the small businesses are always on a budget constraint and hiring IT professionals or assigning IT staff just on IT infrastructure management is not a feasible solution. This is where managed IT services come into the picture.
MSP, misconception and multiple office locations
Many people think that managed IT services providers are chosen by only those companies that have a ginormous IT infrastructure like MNCs but that’s not true. You should know that in the current era, there are many small businesses that are taking advantage of the services of managed IT service providers like NOC service. If you are running a small business and have different offices located in different places then managing the IT infrastructure will become much more complicated for you. With different locations, the complexity of IT infrastructure increases, and in some cases, it becomes almost impossible for the in-house IT staff to manage the complex IT infrastructure. Well, in such cases, opting for the services of managed IT service providers is the best solution. However, sourcing a reputed IT Support provider can be difficult in the present scenario, as there are several companies out there who claim to help. But the question is how to choose an apt firm, which can suit individual needs? For that, individuals can search for Business IT Support Melbourne online and locate firms like Intelligen Technology Solutions. They can check out their work portfolio and decide for themselves.
No need to for complete IT infrastructure management
There are many small businesses that want to keep the management of a part of their IT infrastructure to themselves. The reason for this can be many and there is nothing wrong with keeping the management of a portion of IT infrastructure to yourself. If you also want to use this approach then you don’t need to restrict yourself from a managed IT service provider. You might be thinking that MSPs only take care of the whole IT infrastructure but that’s not true.
You have basically two options for outsourcing the management of IT infrastructure. You can either go for complete IT infrastructure management or just assign a portion of it. You can also allow your in-house IT staff to work along with the employees of MSP in order to get better results. The flexibility provided by MSPs is one of the most key features and this is one of the main reasons why so many small businesses opt for the services of MSP. So, even if you are planning not to outsource the management of your complete IT infrastructure, you can still go for the services of MSP.
You will ultimately save cost
Another main issue that keeps small businesses away from the services of MSP is their misconception of spending too much money on it. You might be thinking that how can I save money if, in the end, I have to pay the fee of MSP. Well, in order to understand the benefit of cost saving, you will have to look at the bigger picture. If you are going to manage your IT infrastructure on your own then you will have to hire, train and manage IT employees. Well, it will mean pouring in a lot of money. And, as a small business, you must be aware of the fact that IT staff is not a full time service still it is very important. Even after spending too much money on your IT staff, still, you can never be sure about the quality of IT infrastructure management.
You can get rid of all these expenses just by switching to the services of an MSP. You will get professional and world-class management services just by paying a small fee to the MSP. The IT staff working at MSP works like an extended part of your company and this is why they are so popular all around the world. So, without going through the hassle of training and managing IT employees and without breaking the bank, you will still get access to expertise and skill set.
Saurabh Gupta is currently working as a senior content writer at MyQBHost, a QuickBooks hosting provider company and the two things which matters the most to him is technology and writing. Cloud computing, Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity is what he loves the most.


text:
A 30ml bottle of Vinta Inks Violet Maskara 1890 fountain pen ink. Vinta Inks Violet Maskara 1890 is a light purple color with blue undertones.
The maskara festival was conceived in part due to the sugarcane crisis in Negros. 1890 was the year the Spaniards split Negros region into two: Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. These regional divisions remain today.
"Vinta Inks are obsessively designed and meticulously mixed. Our inks are meant for fountain pen or calligraphy use. We promise that we use the finest ingredients to make the best ink that we can. Proudly made in the Philippines."
- Volume: 30ml
- Bottle Material: Glass
- Color: Purple

domain: artistic


said Trump broke his oath of office by inciting his supporters to insurrection and used his position to attack the legislative branch of government.
（state-level leaders of the two major parties selected people to serve as electors.and Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump attend the ground breaking of the Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office Building in Washington July 23.
還(Reuters) - Hundreds of people lined up in a cold rain on Monday to cast ballots in a pair of U.
國(guo)her eyes bulging and her frail body distorted by a persistent cough and long struggle with lung illness linked to her inadequate nutrition.
個Slideshow ( 2 images )The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland Security Departments Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement that the Enemies of the People website.
Such an extraordinary event would be unprecedented in modern U.


text: This dual hubbub receiver from Kenwood is the ideal upgrade for your lorry's electronic system. Attach your device wirelessly with the Bluetooth connection. This receiver plays CD's as well as attaches to smart devices and MP3 gamers with the very easy to access front USB as well as Aux connections. It works with mobile phone applications such as Pandora and also iHeartRadio. It is likewise Sirius XM all set. This receiver likewise plays FM/AM radio stations with 24 terminal presets. This receiver puts out 50 watts of power per network for 4 channels and also has Kenwood seem reconstruction with brings back music to compressed songs. This receiver also includes a remote!

