text:
HANOI, Vietnam -- According to the Agence France-Presse on Monday, a court in Vietnam sentenced two former top executives of a state-owned shipping company, Vinalines, or Vietnam National Shipping Lines, to death for embezzlement; an unusually harsh sentence in a communist country where authorities are trying to allay rising public anger over corruption.
Former Vinalines chairman Duong Chi Dung, who fled the country and was later apprehended, and the group's chief executive Mai Van Phuc were given the death penalty after a three-and-half day trial where they were found guilty of siphoning off 20 billion don ($950,000 USD) and mismanaging state funds to the detriment of the country's economy.
"Dung's behavior caused especially serious consequences," said court president Ngo Thi Anh. Dung, 56, fled after the scandal broke in May 2012 when Vinalines defaulted on loans. He was arrested in September last year in neighboring Cambodia after three months on the run.
Dung an Phuc were each order to repay $5.2 million.
The harsher verdict comes as Vietnam's government seeks to restructure its hundreds of state-owned enterprises (SEOs) in a effort to revive an economy grappling with high levels of bad debt, much of which rests with its own companies. Vietnam wanted to develop Vinalines into one of the world's top shipping companies. But like many SOEs, which enjoyed unfettered access to credit, Vinalines expanded disastrously into non-core businesses like real estate and stock broking.
"All the defendants were (communist) party members, but became rotten in their nature (and) need to be seriously punished before law," the court ruled.
Eight other defendants, all officials at Vinalines or other state-owned entities, were given between four and 22 years in jail on charges of defying state regulations and embezzlement.
"I did not take any money. I have been wrongly charged," Dung told the court.
He did however, accept some responsibility for the Vinalines debt scandal, and apologized to "the party, state, national assembly, government, people and Vinalines employees."
The trial follows the sentencing last year of nine former top executives at scandal-tainted state shipbuilder Vinashin, who were given lengthy jail terms on similar charges.
Concerns over state-owned firms were first triggered by Vinashin's near-collapse in 2010 under billions of dollars of debt.
Some of its loss-making sea transport projects were transferred to Vinalines, though experts warned the shipping company was ill-prepared to manage them.
Vietnam is ranked as one of the world's most corrupt nations and graft is a top concern for many ordinary people. Corruption, mismanagement and huge debts at state-run companies are seen as fueling the country's economic woes.
Last month a former banker and his business associate at a large state bank were sentenced to death for embezzling $25 million.
Vietnam does not disclose the number of executions it carries out each year, but rights group Amnesty International recorded five in 2011 and 23 new sentences handed out that year, mainly to drug traffickers. Murder, rape and some serious financial crimes can also carry the death penalty.
The Southeast Asian economy grew 5.25% in 2012, the slowest pace in 13 years. Despite Vietnam's SOE problems, lawmakers last month approved an amended constitution that affirmed the state sector must "play the leading role" in the economy. Foreign investors express disappointment and said they needed to see more evidence of the government's willingness to reform the inefficient state-owned system and create a level playing field for private sector firms. Was Monday's verdict a response?

domain: law


Magnolia Baby 'To a Tee' Romper
This Magnolia Baby 'To a Tee' blue sleeveless romper has a cool green and blue golf print throughout the garment, complete with a stylish blue stitching trim. Made from an extremely soft and stretchy pima cotton designed for your baby's comfort. Finished with poppers on the legs to fasten making changing an easy task.
- Made from 100% pima cotton
- Machine wash (30°C)
- Popper fastening
- Product code: 376-36P-LB


Ever since June 22, 2002 fight fans have clamored for a rubber match between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. When Barrera won a rematch in 2002, many fight fans were excited because this made the chances of a third fight even better. Now the two Mexican warriors will get it on again on Saturday night, November 27th, this time for the WBC super featherweight title.
These two first met in February of 2000, and put on a tremendous show. Morales won a controversial split decision, but there was no controversy about how good of a fight it was. A twelve round war with constant back and forth offense. They met again in a much anticipated rematch in 2002, with Barrera winning a unanimous decision.
Now in 2004, they will meet in a third fight, a rubber match, that might write each fighter's legacy. This trilogy will certainly go down in the history books as one of the best ever. The only trilogy comparable to this one in recent times would have to be Micky Ward-Arturo Gatti. The big difference between the Barrera-Morales trilogy and the Ward-Gatti trilogy would probably be the fact that Barrera and Morales do not feel as warm towards one another as Ward and Gatti did. Though both fighters have stated that they respect the other as a fighter, both have also made it clear that it stops there.
Morales feels that Barrera is full of himself, and doesn't always go along with all the promotions for the fight. Barrera has stated that Morales has a big mouth and talks too much. Barrera also knows that the only thing standing in his way of being considered the best Mexican fighter of this era is Morales, and I'm sure Morales feels likewise.
There have been a couple of displays of this bitterness in the past and recently. During a press conference for their second fight, Barrera hauled back and slugged Morales. Anybody who was there would tell you that the punch had nothing to do with hyping up the fight. Then recently during a press conference for this upcoming fight Barrera failed to show up, and Morales harshly criticized him for it. Reportedly Barrera didn't show up was because he did not want to be in the same room with Morales. The bitterness between these two fighters is not something that was drawn up to promote a fight, because these two need no hype to sell their fight; their past two fights can sell this third fight alone.
There are also some interesting sub plots to this fight, as if any were needed. Actually the promoters of this fight have started up a pretty good rivalry. Bob Arum and Top Rank promote Morales, while Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions promote Barrera. Just recently Oscar de la Hoya cut ties with Top Rank, and will be promoting himself through Golden Boy Promotions, a company that has made a huge splash in the promoting game by signing the likes of Barrera and Bernard Hopkins.
There is no question that Oscar, Hopkins, and Barrera are three of the biggest names in the sport, and certainly give Golden boy heavy clout. A Barrera victory would add further insult to Top Rank. A Morales victory would be a proverbial counter punch to Oscar's firm.
Trying to predict this fight can prove to be a difficult task. It seems the majority of experts are leaning towards Morales for a couple of reason. Since the loss to Barrera in 2002, Morales has been on a roll. He has defeated a number of good fighters including Carlos Hernandez, Paulie Ayala, Guty Espadas, and Jesus Chavez. He has also successfully moved up to a higher weight class (130 lbs), at which he will fight Barrera. While Morales has cruised since the 2002 fight, Barrera has stumbled a little bit. After defeating veterans Johnny Tapia and Kevin Kelley, he was dominated by Manny Pacquiao and lost his title. He did rebound to beat Paulie Ayala, but Morales seems to be the hotter fighter right now. Morales supporters would also point to the fact that Morales is in the prime of his career at the age of 27, while Barrera has showed his age recently.
Another argument in favor of Morales is the fact that he has fought a lot more fights at 130 lbs, and should be more comfortable at this weight than Barrera. In their last meeting the two fought at featherweight. But, before you start picking Morales to win this fight, let's list some arguments for Barrera. Marco Antonio looks to be in the best shape of his career, physically stronger than ever before. People close to Barrera, and Barrera himself have said that Marco is in a zone for this fight, as dedicated as ever for the third encounter with Morales.
Barrera has stated that he feels this fight will mark his legacy, and his legacy to the Mexican fans and all fans is very important to him. He does not seem to want to fight for too much longer, and therefore this is his make or break fight. "The winner will be a hero to the Mexican people, and the loser will be forgotten," said Barrera recently. A fighter of Barrera's caliber, this focused and determined, will be tough to beat.
If there is one sure thing about this fight, it's that boxing fans shouldn't miss it. No matter what happens on Saturday night the Morales-Barrera trilogy will be remembered in the history books as one of the sport's best.
© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004


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We need you, your family members, and your neighbors to make your voices and experiences heard in our State Capital in 2020.
Join fellow Marylanders in an overview of our key legislative priorities, and plug into our statewide grassroots lobbying efforts that depend on YOUR leadership.
You will meet grassroots leaders from across the state. And you will hear from AACLU legislative and legal experts on our efforts for public safety, immigrant’s rights, the rights of Marylanders who are incarcerated, education equity, and more.
Food/refreshments will be provided. No cost childcare can be provided but you must RSVP.

domain: politics


text:
Vietnamese consumers are the most charitable in Asia-Pacific: Survey
A recent survey has shown that Vietnamese consumers are the most generous in the Asia-Pacific region when it comes to supporting charities.
Vietnamnet reports that the latest Mastercard Ethical Spending and Charitable Giving Survey, released in September, found that 78.5% of Vietnamese respondents give to charities, the highest rate of any country surveyed. This figure grew by 8.7% from the 2015 survey, according to Mastercard’s press release on the study.
Vietnam was followed by Thailand at 66.3% and Hong Kong with 60.2%.
The study included 14 nations and territories: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, with 8,738 individuals polled online last November.
Those surveyed named children’s education and health as the most important cause when donating to charities, with 37.8% of respondents choosing it as their top social cause. Local natural disaster relief efforts were the second most-chosen issue at 33.7%, while the subject of poverty and starvation alleviation initiatives was selected as the most vital by 32.1%.
Georgette Tan, senior vice President of Asia-Pacific communications for Mastercard, said in the press release: “As Asia continues to make strong economic headway, we must not forget that the development needs in the region remain pervasive. We are very encouraged by this year’s findings, which show that consumers across both developed and emerging markets are doing their part to help those less fortunate and give back to their communities.”
She added: “Additionally, with the high value placed on education in Asian culture, it’s strongly encouraging to see that children’s education and health is the cause that consumers are looking to support.”

