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Measurement of natural stable isotope signatures of insects has proven to be a useful method in determining their natal origin, feeding strategies and mating behavior, and has spawned a new discipline of insect isotope forensics. However the complexity of measuring isotope signatures using elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass-spectrometry (EA-IRMS) has encountered significant technical barriers, which together with costs, have hindered the advancement and wide spread adoption of this potentially useful approach. In the last decade simpler technologies to measure stable isotope ratios in samples based on laser spectroscopy have been developed. We foresee that these instruments will fuel the advancement and adoption of insect isotope forensics into pest management programs because they are easy to use, more affordable, and complement existing marking tools. However prior to the adoption of these new technologies it is necessary to test their fitness for purpose and explore their limitations. In this paper we set out to test the suitability of using combustion module-cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CM-CRDS) for measuring isotope ratios in an entomological context, covering marking of insects, mating behavior and dietary assessment. We carried out a series of experiments to compare the isotope measurements made with the CM-CRDS with the traditional method of EA-IRMS. Initially we compared measurements of carbon isotope values of a variety of common diet components used in insect rearing, which covered a wide range of carbon isotope values. There was good agreement in the isotope values obtained, using the CM-CRDS and the EA-IRMS with similar accuracy and precision. Secondly we compared the 2 methods to measure carbon isotope values of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) samples, and again there was good agreement in the values obtained. Thirdly we tested whether the CM-CRDS could be used to determine the paternity of spermataphores, based on the differential isotope signatures of the paternal and maternal moths, as a result of differences in their rearing diets. The CM-CRDS proved to be fit for the purpose of measuring isotope values in the spermataphores of common cutworm and suggested that the CM-CRDS technology would be suitable for these isotope based mating studies in moths if the spermatophores were of sufficient mass. Finally we explored a number of the issues surrounding CM-CRDS and isotope technologies in general, e.g., logistical considerations, economics of operation, sample size, etc. We conclude that CM-CRDS is a suitable instrument for measuring stable isotope carbon signatures in moths, and most probably other sufficiently large insects and that CM-CRDS could be easily used in both operational and research contexts.
Area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) approaches, especially when these programs have a sterile insect technique (SIT) component (Hendrichs et al. 2007) require a full understanding of the ecology and biology of the target pest insect species to efficiently implement these area-wide strategies. Marking tools are invaluable in addressing the scientific knowledge gaps in the ecology and biology of insects such as distribution, movement, larval host origin, as well as certain behavioral aspects of the released sterile insects. However, there is currently a lack of widely available, simple and ethically acceptable methods for marking and tracking small insects and economically important pest species, including moths in situ. Stable isotopes could be used as markers, to naturally or synthetically label the vast numbers of insects required for studying population dynamics and in a SIT context whilst fulfilling the marking criteria set out by Hagler & Jackson (2001) of retention, not affecting the insect's fecundity or behavior, durability, non-toxicity, ease of application, clear discernibility and affordability. The latter criterion could be contested in the case of current stable isotope analysis using mass-spectrometry, however, here we present and explore the economics and feasibility of a new system, which could significantly reduce the cost of analysis, and therefore expand the scope and applicability of this technology. The reasons why isotope techniques have not been routinely adopted in pest management are clear: isotope analyses often needs to be outsourced to a commercial isotope laboratory, isotope analysis requires access to expensive, complex, elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass-spectrometry (EA-IRMS) instruments that are generally only fully operational in developed countries. These instrumental constraints and the requirements for highly skilled operators represent significant access barriers for the technological adoption into an operational insect management program.
As already explained by Hood-Nowotny et al. (2016) in this issue, terrestrial vascular plant species differ in their 13C/12C ratios because of their photosynthetic and enzymatic pathways, C3, C4 or crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), and the greater discrimination against heavier 13C atoms by C3 than by C4 and (CAM) species. Sugar beet, Beta vulgaris L. (Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae), and nearly all fruit tree species and other dicotyledonous plant species are C3 species, whereas most C4 plant species belong to the Poaceae or Graminaeae and Cyperaceae, e.g., grasses and sedges, and desert-adapted species in various families. C3 plant species typically have an isotopic (δ13C) range of values between -25‰ and -35‰ with an average around -27 ± 2‰; that is, in every 1,000 atoms there are 27 fewer 13C atoms than in the international standard Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB). In contrast C4 species have δ13C values ranging between -7 and -18‰. The δ13C values of sucrose from sugar beet and sugarcane (Saccharum spp.; Poales: Poaceae) are around -27‰ and -11‰, respectively. Thus the incorporation of sucrose from either of these 2 sources into insect mass rearing diets results in adult insects that have a stable isotopic signature similar to the sucrose in the diet, and this signature may be used to distinguish them from their wild counterparts.
Stable isotope tools offer the opportunity to safely trace the source, distribution and movement of populations of economically important insect species and deliberately released sterile insects across the landscape posing no environmental threats or hazards. Earlier work using stable isotopes in insects focused on understanding basic ecological questions such as the natal origin of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) (Wassenaar & Hobson 1998) or the upstream movement of mayflies, Baetis spp. (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) (Hershey et al. 1993). Recently a number of papers have focused on the use of isotopes in an AW-IPM context, specifically to track and trace insects and to study mating patterns. Malaria-mosquitoes, Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) were labeled with stable isotopes and the label could be detected. This led to marking of mosquitos in the field to study for example the movement and distribution of mosquitoes in the context of West Nile Virus research (Hood-Nowotny et al. 2006; Hamer et al. 2012, 2014). Natural abundance and labelling techniques have also been used to distinguish wild tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) from flies reared in mass-rearing facilities (Hood et al. 2011). Furthermore, the naturally different isotope signatures of mass-reared and wild fruit flies enabled researchers to differentiate the mass-reared individuals from their wild populations (Hood-Nowotny et al. 2009) and in this special issue we show that this method also works well for Lepidoptera (Hood-Nowotny et al. 2016). From these data it is clear that isotopic differences can be easily detected using mass-spectrometry and can be used to determine the origin of an insect in an SIT program context. Moreover it has been previously demonstrated that simple natural abundance marking techniques could also be used as an effective method for determining the paternity of moth species through coupled female leg and spermatophore carbon isotope analysis (Stringer et al. 2013).
Despite the many successful examples, laboratory-based EA-IRMS for isotope analysis still presents itself as a significant adoption barrier for these isotope-based techniques. Here we present an alternative method of isotope analysis that could overcome a number of constraints and therefore has potential for wider adoption of isotopic techniques as part of AW-IPM programs. Since a few years there has been a viable alternative to EA-IRMS for isotope analysis, i.e., laserbased instruments for high-precision isotope ratio measurement that link samples to high-throughput elemental analyzers. The strategic advantages of the laser-based technology of combustion module cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CM-CRDS) systems are that they are compact, relatively low cost, easy to use and they require only standard carrier gasses, making them ideal for use in field studies, operational programs and in developing countries (Gupta et al. 2009). The main cost saving comes from the fact that these CM-CRDS systems require minimal technical training and infra-structural support, however, currently only single element devices are available.
In this paper we make direct comparisons of insect samples measured on the EA-IRMS and the combustion module (CM) connected to the CRDS system (CM-CRDS). We also measured a range of common mass-rearing dietary components in both systems, which allowed us to test the system over a range of natural isotope values. We then set out to determine whether the CM-CRDS method would be suitable for conducting the isotope analysis of moths using the approaches that we had developed with EA-IRMS; the details of which are discussed in this issue (Hood et al. 2016). We therefore carried out exploratory isotope studies of 2 important moth species that are considered major threats to production agriculture, i.e., the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a widely distributed polyphagous pest found in India, and the light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a polyphagous pest with over 500 known host species (Brockerhoff et al. 2011). Moreover we examined a number of operationally important implementation factors, such as whether trap glue interfered with the isotopic signatures measured. Finally, we discussed future applications, opportunities and constraints of using CM-CRDS and also considered some practical and managerial issues for implementing such an isotope approach.
Materials and Methods
In a first study, the carbon isotopic values of common dietary components used for insect rearing were measured using the EA-IRMS and the CM-CRDS systems. These components covered a broad range of carbon isotope values allowing us to compare the 2 isotope measurement systems. In a second study, populations of wild and massreared moth samples were analyzed and values compared using both EA-IRMS and the CM-CRDS and finally isotope analyses of moth spermatophores, trap glue and moth diet was made using the CM-CRDS to determine whether it would be feasible to analyze these samples using this system and explore opportunities for using the system in an operational context.
COMPARIS ON OF FOOD COMP ONENTS USING EA-IRMS AND CM-CRDS
Sixteen diet components were tested in this experiment: AP100 (Zeilgler USA, a commercially available shrimp larval diet), bean powder, bovine liver powder (BLP), brewer's yeast, carrot powder, chick pea, corn, rice, soy hydrolysate, spirulina, squid liver powder (SLP), tuna, vitamin-mix, wheat, wheat bran and yeast hydrolysate.
Sample Preparation. Ten mg of dried (60 °C for 24 h) ground diet was placed into 8 by 5 mm tin cups. Duplicate samples were then either measured using EA-IRMS or CM-CRDS.
To test the CM-CRDS method of analysis for moth samples, 3 experiments were conducted using the common cutworm and LBAM. In the common cutworm experiments CM-CRDS isotope measurements were compared with values obtained using EA-IRMS. Having established measurement comparability, we conducted an independent data analysis of the LBAM samples based on the isotope measurement results from the CM-CRDS, to test whether it would be possible to determine the source of the population using this based method. Finally, in a preliminary study we used the CM-CRDS to determine the paternity of the spermatophores based on their isotopic signatures. The latter aimed at detecting the nuptial gift of the differentially labeled laboratory-reared males in the female spermataphore that is dissected out of the female and measured for isotopic signature (Stringer et al. 2013).
COMMON CUTWORM REARING
Laboratory-reared common cutworms were maintained on a synthetic meridic diet containing chickpea seeds and sinigrin as a phagostimulant. All insects were reared in an insectary under ambient environmental conditions of 26.8 ± 1 °C, 75 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 12:12 h L:D. Wild moths were captured in the castor fields in India.
COMMON CUTWORM SAMPLE PREPARATION
Leg and head samples of the same insect were analyzed using either CM-CRDS or EA-IRMS as described below and data from both the field collected and laboratory-reared samples compared with regression analysis.
Preliminary Sperm transfer experiments in the common Cutworm
In the sperm transfer studies laboratory-reared female common cutworms (reared as described above) were mated with field-collected males. Spermatophores were dissected out of the females under a binocular microscope and dried for isotope analysis. An additional leg sample from the female was also taken for isotope analysis to determine the background value of the mated female.
LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH (LBAM) REARING
LBAM were reared on a standard pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) mass-rearing diet using the standard rearing protocols described by Stewart et al. (1984). The dry mix for the artificial diet was made up from the following ingredients per 267 kg: 50 kg soy flour, 25 kg wheat germ, 4 kg torula yeast, 690 g corn oil, 11.33 kg agar, 9.81 kg cane sugar, 16.8 g alphacel, 0.646 g methylparaben, 0.82 g potassium sorbate, 683 g fumidil B, 4.3 g chlortetracycline, 50.76 g D calcium pantothenate, 25.92 g nicotinic acid, 12,96 g riboflavin, 12.96 g folic acid, 6,48 g thiamine hydrochloride, 6.48 g pyridoxine hydrochloride, 0.52 g biotin, 0.03 g vitamin B 12, 680 g choline chloride, 2.5 L acetic acid, 84 g red dye (made up from 336 g of Calco red No 1700 dye (American Cyanamid Corp)), 300 g sugar, and 5700 g wheat germ
For rearing purposes, mature pupae were loaded into the emergence system, which consisted of emergence boxes, collection lines with ultra-violet fibre-optic light sources, cyclone knockdown traps and an adult collection chamber maintained at 3 °C. Teneral LBAM adults were collected at this point in the production.
Wild LBAM were trapped in Scentry® Delta traps (Scentry Biologicals Inc., Billings, Montana, USA) baited with 2 mg of the synthetic female sex pheromone, gossyplure, in California and removed on a weekly basis.
The trap glue was analysed by removing a small amount of the substance from the trap and putting it into a tin cup and running it through the CM-CRDS. All samples were dried at 60 °C for 24 h, and weighed into 8 by 5 mm tin cups.
ISOTOPE ANALYSIS WITH EA-IRMS AND CM-CRDS
Samples were analyzed using an EA-IRMS, Carlo Erba (Milan, Italy) carbon nitrogen elemental (CN) analyzer, linked to an Optima automated IRMS (GV Instruments, Manchester, United Kingdom).
Isotope analysis with the CM-CRDS system was carried using the Picarro CM-CRDS based at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona and the diet components at the Picarro Head Quarters, Santa-Clara, California. The CM-CRDS system basically consists of an elemental analyzer combustion module to produce a gaseous sample from the solid sample, an interface for collection and transfer of the gaseous combustion product and a CRDS analysis chamber. This technique measures the decay rate of light intensity at different wavelengths in order to determine gas concentrations and isotope compositions. Briefly, single frequency light is introduced into the sample gas chamber, when the light reaches a threshold value it is switched off and the decay of the light is measured over a vast path distance using a series of highly polished mirrors and detectors. In the absence of an absorber, path distance can reach up to 20 km. In the presence of an absorber the ring down times are considerably shorter and dependent on the presence and isotopic composition of the gaseous absorber targeted.
A full complement of internal and external standards was run with both sets of samples in order to calculate the isotopic ratios and % C values. The isotope ratios were expressed as parts per thousand per mille (‰) or δ13C deviation from the internationally recognized standards Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB).
ANOVA or Student's t tests were used to distinguish populations and standard regression analysis to compare methods. A program officer wants to know the probability of a sampled insect being derived from one population or the other, e.g., a wild or laboratory or mass-reared insect, and therefore we used a cut off of 2σ. This means that if we take a 2σ upper and lower limit of both the mass-reared and wild moths we can say with 95% certainty that we are correctly assigning each of the moths to the correct population. This issue is discussed in more detail by Hood-Nowotny et al. (2016) in this special issue. All statistical analyses were carried out using Microsoft Excel or using the Analysis function in Sigma Plot 12.
We set out to test the suitability of the CM-CRDS system for determining isotopic signatures of moths in ecological research or programmatic settings. There were highly significant correlations between the values for common mass-rearing dietary components measured using EA-IRMS and the CM-CRDS (Fig. 1). The 99% confidence interval of the intercept included the value 0 and the 99% confidence interval of the slope included the value 1 suggesting that the results from the 2 methods did not differ significantly (Fig. 1). The offset of the absolute isotope value was only 0.2 ‰.
For the common cutworm there were highly significant correlations between the values obtained using EA-IRMS and the CM-CRDS (Fig. 2). The 95% confidence interval of the slope included the value 1 for the samples measured and again this suggests that the results from the 2 methods did not differ significantly.
It was possible to distinguish the wild field-caught and mass-reared populations of common cutworm based on the separation of δ13C signatures measured using the CM-CRDS (Fig. 3). This would allow for identification of the diet-reared moth with 99.7% confidence (no overlap of individual values even at 3σ) and this was a comparable result with that obtained using the EA-IRMS system.
The legs and spermatophores of mass-reared female common cutworm mated with wild male moths had δ13C signatures of -22‰ (legs) and -27‰ (spermatophores) (Fig. 4). This demonstrated that there was a nuptial gift to the females from the field-caught males, which had an isotopic signature of around -30‰. It was possible to detect this nuptial gift using these isotopic techniques. The sample was sufficient to get a reliable reading from the CM-CRDS, i.e., it was above the detection limit of the CM-CRDS, which is given as 250 µg of carbon by the manufacturer and it was demonstrated that CM-CRDS could be used for this type of paternity tracing experiment where there is sufficient sample mass.
Although the mean isotopic signature of the 2 populations of LBAM were significantly different from on one another (P < 0.001 Student's t test), the wild population had a δ13C value of -28.6‰ (+/- 2.4 SD) and the mass-reared population a value of -25.0‰ (+/-0.2 SD). This was not a sufficient difference to be able to confidently assign an individual moth to one population or the other, as they were separated by only 1.3 standard deviations allowing us to predict the population member with only an 80% confidence not the 95% confidence we would normally require. Although the standard diet was used, it had a sugar content less than 4%, which was lower compared with other moth massrearing diets and this was reflected in its isotopic signature of -23.8‰, we had expected a less negative value and we are confident that a C4 plant-derived sugar was used in its formulation.
The diet used for the rearing of LBAM was measured repeatedly with the CM-CRDS and had a δ13C value of -23.8‰ and the reproducibility was ± 1 SD ± 0.2‰ (n = 9), which is similar to the manufacturers reported values for machine error and values reported for organic rich shales (Balslev-Clausen 2013).
The isotopic values of the different sticky trap glues were similar and in the range of -28 to -32‰ vs. VPDB (Table 1).
It was previously demonstrated that the CM-CRDS system was suitable for measuring isotopic signatures in geological samples (Balslev-Clausen 2013). Here, we have shown that the system is also suitable for measuring isotopic signatures in insects, particularly moths. As in the above study we observed a slight offset in absolute isotope values between the CM-CRDS and the EA-IRMS system. The CM-CRDS system requires a minimal sample size of around 250 µg carbon whereas the EA-IRMS measures reliably with 150 µg carbon. Interestingly the offset for the feed samples between the 2 machines was low (0.2‰) and lower than those observed in other comparative studies with rock samples (Balslev-Clausen 2013), which is possibly due to the better combustibility of the diet sample compared with rock. The differences may be due to the slightly different procedures used to calibrate the machines and possibly due to issues with the front end combustion rather than the isotopic measurement itself (Balslev-Clausen 2013). However, the purpose of our study was to assess the suitability of the CM-CRDS system for measuring comparative differences in isotopic signature over a range of isotopic values rather than assessing absolute isotope values. Hence, these small differences would not affect the outcomes of the studies we propose. It should be stressed that the reference standard procedure needs to be implemented to yield scale normalized values which would allow for inter-laboratory analysis and overcome any instrument or sample conversion bias. This requires using at least 2 reference standards that bracket the measured values and require simple regression to obtain the actual sample values (Meier-Augenstein & Kemp 2011). Under normal circumstances a quality assurance, traceable C3 and C4 sugar internal standard would be suitable for the studies proposed. The only dietary components which were outside of this range were wheat and spirulina, Arthrospira platensis Gomont (Oscillatoriales: Phormidiaceae) which is an aquatic cyano-bacterium. So in the context of labelling mass-reared moths and distinguishing them from their counterparts, traceable C3 and C4 sugars should be adequate standards.
We showed that the CM-CRDS system is suitable for measuring isotopic ratios of moth samples and that moth samples are suited to the CM-CRDS due to the higher dynamic range of the CM-CRDS, such that whole individuals can be easily analyzed, thus reducing sample preparation time.
The wild and mass-reared leg samples of the common cut worm showed good separation as we had observed using the EA-IRMS. The larger error of measurement of the CM-CRDS analysis as compared with the EA-IRMS becomes irrelevant as it was often lower than the inherent variability in isotopic signature of the population.
Description and mean isotope value of the glues used for capturing moths in various lepidopteran traps analyzed using CM-CRDS (n = 2).
Moreover in this preliminary study using CM-CRDS to analyze the isotope signature of spermatophores we were able to determine with a high degree of confidence whether the paternal male moth was mass-reared or wild. This method of determining parental identity of moths has been explored and been previously described by Stringer et al. (2013), and we merely demonstrate here that the CM-CRDS system could substitute the EA-IRMS system for spermtophore analysis, with all the associated benefits of low cost, minimal training required etc.
Although the isotopic signatures of the 2 LBAM populations were significantly different we were not able to confidently distinguish the 2 populations from one another. Normally we take an approach similar to analytical chemistry using a cut-off of 2 standard deviations of separation. If we get separation when we plot the 2 populations with 2 standard deviations of the mean and if there is no overlap in the error bars we can be 95% confident that if we assign an individual insect to a particular population it will be correctly assigned. If there is no overlap with 3 standard deviations of the mean then we can be 99.7% confident, etc. However in this case it was not possible to make that distinction although it should be stressed that this was not due to the isotope analysis method with CM-CRDS, but due to the lack of isotopic difference in the diet of the 2 populations. In this special issue, Hood-Nowotny et al. (2016) demonstrated that if it is not possible to get isotopic separation using δ13C signatures alone, it is possible to use the additional isotopes of H, N, O or S to improve the prediction. This could be one of the limitations of using a CM-CRDS system compared to the EA-IRMS, i.e., that it does not allow measurement of additional N and O isotopes which the EA-IRMS systems do. There is a CM-CRDS system that also measures H in bulk material, but currently the machines cannot measure other isotopically interesting elements. Indeed one of the flexibilities and advantages of the EA-IRMS is that it can often analyze multiple elements simultaneously however this comes at a minimal addition cost per sample.
Depending on the juncture and target species in an area-wide management program it could be useful to design the mass-rearing diet to ensure isotopic separation based on the δ13C signature, for example by adding C4 based products in the diet formulations such as maize, sugar cane, sorghum etc. For illustration purposes; to get a target enrichment of the diet of around -24‰, which is usually sufficient to get sufficient differentiation from a C3 host with a value of -28‰, approximately 25% of the diet needs to be of C4 origin and vice versa if the host species is a C4 or CAM plant. If this is not possible and it is a critical point in the pest management program, such as nearing eradication when managers may not want to change the diet formulation significantly, then it may be economical and useful to use synthetic isotope labelling with enriched 13C sucrose or glucose added to the mass-reared diet. Here sufficient enrichments for separation can be achieved with isotope costs in the region of 50 USD per kg of diet, a small cost compared to the cost of continued program operation. A simple decision support tree is shown (Fig. 4) to emphasize this point and clarify the decisionmaking process.
One of the advantages of this isotope technique is that it is simple and cheap to test. The estimated variability of the wild population is usually captured within the first 12 or so samples if we assume normal distribution, because the standard deviation rarely increases above this number and would rarely change as we increased sample size, particularly for a specific habitat characterized by similar vegetation and host types (Fig. 5) (Altman & Bland 2005). In highly diverse habitats with insects of different feeding strategies and hosts this assumption may not hold, but in most of the samples that we have analyzed over the years this assumption appears to hold true. Under operational conditions this means that only 12 wild samples from a particular area are required to determine the spread of the wild population, and to determine whether this is a suitable method for distinguishing the wild population from the mass-reared population.
The implementation of this isotope-based technique in the field requires that samples are captured from traps. Some traps wash off surface markers and some traps have copious quantities of sticky glue. Indeed for isotope analysis the glue can be a major interfering factor. We have shown that the glue in common sticky traps of Scentry Biologicals has an isotopic signature of -30‰ and a high C content. Insects are about 50% C so even contamination of about 5-10% by weight with the glue can lead to a 1‰ shift in signature. Therefore it is advisable to sample strategically from the sticky traps. Often we will use a pre-defined appendage, either a wing or a front leg for sampling, and make certain that we take comparable samples from artificially reared populations, this overcomes the glue contamination problem by shear avoidance, ensuring that the insect sample is separated from the trap immediately and dispatched with minimal traces of glue on it. Another reason for selecting legs or wings is that there is minimal possibility of interference of variable fat concentrations, which lead to slight variations in the isotopic signal dependent on the lipid concentration. The reason is that lipids are generally lighter than proteins and carbohydrates (Park & Epstein 1961) because of discrimination against 13C during lipid biosynthesis (DeNiro & Epstein 1977). If isotope methods are to be used then the use of dry traps such as the AlphaScentsTM traps maybe advised as these leave minimal amount of residual glue samples on the insects and are generally easier to handle. Moreover legs or wings are generally structural tissue and turn over at lower rates than the more metabolically active thoracic or abdominal tissues therefore retaining the dietary signal of the natal diet, which means that we do not have to place too much emphasis on adult feeding if it occurs, because the main signature measured comes from the larval diet. However it would be wise to test these factors in simple C4 C3 sugar switching laboratory experiments.
Our data demonstrate that it is possible to determine the paternal identity, mass-reared or wild, based on isotopic analysis of the spermatophores, as it has been shown there is sufficient C in the moth spermatophore for isotope analysis using CM-CRDS. It should be stressed though that there must be sufficient isotopic signal difference in the populations for this method to work and that the mass of spermatophores must be greater than about 250 µg of C to be above the detection limit for isotope measurement of the CM-CRDS. Moreover this CM-CRDS technology could easily be applied to other insects of interest.
In conclusion we showed that CM-CRDS could be used to measure isotope ratios of lepidopterans in an area-wide insect pest control operational context in the same way that they have substituted many of the current high-precision EA-IRMS machines used for isotopic CO2 analysis in atmospheric studies, geological applications and human metabolic studies (Haviland et al. 2012; Hoke et al. 2013). The strategic advantages of CM-CRDS systems are mainly that they are easy to operate and technically robust, making them ideal for use in field studies and for operational programs. For example, the technician on the project was shown to be sufficiently competent and felt comfortable running the samples after just 2 days of training and operation. To get an idea of the capital investment required calculations were made based on current sales prices of the carbon CM-CRDS system. Based on a 148 daily sample throughput and using the machine 48 wk per yr, the 5 yr ameliorated capital cost per sample is around 0.36 € (0.50 USD). This is based on single insect sampling however if 3 samples were pooled, (i.e., 3 legs from different individuals) and this allowed for accurate distinction, the cost would come down to around 12/16 €/$ cents per sample. Running costs of the machine are relatively low requiring only N as the carrier gas. It should be noted that the overall technology costs are relatively low as this is now an off the shelf technology, which would require little methods development.
The data presented herein suggests that CM-CRDS systems could be used to determine the rearing origin of moths and similar-sized insects based on their δ13C signature in an SIT context in addition that they could be used to resolve paternity issues in moths. Based on their affordability, ease of use and the quality of the data they produce CMCRDS systems overcome a technical barrier to the adoption of stable isotope techniques in entomology.
This work was part of the FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Project on Increasing the Efficiency of Lepidoptera SIT by Enhanced Quality Control, and was supported by USDA-APHIS-PPQ grant No. 14-8130-0319-CA “Development of stable isotopes and new biomechanical tools for identification of sterile insects and determination of pest origin.”