domain: entertainment


text:
Malibu Canyon Road in the Agoura Hills area was reopened early Monday after Caltrans crews cleared a rain-caused slide of mud and rocks, authorities said.
The slide was reported at 7:17 p.m. Sunday on Malibu Canyon Road near Piuma Road, just south of the Malibu Canyon Tunnel, the California Highway Patrol said.
The road was blocked off at Francisco Ranch Road on the north and just south of the tunnel on the south, CHP Officer Tony Polizzi said.
The road was reopened at 12:42 a.m. Polizzi said.
>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!Follow us:

domain: geography


text:
Interactivity & Visualisation
How to create an interactive whisky tasting experience?
To answer this question I scheduled a meeting with my program director Jules Rawlinson.
This meeting arose the following questions:
- What kind of situation are you viewing yourself with it in?
- Is Augmented Reality (AR) the right medium of choice.
- How do you know the whisky has been tasted?
- How will it go beyond a marketing gimmick?
1. The whisky experience scenario
The ideal scenario so far is a big venue with stands on 3 sided of the venue. Each stand has a piece of art hanging on the wall and a whisky cocktail matched with the whisky, the art and colours used for each spot. An experience melting whisky, art and music into one harmonic composition. All blurred together with the usage of AR which is also guiding the participant in a flowing transition from one stand to the other.
This question was mainly asked by myself. Augmented reality has its limitations especially when it comes to the field of vision and immersive character. The Hololens 1 provides an immersive character but the limited field of view of only 30 degrees width (1) clearly limits this immersion.
Looking for real vision examples of the Hololens 1 also confirmed these awakening limitation.
When considering a mobile phone as another option for AR Jules Rawlinson mentioned a concern about being distracted by the device itself when viewing AR installations through it. My goal, however, is to intensify the whisky experience not to distract people from it…
There are great examples using indoors projection mapping which creates a whole new immersive world such as the installations created by Dotdotdot London (2) who created a world of sleepless dreams in their show ‘Somnai’ (3).
But can projection mapping concentrate the focus on the whisky? Or will it distract form the actual drink?
3. Implementing interactivity
What is the best way to implement interactivity in the experience? How can I create a reaction to the behaviour of the user? How can I tell when to guide the user from one area to the other?
Jules Rawlinson mentioned the idea of an interactive whisky glass. A great idea which enables me to react to the different stages of tasting the whisky.
Sensors as the solution:
Yann Seznec (4), a former student of the University of Edinburgh, is constantly creating interactive sound systems by using various sensors turning normal devices, such as salad bowls into music instruments.
Sensor I could use for creating an interactive whisky glass could ultrasonic sensors or the .
However, sensors require a more detailed research which I will foucs on in the upcoming weeks.
4. Beyond marketing gimmicks
Talking about abstract forms and visualisation of the whisky combined with the art Jules Rawlinson presented a few fantastic examples as inspiration for my future project. Such as a surreal experience by Marshmallow Laser Feast, called ‘Iteota Teaser’ (5), in which they created LiDar scans of a forrest and manipulated the images in various ways.
Further examples where the Kinect Point Cloud visualisation which makes it possible to create a real time Virtual Reality experience or a video recreating a Kandinsky Composition (7).
What is my research behind this project?
What will I examine to make it more valuable?
- James Ashley. MAGIC LEAP ONE VS HOLOLENS V1 COMPARISON. 8.10.2018. http://www.imaginativeuniversal.com/blog/2018/10/08/magic-leap-one-vs-hololens-v1-comparison/. (viewed 19.03.2019)
- DotDotDot. SOMNAI. https://www.dotdot.london/somnai/ (viewed 19.03.2019)
- Guy Campos. PROJECTION ARTWORK PUTS FINAL TOUCH TO DREAM-THEMED SHOW. 12.3.2018. https://www.avinteractive.com/news/projection/projection-artworks-puts-final-touch-dream-themed-show-12-03-2018/. (viewed 19.03.2019)
- Yann Seznec, http://www.yannseznec.com/. (viewed 19.03.2019)
- Marshmallow Laser Feast. ITEOTA TEASER. https://vimeo.com/140057053. (viewed 19.03.2019)
- Baushaus. Kandinsky Composition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWjRlBF91Mk (viewed 19.03.2019)

