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Colombia is a country that offers amazing attractions for every type of traveller. Nature lovers will find heaven in such a biodiverse country. Culture and Architecture lovers will be amazed by the huge variety of sights in cities and villages. Adventure junkies will have plenty of options to increase their adrenaline levels. Beach lovers will have thousands of pristine beaches across two different oceans to choose from.
But is Colombia a good destination for those looking to have a romantic holiday? Of course! You can have everything in your Colombia Tour Package; it doesn’t matter if you are looking for a place to get engaged, to spend your honeymoon or just to celebrate an anniversary, Colombia has become a top destination for those looking for romantic holidays.
In Colombia, the country of the Magical Realism, you will find endless romantic destinations where you will be able to enjoy stunning sunsets, be surrounded by impressive nature and landscapes, get pampered in fantastic boutique hotels and eat amazing meals in cosy gourmet restaurants.
The best of all is that it won’t cost you an arm. Travelling in Colombia in a very comfortable way, ideal for celebrating special romantic events is surprisingly cheap if you compare it with most other countries in the region.
The following are my top 5 romantic destinations that you should include in your tour if you are planning on celebrating something special with your partner.
It might sound a bit cliché, but some of the best locations to celebrate any romantic event are isolated islands. And Providencia is a lot more than that.
Providencia is a little island located right in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. It is actually closer to Nicaragua or Panama than it is to Colombia. It is a wonderfully remote and traditional Caribbean island.
This paradise-like island offers some of the best beaches in the world with one great advantage over other places: it is isolated. You will find calm and peace here, making it the perfect place for a romantic getaway.
Arriving in Providencia involves a long flight from the mainland to San Andrés (the popular sister island) and then a short 30 minutes flight from there to Providencia. Flight tickets are not cheap nor widely available, making this island a hard-to-reach place.
However, this also means that there is no mass-tourism here. You will have the island for you and just a few other tourists. Ideal for a romantic getaway.
Besides its gorgeous beaches, Providencia offers some of the best diving opportunities in Colombia. Its location is great for coral-reef dives as well as for some deeper dives in which you can easily spot big animals such as sharks, rays and turtles.
If you want to have the best possible romantic experience in this pristine island, you should stay in the Deep Blue hotel. It is by far the best hotel on the island.
This hotel is surrounded by green tropical forest with splendid views towards the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. It has a beautifully located restaurant serving delicious food and great cocktails. The lounge area has a shallow infinity-edged whirlpool with an unforgettable panorama and some rooms come with a balcony converted into a small private swimming pool overlooking the sea.
Providencia is the ideal honeymoon destination. If you recently got married and are looking for the best place to celebrate it, then you shouldn’t doubt in including Providencia in your Colombia tour package.
Cartagena is the undeniable pearl of the Caribbean coast. It is a fairy-tale city of romance whose wonderfully preserved beauty is surrounded by an impressive wall of 13 kilometers long.
Cartagena´s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a labyrinth of cobblestone alleys, balconies covered in bougainvillea, and gigantic churches located in cosy plazas.
It is the ideal city for a romantic holiday. Go with your partner and let this colonial city amaze you while you get pampered in top-notch boutique hotels located in restored old mansions. Go for dinner in some of the best restaurants of the continent and enjoy great cocktails on a rooftop bar overlooking the old town and the bay.
Additionally, you can easily go on day-trips to some of the surrounding islands and beaches so you combine the romantic city with some relaxing time on a pristine beach.
Some of the best romantic day-trips from Cartagena are boat trips to the nearby islands. I recommend you take the one offered by the hotel San Pedro de Majagua in the Rosario Islands. This hotel allows non-guests to come spend to the day at their private beaches, have lunch in their amazing restaurant and enjoy the Caribbean Sea.
You can also decide to spend a couple of nights in Cartagena and some other nights in this island hotel to have the perfect combination of city and beach. Ideal for a special celebration such as an anniversary.
The absolutely stunning Tatacoa Desert is the second largest arid zone in Colombia. Its landscapes seem to come from another planet. It consists of plenty of ochre and grey canyons covered by plenty of cacti.
In the middle of this desert, there is a hotel that has already been the place for a couple of engagements of our customers. This hotel, called the Bethel Bio Luxury Hotel, is one of the most romantic hotels in the country.
They offer different accommodation options that range from glamorously decorated rooms in an old restored house, to gorgeous rooms made in caves and two different glamping options.
Additionally, this hotel has 2 swimming pools, a sunset-lounge/bar, a massages area and a very good restaurant.
To make things even more ideal for a romantic holiday, the Tatacoa desert is possibly the best destination in the Americas for stargazing. Due to its remote location, there is very little light pollution, allowing you to enjoy a sky completely covered by stars at night.
If you are looking for a place to get engaged, the Tatacoa desert should certainly be part of your Colombia tour package.
One of the most beautiful colonial villages in Colombia, Villa de Leyva is a city frozen in time. This photogenic village has been perfectly preserved with its cobblestone roads and whitewashed houses.
Villa de Leyva is a place to rest and relax. Its cosy streets and mild climate offer the perfect atmosphere for a romantic holiday. The village has some of the best hotels and restaurants in Colombia allowing you to have plenty of options for places to be pampered.
Villa de Leyva is perfect for strolling around in its picturesque streets and for discovering its typical architecture. The village has the largest square in South America. It is a gorgeous cobblestone plaza surrounded by restaurants, bars, and a beautiful church. On the back of this plaza, you always have views on the huge and impressive mountains of this area.
The surroundings of Villa de Leyva offer plenty of attractions such as vineyards, archaeological and paleontological sites, and many natural charms including gorgeous mountain views, waterfalls, and lakes.
Villa de Leyva is so romantic that nowadays, it is the place in Colombia with the second-most weddings per year, just behind Cartagena. So, if you are looking for a romantic place to celebrate something as special as a wedding during your next holiday, then you should consider including Villa de Leyva in your Colombia tour package.
I left this one as the last one as I know it won’t be considered romantic by everyone. But for those travellers like me, who enjoy nature and adventure a bit more than cities and villages, the Cocuy National Park could be one of the most romantic places on earth.
It’s crazy how a tropical-Caribbean country as Colombia can have snow-capped mountains and glaciers. The Cocuy Natural Park is the best spot in Colombia to go discover these high-altitude marvels.
Located high up in the Andean mountains, you will find emerald blue lakes formed by eroding glaciers, alpine tundra, crystal clear creeks, and snowy mountaintops. Perhaps, the best landscapes you can find in Colombia.
Even though the accommodation here is very basic, the temperatures are always cold and there are no gourmet meals, Cocuy can be one of the most romantic places in the country.
Being alone with your partner, sitting on a rock at an altitude of almost 5000 meters above sea level, enjoying the majestic views over the surrounding glaciers and mountains while some fresh wind blows from behind, is one of the most romantic moments I have ever lived. Ideal for a surprise and out-of-the-ordinary engagement proposal.
If you are looking for a romantic holiday destination, Colombia is your place. If you are planning on spending some special time with your partner and celebrate something as big as an engagement, a honeymoon or an anniversary, then you should certainly include at least one of these 5 destinations in your Colombia tour package.


The Internet of Things (IoT) era has brought with it a host of new programmatic and operational issues as mountains of product data meet rivers of wireless signals from competing communication methods.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.cmswire.com
Debriefing Your Dishwasher: As the possibility of smartphones eavesdropping on conversations between toasters and refrigerators has gone from a late-night comedy punch line to a daily morning reality, marketers have found themselves racing to harness IoT’s potential while addressing the anxieties being raised by some unanticipated pain points. Why are appliances, even smart ones, suddenly contributing to so much marketing anxiety? There are two main reasons:
1. IoT devices generate a lot of data, most of which is only relevant in certain contexts at certain moments in time. That data is streamed using beacons, low-cost, low-powered transmitters that send signals to certain smartphones within range. It quickly becomes a monumental challenge to analyze the data for real-time insights that can be acted upon to improve sales and/or operational performance.
2. IoT devices use a broad variety of incompatible protocols to communicate. Bluetooth is popular among consumer devices because of its low energy consumption, especially a variation called Bluetooth low energy (BLE). Another format, MTConnect, focuses on communication among industrial devices.