domain: sociology


text:
Fahombo, or stone jumping, is one of the famous and unique traditions of the people on the Nias, North Sumatra island. However, not all regions of Nias have this tradition of stone jumping, with several places in Nias like the Teluk Dalam area that still keep this tradition of stone jumping.
Fahombo is one of the symbols of maturity for the Nias people, especially for boys. From a young age, the boys were trained to jump with ropes. The height of the rope will increase as the boys grow up, and when the Fahombo festival takes place, the young men will have to jump over a stone platform 2 meters high and 60-90 cm wide. The boys will gain momentum, run fast, take the kick as a rock placed on the ground, jump over the stone pedestal without touching it, and have to land perfectly.
Although they have practiced hard, not everyone can jump over the stone pedestal. If a father or grandfather was a brave man and jumped over a pedestal, there must be someone among his descendants who jumped over the rock.
The Fahombo tradition dates back to ancient times, when the tribes were still at war with each other, when the villages were mostly surrounded by bamboo or stone walls two meters high, so jumping over would be a great advantage to the people of Nias.
However, at this time, the tradition of rock dancing was no longer used in preparation for war but was a typical ritual of the Nias community. Young people who pass the stone are considered physically mature, so they are allowed to get married.
According to travellingto.asia, learnindonesian.education

domain: history


text:
Parts & Accessories
- Rack mount bracket only - Fits TL-L225 taillight
Optional mounting bracket for the CatEye Rapid X, CatEye Rapid X2, and CatEye Rapid X3. Allows you to mount your Rapid to any of the CatEye tail light brackets.
Lezyne's LED Handle Bar Mount Adapter is a composite matrix adapter to replace the rubber strap that ships on 2016 and later models of Macro XL, Power XL, Super XXL, and Deca XXL lights, so that they can be used with the Aluminum Handlebar Mount, the Composite Handlebar Mount, Aluminum Helmet Mount, or Composite Handlebar Mount.
Replacement rubber end plug for the Strip Drive Front, Strip Drive Rear or Strip Drive Pro Rear lights
Replacement rubber end plug for the Hecto Drive, Micro Drive or Mini Drive lights.
Replacement rubber end plug for the KTV Front, KTV Rear and KTV Pro Rear lights.
Lezyne's Go-Pro LED Adapter allows you to mount your Lezyne LED light to any standard Go-Pro mount. This makes it fast and easy to switch swap out your camera and headlight using the same mount.
Need to replace a strap on the compact Vis 180 Pro taillight or the front mount of the Vis 360 Pro? This is a durable direct replacement that installs in seconds and can be cut to the preferred length.
The NiteRider Tail Light Mount – Seatstay and Seatpost is our classic seatpost mount design that gives riders the option to mount their tail light to their seat stay, using the included seat stay clamp. System Compatibility - Sentinel - Solas - Sabre - CherryBomb - TL 5.0 SL
- Attaches to rear racks - Compatible with: Blinky 3,5,7 and Superflash - 25mm between each of the top horizontal holes (center to center) - Requires an "L bracket" that typically comes with a rear rack. If your rack is missing the L bracket, you can purchase Planet Bike's rack hardware pack
- Replacement mounting straps for Sunlite lights - Choose specific model to fit your light
Mounting bracket for MSW front White Bat Headlight. - Includes 1 front mounting bracket
Replacement bracket for Pico and Tigermoth lights. - Includes 1 front bracket, 1 rear bracket, and 2 mounting straps
- Mounts Beamer and Blaze 1/2W lights to a helmet - Compatible with Beamer 1, Beamer 3, Beamer 5, Blaze 1/2W and Blaze 2W Micro, Blaze 140 SL, Blaze 180 USB - Increased weight and length of Blaze 300, 500, and 650 USB lights may cause awkward mounting on helmet
- Fits seatpost (up to 31.8mm) or seatstay - Compatible with: Blinky 3,5,7, all Superflash lights and Blinky Safety rear light - Use with Blinky Safety Front light bracket to fit oversize (~31.8mm) handlebars
Optional Accessory Rear rack Bracket for mounting most CatEye Taillights to rear racks with 50/80 mm spaced mounting holes.
SP-12 Flex-Tight Seatpost Bracket for most CatEye taillights
- Mounts most AA flashlights to handlebars and helmets - Ideal low-cost lighting alternative for cyclists
- Quick Strap mounts, adjusts or removes in seconds without tools - Fits 25.4-35mm handlebars - Compatible with Blazes, Beamers, 1200 and Super Spot
- Compatible with all Blaze headlights, Beamer 1/3/5, 1200, Dual Spot, and Bright Spot bike headlights - Fits 25.4 – 31.8mm handlebars
- Fits 25.4-31.8mm handlebars - Compatible with Blaze, Beamers, 1200, 5000x and Super Spot
Compatible with Shiner and Shiner Back lights - Rubber pad with loop straps to quickly mount and remove light for recharging - 50mm bolt spacing to fit most rear racks
The Portland Design Works Stayputnik tail light bracket has a UV-proof rubber strap to securely hold your tail light on nearly any size seat post. - Mounts in seconds and is compatible with every Portland Design Works tail light except Asteroid and Fenderbot. - UV proof rubber strap - Compatible with every PDW tail light except Asteroid and Fenderbot
Grab a set of Portland Design Works tail light brackets to mount your lights on seat posts and seat stays. - Seat post and seat stay brackets - Rubber shims included for a custom fit - Compatible with all PDW tail lights except Asteroid and Fenderbot
Mount your tail light to the reflector tab on the back of a rear cargo rack with this Rack Bracket from Portland Design Works. - Compatible with all PDW rear lights except the Asteroid and Fenderbot - Horizontal holes are 50mm apart to fit European rack standards - Vertical holes are 18mm apart to fit most reflector mounts
- Compatible with Blinky 3,5,7, Superflashes, Turbo, Turbo Minis Superflash Micros and Blinky Safety rear light - Designed specifically for aero seat posts - Adjustable light angle - Easy on/easy off design makes for quick mounting and removal
- Compatible with seatpost diameter 20mm-36mm - Adjustable light angle - Easy on/easy off design makes for quick mounting and removal - Compatible with Blinky 3,5,7, Superflashes, Turbo, Turbo Minis, Superflash Micros and Blinky Safety rear light
-Mounts easily to front racks with threaded M5 mounts -Allows for unobstructed light positioning -22.2mm clamping diameter
Lezyne's Composite Bar Mount is a hard mount made of a reinforced Composite Matrix cradle for a strong and secure attachment of the Mega Drive, Deca Drive, and XL LED lights to the handlebar. It is designed for 25.4 mm or 31.8 mm bars, with the cradle designed to pivot 15 degrees laterally to allow adjustment of the LED light beam angle and directing it where it is most needed. A large thumb screw secures the CM mount to the bar without need of tools, and can be tightened by hand or a 1mm hex key. Molded rubber shims add grip and fine-tune fitting to undersized bars. Composite Bar Mounts are sold in a kit with the Mega Drive, Deca Drive, or XL LED lights.
Optional Accessory Saddle Rail Mount Bracket for most CatEye taillights.
Set up a light wherever you can connect a GoPro mount. Use this adapter to connect your Imjin or Nip to any GoPro mounting option.
Mount the Nip light to an e-Bike that has the specialty Pro Max stem for accessories.
Setup a light wherever you can connect a GoPro mount. Use this adapter to connect your Taz to any GoPro mounting option.
Replacement seat post mount for the Tuck e-Bike Taillight. Secure design with non-slip strap ensures light is stationary even in rough, bumpy terrain. - Includes plastic wedge spacers to ensure Tuck mounts at optimum angle for premium visibility
Light & Motion's Vis 180 Aero Post Pad lets you easily attach your Vis 180 taillight to the back of your aero seatpost so you can be fast and visible.
This mount is designed to securely attach your Light and Motion Vis 180 Micro taillight to your bicycle.
This mount securely attaches your Light and Motion Vis 180 Micro taillight to a standard rear bicycle rack (taillights and racks sold separately).
Strap Light & Motion's Vis 360 Spare Front Mount to your spare helmet and use your Vis 360 light no matter what lid you are wearing.
Strap Light & Motion's Vis 360 Spare Rear Mount to your spare helmet and use your Vis 360 light no matter what lid you are wearing.
The NiteRider Adjustable Angle Tail Light Strap Mount was specifically designed for our flagship tail light, the Sentinel. It allows you to fine-tune the mounting angle of the light to display the projected Laser Lanes even and parallel on the ground. It's an easy on and off non-slip tail light mount that also features a grooved contact pad that makes this the 'go to' mount for riders using aero seat posts. System Compatibility - Sentinel - Solas - Sabre - CherryBomb
All of our head light mounts deliver rock solid mounting but for those that demand the most rigid set up, the NiteRider Lumina Handlebar Clamp Mount is here to deliver a high degree of performance and stability. Fits a max bar diameter of 35mm. SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY - Lumina Series - MiNewt Cordless Series - Mako Series WARRANTY - This NiteRider accessory is backed by NiteRider’s lifetime warranty that covers any defects in mechanical components (housings, covers, mounts and fasteners)
The NiteRider Lumina Handlebar Strap Mount offers a wide variety of handlebar size fitments and remains rock solid while riding through rough terrain. It’s easy to install and, like all NiteRider mounts, features a quick release tab for when it’s time to recharge or leave your bike unattended. System Compatibility: - Lumina Series - Mako Series - MiNewt Cordless Series
The NiteRider Tail Light Rack Mount gives you the option to mount your tail light directly onto your rack-ready/-equipped bike via this rack mount accessory. System Compatibility - Sentinel - Solas - Sabre - CherryBomb - TL 5.0 SL
The bolt-on headlight bracket mounts to your fork crown and provides a unique mounting option that centers a headlight just above the front wheel. It comes with a platform that is specifically designed to work with most Planet Bike lights. This platform can be removed quickly to create a 26.2mm diameter universal mount that accommodates most clamp and stretch strap mounting systems. - Planet Bike specific platform works with most Planet Bike headlights - Converts to a 26.2mm universal mount to fit most headlight mounting systems - Bracket bolts through brake mount on fork crown (60mm bolt, washer, and nut included) - Compatible with all Blaze, Beamer, Spok, Amigo and Spot headlights - Weight: 72 grams
• 2 LEDs with 3-color variable automatic flashing • Attaches to the spokes on your wheel so it spins for high visibility • The Spoke Light is ready whenever you're riding • It turns on/off automatically when it's dark/light
CatEye's Center Fork Bracket helps clear your handlebars by positioning your favorite CatEye headlight (sold separately) in front of your bike's head tube.
Replacement lithium ion CR2032 batteries for use in the Femto LED lights. SPEC: 700 mAh, 3.6V.
Lezyne's versatile Composite Matrix Helmet Mount is a durable and versatile accessory for Lezyne Mini XL, Power XL, Super XL, Deca and Mega Drives. It is constructed with lightweight and durable mold-injected Composite Matrix material for its base plate and spherical pivot. A strong rubber and Velcro strap attaches the mount to the helmet. The Composite Matrix spherical pivot and cradle allow the user to adjust the position of the light in all directions.
- Versatile LED and accessories forward mount - Bolts directly to stem faceplate - Included Aluminum Fork Mount, spacer and screw set - Suitable for most Lezyne most E-Bike front lights (Macro, Power, Power Pro, Micro, Hecto)
The versatile Composite Matrix Helmet Mount is a durable and versatile accessory for Lezyne KTV Pro, Power XL, Macro XL, Hecto XL and Micro XL Drives. It is constructed with lightweight and durable mold-injected Composite Matrix material for its base plate and spherical pivot. A strong rubber and Velcro strap attaches the mount to the helmet. The Composite Matrix spherical pivot and cradle allow the user to adjust the position of the light in all directions.
This helmet mount works with all CatEye Lights. Pair it with the Volt 800 for the ultimate trail solution.
The ultra-compact Vibe Pro Headlight is the perfect lighting solution for effortless, smart safety. This extra bar mount lets you switch the light between bikes in seconds - perfect for families or those with a quiver of two-wheeled fun. The included non-slip strap easily fits around oversize bars but can be cut down for an ideal fit on small handlebars. Features - Innovative twist-lock system ensures Vya will lock into mount - Secure design allows Vya Pro Headlight mount to be placed above or below the handlebar due to its unique design. Vya Headlight is designed to be mounted in front of stem. - Compatible with Vya Pro Headlight and standard Vya Headlight
Vya redefines bike safety with smart, advanced features and an ultra-compact design. Extra seat post mounts allow Vya to be switched between bikes in seconds – perfect for families and multiple bike owners. This versatile mount can be used with the horizontal position of the Vya Pro Taillight or the vertically mounted Vya. Features - Innovative twist-lock system ensures Vya will lock into mount and not vibrate free - Vya Pro Taillight mounts in a horizontal orientation; flip mount down for the standard vertical style of the Vya taillight - Compatible with Vya Pro Taillight and standard Vya Taillight
Helmet mount kit compatible with Ranger, Expilion, Metro Pro and Plus, Metro, Streak, and Pace systems. - Includes: helmet bracket, velcro strap, and foam pad.
Origin-8's Eyelet Stub Light Mount is an ingenious way to easily mount a light (or other accessory) to any bicycle frame with standard rack/fender eyelets. The Stub is made of light and tough 6061 aluminum tubing with an outside diameter of 26mm and an overall length of 46mm. It simply bolts to the eyelet with its included 5mm screw. There's a press-fit cap on the end to seal it.
2nd generation Locktite™ tool-free handlebar bracket mount for Ranger, Expilion, Metro Pro and Plus, Metro, Streak and Pace systems. Compatible with 22 to 32mm diameter handlebars.
Increase your line of sight with the NiteRider Lumina Helmet Mount. By mounting your head light onto your helmet, it’ll allow you to see farther into your turn or wherever your head turns. System Compatibility: - Lumina Series - MiNewt Mini Series - Mako Series
The NiteRider Lumina Stick-On Mount is ideal for non-vented helmet mounting applications. Whether it be your favorite downhill/MX style helmet or explore the versatility of your Lumina head light by mounting it onto an industrial hard hat making it the ultimate work light! System Compatibility - Lumina Series - MiNewt Mini Series - Mako Series
Planet Bike's BRT Strap is a small item that provides big visibility. This versatile LED safety band can be used as an arm band, pants keeper, dog collar and anything else you can think of. An included lithium battery provides over 200 hours of run time in either flashing or steady mode.
The PDW Outpost Mount allows you to attach a handlebar-mounted headlight to the side of your tapered wire basket—eliminating the problem of basket cargo blocking the light beam. The attachment plate compensates for the angle of a tapered wire basket, allowing the headlight to stay nice and level. - 32mm diameter clamping area for lights - Attaches with two M5 bolts and a steel backing plate - Mounts on left or right side
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domain: hobby