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From Montpelier Vermont, own a local community bicycle shop and love gardening!
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|Web 2.0 – Is Social Media a Money Maker or Time Waster?|
Pam Laycock, MBA '89, Chief Operating Officer, Torstar Digital
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Honey-Balsamic Fruit Salad
Source: Diabetic Living Magazine
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Retaining Wall Construction & Retaining Wall Solutions
With nearly 40 years’ in the building and construction industry, Adept provides a wide range of services for residential and commercial properties. One of these services is retaining wall construction and we offer a number of retaining wall solutions to our clients.
In Sydney, retaining walls are often built to prevent slippage or erosion of soil, even to provide a level surface for construction. At Adept, we build four different types of retaining walls:
• Besser block walls
• Concrete retaining walls
• Shotcrete retaining walls
• Timber retaining walls
Besser block walls
A Besser block retaining wall is a very popular choice for both residential and commercial properties. The retaining walls are built from large concrete blocks that contain hollow tubes to reduce their weight. A Besser block wall construction is structurally strong and long lasting, and the light weight of the blocks leads to faster construction.
Concrete retaining walls
Concrete retaining walls can be constructed from Dry wall blocks, Besser blocks, Crib walls, concrete sleepers or poured concrete with rebar. The advantage of concrete retaining walls is in their strength, durability, resistance to fire and rot, flexibility in design, low maintenance and ease of installation. Backfill and suitable drainage are important components of building concrete retaining walls.
Shotcrete retaining walls
Shotcrete retaining walls are often seen in large construction sites or along highways. These retaining walls are created by spraying a special mix of high strength concrete onto a hillside or slope. The benefits of Shotcrete retaining walls are that the soil is stabilised, minimising both erosion and runoff. Shotcrete offers huge structural advantages to developers and councils, as well as significant cost savings.
Timber retaining walls
Timber retaining walls are another very popular option for residential and commercial properties. The main benefits of using timber for a retaining wall is that the treated timber blends in well with the natural environment and is very cost-effective.
Adept services areas between the Central Coast and Sydney, including:
• Bella vista
• Castle Hill
For more information on retaining wall construction and retaining wall solutions, call our Expert house underpinning and foundation repair specialist in Sydney on 02 4363 2828 or shoot us an email.