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We don’t have cellphones at the table when we are having a meal, we didn’t give our kids cellphones until they were 14 and they complained other kids got them earlier.
Bill Gates interview, 2017
I worry that the level of interrupt, the sort of overwhelming rapidity of information — and especially of stressful information — is in fact affecting cognition. It is in fact affecting deeper thinking. I still believe that sitting down and reading a book is the best way to really learn something. And I worry that we’re losing that.
Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, Interview with Charlie Rose, 2009*
They haven’t used [the iPad]. We limit how much technology our kids use at home.
Steve Jobs, Apple, 2010 in reply to reporter about his children using newly-released iPads
I do not know whether these high-tech leaders feel that way today (Jobs died in 2011) but there…
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Mar 4, 2013, 10:37 PM EDT
After another wild weekend of college hoops, one thing is certain. We can expect the unexpected. Which should make for an incredible month of March.
Take the top seed line. Indiana remains in control of its current No. 1 seed position. The other three spots still have some wiggle room – although based on Ryan Kelly’s return performance Saturday against Miami-FL, the Duke Blue Devils appear headed for yet another top seed on Selection Sunday. In this update, Gonzaga and Kansas grab the other two No. 1 slots. Miami, Georgetown, Louisville, New Mexico, Michigan State, and Michigan are close behind. Remember, there are only four spots on each seed line. Someone has to be number nine or ten on the seed list (s-curve). And the order could easily change. Throughout the bracket, these final two weeks will help decide the starting position for several teams.
The bottom of the bracket is no less uncertain. This past Saturday, six teams sitting directly on the bubble lost. So in some ways, not a lot changed. The newest addition to the bracket is Boise State. After beating Colorado State, the Broncos resume is tournament worthy with two games to play. As a side note, Boise is a true 11 seed in the bracket but had to be placed on the 12 line because of various conflicts and bracketing principles. It’s not uncommon for this to happen. Many of the teams in the middle of the bracket are tightly bunched and while one or two seed lines may appear to be a big difference, that’s not necessarily true.
The final couple of at-large spots in the Field of 68 could be argued for hours. That’s why this week’s games and those in conference tournament play may prove more important than ever. For now, the final at-large spots belong to Iowa State, Villanova, Virginia, and Tennessee. Those four are paired in the First Four – with winners headed to matchups in the East and West Regions. Kentucky, Baylor, Alabama, Massachusetts, and Arkansas are among the first teams outside the bracket.
Note: The bracket update does not include the Baylor-Texas game on Monday evening. That game will be factored into our next update. Enjoy the ride to Selection Sunday.
Teams in CAPS represent the projected AUTOMATIC bid based on current standings. Exceptions are made for teams that use an abbreviation (UTEP, BYU, etc). Records are for games against Division I teams only.
FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS – Dayton (First Round)
- Villanova vs. Tennessee | East Region
- Iowa State vs. Virginia | West Region
- NORFOLK STATE vs. SOUTHERN | South Region
- CHARLESTON SO vs. NORTHEASTERN | Midwest Region
BRACKET PROJECTION …
|EAST – Washington, DC||MIDWEST- Indianapolis|
|1) Duke||1) INDIANA|
|16) MERCER||16) CHARLESTON-SO / NORTHEASTERN|
|8) Butler||8) NC State|
|9) MEMPHIS||9) Missouri|
|5) Ohio State||5) Arizona|
|12) Villanova / Tennessee||12) AKRON|
|4) Oklahoma State||4) Syracuse|
|13) BELMONT||13) DAVIDSON|
|Auburn Hills||Kansas City|
|6) OREGON||6) UNLV|
|11) Temple||11) Saint Mary’s|
|3) Michigan State||3) Kansas State|
|14) VALPARAISO||14) SF AUSTIN|
|7) Colorado State||7) Minnesota|
|10) Oklahoma||10) Wichita State|
|2) Louisville||2) GEORGETOWN|
|15) NIAGARA||15) PRINCETON|
|SOUTH – Dallas||WEST – Los Angeles|
|Kansas City||Salt Lake|
|1) KANSAS||1) GONZAGA|
|16) NORFOLK ST / SOUTHERN||16) LONG BEACH|
|8) San Diego State||8) North Carolina|
|9) Cincinnati||9) CREIGHTON|
|Salt Lake||San Jose|
|5) SAINT LOUIS||5) UCLA|
|12) MID TENNESSEE ST||12) Boise State|
|4) Wisconsin||4) Marquette|
|13) LOUISIANA TECH||13) BUCKNELL|
|6) Notre Dame||6) Pittsburgh|
|11) La Salle||11) Iowa State / Virginia|
|3) FLORIDA||3) Michigan|
|14) MONTANA||14) STONY BROOK|
|7) Illinois||7) VCU|
|10) Colorado||10) California|
|2) MIAMI-FL||2) NEW MEXICO|
|15) SOUTH DAKOTA ST||15) ROBERT MORRIS|
NOTES on the BRACKET: Indiana is the No. 1 overall seed followed by Duke, Gonzaga, and Kansas. Next in line are Miami-FL, New Mexico, Georgetown, Louisville.
Last Five teams in (at large): Boise State, Iowa State, Villanova, Virginia, Tennessee
First Five teams out (at large): Kentucky, Baylor, Alabama, Massachusetts, Arkansas
Next Five teams out (at large): Maryland, Mississippi, Iowa, Southern Miss, Arizona State
Breakdown by Conference …
Big East (8): Louisville, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Villanova
Big Ten (7): Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois
Mountain West (5): San Diego State, UNLV, New Mexico, Colorado State, Boise State
Pac 12 (5): Arizona, Colorado, UCLA, Oregon, California
Big 12 (5): Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Iowa State
Atlantic 10 (5): Butler, VCU, Temple, La Salle, Saint Louis
ACC (5): Duke, NC State, North Carolina, Miami-FL, Virginia
SEC (3): Missouri, Florida, Tennessee
Missouri Valley (2): Creighton, Wichita State
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
Conference USA (1): Memphis
Conference Automatic Qualifiers … BELMONT (Ohio Valley), BUCKNELL (Patriot), MIDDLE TENNESSE ST (Sunbelt), SOUTH DAKOTA STATE(Summit), VALPARAISO (Horizon), DAVIDSON (Southern), LOUISIANA TECH (WAC), NIAGARA (MAAC), STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (Southland), AKRON (MAC), MERCER (A-Sun), PRINCETON (IVY), LONG BEACH (Big West), NORTHEASTERN (Colonial), STONY BROOK (American East), MONTANA (Big Sky), NORFOLK STATE (MEAC), CHARLESTON-SOUTHERN (Big South), ROBERT MORRIS (NEC), SOUTHERN (SWAC)
Oct 22, 2014, 10:46 PM EDT
Cody Larson was South Dakotas Next Big Thing. He returned in infamy, but that has not stopped him from succeeding.
Oct 22, 2014, 10:14 PM EDT
Wisconsin held its third annual “Shooting Down Cancer” event Wednesday, with their goal being to #MakeBoPay.
Oct 22, 2014, 9:13 PM EDT
Austin Nichols is the reigning American Athletic Conference ROY, and sophomore Avery Woodson is expected to compete for minutes in a crowded by inexperienced backcourt.
Oct 22, 2014, 7:03 PM EDT
Cezar Guerrero knocked down five straight from half-court during the team’s Red and White Hoops Night event Tuesday.
Oct 22, 2014, 6:43 PM EDT
Oregon didn’t have much depth to begin with due to various personnel issues, so Michael Chandler’s lingering knee problem is a major concern.
Oct 22, 2014, 5:00 PM EDT
People don’t come more intense than Bruce Pearl.
Oct 22, 2014, 4:25 PM EDT
Given SMU’s depth on the perimeter, LaGerald Vick’s decision to move back in classes will help both parties in the future.
Oct 22, 2014, 4:06 PM EDT
College basketball will have plenty of impact freshmen this season. Here’s a look at some that could step in and contribute right away.
Oct 22, 2014, 3:18 PM EDT
The Longhorns are the first school in the country to do this.
Oct 22, 2014, 2:55 PM EDT
The Cardinal now have three four-star recruits in the Class of 2015.
Oct 22, 2014, 2:09 PM EDT
Wednesday’s report is much more damning than either of the previous two that have been released.
Oct 22, 2014, 1:00 PM EDT
There is one big name that wasn’t named to the preseason first team.
Oct 22, 2014, 12:00 PM EDT
The top half of the Summit League will be a tight race all season long.
Oct 22, 2014, 11:00 AM EDT
The Big East coaches love Villanova, but are they sleeping on Marquette?
Oct 22, 2014, 10:00 AM EDT
ULM has some off-the-court issues to address with the season looming.
Oct 22, 2014, 9:00 AM EDT
Fun fact about Shaka Smart: He has still never won a conference regular season title.
Oct 21, 2014, 11:00 PM EDT
Stanford’s back court depth took a hit this week.
Oct 21, 2014, 9:45 PM EDT
Suspensions have been handed down for two James Madison players involved in a fall altercation.
Oct 21, 2014, 8:38 PM EDT
Nebraska has been recruiting the state of Illinois very hard and it paid off with a 2016 commitment.
Oct 21, 2014, 8:15 PM EDT
Kansas State has taken a hit to its front court depth this week.
- South Dakota State’s Cody Larson thrives despite return home amidst unmet expectations 0
- 2014-15 Season Preview: 20 Impact Freshmen 0
- UNC investigation states bogus classes pushed by academic counselors to athletes 6
- Top 25 Countdown: No. 13 VCU Rams 0
- Top 25 Countdown: No. 14 Florida Gators 0
- 2014-2015 Season Preview: College Basketball’s Top 13 Dunkers (VIDEOS) 3
- CBT’s Recruiting Roundup: Washington’s big Monday, Maryland’s insurance, Two 2016 guards off board 0
- UNC investigation states bogus classes pushed by academic counselors to athletes (6)
- 2014-2015 Season Preview: College Basketball’s Top 13 Dunkers (VIDEOS) (3)
- Report: Texas plans to start paying their athletes $10,000 stipend (3)
- First Preseason Top 25 poll is out, Kentucky sits at No. 1 (2)
- Maryland senior forward suffers sprained ankle (2)


GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County police have arrested and charged a former Chamblee police officer with making terroristic threats.
According to the incident report, 39-year-old Pierre Drebeque threatened a driver who rear-ended his mother at a Sam's Club on the 3400 block of Steve Reynolds Boulevard in Duluth.
The victim gave the woman his phone number after the crash then, later on, argued with the woman over the cost of the repairs.
The report says after this, Drebeque texted the victim asking him to give him a call. When he did, the report says Drebeque said he was a police officer and told the man he would kill him and ship him to Mexico if he didn't pay for the damages to the car.
The former police officer was charged with making terroristic threats.
Afterward, Drebeque sent the victim a photo of himself hugging his mother while allegedly in a City of Chamblee police uniform, saying that he "better act accordingly or else he would do as he said in their previous phone conversation," the report said.
Chamblee police confirmed with FOX 5 that the suspect worked for them from 2008 to 2012.
The case is still under investigation.