domain: design


Ausmus announces Tigers' rotation, nothing on roster
Citing a variety of variables, Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus today announced the pitching rotation for the best-of-five playoff series against the Baltimore Orioles:
Game 1, Thursday at Baltimore: Max Scherzer.
Game 2, Friday at Baltimore: Justin Verlander.
Game 3, Sunday at Comerica Park: David Price.
Game 4, Monday at Comerica Park, if necessary: Rick Porcello.
Game 5, next Wednesday at Baltimore, if necessary: To be announced.
Ausmus didn't announce any decisions on the other pending issues going into the series: the health of centerfielder Rajai Davis and the composition of the 25-man roster.
Those two issues are intertwined, Ausmus said. He said that if Davis isn't on the roster, it might take two players to replace him, because there might be more need to pinch-hit for whoever is playing center. That, in turn, could determine how many relief pitchers the Tigers carry, he said. He indicated that the Tigers could have an extra reliever if Davis is on the roster.
"If you have Raj, you probably don't need to pinch-hit as much, and you probably don't need as many bench players," Ausmus said in a news conference at Comerica Park. "Whereas if you don't have Raj, you might need an extra bench player, which cuts into your bullpen."
Speaking prior to today's workout, Ausmus said Davis is feeling better from his abdominal-area sprain but hasn't done any baseball activities since suffering the injury Saturday. Davis wasn't visible during the 90-minute workout the Tigers held at Comerica Park shortly before they departed for Baltimore.
Wednesday's workout in Baltimore apparently is Davis' one and only chance to show that he's healthy enough to be on the roster. The roster must be submitted by 10 a.m. Thursday. Sports teams don't like to acknowledge bad news until they have to, but as of this afternoon, it was hard to believe that Davis will have fully recovered all of his stolen base speed by Thursday's opener.
Ausmus said he chose Scherzer for Game 1 because he has been the Tigers' best pitcher this season (18-5, 3.15 ERA). "And he was kind of lined up for Game 1, anyway," Ausmus said. "He's had the best year. That was easier than debating 2 and 3."
He said many factors went into picking Verlander over Price for Game 2, including rest. This way, Verlander doesn't go extra long without pitching (he hasn't worked since last Wednesday) and Price gets two extra days after leading the AL in innings pitched in the regular season (he would have pitched on his normal four days' rest if he had gone in Game 2).
By pitching Game 2, Verlander would be available for the decisive Game 5 on normal rest.
"That was a part of the thought process," Ausmus said. "But Max is available for Game 5, too. So that decision will come later."
In Game 5 in this best-of-five round the last two seasons, Verlander threw shutout ball in Oakland to lift the Tigers into the championship series. Last year in Oakland, Scherzer started Game 1 and Verlander started Game 2. After Scherzer won Game 4 in relief, Verlander took over the Game 5 start.
Baltimore manager Buck Showalter hasn't announced its rotation beyond right-hander Chris Tillman in Game 1.
Ausmus wouldn't provide any details about the non-Davis questions in the Game 1 lineup: whether he might start the lefty-swinging Don Kelly over right-handed Nick Castellanos at third base against Tillman, or whether he'll go with Andrew Romine or Eugenio Suarez at shortstop.
However, Ausmus indicated that he's leaning toward Castellanos, and he praised Romine anew. "He'll certainly be an integral part, whether he starts the game or not," Ausmus said of Romine.
If anyone wondered whether Ausmus' legendary sense of humor -- which survived all the ups and downs of the regular season -- will be on hand for the postseason, the first-year manager quickly eliminated those doubts with a couple of answers.
When it was suggested that the Tigers now have a variety of ways to win, including small-ball techniques, Ausmus quoted from the manual of the greatest Orioles manager, Hall of Famer Earl Weaver: "I still like the three-run homer over the bunt."
Then he was asked about the need for someone in the bullpen who can pitch several innings (rookie Kyle Lobstein looms as that pitcher). "If you get caught in a situation where you play an 18-inning game or something, you need someone," Ausmus said. "If you had to pull Don Kelly off the bench to pitch in a postseason game, that wouldn't be too good."
Contact John Lowe: email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @freeptigers.