The entrepreneurs are offered to invest into a project on the construction of a countryside family recreation center.
As provided by the project, a new eco-tourism facility incorporating a 24-hour weekend recreation center will emerge in the district. As forecasted, a camping, residence houses, swimming pools for adults and children, a multi-purpose sports playground, gazebos with barbecues near the river and a walking area will be equipped within a year. Rental service will be at the guestsТ disposal. The investment project is targeted at the community of Krasnodar region and Russia, at large.
A business plan was developed for the investment project. The project needs 56.07 million rubles in the form of direct investments.
The project implementation period is 1 year, and the return on investment period is 3.5 years. The construction of the facility will allow to create 30 new jobs.
A land plot of 23,653 sq. m. was formed to implement the project. The site is located on the south-eastern edge of the farm of Erivanskiy. There is a local road (0.1 km), there. The distance to the federal highway "Krasnodar city Ц Novorossiysk city" is 10.5 km.
The distance from the municipal center of Abinsk city is 12 km. The distance from the regional center of Krasnodar city is 92 km.
The distance to the nearest railway station of Abinskaya is 17.5 km, to the Krasnodar Airport is 104 km, and to the seaport of Novorossiysk is 78 km.
Administration of Municipal Formation Abinsk District
Address: Internatsionalnaya Street, 31, Abinsk city, Abinsk district, Krasnodar region, 353320
Tel. +7 (86150) 5 14 80
Fax +7 (86150) 5-15-01