text:
Review: A film set in the 1950’s. Tilly Dunnage returns to her small town in rural Australia. She arrives with her sewing machine and couture style. While she is back she attempts to uncover the truth about a death that occurred many years before.
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse
Actors: Liam Hemsworth, Kate Winslet and Hugo Weaving
This is based on a best-selling novel by Rosalie Ham. All the performances were brilliant. How Kate Winslet kept a straight face when Liam Hemsworth took his shirt off I really don’t know. I do know that film critics have rubbished this film but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. For Kate Winslet to do her part for the film she learnt to sew. This film spent 13 years in development before filming began. The themes that are in this are tragedy, love, revenge and also hate is present in abundance. This has got very much of a Shakespearean atmosphere to it, especially the play Macbeth. At the end it did bring quite a few memories back as I have been to Melbourne and therefore can relate to the film more.

domain: artistic


This paper proposes a distributed relay and modulation and coding scheme (MCS) selection in wireless cooperative relaying networks where the adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) scheme is applied. First-order finite-state Markov channels (FSMCs) are used to model the wireless channels and make prediction. The objective of the relay policy is to select one relay and MCS among different alternatives in each time-slot according to their channel state information (CSI) with the goal of maximizing the throughput of the whole transmission period. The procedure of relay and MCS selection can be formulated as a discounted Markov decision chain, and the relay policy can be obtained with recent advances in stochastic control algorithms. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Coordinated multi-point transmission and reception (CoMP) for single user, named as SU-CoMP, is considered as an efficient approach to mitigate inter-cell interference in orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems. Two prevalent approaches in SU-CoMP are coordinated scheduling (CS) and joint processing (JP). Although JP in SU-CoMP has been proved to achieve a great link performance improvement for the cell-edge user, efficient resource allocation (RA) on the system level is quite needed. However, so far limited work has been done considering JP, and most existing schemes achieved the improvement of cell-edge performance at cost of the cell-average performance degradation compared to the single cell RA. In this paper, a two-phase strategy is proposed for SU-CoMP networks. CS and JP are combined to improve both cell-edge and cell-average performance. Compared to the single cell RA, simulation results demonstrate that, the proposed strategy leads to both higher cell-average and cell-edge throughput.
In this paper, we propose a new modulation classification method based on the combination of clustering and neural network, in which a new algorithm is introduced to extract key features. In order to recognize modulation types based on the constellation diagram such as phase shift keying (PSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering is adopted for recovering the constellation under different number of clusters. Then cluster validity measure is applied to extract key features which discriminate between different modulation types. The features are sent to neural network so that modulation types can be recognized. In order to conquer the disadvantages of standard back propagation (BP) neural network, conjugate gradient learning algorithm of Polak-Ribiere update is employed to improve the speed of convergence and the performance of modulation recognition. Simulation results show that classification rates of the algorithm proposed in this paper are much higher than those of clustering algorithm.
This work investigates a novel semi-blind channel estimation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) space-time block coding (STBC) systems. Algorithms for channel estimation based on whitening-rotation (WR) decomposition that provides a combined quality and spatial scalability is utilized. Using a space-time code-constrained input design, our approach exploits the orthogonality of the signal and noise subspaces in conjunction with orthogonal procrustes (OP) technique to obtain an accurate estimate of the unitary rotation matrix and, consequently, of the channel parameters. Unitary rotation matrices are parameterized a much fewer number of parameters, and signi?cant estimation gains can then be achieved by estimation of such orthogonal matrices. Furthermore, the proposed semi-blind MIMO channel estimation approach is conducted to reduce the complexity of system design when the number of the receive antennas is no less than the number of transmit antennas. Computer simulations are conducted to corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed channel estimation, and they demonstrate the improved performance compared to the existing training-based estimation.
In OFDM-based System such as long term evolution (LTE), the scheduling scheme plays an essential role in not only improving the capacity of system, but also guarantee the fairness among the user equipments (UEs). However, most existing work about scheduling only considers the current throughput in physical layer. Thus in this paper, a cross-layer scheduling with fairness based on restless bandit (CSFRB) scheme with the ‘indexability’ property is proposed for the multi-user orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system to minimize the distortion in the application layer, to maximize the throughput and to minimize the energy consumption in the physical layer. The scheduling problem is firstly established as a restless bandit problem, which is solved by the primal-dual index heuristic algorithm based on the first order relaxation with low complexity, to yield the CSFRB scheme. Additionally, this scheme is divided into offline computation and online selection, where main work will be finished in former one so as to decrease the complexity further. Finally, extensive simulation results illustrate the significant performance improvement of the proposed CSFRB scheme compared to the existing one in different scenarios.
In this paper, a cluster-based virtual multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission architecture is proposed for energy-constrained wireless sensor networks. In the proposed architecture, instead of using cluster members as cooperative nodes, multiple cluster heads cooperate to form virtual antenna array so that MIMO transmission can be implemented. According to the MIMO techniques used in this architecture, two different schemes, vertical Bell Laboratories layered space-time (V-BLAST) based cluster heads cooperative transmission (VCHCT) and space time block code (STBC) based cluster heads cooperative transmission (SCHCT), are developed. Based on the communication energy consumption model, the overall energy consumption model for both VCHCT and SCHCT are derived. Detailed comparison between these two schemes and the original low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) is performed to investigate the performance of these two schemes. Simulation results not only verify the theoretical analysis but also show that the two schemes have their specific application scenarios. When the sink is far from the sensor area, SCHCT scheme is much more energy efficient than LEACH and VCHCT scheme even if it consumes additional inter-cluster communication energy. When the distance to sink is near the sensor area, VCHCT is preferable.
In cooperative spectrum sensing, more secondary user makes more opportunity for detecting the vacant spectrums, which resulting the spectrum utilization improved, however much bandwidth would be occupied for sending the local observation results, inducing the reduced secondary throughput. In this paper, an adaptive algorithm for selecting detection threshold was proposed, where the maximized secondary throughput can always be achieved while assuring sufficient protection to primary user, regardless of the number of sensing users in cognitive radio networks. Theoretical analysis and simulation results validate the proposed scheme.
In this paper, we consider the joint relay selection and power allocation problem for two-way relay systems with multiple relay nodes. Traditionally, relay selection schemes are primarily focused on selecting one relay node to maximize the transmission sum rate or minimize the outage probability. If so, it is possible to cause certain relay nodes overloaded. In addition, the joint relay selection and power allocation problem is a mixed integer program problem and prohibitive in terms of complexity. Therefore, we propose a novel low complexity joint relay selection and power allocation algorithm with proportional fair scheduling to get the load-balancing among potential relays. Simulation results turn out that, compared with round-robin schemes and max sum rate schemes, the proposed algorithm can achieve the tradeoff between system transmission sum rate and load-balancing.
With the development of wireless networks, the amount of multiple services increased sharply in recent years. High quality multiple services with low price are urgently needed especially in new generation mobile communication systems，e.g., 3G/LTE networks. It is important to enhance the availability of data service resources. Services have strong association which are used by clients with similar behavior habits in networks. Such feature results in service behavior convergence (SBC) and its utilization will enhance resource efficiency. This paper proposes two applications of service behavior: service prediction and a scheduling algorithm which enhances bandwidth efficiency. Convergence cells are classified according to SBC and hot-spot services are broadcasted separately in each convergence cell. It is demonstrated by stimulation that the bandwidth is saved 80% more than classical cellular system and nearly 20 % more than traditional broadcasting system.
Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is considered to be one of the promising schemes for cognitive radios (CR) systems, due to its flexibility in spectrum shaping. However, the traditional way of spectrum-notching failed to suppress out-of-band leakage enough, resulting in interference with licensed users (LUs). A novel spectrum shaping scheme is proposed in this article, where a precoder with interference suppression sequence (ISS) is for the first time introduced for shaping the spectrum of OFDM signals in OFDM-based CR systems. The precoder matrix together with ISS matrix is obtained by minimizing the power of out-of-band interference, which results in the sufficient interference suppression of OFDM signal to LUs. Analysis and simulation results show that the proposed scheme can significantly suppress the interference power to LUs at a little cost of precoding efficiency. Meanwhile, the peak-to-average-power-ratio (PAPR) is invariable and the bit-error-rate (BER) performance over Rayleigh fading channel is improved.