text:
November 13, 2013
INDIANAPOLIS -With an abrupt ending to today's meeting, Indiana educators saw the result of the governor-appointed members of the State Board of Education continuing to undermine the authority of Indiana's duly-elected State Superintendent Glenda Ritz.
"A year ago, voters elected Ritz to lead our state's educational programs," said Teresa Meredith, ISTA President. "Soon after bills were drafted undermining her authority. When those efforts failed, Gov. Mike Pence, ignoring 1.3 million voters and through an executive order the legality of which ISTA continues to question, created at taxpayers' expense a duplicate Department of Education - the Center for Education and Career Innovation."
Through these actions, Pence perpetuates the ugly climate and escalates the gridlock displayed today.
"Educators wouldn't tolerate such disrespectful behavior in their classrooms, and citizens shouldn't tolerate it from non-elected State Board members and the governor who appointed them," said Meredith.

domain: politics


Just like a sizeable transfer fee, a high wage packet does not necessarily guarantee that a player will make a material difference to a side - but it provides greater surety that they will.
Everton are the prime example of a club where significant spends in both departments has not brought with it the desired success.
Despite spending hundreds of millions of pounds in transfer fees over the past few seasons, as well as registering a £146million wage bill for the 2017/18 campaign, in a bid to break into the top six, the Toffees are still miles behind the established elite.
Sixth-placed Manchester United are enduring one of their worst seasons in living memory, yet the Red Devils are 13 points above Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh, and fully 15 clear of ninth-placed Everton.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, are just eight points behind Marco Silva's side - despite having spent in excess of £50m less than Everton on wages. True, such figures reflect last season's outlay rather than their respective spends this term, but it is likely the gap has been maintained, if not widened even further since.
That is the landscape within which Newcastle are currently operating; and it is precisely why Magpies manager Rafa Benitez moved the agenda on to wages last weekend.
The Spaniard's contract talks with the club have hit an impasse - he claims to still be "waiting for answers" to proposals he submitted to managing director Lee Charnley more than three weeks ago - and United used the release of their accounts last week to suggest they are willing to hand Benitez a £50m-a-season budget going forward, a figure which can be supplemented further by player sales.
Although such a transfer kitty is not exactly exorbitant by Premier League standards, it is workable. Such figures may not have excited Benitez per se, but his shift in approach from discussing transfer spend to focusing primarily on salaries seemed telling - that he feels circa £50m is something he can accept on a yearly basis.
In Benitez's eyes, transfer spend and wages go hand in hand; in future windows, he may now be able to rival some other Premier League clubs for fees when it comes to landing his targets, but the Magpies' current wage structure could prove to be a significant hindrance.
While Newcastle became the first club ever to declare a reduction in overall wage costs in the season immediately following promotion, the £18.6m fall was primarily due to the onerous provisions and bonuses paid out during the Championship-winning campaign.
United's core wage bill, excluding onerous provisions and bonuses, actually increased by 17 per cent from £80m to £94m between their spell in the second tier and their first season back in the Premier League.
Yet Jonjo Shelvey remains Newcastle's highest earner on around £90,000 a week, and the majority of United's squad are thought be within the wage range of £30,000-£70,000 a week. Such salaries would be viewed as extremely desirable by the majority of the population, but in the Premier League they are now average at best - as extraordinarily flippant as that sounds.
When you compare Newcastle's 2017/18 wage bill (£94m) with those declared by their 19 top-flight rivals, and it shows the relentless inflation of salaries in England's highest division.
Salary spend of each Premier League club in 2017/18
1. Manchester United - £296m (+12% year on year)
2. Liverpool - £263m (+26%)
3. Manchester City - £260m (+7%)
4. Chelsea - £244m (+11%)
5. Arsenal - £223m (+12%)
6. Tottenham Hotspur - £148m (+16%)
7. Everton - £146m (+29%)
8. Leicester City - £119m (+6%)
9. Crystal Palace - £117m (+5%)
10. Southampton - £113m (+1%)
11. West Ham United - £107m (+12%)
12. AFC Bournemouth - £102m (+30%)
13. Newcastle United - £94m (-16%)
14. Watford - £86m (+13%)
15. Burnley - £82m (+33%)
16. Brighton & Hove Albion - £78m (+95%)
17. Huddersfield Town - £63m (+190%)
18. Fulham* - £54m (+46%)
19. Wolverhampton Wanderers* - £51m (+82%)
20. Cardiff City* - £48m (+66%)
*Denotes clubs playing in the Championship in 2017/18 campaign
+Figures compiled by The Times
Manchester United recorded the highest wage bill at £296m, followed by Liverpool (£263m) and champions Manchester City (£244m) - with the rest of the so-called 'Big Six' clubs completing the top half-a-dozen spenders.
Those figures are almost inconsequential to Newcastle; the established elite are only going to get wealthier as they continue to bank Champions League riches, and the Magpies cannot hope to catch any of them when it comes to spending in the medium term, never mind the short term.
But it is when you see the wages paid by the clubs who Benitez has previously namechecked as being the ones Newcastle should be competing with on a yearly basis going forward which are more alarming.
West Ham United's wage bill last season was £107m, Crystal Palace's was £117m, and Leicester City £119m - or, to put it another way, £13m, £23m, and £25m higher than Newcastle's respectively.
Everton, meanwhile, paid a staggering £52m more in salaries than the Magpies last season; though, given their ludicrously lavish spending in recent campaign, they are a bit of a misnomer.
Wolves, who currently occupy the seventh position Benitez believes Newcastle should be striving for every year, had a 'meagre' £51m wage bill last term - but they were a Championship club then. Given the players they have subsequently recruited, there is little doubt there salary spend will have increased exponentially since.
Interestingly, eighth-placed Watford did register a wage bill of just £86m last season - £8m lower than Newcastle's - though it very much appears that the Hornets are the exception who prove the rule.
As a general rule, the wage-expenditure league tends to roughly correlate with the actual top-flight table as far as rankings go. Man United being top are obviously an obvious anomaly, as are 10th-highest-spenders Southampton, given that their respective league positions of sixth and 16th do not accurately reflect their wage bills.
Newcastle's current position of 13th actually perfectly reflects their salary spend - while already-relegated Huddersfield Town and perilously-positioned Cardiff City are believed to have the lowest wage budgets in the top flight.
While Benitez was right to claim that the likes of Everton and West Ham are offering £150,000-a-week wages, it would be unrealistic to think Newcastle are suddenly going to bring in a player on £60,000 more than their current top earner.
But the 59-year-old's declaration that the Magpies have to start offering more comparable terms to those of their rivals for seventh place certainly holds merit.
In fairness to the club's hierarchy, they have already declared a desire to increase their wages-to-turnover ratio from its current level of 52 per cent up to around the 60 per cent mark.
Yet, although that may be a financially prudent level to maintain, that would still only take Newcastle's wage bill to the £100m; less than AFC Bournemouth (£102), Southampton (£113m) and Palace (£117m) all spent on salaries last term.
Clearly Newcastle need to start looking to bring in at least one or two players who earn in excess of £100,000 a week, and to generally increase their wage bill season on season, if they are to ever going to truly compete for a seventh-placed finish.
You can only over-achieve for so long before you are simply left behind by your more-ambitious rivals, as Benitez attempted to illustrate with his F1 analogy this week.
The £150,000-a-week wage packet the Spaniard quoted may be unrealistic, but clearly Benitez is pressing for an increase in the club's overall spend on salaries so that they can beat their rivals to the signing of talented targets.
In the long term, wage spend is reflected in a team's performance out on the pitch - and that is something Benitez wants the Magpies hierarchy to comprehend before he commits his own future to United.