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Bible Reading Plan 2021
In 2021 we have decided to continue with our bible reading plan to encourage all members of the congregation to engage with the Bible on a daily basis.
In 2020 we looked at the New Testament. In 2021 we are becoming ‘Bible Explorers- Psalms and Prophets’ as are looking at the Old Testament, starting with the Psalms and the Prophets.
We know that many people use study guides or existing apps, but if you do not or are looking for something new, we would like to encourage you to follow our OT reading plan. The readings for our plan will be issued quarterly. We hope that you will be able to find time to explore the bible further in 2021. If you would like copies of the previous months, please contact email@example.com
John Duncan, Joint Session Clerk

domain: literature


|Trim||Engine||Drive Type||Trans.||0-60||1/4 Mile||Mpg EPA C/H/Observed||Source|
2019 Nissan 370Z
|Heritage Edition Deep Blue Pearl Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.0 sec||13.6 sec @ 106 mph||17/26/---- mpg||Car and Driver|
2018 Nissan 370Z
|Heritage Edition Chicane Yellow Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.3 sec||13.9 sec @ 103.6 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Road & Track|
2017 Nissan 370Z
|Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.2 sec||13.7 sec @ 102.7 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Trend|
2016 Nissan 370Z
|Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.1 sec||13.7 sec @ 106 mph||18/26/19 mpg||Car and Driver|
2015 Nissan 370Z
|NISMO Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||7A||4.9 sec||13.6 sec @ 106 mph||19/26/17 mpg||Car and Driver|
|NISMO Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.9 sec||13.5 sec @ 105.4 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Trend|
2012 Nissan 370Z
|Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.8 sec||13.4 sec @ 105.6 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Trend|
2011 Nissan 370Z
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.9 sec||13.4 sec @ 105.2 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Trend|
2010 Nissan 370Z
|Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.8 sec||13.4 sec @ 104.7 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Trend|
|NISMO Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.3 sec||13.8 sec @ 105 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Week|
|NISMO Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.0 sec||13.5 sec @ 106.6 mph||18/26/21.1 mpg||Road & Track|
|Stillen Coupe||3.7L Supercharger V6||RWD||6M||4.5 sec||12.8 sec @ 113 mph||----/----/---- mpg||Road & Track|
|Touring Roadster||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.1 sec||13.7 sec @ 104 mph||18/25/21 mpg||Car and Driver|
|Touring Roadster||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.8 sec||13.4 sec @ 104.6 mph||18/25/---- mpg||Motor Trend|
|Touring Roadster||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.9 sec||13.6 sec @ 102.9 mph||18/25/14.8 mpg||Motor Trend|
|Touring Roadster||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.0 sec||13.5 sec @ 104.2 mph||18/25/23 mpg||Motor Trend|
|Touring Roadster||3.7L V6||RWD||7A||5.4 sec||13.6 sec @ 103 mph||18/25/---- mpg||Motor Week|
2009 Nissan 370Z
|NISMO Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.2 sec||13.7 sec @ 105 mph||18/26/16 mpg||Car and Driver|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||7A||4.6 sec||13.1 sec @ 108 mph||18/26/18 mpg||Car and Driver|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.8 sec||13.4 sec @ 107 mph||18/26/19 mpg||Car and Driver|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.9 sec||13.5 sec @ 106 mph||18/26/19 mpg||Car and Driver|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.1 sec||13.7 sec @ 104 mph||18/26/20 mpg||Car and Driver|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||4.7 sec||13.3 sec @ 105.7 mph||18/26/21.5 mpg||Motor Trend|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.1 sec||13.7 sec @ 105 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Motor Week|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.1 sec||13.7 sec @ 103.6 mph||18/26/---- mpg||Road & Track|
|Touring Coupe||3.7L V6||RWD||6M||5.2 sec||13.7 sec @ 103.9 mph||18/26/18.7 mpg||Road & Track|
About Nissan 370z
Available in two models, a convertible and a coupe, the Nissan 370z is a car designed to match its sport-looks with its superb performance. Powered by a totally aluminum engine, to reduce the car weight, the 3.7 liter V6 engine, is placed with care under the Nissan 370z’s hood.
The successor of the wildly popular and successful Nissan 350z, the 370z offers many upgrades from the previous model including more power, better handling, more aggressive design, and better fuel efficiency.
If you’re getting the 370z with an automatic transmission, then you are in luck! Nissan has finally upgraded the old 5 speed automatic transmission found in 350z to a 7 speed available in 370z, which will help with better performance and fuel efficiency.
The 370z started production in 2009 and is the sixth-generation of the Nissan Z family of vehicles. Just as the previous model, the 370z has received a lot of praise and accolades from car enthusiasts and popular car magazines.
Design of Nissan 370z
The high intensity discharge headlights together with the vertically placed LED daytime-running lights, forms a boomerang shape, which adds to the stylish exterior of the car. The rear design is made a bit aggressive that suits sports cars by the use of wider fenders, chrome finished dual exhaust tips, and an air diffuser mounted on the bumpers.
As mentioned before, the engine is made of aluminum and likewise the hatch, doors, and hood are all aluminum. But, the rest of the chassis is made of strong and high-class steel. The car weighs around 3,480 pounds and has its weight distribution on 54/46 proportion.
The 370z Performance
The six-cylinder 370z produces around 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, which is delivered to the rear wheels through either a seven speed automatic or a six speed manual transmission. Both transmissions are connected to the rear axle through a carbon composite drive shaft.
The mileage is 19 mpg in city roads, and in highway it is 26 mpg which is a little better at 27 mpg when seven-speed auto transmission is used instead of the manual transmission.
The coupe version goes from 0 to 60 in as little as 4.6 seconds, while the roadster version takes about 4.8 seconds. Both variations offer plenty of performance and the slight difference in acceleration is not very noticeable.
What’s In It for the Driver
The 370z being a coupe made for the race track has room for only 2 passengers. There are two analogue gauges, 3 more top mounted gauges, and a TFT screen, and these together provide important information to the driver about the workings of the engine.
The 370z does not have a very strong navigation system in order to keep the costs down. However an optional hard drive based sat-nav system, can be mounted at the center of the dashboard with a 7 inch touch screen. Bluetooth audio streaming and voice control can be added through this sat-nav system, but this feature is not available on the basic model.
The 370z is available in two versions: the basic trim and the touring trim. In the base car, you will get cloth-covered bucket seats, music player linked with four speakers, cruise control, an auxiliary jack, and leather-covered steering wheel. All of those basic and general features are something that most basic sports car should contain.
In the touring trim version, you will get some added features such as: leather-covered seats, Bluetooth, power adjustable car seats, a good Bose sound system, rear view mirror with auto dimming, aluminum pedals, cargo cover for the rear and much more.
Altogether the car is a great performer, and you can buy it for its very capable performance as well as the iconic design and style.
For more information about the Nissan 370z, visit the official Nissan website.
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The physical or tangible parts which make the computer technique is known as hardware. As an added benefit, the group’s scale, combined with its independence, will signal that application is central to a company’s ambitions. Application is not a physical factor (but it can of course be stored on a physical medium such as a CD-ROM), it is just a bunch of codes. There are a few typical problems people face, and the cause of these problems will either be related to the hardware or the computer software on the pc. Brainware adalah setiap orang yang terlibat dalam kegiatan pemanfaatan komputer atau sistem pengolahan data.
Suggestion: I advocate you frequently image your tough drive to an external hard drive with Symantec Norton Ghost 15. (1 Pc) or other drive imaging computer software to prevent data loss in the future. Due to the fact that this association is stored in memory and not in a hardware register somewhere in the CPU, we are in a position to set a lot of more software program breakpoints than the maximum of four hardware breakpoints. In some cases for maximum output, the system must be re-engineered and spruced up. When the excellent system is created according to requirement, the improvement team studies the software program requirement for the method.
Moreover, open hardware licenses do not stop an individual from giving away or even promoting the project’s documentation. This POS software program actually appears excellent on the way it handles deliveries, and we all know that deliveries will be a huge element of the pizza enterprise. Retailer inventory software can simply do the trick with the least amount of hassle and errors. IT asset management may possibly be mandatory for buyers who get high-priced computer software licenses to guarantee that there are not far more customers than the licensing agreement makes it possible for.
We can classified hardware elements into mainly two categories, namely External Hardware and Internal Hardware. Pc hardware consists of technology for pc processing, information storage, input, and output. Test engineers help develop main test scenarios and user test instances during the application specifications gathering phase. Now whether this was unintentional or deliberate collusion with the hardware makers is for you to decide. As an individual who watches the hardware industry closely I’ve been surprised to see just how well a business like ASRock is now competing with Gigabyte and Asus.
Not integrated in the scope of hardware service rewards are calibration or repair function which becomes essential due to applications which are outdoors of the intended or standard use of the gear. It really is simple to connect to a classic recording setup, a PA or a personal computer, and it even consists of Cubase LE, which is a fundamental audio recording computer software that’ll get you began on the right foot. The best computer software for the user isn’t necessarily the most costly or most appropriate plan for post-production (editing images, videos).