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Check this out for the most up to date list of links on Foley Library's Delicious account
Bookmark this on DeliciousAfrican American Sheet Music, 1820-1920
Images of hundreds of pieces of sheet music, including "songs from the heyday of antebellum blackface minstrelsy in the 1850s and from the abolitionist movement of the same period."
J.S. Bach Home Page
Includes biographical information, lists of all known works, and lists of recordings, with recommendations.
Keeping Score: Revolutions in Music
Companion to the San Francisco Symphony mini-series with Michael Tillson Thomas that "focuses on the meaning of music, with episodes devoted to Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Copland.
Musicals101.com: The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV and Film
An educational resource celebrating the history of musical theater, film, and television with specific musicals, people, and other topics highlighted in special features.
Operas and Composers: A Pronunciation Guide
A lightly annotated list of well-known operas and composers of operas, with sound files to help with pronunciation. From Opera Memphis.

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Doc. FACIAL or BLEACH is safe for Skin? If neither from the Two Sugest me some good tips that can really help me To increase my tone.
My forehead becoming black and on my face some pimples are there due to that some dark black spots on face I am taking codox tablet and vitamin A tablet and applying eukroma cream with climnskin on face by mixing but result is very less if I am missing tablets then pimples are increasing.
Muje skin pe chakatte nikatle hai bahut aur sath me khujali bahut hoti h, ye muje bachpan se hai jab mai 5-6 saal ka tha or ab mai 20 saal ka hogya hu, kayi jagah dikhaya but jab tak davai khata hu tab tak hi asar rahta hai. Please bataye mai kya karu?
Hello doctor, iam suffering from hair fall, it will become dry and red colour and I have skin problems it causes irritation to me, please give suggestion to me, give tricks, bye doctor.
Hello I am Sharad Singh I am 22 year old I have a problem my skin tone is medium but it's look like dark I'm very upset with this.
My face and digestion are unfortunate create problem Face so dark ugly in field work. And digestion are good. I am also became gastric present. Please provide solutions.
I have marks on face it became black and it is irritating me and that marks not going from my face even though I tried many creams.
Kidneys play an important metabolic role and are essential for balancing salt, minerals and water in the body. They also play a significant role in removing waste products from the body. They make urine, which contains all the waste materials that are eliminated from the body. They also play an important role in blood pressure regulation and in maintaining the balance of various minerals in the body. Any suspected kidney damage should be confirmed by a kidney biopsy, which will reveal the exact disease, thereby directing towards the appropriate treatment.
Why and when is it done?
A renal or kidney biopsy is done in the following situations:
- When there is abnormal protein in the blood or urine, which is indicative of a kidney disease, and the exact cause needs to be found out
- When kidney failure is suggested by blood tests but cause is not clear
- To find the cause of bleeding in the urine (haematuria)
- To identify and/or confirm diagnosis after a CT scan or ultrasound
- To check how well a transplanted kidney has been received
Know about the procedure
A renal biopsy is mostly done as an outpatient procedure and is a type of biopsy known as percutaneous biopsy (biopsy where a needle is inserted through the skin into the renal tissue). Very rarely, it may be combined with the CT scan or ultrasound and be done in the radiology department. This may be done on inpatients. The patient is made to lie on his/her back and a local anesthetic is used on the area of the injection. A thin, long needle is directed towards the area of the kidney from where some kidney tissue is removed for sampling.
In some cases, the direction of the needle may be decided by a CT scan or ultrasound. While this is a closed biopsy procedure, in some cases, as a part of the surgery, open biopsies may also be obtained, where a sample of tissue is extracted for analysis.
Recovering from a biopsy
The person would need some time to recover from the procedure, as there would be some discomfort at the site of a needle insertion. Vital signs would be monitored for the next couple of hours during which the person would also be monitored for internal bleeding. A pain reliever can be used if required. Haematuria or blood-tinged urine can be seen disappearing within the next 12 hours. Very rarely the bleeding can be severe and require angiography and further procedures. The person should also avoid strenuous activities for the next few days. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a nephrologist.

domain: health


City of Richmond ponders densification to support rail rapid transit to Steveston
Densification of the Railway Avenue Corridor in Richmond could support a rail rapid transit service between Richmond City Centre and Steveston.
A new City of Richmond report examines the possibility of residential densification along the corridor, which runs east-west along Granville Avenue between No. 3 Road and Railway Avenue, and then north-south along Railway Avenue from Granville Avenue to Moncton Street.
Currently, the corridor — extending 400 metres on either side of both streets — has about 24,000 residents and 4,000 jobs. Townhouse development is generally the densest form of development permitted.
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The former railway right-of-way along Railway Avenue south of Granville Avenue, now used as a greenway, could theoretically be repurposed for rail rapid transit. Greater investment would likely be needed for the segment along Granville Avenue between Railway Avenue and No. 3 Road to secure a right-of-way wider than the existing medians.
More than a century ago, the railway was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to link Vancouver with Steveston’s fishing businesses and was later used as an Interurban streetcar route. Over the past decade, a greenway for pedestrians and cyclists was built on the deactivated railway.
The entire corridor spanning from No. 3 Road to Moncton Street has a length of about 6.6 km. For a link to the Canada Line’s Richmond-Brighouse Station, a theoretical rail rapid transit would have to continue 600 metres north from the intersection of No. 3 Road and Granville Avenue.
According to the city staff report, in order to achieve densities that support improved bus services, there would need to be mid- and low-rise development along the corridor, including four-storey, mixed-use apartment buildings at key intersections within 120 metres of key intersections, and townhouse development along the corridor. This would double the existing population density of the area.
Significantly higher densities would be needed to support rail rapid transit, similar to the recent development along the No. 3 Road Corridor near Canada Line stations.
Under this rail rapid transit density scenario of increasing the corridor’s population density by about 215%, there would be both high- and low-rise development, with 12 to 15-storey, mixed-use towers at key intersections within 120 metres of Granville Avenue and Railway Avenue, and extending townhouse development along the corridor.
Building heights taller than the city centre could technically be permitted along much of the corridor; except for a portion of Granville Avenue between Railway Avenue and No. 3 Road. The corridor is largely unaffected by the 155-ft (47 metre) height restrictions due to Vancouver International Airport’s flight path.
Such dense growth adding 77,000 residents along the corridor could eventually lead TransLink to consider increased bus services or a rail rapid transit study, but there is no guarantee for implementation, especially with the region’s higher competing priority projects and limited funding availability.
These densities also contravene with existing municipal government and Metro Vancouver Regional District policies.
Any decision to increase the city-wide population growth projections through 2041 by nearly 30% would have implications for the city’s Regional Context Statement, which is required for compliance with the Regional Growth Strategy and provincial legislation. It would see high scrutiny, as this growth is located outside of the city centre, effectively introducing a new urban centre.
“Increasing the City’s population and employment along an isolated corridor that does not connect designated Neighbourhood Centres and/or Area Plans that are identified as future growth centres, is inconsistent with fundamental Official Community Plan (OCP) population, employment and land use planning policies,” reads the city staff report.
“The OCP currently concentrates the tallest building height at designated village centres in the City Centre, and limits the areas where mid-rise development is permitted outside of City Centre.”
This analysis was conducted by city staff upon the request of the city council, and they “would like to reinforce that there is no simple formula of population density plus employment equals rapid transit (rail) service.”
“Changing land use designations to support rail rapid transit service within the Railway Avenue Corridor would require decades of gradual land-use change, and still might not result in the type or level of transit service desired,” continues the report.
City staff recommend the existing land use designations outlined in the OCP and identified for arterial roads to be maintained, and major transit-oriented development growth continue to be focused in the city centre near Canada Line stations and in existing urban centres.
In 2019, the city council rejected TransLink’s proposal to integrate a new and expanded Steveston bus exchange with the municipal government’s planned project of building a new replacement Steveston Community Centre and library. It was proposed for the surface parking lot east of the existing community centre.
A new consolidated, off-street bus exchange would allow the public transit authority to improve bus services in South Richmond.
- See also:


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Take the family to Boston for great year-round fun, learning and excitement!
Located one block off busy and noisy U.S. Route 1; we are steps from all Camden, Maine shops, restaurants, and the renowned Camden Maine Harbor, Amphitheatre, and Park.
Take the family to Boston for great year-round fun, learning and excitement
The Berry Manor Inn, a Rockland Maine Bed and Breakfast is proud to have been named as one of the Top Best Bed and Breakfasts in the US by Trip Advisor for 2013 and 2008.
Take the family to Boston for great educational & entertaining fun!
These Camden Maine inns are right in the heart of town, just 3 blocks from the village and harbor
Get a behind the scenes look inside our home town teams park unlike any other!
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9 Days / 8 Nights – Visit the Maine Coast from Acadia, through the Midcoast and Portland located in Casco Bay. You may also customize this with 2-nights on the southern
Great for first timers, families or those looking for a great overview of Boston.

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Our Windows 10 deployment is failing at the join domain section. We've noticed that the desktops and laptops time is incorrect but the time zone is set correctly. If we correct the time it works fine. Our Windows 7 jobs all run fine. We are running 2016.3 Any help would be appreciated.