Cooperative diversity is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the fading effect of wireless channels and obtain the spatial gain in wireless networks. In this paper, an optimal power allocation (OPA) scheme for a cooperative communication system using the amplify-and-forward (AF) transmit strategy with multiple relay users is proposed by minimizing the bit-error-rate (BER) at the destination under the constraint of the total transmit power of both the source user and the relay users. Simulation results indicate that the proposed power allocation method can achieve significant BER performance improvement than using the equal power allocation (EPA) scheme，while still attains low complexity. The system performance is improved significantly with the increasing of the number of relay users at high signal-noise ratio (SNR). However, at low SNR, the system performance decreases when the relay number increases. Thus, an adaptive relay selection scheme may be used to choose the appropriate relay numbers in different transmission scenarios to provide system performance improvement and keep the power allocation scheme with low complexity.
In multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, space–time block codes (STBCs) from orthogonal designs (ODs) and coordinate interleaved orthogonal designs (CIOD) have been attracting wider attention due to their amenability for fast (single symbol) maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding, and full-rate with full-rank over quasi-static fading channels. However, most of these codes, for transmitting antennas more than 4, have large number of zero entries in their codeword matrix. Due to the zero entries in the design, the transmitting antennas need to be switched on and off imposing severe hardware constraints. To solve this problem, we propose a method to generate a new class of no-zero-entry single symbol maximum likelihood decodable STBCs (NZESSDCs), which is based on coordinate interleaving and group precoding technique. The ability of the proposed group precoding based NZESSDCs (called G-NZESSDCs) on single symbol ML Decoding and full diversity are analyzed and derived. The performance evaluation is accomplished by numerical simulation and is compared with recently reported NZESSDCs (called C-NZESSDCs). Compared with C-NZESSDCs, the proposed G-NZESSDCs have same bit-error-rate (BER) performance and better peak-to-average ratio (PAPR) performance.
Differential evolution (DE) algorithm has attracted more and more attention due to its fast optimization performance and good stability. When DE algorithm is applied into multi-constrained multicast routing optimization problem, a common solution to such problem is to merge the paths into a tree after finding paths from the source node to each destination node. This method maybe obtains the better result, but it can consume a lot of computational time. To solve the problem, a tree-based DE algorithm is introduced in this paper. The central operations of the algorithm are realized with tree structure. This method saves the time of finding paths and integrating them to construct a multicast tree. The experiments show that the proposed algorithm can achieve higher success rate than several common algorithms with much smaller running time for different networks.
Modified largest weighted delay first (M-LWDF) is a typical packet scheduling algorithm for supporting hybrid real-time services over wireless networks. However, so far, there is little literature available regarding the theoretic analysis of M-LWDF fairness. This paper gives a theoretic analysis of M-LWDF fairness, which shows that M-LWDF fairness is related to channel condition, packet’s arrival process and the ratio of quality of service (QoS) requirements of different service queues. Given service QoS requirements and other parameters related to channel model and packet’s arrival process, the fairness is merely related to the ratio of the number of users in the service queues. Based on the analysis, an enhanced M-LWDF algorithm (EM-LWDF) is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. EM-LWDF is strictly designed in light of the fairness criteria of QoS requirements, so its fairness is almost not related to the ratio of the number of users in the service queues, and the theoretical value of fairness index is equal to 1. Simulation results validate the theoretic analysis and show the effectiveness of EM-LWDF in improving fairness.
Independent quality of service (QoS) registration center is difficult to monitor QoS with lots of requests in Internet environment with a large number of services and lots of service requests. It is able to reduce the load and decrease the failure rate by using multiple QoS registration centers to monitor QoS of some services with lots of requests. In addition, the heterogeneous QoS data close to user’s habitual expression and adapts to the environment with complexity and uncertainty. This paper introduces a novel Web service composition algorithm based on technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) (WSCA_TOPSIS) to solve the above difficulties for the first time. WSCA_TOPSIS can support multiple decision-makers and heterogeneous QoS data. It includes three main steps: normalizing decision matrix, evaluating alternatives synthetically and evaluating group alternatives synthetically. Other contributions of the paper include a novel algorithm of aggregating QoS and a set of experiments that demonstrate the benefits and effectiveness of our approach. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can better support Web service composition with heterogeneous QoS data and multiple decision-makers.
Network selection is crucial in improving the performance of heterogeneous wireless access systems. Most of previous work on network selection or radio resource allocation concentrates on the capability of each available network and ignores the time-varying nature of wireless media due to channel fading. However, the channel condition determines the state of each wireless network and plays a vital role in ensuring quality of service in multi-radio access environment. In this article, we propose a network selection policy using stochastic control theory considering the time-varying and stochastic character of wireless channels. The proposed scheme selects one network among different alternatives in each decision epoch according to the channel state of each network, which is modeled as finite-state Markov channel, with the objectives of increasing the data-rate, decreasing the bit error rate and minishing the delay. The procedure of network selection is formulated as a stochastic control problem, which can be solved using linear programming and primal-dual index heuristic algorithm. Simulation results are presented to show that network selection has great impact on the system performance, and the proposed scheme can improve the performance significantly.
The Internet today originates from the advanced research project agency network (ARPANET) and evolves constantly during the past years. However, with incremental ‘patches’ on the Internet, the current network architecture faces many problems which are too difficult to solve. In the light of recent interest in re-designing the Internet, the separation of core network and customer edge network, and the separation of identifier and locator receive wide consensus among scientists. We follow this direction and propose a new hierarchical network with diversified customer edge access (HNDCE) in this paper. We use switching addresses, routing addresses and identifiers to implement a true core/edge and locator/identifier split. In the core network, hierarchical switching addresses combined with tree topology makes routing replaced by switching. The Viliant load-balancing (VLB) structure is used here to compensate the topology’s reliability and scalability. In the customer edge network, the split of locator and identifier makes it possible to deploy various routing schemes and new services. Hierarchical mapping system is also designed to support this new architecture.
A cross-layer optimized query routing mismatch alleviation (QRMA) architecture is proposed to mitigate the problem of query routing mismatch (QRM) phenomenon between the structured peer to peer (P2P) overlay and the routing layer in mobile Ad-hoc networks (MANETs), which is an important issue that results in the inefficiency of lookup process in the system. Explicated with the representative Chord protocol, the proposal exploits the information of topologic neighbors in the routing layer of MANETs to find if there is any optimized alternative next hop in P2P overlay during conventional lookup progress. Once an alternative next hop is detected, it will take the shortcut to accelerate the query procedure and therefore alleviate the QRM problem in scalable MANETs without any assistance of affiliation equipments such as GPS device. The probability of finding out such an alternative node is formulated and the factors that could increase the chance are discussed. The simulation results show that the proposed architecture can effectively alleviate the QRM problem and significantly improve the system performance compared with the conventional mechanism.
In this paper, we present the design of an integrated low noise amplifier (LNA) for wireless local area network (WLAN) applications in the 5.15–5.825 GHz range using a SiGe BiCMOS technology. A novel method that can determine both the optimum bias point and the frequency point for achieving the minimum noise figure is put forward. The method can be used to determine the optimum impedance over a relevant wider operating frequency range. The results show that this kind of optimizing method is more suitable for the WLAN circuits design. The LNA gain is optimized and the noise figure (NF) is reduced. This method can also achieve the noise match and power match simultaneously. This proposal is applied on designing a LNA for IEEE 802.11a WLAN. The LNA exhibits a power gain large than 16 dB from 5.15 to 5.825 GHz range. The noise figure is lower than 2 dB. The OIP3 is 8 dBm. Also the LNA is matched to 50 Ω input impedance with 6 mA DC current for differential design.
Four kinds of sequences generated by single cycle triangular function (T-function) are investigated to check the possibility for a single cycle T-function to be a cryptographic component in stream ciphers. Based on the special properties of single cycle T-function and an algorithm due to Wei, linear complexities of these four kinds of sequence are all acquired. The results show that single cycle T-function sequences have high linear complexity. Therefore, T-function satisfies the essential requirements being a basic component of stream cipher.