The Scotsman – Bach’s St John Passion at St Cuthbert’s – 2008
This review was originally published as a Live Review on The Scotman’s Website on Sunday, 16 March 2008.
BACH’S St John Passion may not be as lengthy or grand as his St Matthew Passion but it is nevertheless packed with glorious chorales, recitatives and arias that tell the story of the Christ’s crucifixion from John’s point of view.
Narrated by the evangelist, sung by the silky-voiced tenor Simon Wall, this intense and more intimate version of events unfolds dramatically through the distinctive voices of the characters involved. Celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, the ERCU sung with great verve and urgency in their varying roles of an angry mob, soldier, commentators and onlookers leaving the personal reflections in the poetic arias to the soloists.
These were a fine line-up, particularly the young professional singers: mezzo-soprano Louise Collett, who has a beautiful warmth and clarity to her voice, soprano Lisa Swayne, who negotiated some tricky chromatic passages with agility and tenor Eamonn Mulhall.
Martin Shaw, the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles brought a gravitas to the part of Christ while Noel Mann was a suitably reluctant Pilate.
Bach’s pairing of solo voices with specific instruments, for instance the mezzo with oboes, the soprano with flutes and tenor with violins, is inspired and the orchestra, led by Justine Watts, played superbly. Conductor Michael Bawtree pulled all the intricate threads of this complex work together with consummate skill. This was a compelling and emotive performance.


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Tomme du Revard cheese
Tomme du Revard is a cheese from the Vallée de L'Isère in the Rhône-Alpes region of France and is made with partially skimmed cows' milk. It belongs to the family of 'grey' tommes and is uncooked, pressed with a dry, brushed rind. The cheese is usually washed in 'marc de raisin' due to the proximity of vineyards in the valley and the residues of winemaking are regularly used for this purpose.
Calories in different varieties and various types of cheeses
The number of calories in various types of cheese is very similar when you compare your cheese to a similar types of cheese.
For example, almost cheeses that are similar to Cheddar cheese have around 400 calories per 100g
If the Tomme du Revard cheese is not listed below, select a similar type of cheese from the list below to get a rough idea for the number of calories in Tomme du Revard cheese.
The calorie lists are sortable by clicking the up and down arrows in the heading columns
|Cheese type||Calories per 100g|
|Queso blanco cheese||310|
Graph your Body Mass Index
See your personal Body Mass Index (BMI) plotted on a graph against national averages.
Errors and omissions
If you are a cheese producer and your cheese does not appear to be listed on Cookipedia or the information on your cheese is incorrect or out of date, please use the Contact the Editor page to send us a message and we will update the information on your cheese.


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A high-speed latched comparator with low offset voltage and low dissipation
- 805 Downloads
An ultra high-speed latched comparator using a controlled amount of positive feedback cell has been designed in TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technique. Transmission gate (TG) switches are used to implement the preamplifier circuit. The use of TG switches results in a reduction in the power consumption of the high-speed comparator as well as clock feedthrough and the effect of charge injection. The simulation results demonstrate that it can work at 1.25 GHz suitable for high speed applications, and consumes 273.6 μW with a power supply of 1.8 V at 100 MHz and Monte Carlo simulation shows that the comparator has a low offset voltage approximately 0.499 mV.
KeywordsLatched comparator Positive feedback Transmission gate Monte Carlo analysis High-speed Low offset voltage Low dissipation
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61234002, 61006028, 61204044) and the National High-tech Program of China (No. 2012AA012302, 2013AA011203).
- 2.Khosrov, D. -S. (2010). A new offset cancelled latch comparator for high-speed, low-power ADCs. APCCAS, IEEE Asia Pacific Conference, Dec 6–9, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Google Scholar
- 3.Ye, X., Ytterdal, T. (2010). A low-offset dynamic comparator using bulk biasing technique in digital 65 nm CMOS technology. ICSICT, 10th IEEE International Conference, Nov 1–4, Shanghai, China.Google Scholar
- 4.Stefanou, N., Sonkusale, S. R. (2004). An average low offset comparator for 1.25 Gsample/s ADC in 0.18 μm CMOS. ICECS, Proceedings of the 11th IEEE International Conference, Dec 13–15, Tel Aviv, Israel.Google Scholar
- 5.Guo, Y., Cai, T., Lu, T., Wang, Z. (2009). A novel 1GSPS low offset comparator for high speed ADC. INC, IMS and IDC. NCM’09 Fifth International Joint Conference, Aug 25–27, Seoul, Korea.Google Scholar
- 6.Razavi, B. (1995). Principle of data converter system design. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
- 8.Huang, X., Li, L., Zhang, Z., Chen, L. (2010). A high-speed, transmission delay stability comparator. ICSICT, 10th IEEE International Conference, Nov 1–4, Shanghai, China.Google Scholar
- 10.Allen, P. E., & Holberg, D. R. (2002). CMOS analog circuit design (2nd ed., pp. 477–480). New York: Oxford.Google Scholar


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When you initiate a Balance Transfer on your CleanSweep account, you draw money from your available credit to your account to refinance high-interest credit card balances.
What is a CleanSweep Balance Transfer?
Additional Balance Transfer FAQ
- I got a notice that one of my balance transfers was canceled. Why did that happen?
- What can I do if a payment to a creditor is returned?
- What is the minimum and maximum balance transfer I can initiate?
- How long does it take for a balance transfer to process?
- Why is the button on my account dashboard to initiate balance transfers disabled?
- How do I initiate a Balance Transfer?
- I initiated a balance transfer by mistake. Can I cancel the balance transfer?
- How many creditors can I add to a balance transfer at once?
- If your creditor is not on the list of creditors while making the Balance Transfer
- What is the minimum creditor balance I can transfer as part of a balance transfer?

domain: finance


Kodak, most of us have heard about the name when we talk about camera companies. No doubt company is a pioneer in camera manufacturing company, but today launched its first smartphone based on Android system at CES 2015. Company named its device as IM5 and will be launched first in Europe and later by the end of first quarter of the year, product will be available globally at a price tag of EUR 299 or $249.
This smartphone comes with 5 inches of display with resolution of 720×1280 pixel. smartphone is powered with 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek processor (unspecified version) , 1GB of RAM and 8 GB Internal Storage which is expandable upto 32 GB via microSD card. Handset runs on Android 4.4 KitKat OS but company promised Android 5.0 lollipop update in future. IM5 comes with its own App store named “Apps” which is best suited for users and provide easy access to select apps. Along with its own app store, Google Play is also available in the handset with additional features that will help your friends and family through various functions. Coming to the most significant feature of the smartphone, its 13 MP camera. If you are looking for high quality camera under low price tag, this handset is a must try. Kodak being a camera manufacturing company, we expect that camera quality offered by the company will be satisfactory. Battery backup of the device is not disclosed by the company yet.
Kodak collaborated with BBuilt a British firm which has made most of the components of smartphone. CEO of Bullit said that –
“This is a phone for consumers who appreciate the value and heritage of the Kodak brand. It looks great, is easy to use and offers real value for money,”
Highlighting the camera quality and photographic ttechnologyof the smartphone, Eileen Murphy, VP Brand Licensing at Kodal added that- “Too many memories stay stuck on mobile phones, often because the process for sharing them is too complicated for users; that’s why we’ve partnered on the IM5, the first device in a range of mobile products that takes our heritage and experience in photographic technology and combines it with Bullitt’s expertise in designing high-quality devices for a specific target consumer,”