2015 Subaru WRX
A longtime Subaru mainstay, the WRX has been, and still remains, the brand’s performance center. So it’s only fitting that with an all-new generation, the 2015 WRX ups the ante when it comes to attitude and aggression on a budget.
While still based on the Impreza sedan, the new generation drops the Impreza name altogether; making the WRX now a stand-alone model.
Power comes from a 2.0 liter turbo flat-4 engine, the same one featured in the Forester XT. Its 268 horsepower is up slightly over the outgoing Impreza WRX, but now better managed thanks to Active Torque Vectoring on the front axle. Both axles benefit from enhanced all-wheel drive systems with a nominal torque split of 45 front, 55 rear. We saw plenty of grip and stability through the winding roads of Northern California’s Redwood forests where the fun factor was highest with the standard, quick-shifting six-speed manual.
Also available, a sport-tuned version of Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT. Designed with efficiency in mind, selectable drive modes offer 6 or 8 speed simulated gear ratios. Paddle shifters do allow for some room to play, so it doesn’t totally kill the enjoyment factor as some might think.
Styling remains understated, though the iconic WRX hood scoop is an eye catcher. The mean looking quad exhaust setup out back also looks great, but it just doesn’t bark quite as loud as the car’s performance can bite.
On sale this spring, the 2015 Subaru WRX starts around $27,000.
Engine: 2.0 liter
Price: Starts around $27,000


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Home Antibody All anti-TNNI3 antibodies
Anti-TNNI3 Antibody EP1106Y
Also for TNNI3 (NM_000363)
|A synthetic peptide corresponding to residues near the N-terminus of human Troponin 1 was used as an immunogen.|
|Human (Does not react with: Mouse, Rat)
||Lot dependent; please refer to CoA along with shipment
|WB, IHC, IF, FC
||ICC: Use at an assay dependent concentration; IHC-Fr: Use at an assay dependent concentration; FC: 1:500 - 1:1000; WB: 1:100000 - 1:1e+006; IP: 1:50; ICC/IF: Use at an assay dependent concentration; IHC-P: 1:250 - 1:500
|PBS 49%,Sodium azide 0.01%,Glycerol 50%,BSA 0.05%|
|Tissue culture supernatant
|Does not react with Mouse, Rat
|Homo sapiens troponin I type 3 (cardiac) (TNNI3)|
|CMD1FF; CMD2A; CMH7; cTnI; RCM1; TNNC1|
Entrez Gene 7137 Human
|Troponin I (TnI), along with troponin T (TnT) and troponin C (TnC), is one of 3 subunits that form the troponin complex of the thin filaments of striated muscle. TnI is the inhibitory subunit; blocking actin-myosin interactions and thereby mediating striated muscle relaxation. The TnI subfamily contains three genes: TnI-skeletal-fast-twitch, TnI-skeletal-slow-twitch, and TnI-cardiac. This gene encodes the TnI-cardiac protein and is exclusively expressed in cardiac muscle tissues. Mutations in this gene cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy type 7 (CMH7) and familial restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). [provided by RefSeq]. |
|ES Cell Differentiation/IPSStem cell - PluripotencyDruggable Genome Cardiac muscle contractionHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)Dilated cardiomyopathy|
* Availability is in business days
* OriGene provides validated application data and protocol, with money back guarantee.
Western blot - cardiac Troponin I antibody [EP1106Y]; Anti-Cardiac Troponin I antibody [EP1106Y] at 1/1000000 dilution + fetal heart cell lysate at 10 ug.Secondary.Goat anti-rabbit HRP at 1/2000 dilution.Predicted band size : 28 kDa.Observed band size : 28 kDa.
Immunohistochemistry (Paraffin-embedded sections) - cardiac Troponin I antibody [EP1106Y]; TA303719 at 1/250 dilution staining cardiac Troponin I in human cardiac muscle by Immunohistochemistry, Paraffin embedded tissue.
ICC/IF - Anti-Cardiac Troponin I antibody; TA303719 stainingCardiac Troponin IinHumanH9 differentiated stem cellsby ICC/IF (ICC/IF). Cells were fixed withparaformaldehyde, permeabilized with0.5% saponin and blocked with 5%serum for 1hour at 20°C. Samples were incubated with primary antibody (1/100 in1% saponin and 5% FBS PBS buffer) for 1 hour at 4°C. AFITC-conjugatedGoat anti-rabbit IgG polyclonal (1/400)was used as the secondary antibody.
Flow Cytometry - Anti-Cardiac Troponin I antibody [EP1106Y]; TA303719 stainingCardiac Troponin Iin Human H9 differentiated stem cells by Flow Cytometry. The sample was incubated with the primary antibody (1/100 in PBS + 5% FBS and 1% Saponin) for 1 hour at 4Â°C. A FITC-conjugatedanti-Rabbit IgG (1/300) was used as the secondary antibody.
Flow Cytometry - Anti-Cardiac Troponin I antibody [EP1106Y]; TA303719 stainingCardiac Troponin IinHuman iPSC derived Cardiomyocytesby Flow Cytometry. The sample was incubated with the primary antibody (1/600 in0.1%saponin buffer) for1 hourat 4Â°C. An Alexa Fluor? 488-conjugatedGoat anti-rabbit IgG (1/500) was used as the secondary antibody.Gating strategy - reference isotype.

domain: biology


text:
A crucial and a super important electrolyte that our bodies need is Potassium. Specifically, it allows ourselves to function well, since the majority of the potassium content in our body is concentrated inside the cells.
One of its most important functions is maintenance of the cell’s electrical potential. Any small changes in the potassium level found outside the cells again have serious effects on other parts of the body like the heart, muscles, and nerves.
Other important functions of potassium in the bod include muscle contraction, proper regulation of blood pressure by the heart muscle and control of potassium balance by the kidneys.
How to know if you suffer from potassium deficiency:
The normal potassium level in the body is between 3.5 to 5.0 MEQ/L (milliequivalents per liter of blood).
When a person suffers from potassium levels of hypokalemia, his or her potassium level is below 3.5 MEQ/L. When this happens, you feel weak due to damaged cell processes.
The only way to know if someone suffers from potassium is for sure by having a blood test. But there are symptoms of potassium deficiency that you should be aware of.
Here are 14 of the most common symptoms:
Page 1 of 15

domain: chemistry


text:
By Matthew Liebenberg
The finalists for the 2022 Swift Current Business Excellence Spirit of Swift Current awards were announced at a Big Reveal mixer event at the Great Plains College, Oct. 6.
Swift Current & District Chamber of Commerce CEO Karla Wiens revealed the three finalists in eight award categories.
The winner in each category will be announced at the 24th annual SCBEX Spirit of Swift Current Business Excellence awards ceremony, Oct. 28.
This was the first time since 2019 that the Big Reveal event took place in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wiens was happy to see nominees and other members of the business community attend in person.
“We’ve done it virtually for the last couple of years, which is far more impersonal,” she said. “I am pleased and lots of people are meeting new people tonight. The Chamber is in the business of connecting people. So I think tonight is mission accomplished, when we can provide a platform for people to come together and celebrate some success. … That’s what we strive to do. So yes, I’m thrilled to be back in person.”
She noted that 139 well written nominations were received during July and August from the community, which was an indication that the hard work and dedication of nominees were not going unnoticed.
“This year we revamped our nomination form and made it more substantial so that people had to check off certain boxes and write some background about what this business is being nominated for and why,” she explained. “So the quality of the nominations that we’ve received this year were astounding. … Very, very well written and heartfelt astounding nominations for these people that we recognized tonight.”
There were 78 individual nominations and some of them were nominated multiple times through different submissions. Some of the award categories had a large number of nominees, for example there were 25 nominees in the small business category, 15 medium business nominees and 10 start-up/new business nominees. There can only be three finalists in each category, but it certainly is still an achievement to receive a SCBEX nomination.
“There’s far more people that are not finalists than are, but that certainly shouldn’t take away from their accomplishments and recognition by any stretch,” she mentioned.
A selection committee that consisted of last year’s SCBEX winners had the difficult task of narrowing down the top three finalists in each award category.
“The selection committee has a heck of a job,” she said. “They’re reading pages and some of those categories had 25 nominations in them. So to pick your top three, that’s a tough job, and last year’s SCBEX award winners take it seriously. They know how much it means to people and there was a lot of really high-quality words written about each of them.”
The final decision on the winner in each category is made through a secret ballot at a meeting of the chamber’s board of directors. This process is entirely anonymous and the award winner will not be known until the formal announcement at the SCBEX awards gala.
According to Wiens the annual SCBEX awards process is significant, because it fits in with the business chamber’s goal to connect people.
“Celebrating business excellence of any kind highlights from an awareness perspective the things the community may very well not be aware off,” she said. “So from our perspective, that’s why we celebrate it. It’s a very public thank you and kudos, hopefully great exposure for the businesses and non-profit individuals who are nominated here tonight. And anything we can do to say thank you and highlight the great things going on, helps us all in southwest Saskatchewan.”
Below are the three finalists in each award category announced during the Big Reveal mixer event.
Start-up/New Business of the Year: Curry Town Fine Authentic Indian Cuisine, Haubie Yard Maintenance & Landscaping, The FILL.
Home based Business of the Year: Allure Nail Salon & Boutique, Flatland Foods, Sletten Residential Contracting.
Small Business of the Year: Brunswick Creek Psychology Services, Riverdene Garden Centre, The Social Bowl.
Medium Business of the Year: Nightjar Diner Co., Railway Health Clinic, Vision Care Clinic.
Large Business of the Year: Shoppers Drug Mart, S3 Group Ltd, Southwest Terminal.
Employer of Person(s) with Disabilities: Elmwood Golf Club, Super 8 by Wyndham Swift Current, Swift Current Broncos.
Not-for-Profit of the Year: Canadian Mental Health Association Swift Current, Southwest Youth Emergency Shelter – Dorie’s House, SPCA Swift Current.
Community Impact: Shaun Hanna, Devon Oman, Poppy Parsons.
Two other awards will be presented at the awards gala. These recipients have already been selected by the Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Pioneer Co-op will receive the Member Business of the Year award and the Swift Current Broncos will be inducted into the Business Hall of Fame.
The 24th annual SCBEX awards gala takes place at the Living Sky Casino Event Centre, Oct. 28. Tickets are $100 each, which includes a cocktail reception hour, plated dinner, and awards ceremony.