text:
Beds tailored to your dreams
Suspended on glass legs, as welcoming as a nest, light as a cloud, LAGO beds are the stuff of dreams. The customisable headboards lend personality to the space and the innovative design, conceived to induce sleep and rest, dialogues perfectly with any style.
A design bed that rests on transparent glass legs; can be accessorised with backrests and shelves.
A bed suspended on glass legs with a wooden headboard, for adding warmth to your bedroom.
Thanks to its structure with elegant steel legs, Steel bed allows for suspended solutions without the need for wall mounting.
Raised above the floor on elegant steel legs, Steel bed features a customisable headboard in a choice of two different materials.
A modern bed for keeping everything within reach: the headboard integrates numerous support surfaces.
Thanks to the soft ring around its entire perimeter, Colletto is a design bed that is as comfortable as a nest.
A soft, elegant headboard adds a decorative feature to the modern bed elevated on glass legs.


text:
Predictors of treatment requirement in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase and high serum HBV DNA levels
Soyer, Ozlem Mutluay
MetadataShow full item record
Objectives: Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a controversial marker for disease monitoring in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the fibrosis stage and histological activity index (HAI) in HBeAg-negative CHB patients with persistently normal ALT (PNALT) and high serum HBV DNA (>= 2000 IU/ml) and to investigate clinical risk factors for the requirement of treatment through the examination of liver biopsy specimens.
- Makale

domain: medical


Our ‘Just Hatched’ Collection is just perfect for your newest arrival. Made of the absolute softest cotton, the Little Lamb Crib Sheets guarantee sweet dreams all night long.
- All our Crib Sheets are 52”l x 28”w x 8”h
Care Instructions ▸
- Machine wash cold, tumble dry at low temperature, iron at low temperature.
After a few months of using this crib sheet, I can say we love it. Of course the design is what caught our eye and caused us to buy it, but we are happy to keep it because it’s soft; it washes well; it’s easy to put over the mattress, and the color is still as crisp as when we opened it.