|I've been using ProgeCAD since 2020, coming from multi decades of being an AutoCAD user, lisp writer and although ProgeCAD does have some limitations on zoomed in line details ie lines may appear unstacked or unsnapped when they are actually stacked/snapped, on the whole its running at 99% of AutoCAD capabilities but at a tenth of the price, hence I won't be going back to AutoCAD! There is not enough profit margin in my line of work anymore to warrant the silly expense of AutoCAD. With ProgeCAD I can do a lot more than I could with Standard AutoCAD, such as 3D buildings modelling & rendering, without having to buy extra software modules.
I'm Old-School for screen layout, so my ProgeCAD layout is tailored to look exactly like my old AutoCAD layout, so learning the ProgeCAD icon commands was "as I was drawing" so I didn't drop my drawing production speed to any extent. It still feels like I'm sat infront of AutoCAD, with a bundle of extra software tools built in, like the "pdf to vector" command, which other architects now send me pdf's and ask if I can make a vector dwg for them!
In summary, one of the better moves I made to shift away from AutoCAD and ProgeCAD has been rock solid stable, no crashes, regular updates every year.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]


text:
Mr. Augustine Merchant
June 09, 2008
The Nevis Growers Cooperative was on Friday June 06, 2008, the recipient of a cheque in the amount of $58 139.33 from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI).
The donation was a joint effort between the CFLI and the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IAICA).
Minister of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Robelto Hector, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Pearlivan Wilkin, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) Representative Mr. Augustine Merchant, President of the Nevis Growers Cooperative Mrs. Muriel Emontine Thompson, farmers and staff of the Ministry of Agriculture attended the donation ceremony.
The Minister addressed the gathering and shared his delight with the generous contribution made by the donors.
“I am one who feels and as a government, we have ensured that directed finances [go] to [the agro processors to] ensure that the agro-processing unit is realised. I am one who really feels that we are at that stage now when we can begin to explore our export potential,” Minister Hector said.
He also offered words of encouragement to the farmers to work towards the island’s food security.
“We must be organised, we must be growing from strength to strength, we must not be destructive. We must make sure that at the end, we are supporting each other and we are moving towards the general good of ensuring food security, not only for the island of Nevis but the Caribbean as a whole and that would be our contribution towards the global issue,” he said.Mr. Merchant spoke of his Organisation’s contribution to the grant and commended the Nevis Grower’s Cooperative for its efforts in securing it.
“The Inter-American Institute is pleased to be associated with the grant which was obtained by the Nevis Grower’s Association from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative. I dear say, that our input, though small, was helpful but I would want to give high commendation to the president Mrs. Thompson and her advisor Mrs. Arthurton, who ably did the bulk of this work and put the project together. I think it was due to their initiative to a large extent why the grant was procured,” he said.
He also spoke of the co-operative’s initiative to encourage partnership between the tourism and agriculture sectors in Nevis and the rest of the Caribbean.
“The Nevis Growers Association which has been around from since the early 90s has made an invaluable contribution to agricultural development on Nevis. It is generally being recognised throughout most of the Caribbean that they were the pioneers, as it were, in this the efforts of Caribbean governments and farmers to strengthen the linkages between tourism and agriculture,” Mr. Merchant said.
He added that Nevisians would benefit greatly from the donation made to the cooperative in terms of food production and consumption.
“I think that this cheque would contribute significantly to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Food Security Programme and I dear say, that it should go a long way in ensuring that the people on Nevis are able to get food cheaper and in the desired quantity and quality,” he said.
Mr. Wilkin, who chaired the event, was grateful for the donation made to the cooperative and expressed gratitude to the donor.
“We want to thank the Canadian High Commission for their invaluable assistance rendered to the farmers of Nevis,” he said.

domain: agronomy


text: Police have arrested and charged 31 year old Jose Garcia and 30 year old Brian Hernandez for drug trafficking. The men were caught on Wednesday afternoon in Orange Walk with around 25 pounds of marijuana. During a check point at the roundabout at the northern entrance to Orange Walk Town, police stopped and searched a grey Ford van and inside they found two parcels of cannabis. The suspected drugs weighed in at ten kilograms and one kilogram respectively or about 25 pounds of marijuana. Both Garcia and Hernandez are from Corozal Town.

domain: news


text:
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text: Those who are interested in making investments in the real estate field more often prefer residential properties. It is because residential properties are mostly assured of giving you great profit returns in the long run. Also, you may use the residential properties for renting or even for your own stay if you feel the need to do so. Due to ever-increasing rates of residential properties, the interest of most of the investors in such properties is on the rise. If you are also planning to make an investment in residential properties, the below-listed points certainly need to be considered to make this task easier for you. [Read more…] about What Should You Consider While Investing In Residential Properties?