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Were the irregularities in Baltimore’s primary election numerous enough to affect the outcome of City Council races? It’s a question on a lot of people’s minds. The State Board of Elections reported last week there were 1,188 provisional ballots improperly scanned into the results of Baltimore’s primary election in April — without verification that the voters were registered. That’s too few votes to affect the outcome of the Democratic primary for mayor, where state Sen. Catherine E. Pugh defeated former Mayor Sheila Dixon by more than 2,400 votes. But was it enough to affect a council race, where only hundreds of votes separate competitors? An analysis of election data by The Baltimore Sun shows that — much like the mayor’s race — the potentially invalid votes were too few to affect the outcomes of even down-ballot contests.
… State officials ordered Baltimore’s election results decertified this month amid concerns about voting irregularities. For several days, election workers from across the region conducted a precinct-level review of the city’s primary — focusing on why there were about 1,000 more ballots cast than there were voters who checked into the polls on Election Day.
Officials concluded the problem involved provisional ballots — ballots given to people who show up to vote but whose names are not on the registered voters list for the primary election at that precinct. Those ballots are supposed to be set aside so officials can determine later if the voter was eligible. State officials believe that in some cases, those ballots were not set aside, but were scanned into the total.

domain: sociology


Artist Statement – Lara GonzalezLara is Co-Founder, Artistic/Program/Development Director, Performer and lead Teaching Artist for her performance and educational group, Marafanyi Drum, Dance & Song. Their mission is a commitment to sharing the Transformative, Educational and Therapeutic powers of Drum, Dance and Song with all ages and abilities.Ms. Gonzalez has studied West African music and dance in the U.S. with artists including Babatunde Olatunji, Sanga-of-the-Valley and M'Bemba Bangoura - and has traveled to Guinea, West Africa five times to study with artists from Les Ballets Africain (Guinea's National Company), Merveilles de Guinea, Wamali Percussione and Les Etoiles de Boulbinet.Lara is a versatile musician/arranger and director as well as dancer/choreographer. She is the creator and director of the multi-media community performance art piece, "Marafanyi Meets the Mural: Alaa Awad's 'Justice' Becomes a Catalyst for a Community Collaboration", funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and MCLA's Downstreet Art for 2 seasons.In addition, Lara had the honor of dancing as a guest community artist with Ronald K Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company in the piece "On Earth Together" at Williams College in 2016, and most recently as a guest dancer for world-renowned visual artist, Nick Cave, appearing in one of his Soundsuits as part of his exhibition, "Until" at MASS MoCA in 2017. Both of these humanitariam artists, and their work, are overwhelmingly inspiring to Lara.A graduate of Fordham University earning a B.A. in Art History/Studio Art, Ms. Gonzalez has evolved into a versatile artist with a passion for Arts Integration. She shares this passion as a Professional Development facilitator for educators, artists and administrators including at Arts Education conventions and as keynote presenter. In addition, she is trained in Orff Schulwerk and has designed custom/adapted Drum, Dance & Song programs for Special Needs clients.