Gilli Long sleeve rib cardigan with pockets
This button down cardigan is so soft and stylish that everyone will want to know where you got it. Matching skirt is also available so don't forget to add it to your cart. Color Mocha is so vibrant and perfect for the fall.
88% Polyester, 8% Rayon, 4% Spandex


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We are an energy company based out of St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. We have been in the energy business for more than fifteen years!
EverGreen has active projects in remote far northern communities and southern islands. These remote locations are all searching for more affordable energy and a positive reduction in the greenhouse gases they breathe daily.
Many countries around the world are now starting to make decisions to reduce their carbon footprint, and other countries are desperate to find less expensive energy sources. At the same time other countries have to divert their MSW and Industrial waste streams from landfill.

domain: geography


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Skydiving.com has been uniting folks who are seeking to skydive with the leading skydiving providers across the country for years! We are excited to provide services to Levelland, along with the complete state of Texas. If you are wanting to skydive in the future, call us directly at 1-800-617-7948 so one of our staff members may secure your dive for you. Planning to skydive outside of Hockley County? No trouble! As we mentioned, we provide network affiliated destinations across the whole state of Texas, as well as the whole United States. Just pick up the phone and call us!
Every single year, countless people coming out of Texas get in touch with Skydiving.com to carry out their first sky diving journey near Levelland. We focus to service each and every individual planning to skydive within the whole Country. Having tons of places all over the nation, there really is no question that Skydiving.com features the largest amount of sky diving network associates! The first step to enjoy the amazing realm of sky diving is to phone us at 1-800-617-7948 and help one of our courteous staff representatives get you on your way! This is genuinely an exclusive experience that you will remember for the rest of your life, so what exactly are you waiting for?


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I surfed the Holy Roller at KSWP and loved it, be sure to tell Todd that is works unreal for me. I did dial in one good back side tube on it and will see if the pictures do the board justice.
be sure to tell Todd that is works unreal for me
When I was in your shop you had a 6’4″ round pin Monsta Chief 39L. Any chance it is still on the rack? if so I am very interested in buying my second TP board in less than 2 weeks. ????
–Eric 58/6’0″/175lb | Holy Roller Falcon II 6’3″ x 20 1/4″ x 2 5/8″+ thumb 37.5L (Holy Roller outline & rails with the Falcon II rocker & bottom)

domain: hobby


The Blacklist Fall Finale Recap: Berlin's Walls Come Down
Thus far in the show’s sophomore season, each name on The Blacklist has been more intrinsically linked to Liz and Red than the name that preceded it.
And on Monday’s fall finale, that pattern came to a head as READ MORE & GRADE THE EPISODE
Doctor Who Christmas Special Teaser Promises a Very Unhappy Holiday
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — or is it?
Hell on Wheels Sneak Peek: Cullen and Campbell Go Toe-to-Toe
New Girl Sneak Peek: Will Winston Score With His Sexy Neighbor?
Parenthood Recap: A Girl Worth Fighting For
Is there an official petition we can sign in protest of NBC’s spoiler-filled “Next week on…” promos?
I realize that might be a bit excessive, but there’s no better example of the Peacock Network ruining a climactic moment than READ MORE
CMA Awards 2014: The Best, Worst and Country Music-iest Moments
There were three things we needed to see, going into Wednesday’s 48th Annual CMA Awards:
1) Carrie Underwood rocking her traditional 3 million costume changes with READ MORE & VIEW PHOTOS
NBC Orders Extra Marry Me Episodes
NBC is sticking with Marry Me, for better or for worse.
The network has ordered five more episodes of its freshman comedy, bringing its first-season count to 18 episodes READ MORE
Sons of Anarchy's Mark Boone Junior on That Scene, Gemma's Future and His Favorite On-Screen Moment
Warning: If you have yet to watch Tuesday’s episode of Sons of Anarchy, get thee to a different TVLine article. Everyone else, read on… READ MORE
Enlisted Star Geoff Stults to Write, Possibly Star in CBS Comedy Project
Geoff Stults is on active duty once again.
The Enlisted star has signed on to co-write (and potentially star in) READ MORE
Parenthood Recap: Growing Pains
If Thursday’s episode of Parenthood was the first time you’d ever seen the NBC drama — well, as a side note, what have you been doing all this time? — your opinion of Amber Holt would likely be READ MORE


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Jump to navigation
How to Make a Wire-Wrapped Ring Beadage
Make a wire wrapped pendant from a Use the technique in these step by step instructions to use wire to wrap a simple pendant that you can Knot Covered Ring...
Lytha Studios A Simple Wire-Wrapped Ring (w/Bead)
Step by step instructions showing you how to make your own stunning wire wrap ring using wire and a gemstone, http://trucreations.blogspot.com. You searched for: wire wrapped rings instructions! Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind products and gifts related to your search. No. Wire Wrapped Tree Of Life Ornament My goal with these instructions is to be very thorough, Wrap the wire around the ring once.
Spiral Wire Wrap Ring Wirework Crafts Crafty Corner
How to do a Herringbone Wire Wrap September 30, 2011. Earrings made using a Herringbone Wire-wrapping Technique. can you make a ring with this pattern?! 22 Patterns for Wire Wrapped Rings with DIY Tutorials. Wire Wrapped Ring Instructions. 3 Responses to 22 Patterns for Wire Wrapped Rings with DIY Tutorials..
Basic Clasp Ring Pattern Wire Wrap Ring Tutorial â€“ My
18/09/2016Â Â· How to Make a Spiral Wire Bead Ring. Wrap each end around the ring close center and use the same instructions for making bead rings to use. Princess Wire-Wrapped Ring: Made with a crystal clear or colored Swarovski crystal, a ring mandrel 4 Comments to â€ś20+ Wire Jewelry Making Ideas. "wire wrapped jewelry" Here presented is the instructions about how to make wire wrap â€śandâ€ť sign jewelry with This wire wrapped ring tutorial is.
How to do a Herringbone Wire Wrap â€“ Rings and Things
Free tutorial on how to make Spiral or Rose Wire Wrapped Rings Free Tutorial: Spiral or Rose Wire Wrapped Ring I didn't follow the instructions all that. DIY Twisted Wire Ring tutorial on Fall For Instructions: 1. Cut a length of wire 30cm/15â€ł and roughly fold in half into a fish Wire Wrapped Ring Knot says:.
DIY Wire Rings Reese Kistel
Todayâ€™s project is a quick one â€“ Iâ€™m going to show you how to make these simple wire-wrapped rings in under 10 minutes! Itâ€™s a great project for those stray
How To Make a Pharaohs Wire Wrapped Ring YouTube
Free instructions for making Simple Wire Ring made using WigJig jewelry tools out of jewelry wire, beads and common jewelry supplies.. Adjustable-shank wire-wrapped ring. Comfortably accommodate up to four ring sizes with this adjustable ring. For the ring-making project instructions,
Warn Winch Installation Instructions M8000 WordPress.com. Warn X8000i Winch Installation: Brought to you by Jeepfan.com After 4 years of modifications to my CJ I have reached the readiness for a winch. warn winch installation instructions This Warn Industries ZEON (R) This Winch will require winch mount for proper installation. Winch Operators Manual; ZEON Install Guide;.

domain: artistic


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In the Matter of John Clement Milligan-Whyte – Bermuda Supreme Court
Bermuda Supreme Court
Case Number: 26 of 1996
Filing Date: January 26, 1996
Plaintiff(s): John Clement Milligan-Whyte
In the Matter of the Commissioner for Oaths and Notaries Public Act 1972...and In the Matter of JOHN CLEMENT MILLIGAN-WHYTE.
Plaintiff Attorney: Milligan-Whyte & Smith

domain: library


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Synopsis: Sberbank, was reportedly negotiating about acquiring control in the Russian largest internet company Yandex As a defense from a possible takeover, Yandex now considers a reorganization of its voting shares structure We’d like to review the situation in terms of Yandex’ stock outlook. 1. The news on negotiations with Sberbank dropped Yandex shares by 30%, and they haven’t recovered fully Which negative/positive effects a potential takeover may have on Yandex’s business?
Title: The effect of takeover talks with Sberbank on Yandex business and stock
Tags: Sberbank, Yandex


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Wimmera an Australian crime fiction novel set in a small town is an intriguing character driven story that focuses on friendship and the lengths we go to protect the ones we love.
The novel centres around moral ambiguity, and whether heinous actions can ever be justified. The structure and pacing of the novel helps the reader empathise and understand the
characters as they move from childhood to adulthood.
Brandi creates an authentic courtroom scene that highlights the moral complexities of the issues raised in the novel where good people are forced to make impossible choices. The novel raises the question as to whether violence can ever be justified, at what cost to one’s mental health, and whether it is unforgivable crimes that drive us to commit acts we may not have deemed ourselves capable.