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Paradise Meadows truly lives up to its name.
We are blessed to live, about, a 40 minute drive from here.
The first time we hiked in this park, I felt like I’d died and gone to Heaven…
The clean air, the silent air, and the air of sacredness all around us took my breath away.
If you stay on the boardwalk and the main trail – the hiking is relatively easy; however, if you stop to take pictures… you’ll need to be in sprinting shape, so you can catch up with the group!
At any moment, I expected this tree to say, “We have… decided… that you are… definitely… not… orcs!”
The Whiskey Jacks were delighted that our kids were generous with their trail mix. I rationed mine, since I knew I might need to share it with some hungry bird lovers! I was right…
There were an enormous number of hikers out today! Yet, it was not crowded, at all: Everything was just still and serene.
One lady was out with her dog, Brodie, who was a rescued dog that has blossomed under her love. He has chased off a cougar while they were out hiking before. I’d say he loves her, too!
Water, trees, and rocks abound in this park.
Because of the short growing season, and harsh winters up here, the trees grow much slower and denser. Mount Washington Ski Resort is a stones throw from this trail.
The weather was partly cloudy, and cool, for an August afternoon. The previous two times, I went for a dip in one of the lakes… not today!
But, oh, the lake looks lovely!
Just looking at the forest pictures, conjures up the cool, fresh and earthy aroma we feasted on, as we traversed the trail.
I wonder if this will still be standing, when we come back next year?
There’s a lot of life flourishing in this meadow.
Even the bark – has a story to tell.
Berries tell me that there are probably bears around. We saw a shiny black bear, as we drove away, later. I took several wildflower pictures… but I’ll show them on a future post.
The clouds seem to want to share some of the glory.
“As a still lake reflects creation, so may our hearts reflect the Creator’s glory.” – greenlightlady
Reflecting by grace ~ Wendy


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(PinoySpy News Service) — Thinking the tricycle was filled with NPA guerillas, a Philippine Air Force Huey helicopter targets the three-wheeled vehicle in an apparent suicide kamikaze mission. But news reports say the crash was an accident, and the Philippine Air Force has grounded its aging fleet of 41 Huey helicopters, which were given by the Americans after surviving the Vietnam war in the 70s.
Nine people, obviously including the passengers of the tricycle, were killed in the crash landing in this village in Mactan, Cebu, Philippines.
“This is extreme bad luck. Imagine riding a tricycle on the way to the market, when boom! A helicopter crash lands on top of the tricycle. Only in the Philippines!,” said a member of the PinoySpy Chess Club.
PinoySpy congratulates the Philippine Air Force for grounding the choppers and preventing more crash landings on tricycles.


text:
What happened to the receiver to be who was selected before Jonas?
Short Answer: The Receiver who preceded Jonas was released.
In Chapter 18 Jonas asks the Giver about this Receiver and is told that her name was Rosemary and that the Giver loved her as he does Jonas. He tells Jonas that her training went well until he had to transfer the experience of pain to her, particularly the pain of loneliness and loss. The Giver explains,
"I transferred a memory of a child taken from its parents. That was the first one. She appeared stunned at its end."
After this experience, the Giver gave the Receiver only pleasurable experiences; however, she was markedly altered by her experience of pain. "I could see it in her eyes," he tells Jonas. When, in spite of her agony, she insisted that the Giver continue her education, he imparted to her, not physical pain, but different types of anguish, such as poverty, hunger, and terror. Finally, after the finish of one day, Rosemary kissed the Giver's cheek and went to the Chief Elder, requesting release. "I never saw her again," the Giver adds.
After Rosemary was released, the memories which she held went into the community and they were "overwhelmed" by so many feelings since they had never experienced such depth of feelings before. And, then, the memories were lost forever. Having heard all this, Jonas realizes what a tremendous burden it is that he will bear as he must "lift the burden" for all the others.
In Chapter 18, the Giver explains to Jonas what happened to the previous Receiver of Memory. The Giver begins by telling Jonas that the previous Receiver of Memory was named Rosemary and mentions that he loved her. He proceeds to tell Jonas that initially Rosemary was enthusiastic about receiving the memories. However, the Giver mentions that it broke his heart to transfer painful memories to Rosemary. For the first five weeks of Rosemary's training, the Giver only transferred delightful memories to her before giving her painful memories of loneliness and loss because he could not bring himself to share physically painful memories with her. The Giver tells Jonas that after he gave Rosemary the difficult memory of a child being taken away from her family, everything changed. Rosemary fell into a severe depression and eventually requested to be released. When Rosemary was released, her painful memories were loose throughout the community. The Giver mentions that the citizens had a difficult, chaotic time dealing with Rosemary's uncomfortable, painful loose memories, which is why Jonas cannot request to be released.