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Ahmed Ben Bella, Revolutionary Who Led Algeria After Independence, Dies at 93Obituaries
Ahmed Ben Bella, a farmer’s son who fought for France in World War II, turned against it in the brutal struggle for Algerian independence and rose to become Algeria’s first elected president, has died at his home in Algiers, the capital. He was 93.
The state news agency announced his death on Wednesday morning.
Tall, athletic, handsome and charismatic, Mr. Ben Bella was known for his quick mind, courage and political cunning, traits that became tools of survival in a turbulent life. He faced heavy combat in wartime France and Italy, escaped French assassination attempts as well as a prison, then survived the murderous intrigues of political rivals as he struggled to impose socialism on his sprawling, divided country in the anarchy that followed independence in 1962....
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Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) biomarkers have proven utility in tumors in evaluating microvascular perfusion and permeability, but it is unclear whether measurements made in different centers are comparable due to methodological differences.
To evaluate how commonly utilized analytical methods for DCE-MRI biomarkers affect both the absolute parameter values and repeatability.
Materials and Methods
DCE-MRI was performed on three consecutive days in twelve rats bearing C6 xenografts. Endothelial transfer constant (Ktrans), extracellular extravascular space volume fraction (ve), and contrast agent reflux rate constant (kep) measures were computed using: 2-parameter (“Tofts” or “standard Kety”) vs. 3-parameter (“General Kinetic” or “extended Kety”) compartmental models (including blood plasma volume fraction (vp) with 3-parameter models); individual- vs. population-based vascular input functions (VIFs); and pixel-by-pixel vs. whole tumor-ROI. Variability was evaluated by within-subject coefficient of variation (wCV) and variance components analyses.
DCE-MRI absolute parameter values and wCVs varied widely by analytical method. Absolute parameter values ranged, as follows, median Ktrans, 0.09–0.18 min-1; kep, 0.51–0.92 min-1; ve, 0.17–0.23; and vp, 0.02–0.04. wCVs also varied widely by analytical method, as follows: mean Ktrans, 32.9–61.9%; kep, 11.6–41.9%; ve, 16.1–54.9%; and vp, 53.9–77.2%. Ktrans and kep values were lower with 3- than 2-parameter modeling (p<0.0001); kep and vp were lower with pixel- than whole-ROI analyses (p<0.0006). wCVs were significantly smaller for ve, and larger for kep, with individual- than population-based VIFs.
Citation: Ng CS, Wei W, Bankson JA, Ravoori MK, Han L, Brammer DW, et al. (2015) Dependence of DCE-MRI biomarker values on analysis algorithm. PLoS ONE 10(7): e0130168. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130168
Editor: Zhuoli Zhang, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, UNITED STATES
Received: January 14, 2015; Accepted: May 18, 2015; Published: July 24, 2015
Copyright: © 2015 Ng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Data Availability: All relevant data are available from the Harvard Dataverse (http://dx.doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PPIACV).
Funding: This work was supported by MDACC - AstraZeneca Research Collaboration Alliance; Cancer Center Support Grant (P30-CA016672); John S. Dunn Sr. Distinguished Chair in Diagnostic Imaging. AstraZeneca provided support in the form of salary for author JCW.
Competing interests: CS Ng and EF Jackson received research funding from AstraZeneca. CS Ng receives research funding from GE Healthcare. JC Waterton was employed by AstraZeneca. This does not alter the authors' adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
Imaging biomarkers can assess tumor perfusion and permeability, and are useful in assessing response to therapy . In particular, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) provides biomarkers of tissue perfusion with proven utility in oncologic imaging, including the assessment of treatment responses and development of anti-cancer therapies [2–4]. However, these biomarkers are little-used outside the single-center setting, probably because different implementations of the imaging acquisition and analysis have not been shown to provide comparable biomarker values.
The DCE-MRI technique has been, and can be, used in clinical and pre-clinical settings, the latter in particular where novel therapeutic agents are under investigation [5–9]. In both settings, quantitative evaluations of the changes in derived tissue perfusion biomarkers have often been the main objectives. While any one study will use the same algorithm and analytical implementation for all subjects pre- and post-therapy, there is little consistency between studies. Although biomarker values are quoted in absolute units (e.g. ktrans /min-1), it is unclear to what extent absolute values reported from different studies are comparable. In this study we evaluated three important analysis options: the choice of model, the method of derivation of the input function, and the algorithm for aggregating pixel-wise data to derive whole-tumor biomarkers.
The technique of DCE-MRI depends on acquiring dynamic MRI data and applying an appropriate physiological model to that data. A variety of tracer kinetic models have been developed for these purposes; two commonly utilized models are variably termed the Tofts and Kermode, “standard” Kety, or 2-parameter model [10–12], and the generalized kinetic, “extended” Kety, or 3-parameter model . Application of these models allows derivation of specific MRI perfusion parameters, such as the endothelial transfer constant (Ktrans), the contrast agent reflux rate constant (kep), the extracellular extravascular space volume fraction (ve), and the blood plasma volume fraction (vp).
Model-based derivations of DCE-MRI parameters require a vascular input function (VIF). Obtaining reliable VIF data has been, and is, challenging, particularly in pre-clinical settings where even the central vessels, e.g., aorta and inferior vena cava, are extremely small. Imaging artifacts and the high cardiac rate of small animals add to the challenges. The unreliable nature of some VIFs from individual subjects can potentially confound the overall estimates of perfusion parameter values. In these situations, model or population-based VIFs have been suggested [10,14–20].
Tissue perfusion parameters for a region of interest (ROI) can be derived on a “whole tumor” or “pixel-by-pixel” basis. Pixel-level data in principle offers a more detailed evaluation and allows for intratumoral assessment of the heterogeneity of each measured parameter . It is, however, prone to the potential challenges of additional computation time and signal-to-noise ratio limitations.
In this study, we computed DCE-MRI parameter values utilizing all combinations of the above methods on DCE-MRI images obtained on three successive days in each of twelve rat xenografts. Absolute parameter values and repeatability were compared. An understanding of repeatability provides data for assessing study results and for study design (namely, determining sample sizes).
Our objectives were to compare the absolute values and test-retest repeatability of DCE-MRI parameters analyzed by two tracer kinetic models (2-parameter vs. 3-parameter), two different VIF input strategies (individual- vs. population-based), and two tissue ROI approaches (whole tumor vs. pixel-by-pixel) in a rat tumor model.
Materials and Methods
The study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Protocol Number 09-06-12041). C6 rat glioma cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA, USA). Five thousand C6 cells were injected subcutaneously into male Crl: NIH-Foxn1rnu T-cell deficient, athymic nude rats (Charles River, Wilmington, MA). Rats weighted approximately 220 grams at the time of the experiment. Cells were injected in the flank region, at the approximate axial level of the inferior aspect of the kidneys and distal aorta. Tumor measurements were undertaken using calipers, and tumors allowed to grow until they reached a nominal size of approximately 1 cm diameter. Each rat then underwent DCE-MRI on three consecutive days. Animals were scanned in batches of 5 to 6 animals per cohort.
Animals were placed in an MRI-compatible cradle in which a 5-cm hole had been cut into which the subcutaneous tumor could be located. Hair from around the tumor was shaved, and the region of the tumor was placed in a “bath” of ultrasound gel to minimize air/tumor susceptibility effects in the MRI imaging studies. A temperature controlled pad was placed underneath the animals, and the animals were gently immobilized with tape. Animals were anesthetized with 1–2% isoflurane in a 1 l/min O2 flow, and imaging was undertaken in free respiration throughout. The imaging volume was targeted on the central portion of the tumor.
An estimate of tumor volume (cm3) was obtained from the formula for a spheroid, i.e., (π*X*Y2)/6000, where X and Y (in mm) were orthogonal tumor diameter measurements.
Data from a total of 12 sets of three consecutive days of scanning were obtained: 10 rats underwent three consecutive DCE-MRI studies during a single week period; one animal underwent the three consecutive DCE-MRI studies in two separate weeks. There was a technical scanning failure on one MRI scan visit in one rat. The median size of tumors was 0.67 cm3 (range 0.09–1.53 cm3). At the end of the study, the rats were euthanized humanely by inhalation of carbon dioxide.
MRI studies were undertaken using a 7.0 Tesla / 30 cm bore dedicated animal MRI scanner (Bruker BioSpin, Billerica, MA). The MR scanning protocol consisted of the acquisition of sagittal and axial T2-weighted images, axial T1-weighted images, axial DCE-MRI images, and post-Gd axial T1-weighted images. For the DCE-MRI acquisition, a 3D fast spoiled gradient echo sequence was used with TE = 1.7ms, TR = 10ms, 15° excitation pulse, 16-mm slab thickness (yielding eight 2-mm slices), 128 x 80 matrix, and 60mm x 50mm field of view. To reduce artifacts in the VIF from inflow effects, a spoiled hermite magnetization preparation pulse was applied to excite an 8-cm slab located 2 mm caudal to the DCE-MRI slice package . The temporal resolution was 6.4s, with total scan time of 320s (50 x 6.4s). Contrast agent was administered after 10 baseline scans were acquired.
The MRI contrast agent was delivered through a tail vein as follows: 0.2 mmol/kg dose of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Wayne, NJ), via an MR-compatible injection system (Harvard Apparatus, PHD 2000 Programmable, Plymouth Meeting, PA). For a 200-gram rat, for example, 200 μl of contrast media at 1:5 dilution of Magnevist:saline was administered over a period of 10 seconds. This was followed by a saline flush of the same volume and injection rate.
The acquired DCE-MRI data were analyzed using the Kinmod module (version 3.0) within the CineTool (version 8.2.1) environment (GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI), utilizing two tracer kinetic models (2-parameter vs. 3-parameter), two VIF input strategies (population-based vs. individual-based), and two ROI approaches (whole tumor cross-sectional ROI vs. pixel-by-pixel within the ROI).
Tracer kinetic models: two- vs. three- parameter
Analyses were undertaken using two standard two-compartment tracer kinetic models: a) 2-parameter (“Tofts” or “standard Kety”) and b) 3-parameter (“General Kinetic” or “extended Kety”) model.
a) 2-parameter model:.
where Ct(t) is the tracer concentration in tissue, Cp(t) is the tracer concentration in arterial blood plasma, Ktrans is the volume endothelial transfer constant between blood plasma and extravascular extracellular space (in min-1), and ve is the extravascular extracellular tissue volume fraction (dimensionless).
b) 3-parameter model:.
This model is otherwise named the General Kinetic Model (GKM), or “extended” Kety model .
For both models, the contrast agent reflux rate constant, kep (in min-1) = Ktrans / ve.
Vascular input function: individual vs. population
We evaluated two commonly utilized vascular input functions (VIF): a) individually measured, and b) population-based.
a) Individually measured VIF.
For each animal and time point, the VIF was obtained using a mask ROI defined by the study radiologist (CSN, more than 15 years’ experience) containing the inferior vena cava in an imaging section near the center of the DCE-MRI scan volume. From the mask ROI, the VIF was determined using an automated VIF identification algorithm within the Kinmod module (Figs 1A and 2A). The VIF represents vascular gadopentetate concentration measured in units of signal intensity change from baseline as a function of time, i.e., ΔSI(t) = SI(t)–SI(baseline), where SI(baseline) was obtained by averaging the signal intensity from frames 5–10, after achieving steady state but prior to contrast agent administration .
A) Vascular input function (VIF) from a representative individual animal (blue), and population average (red). Green symbols: tumor whole ROI data. Y-axis in units of signal intensity change from baseline, ΔSI. B) Average signal intensity change (VIF) from all animals and scan visits, including the standard error, for each data point (blue); and the fitted population-average VIF curve (red line). Y-axis in units of signal intensity change from baseline, ΔSI.
b) Population average VIF.
The population-based VIF was derived from the individual VIFs (discussed above) obtained from all 12 rats of the study cohort and all available scan visits, i.e., 3 visits per rat. The individual VIF curves for all animals were averaged and the resulting data fitted to a biexponential function resulting in a population VIF given by where t is in seconds and Cp(t) is in units of signal intensity change, ΔSI(t) (Fig 1B). The short and long component amplitude and clearance rates thus determined were in good agreement with previously published data [23,24].
Tumor ROI approaches: pixel-by-pixel vs. whole
ROIs were drawn by a single observer (CSN) using an electronic cursor and mouse for the three central slices of tumor for each rat. DCE-MRI parameters were computed using all combinations of the two tracer kinetic models and the two VIF methods above, using the same set of ROIs for each tumor. DCE-MRI parameter values were obtained for each tumor ROI based on: a) whole cross section ROI data, and b) pixel-by-pixel data within the ROI. In both cases, the values of Ct(t) represent the tissue gadopentetate concentration measured in units of signal intensity change from baseline as a function of time, as for the VIF curves. The same ROIs for any given rat were used in each analysis.
a) “Pixel-by-pixel ROI” analyses.
The intensity values of individual pixels within the ROIs were used in computations. Pixels which demonstrated non-significant changes in signal intensity following contrast agent injection, specifically less than a 50% increase, were not included in further statistical analyses. In addition, positive-definite limits were placed on all fit parameters and any pixels for which fit parameters were outside of such limits were flagged as having fit parameters that were “not a number” (NaN).
b) “Whole ROI” analyses.
The average intensity value of the whole tumor ROI was used in computations.
The average of the DCE-MRI parameter values derived from each of the three imaging slices were used in subsequent analyses. Illustrative examples of DCE-MRI parametric maps are presented in Fig 2.
Summary statistics of DCE-MRI parameters (Ktrans, kep, ve, and where applicable, vp) were provided in the form of median and range. All data were transformed to the logarithmic scale, due to right-skewness, prior to statistical analyses.
A linear mixed model was used to assess if each DCE-MRI parameter changed significantly over three days. The linear mixed model took into account the correlation between measurements of the same rat. No statistically significant trend was detected for any DCE-MRI parameter in the span of three days (results not shown).
Comparisons between DCE-MRI parameters by analytical method were also based on linear mixed models. Interactions between analytical methods and time were not significant (results not shown), therefore, analytical methods and time were fit as main effects only. All the pairwise comparisons between analytical methods were estimated and p-values were adjusted using the Bonferroni method to control the overall type I error rate at 5%.
A variance components analysis was used to estimate the inter- and intra-rat variances. The intra-rat coefficient of variation (wCV) was calculated using the Bland-Altman method  as follows: logarithms of the data were taken and within-rat standard deviations estimated, the results were back-transformed to the raw scale (anti-log), and a value of one was subtracted from them to obtain the wCVs.
All statistical analyses were two-sided and p-values of 0.05 or less were considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS version 9 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Plotting was performed using Spotfire S+ 8.2 (TIBCO Software Inc., Somerville, MA).
Summary statistics for the DCE-MRI parameters, by analytic method, are presented in Table 1. Overall, DCE-MRI parameter values varied widely across the various analytical methods, i.e. the tracer kinetic model, VIF input, and method of ROI analysis, with the range in median DCE-MRI parameter values as follows: Ktrans, 0.09–0.18 min-1; kep, 0.51–0.92 min-1; ve, 0.17–0.23; and vp, 0.02–0.04 (Table 1).
Model dependent (Ktrans, kep, ve and vp).
The wCV values also varied widely by analytical method, with mean wCVs ranging as follows: Ktrans, 32.9–61.9%; kep, 11.6–41.9%; ve, 16.1–54.9%; and vp, 53.9–77.2% (Table 1).
Effect of tracer kinetic model: 2-parameter vs. 3-parameter
Ktrans and kep were significantly and consistently lower when using the 3-parameter model compared to the 2-parameter model (p<0.0001); ve values were not significantly different (Tables 1 and 2; Fig 3 (green vs. red datasets)).
Y-axes for Ktrans and kep in min-1: ve and vp, unitless. Note: vp can only be derived with the 3-parameter model. (Note: one missing data point for one rat)
P-values based on linear mixed model on the logarithmic scale. The linear mixed model took into account correlation between measurements from the same rat. A Bonferroni adjustment was used to control the overall type I error rate, which with 13 pairwise comparisons set the cutoff point for declaring statistical significance as 0.05/13 = 0.0038, which are bolded.
The effects on repeatability of the DCE-MRI parameters (Ktrans, kep and ve) were comparable, with no significant differences in wCVs across the two tracer kinetic models, as demonstrated by overlapping wCV confidence bounds for corresponding parameters (Table 1).
Effect of VIF: individual- vs. population-based
There were no significant differences in DCE-MRI parameter values (Ktrans, kep, ve, and vp) when comparing the utilization of individual-based and population-based VIFs in analyses.
Utilization of individual-based VIFs was associated with significantly smaller wCVs for ve than with the population-based VIF, and conversely for kep (Fig 3 (1st and 2nd vs. 3rd and 4th columns); Table 1, showing non-overlapping confidence bounds for corresponding wCVs). There were no significant differences for Ktrans and vp when comparing individual- vs. population-based VIF analyses.
Effect of ROI: pixel-by-pixel vs. whole tumor
kep and vp values were significantly lower for pixel-by-pixel compared to whole ROI analyses (p<0.0006), and not significantly different for Ktrans and ve values (Tables 1 and 2; Fig 3 (1st and 3rd vs. 2nd and 4th columns)).
There were no significant differences in variability (wCV) between pixel and whole ROI analyses across all the DCE-MRI parameters (Ktrans, kep, ve and vp).
Between- and within-animal variation
The results of our variance component analyses are presented in Table 3. This shows generally larger intra-rat than inter-rat variances across all DCE-MRI parameters.
The parameters evaluated here are widely regarded by drug developers and others as “biomarkers” within the definition introduced by Atkinson et al. . However, to qualify as biomarkers, they must be “objectively quantified” . If different studies derive different values for the same biomarker because of subtle differences in analysis, the “objective quantification” is deficient . This work was undertaken to assess the impact on parameter values and repeatability of commonly utilized analytical methods in the DCE-MRI arena. Specifically, we explored the effects of two commonly utilized tracer kinetic models (2-parameter vs. 3-parameter), two VIF options (population- vs. individual-based), and two ROI analytical approaches (whole tumor ROI vs. pixel-by-pixel tumor ROI). Each, in principle, has its theoretical advantages and disadvantages.
Our results suggest that DCE-MRI parameter values vary widely depending on the analytical methods utilized, in some cases almost two-fold (e.g., Ktrans, kep, vp). Overall wCV values also varied widely by analytical methods, with wCVs ranging as follows: Ktrans 32.9–61.9%; kep, 11.6–41.9%; ve, 16.1–54.9%; and vp, 53.9–77.2%.
In terms of the tracer kinetic models utilized, the 3-parameter model might in principle be expected to provide a more complete reflection of the underlying tracer kinetics compared to the 2-parameter model since it does not neglect the intravascular tracer contribution (i.e., the vp term) as does the 2-parameter model. Our results suggested that the 3-parameter model yielded significantly lower Ktrans and kep values than the corresponding 2-parameter model, and no significant differences in ve values. Since the 2-parameter model neglects the intravascular signal, the bias (i.e. artefactual elevation of Ktrans and kep in the 2-parameter model) is not unexpected. Absolute values of Ktrans and kep from different studies which use these different models cannot be assumed comparable, even though the same biomarker name and units are reported. There were no significant differences in wCVs for all parameters, which suggests that repeatability was not substantially affected by the physiological model applied for these animals.
With regards to the choice of VIF inputs for the model-based analyses, utilization of individual-based VIFs might be expected to yield more reliable results than using a population-based VIF, since vascular tracer profiles can vary quite widely due to variations in IV contrast delivery, cardiac output, renal function, etc. It is quite possible, however, that the theoretical advantage of utilizing individual-based VIFs might be out-weighed by the substantial technical challenges in obtaining reliable VIFs from DCE-MRI studies. Our results indicated that there were no significant differences in DCE-MRI parameter values obtained between individual- and population-based VIF analyses. However, wCVs when using individual VIFs were significantly smaller for ve than when using the population VIF, and conversely for kep. In circumstances in which individually measured VIFs might be unreliable, the utilization of population VIFs may be necessary [19,28]. Our results do not suggest that the use of a population VIF will bias the absolute DCE-MRI biomarker values.
Since each of our DCE-MRI biomarkers is an intensive scalar variable, and since the voxel volumes are identical, the whole-tumor value for each biomarker should in principle be identical to the mean of the individual voxel biomarker values. However, for real-world (noisy) data, that identity may be lost in the propagation of errors, leading to variability and/or bias. Regarding pixel-by-pixel vs. whole tumor based ROI evaluations, the former, in principle, is able to display and better reflect the heterogeneous nature of tumors. However, it is computationally more demanding and more vulnerable to signal-to-noise ratio constraints. Furthermore, deriving a simple statistic that adequately summarizes the resultant individual pixel-based parameter distributions is challenging. Adopting the simple approach of using median values to summarize the distributions, our results indicated that pixel-by-pixel based evaluation of ROIs yielded significantly lower kep and vp values than whole-tumor based ROI evaluations. As such, it may be important in some circumstances to be able to capture detailed spatial information about tumor heterogeneity.
The tumor time-intensity profile is clearly affected by the tracer input profile. The latter in turn is affected by tracer input delivery (i.e., the intravenous injection) and physiological parameters (e.g., cardiac output and renal/excretion function), all of which can vary between studies. Acquisition of a reliable VIF presents substantial challenges. Difficulties include motion- and flow-related artifacts. The difficulties of acquiring reliable VIFs are compounded in small animal studies by the very small cross-sectional area of the major vessels. Indeed, intensity variations (from noise and artifacts) were evident in our VIF time-intensity plots (Fig 1A). We were able to mitigate the flow related artifacts in our acquisition protocol by application of a saturation band between the site of injection and the imaging volume, but inevitably with some loss of temporal resolution. We took precautions to control for the delivery of intravenous contrast medium. We used a pump injector, with fixed gadolinium and saline flush volumes and flow rates, a fixed site of injection (the tail vein), and a constant length of tubing between the injector and tail vein.
There have been some conflicting reports as to the effect of using individual- compared to population-based VIFs: Rijpkema and co-authors  has reported that individual arterial input functions (AIFs), compared to population-based AIFs, improved repeatability of kep. Parker and co-authors  reported that variation in Ktrans, ve, and vp values were smaller when using a population-based AIF compared to an individual-based AIF in a study of tumors in human patients. Their differing conclusions may be partly due to the relative differences in the consistency of the individual VIFs obtained in their studies. Also a variety of models have been proposed to derive population VIFs, and these two studies employed different approaches. The extent to which such models might influence the conclusions is beyond the scope of this work.
The differing views related to VIF estimations in the studies above in humans are paralleled in the pre-clinical arena. The small blood volume and rapid vascular dynamics inherent to small animals necessitate very rapid sampling schemes in order to accurately capture the peak of intravascular enhancement, corresponding to the maximum concentration of contrast agent after injection, and acquisition strategies that are tuned for rapid AIF sampling generally compromise the spatial resolution and coverage of tumor. Studies utilizing acquisitions that are optimized for AIF measurement with very rapid sampling may provide reduced variability using individual measurements [23,30,31]. In the absence of AIF estimates with high temporal resolution, or in the presence of high noise, repeatability may be improved by use of a parameterized population average . It has also been shown that measurements derived from individual and averaged AIFs correlate strongly when a strictly controlled contrast administration protocol is used . In this work, we employed a 3D acquisition protocol that is biased towards anatomic coverage with relatively slow temporal sampling of the AIF. Our study identified no statistically significant differences in parameter values when using the individual or averaged VIFs, but did find some differences in repeatability (wCV) with some specific parameters.
Previous studies with small animals have reported intra-animal wCVs for Ktrans and ve of 18% and 7%, respectively, in a mouse model using PC3 prostate tumors, a 2-parameter model and a pooled (population) VIF . A previous study of ours which compared DCE-MRI and DCE-CT in the same tumor model as in the current study reported wCVs for Ktrans, kep and ve of 23%, 16% and 20% respectively . This study employed a different intravenous injection technique, VIF model and acquisition protocol compared to the current study. The first study above examined repeatability over just two, unlike our three, scan visits in our previous and current studies.
Our variance components analysis allowed us to assess the relative contributions of variations between animals (inter-rat) and between individual scan days (intra-rat), to the overall variation. We found that for all DCE-MRI parameters, the intra-rat contributions were comparable to or larger than the inter-rat contributions to the overall variation in this C6 model. Tumor vasculature is intrinsically chaotic and unstable, and it is not surprising that its day-to-day variations may exceed relatively small between-rat variations, given the uniform and controlled tumor implantation techniques and animals utilized.
We acknowledge and recognize limitations in our study. Our study was undertaken with only one tumor model. The physiological compartment models used in our study are widely used. However, we utilized a single software implementation of these models in this study. It is likely that algorithmic differences within software implementations may give rise to differences in the parameter values.
In our repeatability study, it would have been desirable to obtain scan-rescan measurements in close succession. Unfortunately, any persistent gadolinium would potentially alter signal intensities and saturation, thereby confounding the measurements. It was considered that this difficulty would be mitigated by imposing a one day interval between scans. Unlike other studies which have restricted their evaluations to just two sequential evaluations, we undertook serial imaging evaluations on three consecutive days. Tumors inevitably changed in size and potentially in their perfusion properties over the 48 hours of our serial imaging. Although we observed increases in tumor size with time, we did not observe any systematic changes in perfusion parameters on formal statistical testing (data not presented). Even if possible, undertaking repeat scans in short succession in one scanner visit would have removed important variables in DCE-MRI experiments, which include handling of animals, anesthesia and physical re-positioning/localization. The variabilities obtained, therefore, more closely mimic longitudinal experiments in which there are typically intervening therapeutic interventions.
We limited our tumor ROI evaluations to a single observer; an examination of inter- and intra-observer variability was beyond the scope of this work. It was also beyond the scope of the current study to explore the impact of our various analytical options with different animal models and DCE-MRI acquisition protocols.
Our results indicate that DCE-MRI parameter values and repeatability can vary widely depending on the specific analytical methods utilized. Comparisons across studies especially of absolute parameter values should be interpreted with caution. Given the wide ranges in variability of parameters, it would be prudent to incorporate scan-rescan repeatability in studies. Efforts should be made to acquire reliable VIF data for analyses. An understanding of repeatability of DCE-MRI measurements provides insight into what observed changes can be considered significant, and can also assist in design of future studies and sample-size calculations.
We thank Sandeep N. Gupta, PhD, GE Healthcare, for use of the DCE-MRI analytical software package, Kinmod, under a research agreement, and the staff of the Small Animal Imaging Facility, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Conceived and designed the experiments: CSN WW JAB EFJ. Performed the experiments: CSN JAB MKR LH DWB SK. Analyzed the data: CSN WW EFJ. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: JAB MKR LH EFJ. Wrote the paper: CSN WW JAB JCW EFJ.
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domain: medical