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We are an artists’ cooperative gallery in historic Old Town Auburn, CA, where art lovers can purchase pieces directly from the many talented artists that run the gallery together, working as sales clerks, administrators, event coordinators & more!
Established in 1995, the Gallery features the works of nearly 60 local artists who explore a wide range of media. We are located in the heart of historic Old Town Auburn, in the former livery stable building, next to Bootlegger's restaurant.
Works include: acrylic, oil & watercolor paintings, scratchboard & pencil drawings, jewelry, pottery & ceramics, metal & wire sculpture, photography (traditional & digital), painted silk & batik, fiber art, woodcarvings & furniture, blown & fused glass, gourds, pysanky (decorated eggs), leather, encaustics, felting.
Each artist is required to work at the gallery 8 hours a month so when you shop at the Gallery you will have the opportunity to talk to one of the artists and learn of their techniques.
All the Gallery artists are accomplished in their own field; some are nationally and internationally known, and many have won awards for their works.
Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Reviews, get directions and information
to add Old Town Gallery of Fine Art map to your website;


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To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's 2 April 2020 policy paper entitled Government update on building safety, for what reason the regulatory regime will apply to all multi-occupied residential buildings of 18 metres or more in height, or more than six storeys (whichever is reached first), rather than the previous threshold of 18 metres high or six storeys.
6 May 2020
The Government intends to start the scope of the new regulatory regime to cover: all multi-occupied residential buildings of 18 metres or more in height, or more than six stories – whichever is reached first. The reason for using both height and number of storeys is to address concerns, raised during the public consultation, regarding the potential for developers to build just under the height threshold. The Government intends to expand the scope of the regime over time, based on evidence of risk.

domain: politics


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Cut a path forward.
Dymchurch, Kent (1922) by Paul Nash
I was born into a new world, infinite paths winding over sand-whipped beaches and tall gardens, rocky hillsides and cool groves. No one needs to witness my wandering, notarize it, seal it with dripping red wax. No one needs to tell me I’m making progress, I’m still on the fastest available route, I’ve arrived at my des…


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Drug development company Proniras has entered a contract with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to explore Eli Lilly’s investigational migraine drug tezampanel as a potential treatment for nerve agent-induced seizures.
The contract with BARDA is to last five years, and is worth up to $89.5 million. Under its terms, Proniras will be responsible for the preclinical studies, clinical development and manufacture of tezampanel, while BARDA will finance the research. Payments are connected to milestones attained during studies, manufacturing and clinical development under the FDA’s Animal Rule, allowing Proniras to submit efficacy data from animal instead of human models.
“As recent events have clearly demonstrated, the need for medical countermeasures that can effectively treat nerve agent exposure is sadly more than theoretical,” Proniras co-founder Christopher Toombs said.
“Tezampanel holds great potential as a solution to this serious challenge, having shown favourable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles in clinical trials for acute migraine and demonstrating efficacy in preclinical models of nerve agent-induced seizures.”
Proniras was launched by Accelerator Life Science Partners in 2016 with the purpose of developing tezampanel for a variety of seizure disorders. The global rights to the migraine drug were licensed from Eli Lilly, which is assisting in financing the research alongside the funding arms of Johnson & Johnson and WuXi AppTec. Proniras has announced its plans for a secondary financing round, though the amount of venture capital raised will not be disclosed.
Tezampanel (LY-293558) is a small molecule compound which has previously shown efficacy in clinical trials as a treatment for acute migraine and other neurological conditions. It works by inhibiting glutamate signalling through the GluK1 receptor subunit. Its potential use in seizure treatment was identified through the discovery that seizure activity is heightened by an increased glutamate signalling.
Benzodiazepines are currently used for the treatment of nerve agent-induced seizures. However, data has shown that over time seizures can become refractory to these drugs, often causing more severe episodes following only a brief period of suppression. Benzodiazepines act as sedatives, slowing down bodily functions and stimulating the brain chemical gamma amino butyric acid (GABBA) which reduces functions such as breathing.
Recent studies have shown tezampanel to halt seizures in rat models exposed to the nerve agent soman. Its direct inhibition of glutamate signalling has been identified as an indication of its superiority to benzodiazepines.
Proniras has disclosed plans to initiate human safety trials of tezampanel and apply for its Orphan Drug Designation by 2020, with approval anticipated by 2022.
The main nerve agents are sarin, soman, tabun and VX. All are man-made, organophosphorus compounds manufactured for the purpose of chemical warfare. They work through inhibiting cholinesterase enzymes in plasma, erythrocytes and cholinergic nerve endings in tissues. Typical symptoms include nausea and vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain, involuntary urination, muscle spasms and seizures.
Current treatments include the antidotes atropine and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM chloride). However, the efficacy of 2-PAM chloride is known to diminish as time elapses due to the strengthening of the bond between the enzyme and nerve agent, an effect seen most commonly in soman.
The recent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, UK saw the use of a strain of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 80s. One of the chemicals, known as A-230, is reportedly five to eight times more lethal than VX, which can cause death within minutes.

domain: biology


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head of the company Mr. Marwan Ourfahli started construction
career with his partners since 1966 in a nine floors
building was his start up in kozbari bostan in Tejara number
In 1970th a series of seven floor buildings
number 18-56-76-74 then 11th floor in the same
area of Adawi which was sold with all its floor to the
Syrian oil Ministry.
1990th we shift to one of the valuable area named Kafarsoseh a
new regulated area by the mayor of Damascus.
There are several seven floor buildings and in parallel several
twelve floor Buildings.
the coming 2002 we took a seven floor building in Kafarsoseh but
this was our start up as a company , and our future projects are
coming soon with nine floor building also in Kafarsoseh.
1980th Also a series of buildings in Maraweh,
Mezzah the buildings number are 5-7-8 they were 10 floors
each in the Motorway of Mezzah called Maraweh in the same
time a two villat in eastern Mezzah were built.
Our mission is to beautify the earth with our innovated designs,
and combine the elegance with the sense of duty since we started
to launch ceramic in our buildings surface with elegance look.
And our company is ready for all join ventures or construction
cooperation , since our history in real estate developing
witnessed extensive accuracy accompanied with world safety
standards which now Syria is very poor in such safety.

domain: design


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Dr. Walter Doyle Staples From his Book, In Search of Your True Self Commenting on how the book Think Like A Winner!, by Dr. Walter Doyle Staples. The Paperback of the Think Like a Winner! by Walter Doyle Staples at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on $25 or more!
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Thanks for telling us about the problem. Working Hard on Yourself.
Books by Walter Doyle Staples (Author of Think Like a Winner)
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GForce Software Re-Strings - Vintage Strings For Reason Rack Extension
Affilliate Links help support the site
The folks over at GForceSoftware.com have today announced ReStrings - a Propellerheads Reason Rack Extension, based on their award winning Virtual String Machine instrument, which captured the authentic sounds of many of the classic vintage string machines.
Pricing: £79/$79/€79 Introductory offer: £39/$39/€39 finishes on 25.4.2017
RE-STRINGS, has 76 sample sets from machines:
Freeman String Symphonizer
Logan String Ensemble
plus several other classic (and not so classic) string machines.
Each sample set spans 49 notes (4 octaves), each individually sampled and looped, plus a 700+ patch library created by respected patch designers including keyboard maestro Billy Currie.
With Dual Layer capabilities - each layer comprising of a Lowpass, Bandpass & Highpass Resonant Filter Section, Two Envelope Generators, Pitch or Filter LFO, Dynamic control including filter aftertouch
Finally, there are global vintage style Ensemble & Phaser effects for retro, string ensemble perfection.


‘Be the Leader of Peace’ Zelenskyy tells US Congress and pleads with President Biden in Virtual Speech
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a virtual address on Wednesday urged Congress to push for both a no-fly zone over Ukraine, as well as for additional planes and defense systems to respond to Russia’s continued invasion.
Zelenskyy said in video, “Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people”.
Citing Pearl Harbor and 9/11, the Ukrainian President showed graphic video of death and devastation his country has suffered and continues to deal with daily in the war.
The live-streamed address in the Capitol complex had a translator for majority of his speech. To close, Zelenskyy spoke in English, pleading directly to President Biden: “I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”
A day earlier, on Tuesday, President Biden signed into law a $13.6 billion package for emergency aid in Ukraine to help with humanitarian and weaponry assistance. According to Reuters, Biden is also expected to announce further aid in the amount of $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine.
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The Model 682A03 DIN-rail-mountable ICP sensor signal conditioner converts the analog voltage measurement signals of industrial vibration sensors into 4- to 20-mA signals. This unit provides a choice of RMS or peak acceleration, velocity, or displacement output signals, as well as selection of filtering ranges. The sensor converts and delivers a second 4- to 20-mA output signal proportional to temperature to accommodate the company's vibration sensors with built-in temperature sensors. Other features include an analog output baby-n connector (BNC) for dynamic signal analysis and diagnostics, LED indicators for power, input fault, and selected output, and 500-V dc isolation. With this sensor, machinery vibration can be continuously monitored and then analyzed and diagnosed with portable data collection and acquisition equipment. The Model 682A03 sensor costs $525. Delivery is one to two weeks.
www.imi-sensors.com; (800) 959-4464