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text: Let's see what a guy who was an outstanding center fielder. Former Major League out the other he's an excellent analyst and writer for espn.com. Doug Glanville joining us I can't -- he would Doug thinks of my theory how are today Doug. I don't know how are you. Good now I'm serious about this not to take anything away from Boston I really think an issue for the cardinals in the World Series. Mike Metheny in the Doug and I'll watch status at all man that's like Mike Hargrove. Well that's like Tony La Russa with the -- in the late eighties he just seemed really tight mean at times the cardinals played that way you think there's anything to that Doug. Well both looked -- that about it you're gonna accept the tone that down. But you know he did seem tight if you look at how the cardinals played overall because they're cute about this team was record setting -- their ability to try to run. It's going to listen to the outside of the ultra you know they just they struggled and it. Execute like there are used to. -- don't follow the ought to ought to give them a lot of credit because. Is part of what the most qualified boundaries of the game he did player development he did use of pitching coach. You duplicate -- in the pitching coach capacities. That player development. He's done everything to get to this level and facilities so -- -- the -- to understand how to -- his players. Policy defeated the great job but not quite as long -- come Charlton at the start. Doug Glanville -- -- here in 957 game and he's your right Doug and certainly I didn't mean to take anything away from the Red Sox I think this series will be remembered primarily for a couple of things one. David Ortiz. How was he almost Barry Bonds ask his policy was in the series. By their -- that I was beyond next level of these -- of play issues. Playing good and they'll pay the file federal disrupting everything he just blew ten steps ahead. Obviously out of the swing going but that was -- confirmed. Coming out of the ALCS for the cardinals recognizing -- Ortiz Pedroia worked the top of their game that is -- Ortiz -- another level. But this became so dangerous so focused. Just that they did what they -- they walked all day -- classmates. Because that was not a -- of -- about the -- for the government. Russell red -- lot of it. And I think the other thing that people remember for better or worse the obstruction call coarse salt water under the bridge now cardinals actually won that game but what do you think when that happened last Saturday night -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- You know the fact -- it is really you know have opportunity at the ballpark to rule intent and I think that's. But I think their that they have to be careful with the state do visit the rule -- Note that doesn't have to be something that's potential you know he was of the way in the obstructed runner. I think it's slippery slope before Republicans start trying to judge what. First baseman the infield that was trying to do that case but no doubt that that was called the ruling default rule of have -- about hurting possible long term. Doug wasn't David Ortiz is brilliance I mean didn't have the effect almost of obscuring how well the Red Sox pitched in this series. Well it dead because you know he's so dangerous of the kind of focused on him but. But the Red Sox to provide during the season the Red Sox had probably both post Apollo offensively game but we just stayed back. But they also -- achieved out of the stadium -- the highest stolen base percentage of any team in baseball this year. So very possibly softened. Had all they were looking forward bat 12 punch you know political particularly luster to go to the next level that was really the difference maker of the had left -- Has always appear to be elected supporting cast member in the simply used a one day -- been quite patent consistent one. That this series you know the opposite way to right the truly based epic that released -- of the series in their favor. Doug Glanville don't enjoy minister -- 95 point seven the -- some we've debated for years you've done in the program is the role of chemistry in a winning organization. Does the -- for John Lackey symbolize exactly how that clubhouse changed. -- -- -- -- the pivot point bill question about it because if you do you as a quality picture of doing -- -- a lot of personal challenges with. You know he was missing in action but now. Do you that you that level -- -- -- that's restart where it also felt powerful and they'll try to that there was these -- recently at the wholesale. And we're talking about chemistry as you mentioned. He -- -- -- people make a lot of that you thought you know like install Coventry W I -- This is. So I thought about it as a blow it -- to play well and everybody respects your role at your job -- you know it's it's gonna end up pretty lost roughly if you got a -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Expert for another look at the better that deal right there can't buy it by doing a solid emea solid ninth right my back as a guy who was trumpeted chemistry he definitely key element -- thanks for that I had no. -- I would Bob. Giving respect obviously that would deferring to -- about it. There you -- -- tremendous. Doug how unique is that you know I