text:
The biggest, friendliest brony community on PunBB-Hosting!
You are not logged in.
No, really. This could actually happen with our support.
As quoted by game developer "Adam Tierney":
Oh, and we're 100% not kidding, people - SO many people here at WayForward wanna make a My Little Pony: FiM game. Lauren Faust ROCKS. Make it happen, Bronies!
You guys should email Hasbro - tell them how much you'd like to see a WF-developed FiM game. :)
You can view the thread here on Reddit, but be warned that the hater at the bottom is using foul language.
WayForward has made some excellent games such as "A Boy and his Blob (Wii version)", "Adventure Time: Hey Ice King, Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!" and "Ducktales Remastered", and I think whatever they can do with an MLP game would probably be much better than Gameloft's money-consuming mobile game. Of course, they can't get started unless Hasbro gives them permission first. That's where we come in. If enough bronies email Hasbro asking them to allow WayForward to make a pony game, they'll have to at least say something about it. In fact, if the members of our forum were to support WayForward's game it could possibly be that little bit that pushes the ship into the water. I don't know what kind of genre the game will be, but my guesses would be either a platformer, a Zelda-style or something similar to Animal Crossing. Personally I'm hoping for something adventurous, with a good deal of originality.
If you want a professional game made specifically for bronies, I recommend you give Hasbro a holler.
So, what would you like to see in a WayForward MLP game?