domain: finance


"Pocket Change Spectroscopy" Improves Detection of Toxins, ExplosivesNew research from the Clark School showing how surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), a highly-sensitive technique used to detect the merest traces of targeted materials, can be made more affordable and more portable by replacing one of its components with a chemical reaction applied to pocket change, was highlighted in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
The article covered a contributed talk given at the 241st National Meeting of the ACS by Fischell Department of Bioengineering graduate student Jordan Betz, titled "SERS on a dime: Galvanic displacement as a rapid, robust, and simple method for SERS substrate fabrication." Betz is advised by Department of Materials Science and Engineering/Institute for Systems Research professor and Maryland NanoCenter director Gary Rubloff.
Raman spectroscopy is used to detect and identify substances which may only be present in minute quantities measured in molecules. When light from a laser floods a sample in a sensor, it scatters when it hits the molecules present. Since every kind of molecule scatters the light in its own unique way, scientists can tell what is present, and in what quantity, by analyzing the resulting spectrum. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) takes the process a step further by placing the samples on specially-designed substrates (metal surfaces) capable of greatly intensifying the scattered light, allowing the detection of even tinier traces of a target substance.
While this makes SERS a powerful sensor, its use has been limited by the difficulty of making the substrates, and the cost and short shelf-life of prefabricated ones. Designing an affordable, easy-to-use system for use in the field has been a challenge. Betz and Rubloff think they've found one way around the problem by developing a technique that can use ordinary metal objects like coins as substrates.
In his presentation, Betz described how ordinary coins interact with a solution of silver nitrate in a spontaneous electrochemical process called galvanic displacement. The silver ions in the solution diffuse into the surface of a coin, where they steal electrons from the atoms of copper or nickel. This causes the silver ions to lose their charge and become solid silver atoms, creating a starting point from which micro- and nanoscale crystal structures begin to blossom. The properties of the crystals can be controlled by changing the reaction conditions. The copper and nickel atoms, which convert to ions as they lose their electrons to the silver, diffuse outward into the solution.
Betz, Rubloff and their colleagues found that when exposed to the Raman spectrometer's laser, the combination of silver crystals and the roughness of the coins' surfaces created a very high, localized electromagnetic field that intensified the scattering signal returned by a factor of 109, allowing them to detect lower amounts of a target molecule than they could with normal Raman spectroscopy alone. The coins even outperformed high-tech substrates made with state-of-art equipment in the lab.
"Interestingly, the low-tech approach worked best," says Betz. "We hypothesized that the roughness and oxidation on the surface of circulated coins might create more sites at which the silver crystals could grow. To test this, we evaporated very thin films of smooth, unoxidized copper and nickel onto glass slides, then subjected them to the galvanic displacement reaction. In every case, the coins and their crystals were more effective at increasing the scattering."
The process does not deface the currency. "The silver micro- and nanostructures that grow on the coins are so weakly attached you can use scotch tape, a tissue, or even water to remove them," Betz explains. "After cleaning up the coins, they don't look or behave any differently. The amount of copper or nickel displaced by the silver is miniscule. Kicking a coin down the street would probably have more of an effect on its mass and cosmetic appearance."
The possibility of using substrates made on common metal objects, Betz says, will provide new opportunities to develop remote and portable SERS-based sensors that could be used to detect toxins, explosives, and contaminants in groundwater and food, as well as identify specific viruses and bacteria.
"Over the past few years, there has been a strong drive to miniaturize instruments that once occupied an entire lab bench," says Betz. "For example, other researchers have shown that SERS can be performed using a laser pointer as the excitation source. Although hand-held Raman spectrometers are available on the market, we believe it's only a matter of time before someone develops a Raman spectrometer attachment for a smartphone. Using our method of substrate fabrication, you could have your spectrometer in one pocket, and your SERS substrate in the other."
For More Information:
Published April 25, 2011