was so happy for the people boss with what they've been through but. As far as the atmosphere at Fenway how as a guy who played their how unique is that that mr. compared to the rest of baseball. Well at this stuff police standalone demand that the fans -- -- -- -- run -- -- -- back in the on deck circle of really god like you know pick particular -- -- -- itself. It's it's close quarters they're all all about Boston. Big time supporters and it will you know good -- for the love -- -- several -- It's -- -- going into the World Series. The -- when I picked I picked the cardinal. As apostles like all the turbulence like the other team I picked up a lot of teams took a lot of it is but. My tweet Twitter Twitter account everybody blown about the they -- like to know about haven't felt it -- -- lots of -- -- are second to know when it comes to their passion for the achievement. You know especially here for the of the folks who would then turned into the Boston Arafat so there's no doubt that they have -- fire and -- of their time boost this year the superior. If you're a Boston fan and you like to share with -- how you feel about as predictions aren't there -- Doug Glanville. Doug -- a great -- hopefully next more followers there are absolutely. -- talked about the fact that they through the season where that sort of offensive team -- Figured pitchers out in in in to grind out runs lots of different ways isn't that really what happened in how they dealt with Michael -- the second time around. -- don't look dugout and have no ability to adjust quickly showed their experience you know that's. That's to their credit because they solved next time around it's okay we've talked about fastball. To block collect together have with a fastball. He was locating a little better than the previous start that they were there ready and had nobody did have a base pa system known we have some veteran guys. I really think well you know it's it would manager of the year absorb because of his ability. To take his qualifications and so many different ways to develop their team. To go from where they came from a hostage this year so. You know I I believe well and that mix is going to be good for a long time to -- going to be the first successful manager. Sustainably and Boston's other very happy -- for a lot of years. -- since you mentioned the great hall of Famer Ozzie Smith we have a hall of fame -- here mark -- the what are you thinking David Ortiz obviously still. Got to some of his career left you think David Ortiz is on a hall of fame track in your opinion. Well he's not pace and I think he did you know a couple more years. And you know it will be one of those things that. Because -- portion sort by it but other it's out of there definitely. But told against designated hitters I think that's sort of to work against -- particular Edgar Martinez agrees there for the Mariners. It's tough to get over the -- but it you know fees you know continuing obviously building are being number one until many different categories as the DH. I believe that we give him a leg up. Don't you think the crazy success the Sox of that and so -- you got to factor that -- before that I -- -- time when all the Red Sox can never win now they've they've they've won what -- twelve into one World Series games with David Ortiz that -- be a factor as well shouldn't it. Well no doubt the media because he's gonna go about it as a great champions you know it up perhaps the huge difference and you and blogger and -- you kind of forget the scope of that the two web. Those three ring and to just. Put this team to talk about the distinct so dangerous significance protections against. But I get off to last year. I know you know it's obvious cheerleading is Hezbollah is also fired people up that he was. So you can't get any better than how he performed in the world certainly. -- -- portal -- -- we're -- orchestra orchestra arrived in a deal that any situation that that speaks volumes how how -- he's played. -- -- he treated the cardinal pitching staff like a dugout phone -- Doctor different I should just. -- probably good values really get flat line I think it was. He just modernizing the game let me get a zobel wireless so yeah. Do you Doug Glanville ESPN is our guest here on the rise guys on a 57 game -- bad to give the cardinals they're do you. They at least to me look like a team that has been put together to now can they might even -- a little ahead of schedule to contend for years do you see it that way. Do I do and you know what what think you have to look at the cardinals date they must be considered one of the best organizations and sports Soviet. Because their development and the way they select their personnel and the way they consistently. Compete and win. You know this is something that's not mistaken they they they'll -- collapse and the development. There's probably guys we have spoken to like culpable and gotten this because of this across. Getting picked off but he does also future guys opted to they have somebody guys coming up. That are going to be impact players right away so. You know this is just one year and now the distrust towards -- I had problems with these guys are going to be in contention every year. Doug Glanville thank you so much happy Halloween sir we appreciate your time very much. Totally out of Ali thanks.

domain: sports