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Europe’s biggest investment banks are getting trounced by their American competitors. And it’s not clear they’ll be able to make up lost ground any time soon.
Barclays (BCS), Credit Suisse (CS) and UBS (UBS) reported another round of lackluster investment banking results this week. And Deutsche Bank (DB) disclosed Thursday that first quarter revenue from its corporate and investment bank dropped 13% to €3.3 billion ($3.7 billion).
The weak earnings are likely to increase pressure on European banks that have struggled to cut costs and overhaul unproductive businesses following the global financial crisis. Many are now facing big questions over whether they can compete with Wall Street.
Deutsche Bank, which has already moved away from some investment banking activities, is back to square one with its future planning after merger talks with German rival Commerzbank (CRZBF) collapsed. At British lender Barclays, an activist investor is pushing for its investment bank to be pared back.
Analysts warn that more dramatic changes may soon be required.
“There are no easy options,” said Andrew Stimpson, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch who covers the investment banking industry in Europe.
European banks retreat
Investment banks help their clients by underwriting debt and securities, brokering trades and facilitating mergers and acquisitions. When business is good, it’s incredibly lucrative.
European and American banks have long dominated the industry.
US banks captured 46% of global investment banking revenue in 2007, according to Dealogic. European banks, meanwhile, earned 39%. But the US advantage has widened significantly since then.
By 2018, American investment banks had increased their market share to 52%, while European firms captured only 26%, per Dealogic.
European banks have struggled to keep pace because they lack scale and are often unwilling to make major changes, according to analysts.
US banks have exploded in size over the past decade, while Europe’s banks have slimmed down. Weak economic growth has made it more difficult for European investment bankers to make money at home. Ultra-low interest rates and strict capital requirements have further reduced the resources at their disposal.
The pinch has made it harder for German, British, French and Swiss banks to spend the money needed to compete — especially in the United States, home to the world’s largest pool of investment banking fees.
“Scale and domestic market are hugely important factors as we go through this period of low interest rates, low volatility [and] potentially large global macroeconomic instability,” said Matt Long, managing director of European capital markets at Accenture.
Europe’s banks have also been slow to overhaul their operations even in the face of obvious headwinds, a tendency that some analysts see as their biggest problem.
“They have delayed restructuring for over four decades, and that’s coming back to bite,” Long said.
Trouble at Barclays and Deutsche Bank
These challenges are building toward a breaking point at Barclays and Deutsche Bank, in particular.
Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing has the unenviable task of explaining to investors how the bank can move forward after merger talks with Commerzbank were abandoned on Thursday.
Stimpson said that without a deal, Deutsche will need to make further cuts to its investment banking division. But he doesn’t expect the bank to exit the US market entirely, as some have suggested.
“I don’t think Deutsche is ready to say it’s going to exit the world’s biggest fee pool,” he said.
The bank will publish its full earnings from the first quarter on Friday.
Barclays, meanwhile, faces the possibility that an activist investor who wants to downsize its investment bank could win a seat on its board. Shareholders will vote at the annual meeting in early May.
Edward Bramson, head of Sherborne Investors, which is Barclays’ third-largest shareholder, has argued that the division eats up too many resources without providing sufficient returns. Poor first quarter results, released Thursday, could bolster his argument.
Barclays says that it’s considered all options, and Bramson’s plan would only destabilize recent progress. CEO Jes Staley told analysts Thursday that the bank will look to further rein in costs if fee revenue stays weak.
Some European banks have been more aggressive in reducing their dependence on investment banking.
Credit Suisse completed a three-year restructuring effort last year to focus on its wealth management division, which provides a more reliable stream of fees.
Solid results from wealth management helped deliver an 8% profit increase in the first quarter of 2019, and cushion the blow of a 36% decline in revenue from its investment banking and capital markets arm.
Executives at Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Europe’s other investment banks face sizable immediate challenges. But they also have to think about future threats.
The investment banking industry as a whole has to deal with the fact that many companies are delaying public offerings or opting for direct listings that de-emphasize the role of banks.
Additionally, trading since the financial crisis has not been a reliable source of income.
Even industry leaders are being forced to adjust. Goldman Sachs (GS), for example, is undergoing a multi-year effort to build out new business lines that could prop up faltering trading returns.
Dealing with these big picture challenges is particularly difficult for smaller European banks that don’t have spare funds to invest in new technology, Long said.
“Getting ready to address today’s challenges is just step one,” Long said.


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Stirling Castle (from the motorway)
Stirling Castle always looks so impressive when viewed from the motorway as you whiz past, but it’s not the easiest of shots to bag. My trash can is full of more ‘out of focus’ trees and bushes than you could shake a stick at! Oh, and by the way, I wasn’t driving. I was just hanging on grimly to the camera.
Many thanks indeed to all who dropped by and left lovely comments and stars for yesterday’s sculpture. I do appreciate your support..
We're still travelling on holiday at the moment, making internet access, uploading, commenting etc. a bit problematic as I’ve nearly used up all my allowance already. My apologies.
- Nikon D810


I am getting petrol fumes in the cabin when I accelerate, especially up a hill. It has got to the point where I have to open the windows as it is that strong.
I have checked the petrol cap to ensure it is on properly and it is. Any ideas what could cause this? I was thinking exhaust maybe?


New Delhi [India]: Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that the government is committed towards upgrading the quality of higher education in the country.
“The government supports more autonomy for educational institutions. It is encouraging students to take education loans, and deserving students will not be denied loans and scholarships,” he said while addressing a press conference post the 65th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education here on Tuesday.
Javadekar further said online courses will be started soon in different disciplines. Only top institutions, he said, will be given permissions and the courses will only be available for non-technical streams. The format of online courses will be different from correspondence one, he said.
Responding to a query on full autonomy to IIMs, Javadekar said they would be made fully independent by February 1, adding that the same will be done for IITs and other colleges.
During the meeting, Javadekar also stressed on the need for reforms in education so that the existing mismatches between education, employment, and social relevance can be addressed.
“The thrust areas are quality, autonomy, research, and innovation,” he said. (ANI)


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House Of The Week
A glorious camping-style house in Great Barrier Island is the start of owner Mathew Harte's plan to tread lightly, conscious of being a custodian of the land, yet wanting so much more than just a space to live in.
He took five years to get to know a regenerating bush block on Great Barrier in all conditions, camping out or renting near by.
Once his thoughts were more refined he sought out a like mind to create his vision.
"Architect Sam Kebbell could understand the principles of managing the regeneration of the land, that the house needed to be more than just a place to stay and that it was the first of a series.
"I had dreams of an architecture park where people and designs could intersect: the buildings would be like lily pads designed by clever individuals.
Commissioned for the project Kebbell pondered 'how can we develop a house that integrates architecture and landscape, not just in terms of how it looks, but also how it works?'
The response is a structure that is complementary to the hillside. It follows the contours of the land and incorporates an all-important path for exploring the bush.
"It's an inspirational place," says Harte.
"The way Sam has framed the view with the structure, and the view is world class."
Kebbell describes it as 'relatively sculptural, yet a building that sits quite gently into the hillside, under the ridgeline.'
"Although the overall form is quite complex, the detailing is very basic. It's not about the finesse of detail; it's much more raw than that, it's more like a sculptural hut.
"The living space and kitchen are basically outside, and only enclosed by a large sliding PVC door, like the doors on the side of a Coca-Cola delivery truck. This means the whole living area can be completely opened up, but equally it can be locked down and warmed up when it needs to be. The rest of the materials are also very straightforward: butynol membrane roofing, concrete and timber floors, and shiplap weatherboards."
Because it is relatively inaccessible the actual building of the house was a challenge as materials and equipment all needed to be transported down several hundred metres of narrow track.
Concrete was all mixed on site, and most of the materials were brought in with a quad bike and trailer.
Harte describes the project as a love triangle of commitment between the architect, builder and owner.
The result is stunning, delivering on Harte's vision of architecture that partners nature rather than dominates.
Kebbell is concise: 'It's more like camping, it's about going there to be in the bush, that's the culture of the place. It's a place for Swandris and mountain bikes, not a place for high heels."
The long walk in is a wonderful way to ensure those arriving take the bare minimum and relax, walking in presents a chance to clear the mind, readying to do very little and do it in style.
Cost: Under $1 million
Size: 120 sq.m.
Architect: Sam Kebbell, KebbellDaish
Materials: Concrete, butynol, Structurflex, weatherboard ship lap.
Energy efficiency: The house is entirely self sufficient.
Done Right: The house is in the middle of the bush, yet it's very comfortable and that's the juxtaposition. The project is about the fact that you're not in town yet you have all the pleasures, you're in the bush yet you're dwelling in comfort. This ishard to achieve on an island where you are generating your own electricity, collecting water and dealing with wastewater and sewage.
Done Wrong: My situation changed: when I started I wanted to get away from the maddening crowd, now I have to take the maddening crowd with me, we have two children now. Perhaps I should have put another bedroom on?
Unexpected: The framing of the view, it's out of the park, hit for six, it really is amazing. I was surprised at how hard it was to keep systems: water, wastewater, power and heating whilst maintaining the quality expected. You bend over backwards to conform to the RMA and Council standards, though your guarantee on materials and build are no longer than 25 years at best despite the fact that buildings built ages ago, with older systems, are still standing proud and beautiful!
Recommend: The learning journey you go on when you build is part of the journey you want. Sam understood that and John Daish was always behind him.
Next Time: I hope there will be a next time. Rather than extend this building I'd like to build another close by with a mutual area. The next time will be cool, the next building will connect within the plan and I hope Sam and others are part of the journey.
- © Fairfax NZ News


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In November, the OCLC APRC Conference is coming to Bangkok with the theme ‘Change the Game’. The active two day agenda, designed for attendees representing all library types, will feature thought leaders from within and outside the library community. Confirmed keynote speakers are Skip Prichard, OCLC President and CEO and, Nathania Christy, Head of Global Insight Network, Trendwatching.
Take this opportunity to connect with fellow library leaders to share ideas, learnings and, insights. And, as a delegate from the host country, you can register to attend for free!