We all have our favorite moments in movies, books, and games, moments that stay with us long after the story is over. This column is my attempt to examine my favorite moments and see why they stick with me.
Why it’s great
Some great scenes feature drama, sadness, joy, or excitement, and others are – at first glance – rather ordinary. One example is Sarah Connor’s introduction in 1984’s, ‘The Terminator.’
On the surface, there’s nothing earth-shattering about this scene: Sarah drives to work, clocks in, delivers the wrong order to a customer, and gets ice cream dumped into her apron by a brat who was probably blasted into a charred skeleton by a T-800 for his unforgivable crime. It’s an ordinary, slice-of-life moment that shows us that the mother of humanity’s savior is a perfectly ordinary woman.
It’s also the last few hours of a normal life Sarah will ever have.
If you consider ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ to be the official third film in the franchise, then the scene of Sarah going into the employee lounge and seeing that report about another Sarah Conner being killed begins decades of fear, horror, and knowing that she’s the only person who can stop a war that will end billions of lives. And even after she succeeds, she still loses her son and eventually learns that she only delayed the inevitable war of humanity vs machines. By then, she’s in her mid 50’s and will almost certainly live long enough to see that war start, and pass away among the ruins of humanity’s civilizations.
These kind of scenes rely on hindsight and re-watching (or re-reading) to deliver their emotional punch of knowing that after this scene is over, our protagonists will never have another ordinary day as long as they live. But these scenes also encourages their audiences to realize that we often take so much for granted, assuming that our steady jobs, our families, and our blessings will last for years to come. But all it takes is one bad day to destroy everything we care about, and the lives we rebuild afterwards may never be truly happy again.
2017 was an exciting year for Terminator fans. Not only was it announced that we would get a new film that would be a direct sequel to ‘Judgement Day,’ but it would feature Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the T-800, and Linda Hamilton reprising her role as Sarah Connor on-screen for the first time since 1996’s, ‘T2-3D: Battle Across Time’. It was a Terminator fan’s dream come true; yet, as filming began and the first promotional material came out, I realized something.
Where was John Connor?
Like many fans, I was wondering why there were no casting announcements for John. Was he not in the film? Were they trying to keep his role a secret? It wasn’t until July of 2019 that James Cameron announced that Edward Furlong would indeed be returning as John, and I was ecstatic. After almost 30 years, we were finally going to have Arnold, Linda, and Edward on screen together again!
Then the movie came out.
Predictably, fans of the Terminator franchise were outraged at John’s death. We had followed John’s exploits, adventures, and growth in TV shows, books, video games, and comics for almost 30 years, only to see him be senselessly killed off. There was no historic last stand, inspiring final words, or seeing John sacrificing himself to save the human race. Instead, we got to see all the struggles and sacrifices to protect him in T1 and T2 be rendered meaningless. ‘Dark Fate’ was the ultimate slap in the face to John, mocking him and his fans.
But what if it isn’t?
Like most Terminator fans, I was angry at John being killed. I had hoped that we would get to see a grown-up John (played by Mr. Furlong) rising from an ordinary life to take up the mantle as humanity’s savior with his mother and a T-800 one last time. Instead, I left the theater disappointed at what could have been.
Yet, as the months have passed, and I’ve thought about the film, I’ve come to realize that, while John’s death was still a mistake, ‘Dark Fate’ shows that he’s still the most important character in both the film and the series. He’s so important that if he were removed from the movie entirely, the resulting consequences would have led to the extinction of the human race.
Madness? The desperate grasps of a fan trying to make sense of a senseless and tragic event? Perhaps. But we’re told on the C-5 Galaxy in the third act that Dani led humanity to victory over Legion, the malevolent AI (‘we took our world back’). In order for that to take place, two things must happen:
1. Dani has to survive.
2. Dani has to learn how to become a leader.
‘Dark Fate’ spends most of its time fulfilling the first task. Dani initially is protected by augmented super-soldier Grace; yet, while Grace is a powerful warrior, she is unable to stop the REV-9 on her own, and would have been killed with Dani in Mexico without Sarah’s intervention. But even with Sarah, the group still wouldn’t have been able to destroy the REV-9. They need Carl – the T-800 who killed John – to finally defeat the REV-9 for good and ensure Dani’s survival.
Yet, Sarah and Carl wouldn’t have been able to help Dani if it wasn’t for John. If we imagine a future where he had lived, Sarah would not have known of Dani’s existence, and would not have come to her rescue on the bridge in Mexico. Dani and Grace would have been killed, and Legion would have won the second machine war.
Carl, too, would not have been present to protect Dani if John had lived. If, say, Sarah had managed to destroy him, then there would have been no T-800 to take on the REV-9. Carl was the one who ultimately had the necessary strength and endurance to destroy the REV-9, but he never would have done so had he not eventually realized what he had taken from Sarah, and then willingly sacrifice himself in the end.
‘Dark Fate’ ends with Sarah setting out to train Dani in how to become a leader and a warrior. Here, too, John also comes into play. Because of Sarah’s experience hunting terminators before and after John’s death, she is the only person on Earth who can train Dani how to fight and destroy them. Furthermore, Sarah still has all the tactical and leadership training she has from the first two films, which she will presumably pass on to Dani as well. With all three sets of skills given to her, Dani will have all she needs to fight – and ultimately destroy – Legion.
Though the mantra of the Terminator series is, ‘There is no fate but what we make for ourselves,’ it almost seems as if the opposite is true: Humanity is destined to fight malevolent AI at some point. It may be Skynet, it may be Legion, but a war is inevitable. Yet, it also seems that there will always be a figure who will rise up and lead humanity to victory. For years, we’ve believed that John was that leader, but ‘Dark Fate’ shows that there can be multiple leaders. When we step back and look at the broad picture, it seems – hard as it is to accept – that John’s death is necessary in the Terminator universe. John, Sarah, and Uncle Bob succeeded in destroying Skynet, and in the process, John had fulfilled his purpose of saving the human race. But would he have been able to do the same against Legion? While fans – myself included – would have loved to see a middle-aged John fighting and defeating an enemy neither he nor Sarah know anything about, I doubt he would have been able to pull it off.
To use a war analogy, let’s say John is the greatest Allied commander of World War 1. His knowledge and experience in trench warfare, chemical warfare, and the like are without compare, and he leads the Allied forces to victory. He’s hailed as a hero and the savior of the civilized world. But what if he suddenly had to lead the allies again in World War 2? While many principles of warfare would remain the same, John’s skills would be obsolete against opponents who have much better technology, weapons, and tactics than he went up against decades earlier. And while there’s a chance he can still win the war, having a younger person who learned from the lessons of the first, and is more familiar with the latest technology, has a better chance of victory.
If the story of the Terminator franchise is humanity’s ultimate victory against malevolent AI, then John can be seen as the commander who, having stopped the machine’s first offensive, ensures that his successor can see the war through to its completion. He is the spark that sets humanity’s ultimate victory in motion. Without John, neither Sarah or Carl would have saved Dani. Without him, Dani would have died.
Without John, humanity would have perished… But it didn’t happen.
Whatever you may think about the movie, in my opinion, ‘Dark Fate’ proves that even in death, John is still the savior of humanity.
Or, if you prefer, you can pretend that this is how the movie ended.
‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ was intended to be the start of a new ‘Terminator’ trilogy that would eventually close the book on the story that began all the way back in 1984. However, despite making over $249 million dollars at the box office, ‘Dark Fate’ appears to signal the end of the Terminator franchise (for now, at least). Yet, despite the overall lukewarm reception, and disagreeing with some of the story choices, I’m still a fan of the film, thanks to the enjoyable cast (especially with Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger back together) and action scenes.
However, when writing about the film two weeks ago, I realized that ‘Dark Fate’ is surprisingly similar to 2016’s, ‘The Force Awakens’: Both are sequels to popular movies that feature new female leads, have the new antagonist that’s almost identical to the old one, have a character from the original series be killed, and end with the main leads heading out to fight the new antagonists.
Yet, while I was disappointed with ‘The Force Awakens’ for feeling too much like a remake of ‘A New Hope’ with elements from ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ sprinkled in, I had no such problems with ‘Dark Fate’, and ever since realizing how similar both movies are, I’ve been brainstorming why that’s so, and I think I’ve figured it out: The main reason I prefer ‘Dark Fate’ over ‘The Force Awakens’ is how they treat characters from the original series. In ‘Awakens’, most of them are given only minor roles, with only Han, Chewbacca, and Leia getting the most screentime. In ‘Dark Fate’, though, Sarah and the T-800 have large roles to play, with Sarah being newcomer Danni’s mentor throughout the runtime, and the T-800 acting as a bodyguard/protector who ultimately destroys the REV 9, ensuring Danni’s survival.
In short, ‘Dark Fate’ brings back legacy characters and gives them plenty to do alongside new characters. ‘Awakens’ may bring back more of its original cast, but only gives two (Han and Chewie) substantial roles.
When writing legacy sequels, or sequels that take place a long time after the previous entries, it’s important to let original characters have the limelight: longtime fans love seeing their favorite characters again, and it’s a good bet that newer fans enjoy seeing them, too. Despite killing off John Connor too quickly and easily, ‘Dark Fate’ honors and respects Sarah and the T-800 by giving them a lot to do and making them vital to the story. Considering how it’s unlikely we’re going to get a new Terminator film for a long time – if ever – it was a wise choice.
Ever since his first appearance as a masked killer in the 1981 film ‘Friday the 13th Part 2,’ Jason Vorhees has become the poster child for slashers who take out horny teenagers as brutally (and creatively) as possible. Being such a staple of pop culture, it was inevitable that he’d eventually face off against other pop icons, the most famous being a fight against Freddy Kruger in 2003’s ‘Freddy vs Jason.’ But many of these fights have taken place in fan videos, featuring Michael Myers, Pennywise the Clown, Leatherface, and even Barney the Dinosaur. Today, we’re taking a look at what would happen if Jason Vorhees took on one of the toughest women in cinema: Sarah Conner from ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day,’ courtesy of Youtube creators WTFLOL
Having a plausible explanation as to why two characters are fighting makes it easier to accept such a fight
When most pop culture characters fight, plot usually comes second to seeing them duking it out. But having a strong reason why two different characters from two different universes are fighting each other makes said fights easier to accept. ‘Conner vs. Jason’ has a particularly good one: Sarah, while en-route to foil Cyberdyne yet again, has car trouble and breaks down near Camp Crystal Lake. While searching for help, she comes across helpless campers being slaughtered by Jason, and rushes in to help. Not only is this a plausible way for the two to meet up, but it also helps us root for Sarah by showing how she doesn’t hesitate to help others in trouble, even if she doesn’t know them.
In our own stories, it’s a good idea to set up the fight in a way that feels logical. While it’s tempting to throw your two (or more) duelists together as quickly as possible, setting up why they’re fighting will make your story more believable, and tell your audience that you’ve thought this out beyond the standard, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be awesome if ______ and ______ fought each other!?”
Consider limiting how much of your intercontinuity fight doesn’t revolve around the title characters fighting
Perhaps more than any other type of story, your audience knows exactly what they want when they see a duel film (watching the title characters fighting each other). They won’t be interested in anything else that doesn’t lead up or add to those moments. Thankfully, ‘Conner vs. Jason’ smartly limits those scenes to Sarah going to Crystal Lake, and the camp’s campers being killed off by Jason in quick order, knowing that audiences don’t have any interest in the campers being developed when they’re only going to be killed off.
In our own stories, while some buildup and setting the scene is always necessary, cutting out everything that isn’t necessary to set things up, or that doesn’t relate directly to two famous characters fighting is a good idea; our audience will thank us for getting to what they came to see in a quick and timely manner.
Consider having the nerd help save the day
Pity the poor nerd: this unfortunate character continues to be relentlessly mocked in pop culture, portrayed as being wimps, cowards, and having zero social skills. Yet, don’t underestimate them: while the nerd in ‘Conner vs. Jason’ first comes off as the stereotypical game-obsessed dweeb, he quickly comes through by using his smarts to tell Sarah about Jason’s only weakness, and risks his own life to lure Jason towards said weakness at great risk to himself (and saving Sarah in the process).
While it’s easy to use the nerd as an easy source of humor and comic relief, it’s much better to have them have hidden depths: Nerds may have a love of all things video games, movies, anime, and cartoons, but they’re still people with weaknesses and strengths, and showing those, whether it’s bravery, strength, or resourcefulness will help make them memorable.
Consider poking fun at a character’s mythology in your crossover fight
Little moments of humor can often be the most memorable parts of any story, and in a crossover fight – where drama and strict adherence to the rules of either universe are put aside for the sake of awesomeness – poking fun at both story’s mythologies can make funny moments even funnier: my favorite here comes when the nerd loudly yells about smoking and having lots of premarital sex with naked women, causing Jason to immediately ignore Sarah and head after the nerd. Another has the Terminator, after blowing Jason to pieces, saying his classic trademark about how he’ll be back. Is it cheesy? Yes, but it’s funny, and a good reminder on that we watch these crossovers to see how awesome they are; having some humor – even if it’s slightly out of character – only makes a fun experience even more enjoyable.
Avoid having someone come in and steal a victory at the end of a crossover fight
While having the Terminator suddenly show up to save the day at the end of the video is undeniably awesome (The Terminator vs Jason? Heck yeah!), it does have the unfortunate effect of making the whole ‘Sarah vs. Jason’ fight somewhat pointless, as neither of them determine the outcome. While it’s common for crossover fights to end in a draw (so as to not offend fans of either character by having them be defeated), having neither side winning, or having both off each other, having a third party arrive and end the fight by themselves feels like a cop out. Even Freddy vs Jason made this error by having one of the teens decapitate Freddy at the climax of the big fight, instead of Jason.
When writing our own crossover fights, having them end because of the results of the fighter’s efforts – instead of an outside force – will avoid the feeling of the fighters and the audience being cheated out of a fair match. If you must bring in a third party, foreshadow it before the fight, or at the very beginning (such as how Sarah Conner helps Pops during the Terminator vs Terminator duel in ‘Terminator: Genysis’), but still avoid it if you can.
An Alternate Universe version of ‘Sarah Conner vs. Jason Vorhees’ that learned from its mistakes
While en-route to take out a subdivision of Cyberdyne, Sarah Conner’s car breaks down outside Camp Crystal Lake. Setting out to search for help, she hears helpless campers being slaughtered and runs to help. While she’s too late to save everyone, she does save one nerd from Jason. The two quickly hatch a plan to lure Jason to the camp’s lake, eventually managing to get them there, thanks to the nerd’s smarts, and Sarah’s combat skills.
However, when trying to knock Jason into the water, Sarah – injured from her fight – runs out of ammo for her weapons. Using herself as a battering ram, she tackles Jason, managing to shove him into the water.
The nerd anxiously tries to decide whether he should jump in after Sarah to save her. Then she appears: Injured and bleeding badly, but alive. With Jason defeated and trapped at the bottom of the lake, the nerd helps her back to the camp’s main building to patch her up and call for help. Along the way, he asks if she’s interested in a date, to which she replies that he’d better not hold his breath.