domain: game


text:
Drostanolone Propionate 50 mg / ml
Drostanolone Enathate 150 mg / ml
There are two forms of drostanolone, the active substance of the drug Masteron: propionate and enanthate. Propionate was successfully used to fight breast cancer. However, the high probability of virilization with constant intake in the necessary doses for treatment made it necessary to abandon this drug when treating women. But male athletes successfully use Masteron when it is necessary to achieve an increase in strength with loss of weight due to fat burning and a pronounced diuretic effect.
Due to these properties, drostanolone has won recognition among bodybuilders as an exceptional preparation for building quality muscles and removing excess fluid from the body. Drostanolone also helps athletes to stay in their weight category with a qualitative increase in musculature and improved physical performance.
Masteron MASTAPLEX 200 is an injectable steroid that contains the propionate form of the active ingredient drostanolone. Drostanolone is a derivative (derivative) of dihydrotestosterone, 2a-methyl-dihydrotestosterone. Due to the elimination of the double bond between the 4 th and 5 th positions, drostanolone proved to be practically unaffected by the aromatase action, and hence – the conversion into estradiol. Moreover, studies show that drostanolone has a sufficiently pronounced antiestrogenic activity. This is not strange, if you recall that the drug is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone, and DHT directly reduces the activity of estrogens in the tissues (estrogens join the corresponding receptors, but do not activate them). Masteron is a mild androgen with pronounced anabolic properties.
Mastaplex is an effective and safe drug suitable for athletes of very different levels of any speed-power sports. Everything in Mastaplexe is excellent, except for its cost. And since the cost of Masteron is quite high, then there are a lot of fakes. About fakes, you can not worry, buying on our website, since we sell Masteron only to proven manufacturers and complaints about the effects of these drugs have not yet been.


text:
Homeless individuals without fixed addresses or stable living conditions face significant challenges in securing and maintaining jobs. Many homeless individuals who seek employment also lack transferable job skills or a consistent work history and are often overlooked in this highly competitive employment market. Renaissance Works is a social enterprise initiative designed to provide lasting solutions to these problems. Our employment counselors assess individual skills, help develop employment plans and resumes and provide job interview coaching. They recruit employers receptive to hiring homeless individuals in order to match them with Coalition clients who will be a good fit for their workplace.
The Coalition also hires homeless individuals directly, whenever possible. We’ve created opportunities for our clients in the areas of maintenance, housekeeping, construction, transportation, parking lot management and in the restaurant industry.
The Coalition’s Supportive Employment and Vocational Services provided assistance to 264 individuals through 780 sessions in 2010.


Arizona schools chief not pushing age-inappropriate sex education
CLAIM: Kathy Hoffman, the state superintendent of Arizona public schools, hates the Bible so much that she swore her oath on a Dr. Seuss book, she is pushing child sex education that would teach kindergartners about masturbation and sex positions, and she wants to put makeup on boys.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. It’s true that Hoffman was sworn in using a children’s book, but it wasn’t one by Dr. Seuss. As for the sex education claims, these are “categorically false,” according to Richie Taylor, communications director for the superintendent. In summer 2019, Hoffman supported proposed changes to the state board of education’s sex ed rules. These changes did not have to do with age-inappropriate lessons, and they were rejected by the board. Hoffman supports LGBTQ rights but has not advocated for boys to wear makeup, Taylor said.
THE FACTS: Kathy Hoffman has been a target of online hate and misinformation in recent weeks ever since endorsing the Democratic ticket for the presidency and criticizing President Donald Trump’s attempts to reopen schools.
Posts with false information about Hoffman have amassed millions of views on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They’ve also resulted in threatening messages sent to the superintendent’s office, according to Taylor.
Several posts claimed that the schools chief “hates the Bible so much” she used a Dr. Seuss book for her swearing-in ceremony.
That is false. The Associated Press reported in January 2019 that Hoffman took her oath with her hand on “Too Many Moose” by Lisa Bakos, a book she once used in her classroom to help students with speech impediments. There’s no evidence Hoffman’s feelings about the Bible played into the decision.
According to the U.S. Constitution, “no religious Test shall ever be required” for elected office in the United States. Therefore, putting a hand on the Bible during an oath of office is traditional, but not mandatory.
Facebook posts also suggested Hoffman “is pushing sex education on kindergartners that includes teaching them masturbation and sexual positions.”
That is false. In 2019, Hoffman asked the state board of education to consider a proposal to change the language in some of its sex education rules, according to AP reporting.
The proposal included cutting language requiring boys and girls to be taught separately, adding a requirement for sex education to be medically accurate, and removing language that prohibits the “teaching of abnormal, deviate, or unusual sexual acts and practices.” It didn’t change an existing requirement that sex education be age-appropriate.
That proposal was rejected by the board, and Hoffman has not advocated any further changes to the sex ed rules since then, according to Taylor.
Sex education curriculum in Arizona is also optional and set at the local district level. If a district offers sex ed instruction, parents must opt in for their children to participate.
A final claim in many false posts about Hoffman included that the schools chief wanted to “put makeup on boys to allow them to have a sexuality choice.”
Taylor said Hoffman supports LGBTQ rights, but this particular claim is false.
“She has not advocated for boys to wear makeup,” Taylor said. “Issues of sexual orientation or gender identity are personal and conversations around those issues should be between parents, students, and other trusted adults that know the individual situation of each student.”
This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.
Here’s more information on Facebook’s fact-checking program: https://www.facebook.com/help/1952307158131536


text:
RIVAL gaffers Martin Jol and Martin O’Neill were at loggerheads last night over the red card that turned the match in Sunderland’s favour.
Fulham defender Brede Hangeland was dismissed in 31 minutes for a two-footed tackle on Lee Cattermole with the game still 0-0.
Second-half goals from Scotland striker Steven Fletcher, Carlos Cuellar and Stephane Sessegnon secured Sunderland’s first league win in seven attempts although sub Mladen Petric had levelled for 10-man Fulham.
Home boss Jol felt his captain had not gone in maliciously on Cattermole and said: “The ref was probably the only guy in the stadium who thought it was a red card.
“It would be nice if most refs had played football themselves and could make decisions in the spirit of the game.
“Brede is a nice boy and told me it was not intentional, he slipped.”
However, Black Cats manager O’Neill was adamant Hangeland deserved to go.
He said: “It is amazing when we have been given the directives. I don’t know how many times we have been told about it and sometimes I don’t understand players’ minds.
“But sendings-off change matches and I’m pleased we took advantage in the second half.”
O’Neill was backed up by skipper Cattermole, who said: “It was a two-footed challenge and the rules say you can’t do that.”

domain: sports


text:
- Getting started
- Introduction to Voximplant
- What can be done with Voximplant?
- List of already integrated services
- How Voximplant billing works

domain: library