Sony IMX174 sensor added to JAI GO industrial camera range
27. Juli 2015
Available in monochrome or colour versions, with a GigE Vision interface and Power over GigE Vision, these global shutter cameras operate at 48.8 fps at full 1936 x 1216 (2.35 megapixels) resolution. Both models can be windowed down to a smaller region of interest (ROI) or can provide up to 5 overlapping ROIs in a single field of view to speed up the frame rate when the full resolution is not needed.
The new camera’s outstanding imaging performance is due to a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 60 dB, measured using traditional measurement techniques, which is made possible by the sensor’s deep pixel wells (>30,000 electrons) and low noise architecture adapted from Sony’s CCD technology.
The new camera has a small, robust yet lightweight construction. Measuring just 29 x 29 x 41.5 mm (excluding lens mount), it weighs only 46 grams, which is lighter than many other cameras with IMX174 sensors. It can operate in demanding environmental conditions, with 80 G shock rating, 10 G vibration rating and -5 °C to +45 °C temperature rating.


text:
God Street Wine - Standing Room Only - 12/16
at City Winery New York City
- 10:00pm (Estimated End Time)
Tickets will be available for VinoFiles and the Artist Fan Club Pre-Sale beginning on Tuesday, 10/17 at 3pm.
The general public on sale begins on Thursday, 10/19 at 3pm.
God Street Wine were important members of the blossoming Jam scene in the early 1990’s. After opening for acts like the Black Crowes and the Allman Brothers Band, and having Dave Matthews Band and Sheryl Crow as their own openers throughout the 90’s, they decided to disband in 1999. In 2010 they reunited and have been playing shows consistently since.


|Could bright γ-ray burst optical transients have been recorded historically？|
|Strom Richard G; Zhao Fuyuan; Zhang Chengmin
|Abstract||The brightest optical flash from a γ-ray burst （GRB） was, briefly, a naked- eye object. Several other GRBs have produced optical transients only slightly fainter. We argue that, based upon the recently accumulated data from hundreds of GRB transients, many such optical events should have been visible to the unaided eye in the course of human history. The most likely repositories of such observations are histor- ical records from the Orient, and we have located and discuss a number of candidates. We also consider the value of such observations, should any very likely ones be uncovered, to modern astrophysics.|
|First Author Affilication||National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Strom Richard G,Zhao Fuyuan,Zhang Chengmin. Could bright γ-ray burst optical transients have been recorded historically？[J]. 天文和天体物理学研究：英文版,2012,12.0(003):260.
Strom Richard G,Zhao Fuyuan,&Zhang Chengmin.(2012).Could bright γ-ray burst optical transients have been recorded historically？.天文和天体物理学研究：英文版,12.0(003),260.
Strom Richard G,et al."Could bright γ-ray burst optical transients have been recorded historically？".天文和天体物理学研究：英文版 12.0.003(2012):260.
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text:
Halfords has been criticised for running a government-backed traineeship first exposed by UniteLive that sees young jobseekers work for two months without pay.
Financial services firm Prudential has also faced condemnation for taking part in the “profit boosting” schemes.
Some smaller companies, along with training providers, are running unpaid traineeships that last six months.
Traineeships, introduced in 2013, are facing scrutiny as JobCentres gear up to potentially sanction thousands of young benefit claimants if they don’t agree to take one.
Halfords and Prudential, in conjunction with a training provider, run traineeships for 16- to 24-year-olds that mix unpaid work with classroom based lessons in Maths, English and skills such as teamwork, CV writing and IT.
The schemes – consisting of 25 hours of work a week in Halfords for two months and six weeks of work at Prudential – are unpaid with participants claiming benefits to support themselves.
Most participants are not offered a job or apprenticeship once their traineeship ends.
Joe Crossley, business development manager at Qube, which provides the training for the Halford’s scheme, said preparing participants for work within six weeks was a short time frame.
He told the Guardian, “They don’t know how to present themselves or how to dress or not to use their mobile phone. They have to develop those skills and (to do so) in six weeks can be a challenge.”
Glasgow University research fellow and benefit sanctions expert, David Webster, said using financial threats to make people undertake unpaid work leads to abuse and poor training and does little to tackle unemployment.
He said, “Because referrals are made under threat of sanction, the JobCentre doesn’t bother to make these things suitable or realistic.
“People end up just being abused, really. Only if activities are voluntary can you be clear that they have value to the participant.”
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said traineeships were about free labour.
She said, “These schemes are clearly not about training, but forcing people into unpaid work. The fact that well-known brands are operating these schemes to boost their profits is especially alarming.
“These schemes are a worst-case scenario and fall far short of the assurances Unite was given when these traineeships were introduced.”


text:
KABUL, Afghanistan — The international military coalition in Afghanistan has confirmed that three children were killed in a coalition artillery strike in Helmand Province, expressing regret over the deaths and calling them “tragic,” but also raising the possibility that the Taliban had been using the children to place roadside bombs for them.
The artillery strike occurred Sunday afternoon after aerial images showed people laying bombs on a road frequently used by military vehicles in Nawa District, according to an official with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, commonly referred to as ISAF. The images first showed five people on the road, with two then moving away, presumably to act as an “early warning” for those digging the holes for the bombs in case someone came along, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operational details.
A guided rocket strike was approved against those digging the holes after ensuring that no civilian homes were in the immediate area, according to the ISAF official. A few minutes later, Afghans from the area arrived at the scene and loaded the bodies onto their truck, and minutes later the coalition forces stopped the vehicle as police officers and others arrived.
“All three diggers were identified as coming from the same family and were 12, 10 and 8 years old,” the ISAF official said.
Describing the strike, a spokesman for the regional military command, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton, said Wednesday, “It appears the Taliban were using the children to emplace the I.E.D., as they know the risks with such activity.” He was referring to improvised explosive devices.Continue reading the main story
In a formal statement released Tuesday, the international coalition said: “The coalition extends its deep regret for this tragic incident. We also extend our sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who died, and we take full responsibility for what occurred.”
Coalition officials said they planned to visit the families who had lost children to express their condolences.
Those family members, however, gave a different explanation earlier this week.
They said the children had been sent to gather dung, which farmers in the area dry and use for fuel. The children were near where the Taliban were laying the bombs, and the militants were killed as well as the children, who died from shrapnel wounds.
However, no one reached by The New York Times described seeing the bodies of the Taliban members who were killed. Hajji Hayatullah, a member of the district tribal council, arrived soon after he heard of the episode and said he saw the dung-filled bags, one covered with blood. But he said he did not see the bodies of militants.
“I saw three to four holes in the area that it seems the insurgents were digging for planting mines. I did not see any dead bodies of the men that the officials claimed were the I.E.D. planters,” Mr. Hayatullah said.
“Later, the people from the area told me that the Taliban were planting mines, but I did not see the bodies or any sign of someone having been killed; there were only the three dead bodies of the children.”
The district governor of Nawa, Hajji Abdul Manaf Khan, reported that two Taliban militants had been killed in the strike.
One possibility is that the children did go out to gather dung, but were then asked by locals with the Taliban to help them dig the bomb holes, and they complied, unaware of the danger. The area is considered insecure and is used by insurgents, Mr. Hayatullah said.
Civilian casualties caused by ISAF operations have been a continuing source of tension between Western and Afghan officials. Under new ground rules issued this year by the NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John R. Allen, there are sharp limitations on the use of airstrikes, which in the past had caused many of the civilian deaths. He called for additional changes in June after a strike in which the coalition took responsibility for civilian deaths — 18, according to the Afghan government.
After that General Allen ordered coalition forces to avoid using airstrikes against Afghan homes except in self-defense.
Though at the time some saw the changes as being relatively narrow in scope, they appear to have had some effect. Recent data released by the United Nations found that civilian casualties caused by international and Afghan troops who supported the government now represented less than 10 percent of all civilian casualties. In 2010, the international forces and Afghan troops were responsible for 16 percent of the civilian casualties, and in 2011 for 14 percent. Through all those years, Taliban attacks still were a more prevalent cause of Afghan deaths, the figures show.Continue reading the main story


text:
Carpenter, John T. (2007) 'By Brush or Block Printing: Transmitting Cultural Heritage in Premodern Japan.' Orientations, 38 (8). pp. 57-66.
|SOAS Departments & Centres:||Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Department of History of Art and Archaeology|
|Depositing User:||John Carpenter|
|Date Deposited:||07 Mar 2008 10:18|
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How do ball screws work?
Ball screws utilise ball bearings recirculating within a nut, which transmit the load to the shaft. They are a very efficient method of converting rotary motion to translational movement.
There are two main types of ball screw ~ rolled and ground. With the advent of precision rolling technology most ball screws are now of the rolled type, as these can offer up to G5 lead precision and excellent running characteristics. For applications with higher accuracy requirements, or specific preloads/axial clearances then ground ball screws are used.
SKF has an extensive range of precision rolled ball screws, including miniature ball screws (available in stainless steel). SKF SD, BD, SH, SX, BX, SND, BND, PND, SN, BN, PN, SL, TL, SLT and TLT are all available from Acorn.
THK offers a vast range of both rolled and ground products, with rolled products being manufactured in Europe. DIN standard EBA, EBB, EBC, EPB, EPC and EPA ball screws are available.
Both THK and SKF offers a range that includes long lead ball screws and rotating nut ball screws.
As all ball screws can only ‘see’ axial forces then some form of linear guidance is usually required; shafts, linear profile rail guides and roller guides are all available from Acorn ~ please see the relevant product pages for details.


text: The Drizzled Cat Litter Mat from Boots and Barkley offers a practical solution to your cat litter problems. Made from durable material and featuring a soft, textured surface, this gray rectangular pet waste mat contains many small pores for helping to sweep litter off cats' feet on their way out of the litter box. Simply place this mat in front of your cat's litter box — when your kitty comes out, the mat will trap litter particles and prevent them from tracking across the house. Loving your pet from head to tail. 100 percent Satisfaction Guaranteed.

domain: pet