Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls
Release Date: September 4, 2015
Britain’s heavy metal warhorse, Iron Maiden, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with the release of its sixteenth studio album, The Book of Souls. The new album is the band’s first since 2010’s The Final Frontier–an album many fans thought might have been the last for Iron Maiden. The Book of Souls has made the five-year wait worth it, delivering up a double album of material spanning 92 minutes over 11 songs, including the epic final track, “Empire of the Clouds”, which clocks in at 18 minutes.
The Book of Souls finds the songwriting more evenly distributed than ever before with frontman Bruce Dickinson and bassist Steve Harris creating the majority of the record, with the band’s three guitarists; Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers all contributing as well. Only drummer Nicko McBrain is absent from writing credits this time around.
The balanced songwriting has added depth and maturity to what may be Iron Maiden‘s most cohesive and expansive record since 2000’s Brave New World. At this point in their lofty careers there is little reason not to push their own boundaries. This can be felt right out of the gate on the eight-and-a-half-minute Dickinson penned opener, “If Eternity Should Fail”. The song begins with Dickinson’s emotive vocals over an Egyptian-esque backdrop, before the guitars weave through the chugging rhythms of the bass and drums. The song sets a strong atmospheric tone to begin this odyssey. Dickinson’s vocals are as powerful as ever, pushing every measure of the song forward, his intonation ebbing and flowing with nuance. At the five-minute mark the band moves into a trademark galloping breakdown. The final minutes morph into an acoustic interlude with a garbled voice speaking ominously over the music.
The record’s first single is “Speed of Light”, and the opening riff from Adrian Smith nods back to the band’s earliest New Wave of British Heavy Metal years, bristling with swagger and verve. Bruce’s rising vocals on the chorus are classic Maiden, and his opening banshee shriek adds an air of theatrical madness. McBrain even unleashes some cowbell on the intro–Cowbell on a Maiden song?–and it works brilliantly. Stunning guitar work and addictive melodies make this an instant classic. “Death or Glory” arrives in a similar NWOBHM manner, reminiscent of Maiden’s first two records prior to Dickinson arrival. Harris’ chunky bass recalling early tracks like “Running Free”. This is the second of the Smith/Dickinson offerings.
Harris, long the band’s dominant songcrafter, delivers a mammoth beast with his 13-plus-minute track, “The Red and the Black”. It begins with the toying thunder of his bass, before the guitars and drums chime in to propel the song forward. Dickinson’s vocal line follows the melody like a dark minstrel dancing in the streets. Harris has created a dexterous and meaty composition filled with all the classic Maiden influences fans of have come to expect but pushed to new limits. Some of the record’s best fretwork can be found at the song’s midway point.
Smith and Harris team up for three tracks on the album, “The Great Unknown”, “The River Runs Deep”, and “Tears of a Clown”. The latter is a tribute to comedian Robin Williams who tragically took his own life last summer after a long battle with depression. “The Great Unknown” resonates with a somewhat somber and moody feel. Dickinson whisper-sings his tale until it builds into a soaring monolith. McBrain shines here with well-choreographed cymbal work and his usual spirited intensity. Dickinson almost feels like he is chasing the melody on “When the River Runs Deep” leaving the listener feeling a bit breathless. His vocals rise and fall with the current of the song’s rhythm. “Tears of a Clown” plods along with some of the album’s grittiest riffs.
Janick Gers worked with Harris on “Shadows of the Valley” and the title track. The former instantly recalls the dancing guitar into of “Wasted Years” while “The Book of Souls” returns to the ancient flowing vibe of the opening track. The song features one of the tastiest riffs on the record.
Dave Murray makes his lone contribution with Harris on the winding track, “The Man of Sorrows”, which for me is perhaps the least inspired track on the record yet still quite enjoyable. The most inspired has to be Dickinson’s wholly cinematic epic, “Empire of the Clouds”. Bruce begins the journey behind his piano with a light interlude of strings adding atmosphere and substance to the ethereal solemnity of Dickinson’s melody. Attempting to articulate the scope of this song feels like an injustice. Suffice to say this track alone is worth the price of the record and an experience any metal fan should welcome.
With The Book of Souls, Iron Maiden has further cemented its iconic status among the rock and metal community. This record is but another grand and fulfilling chapter in a legendary career that is distinguished by deft musicianship, intelligent lyrics, and masterful songwriting. Kevin Shirley‘s production is understated yet flawlessly brilliant. Whether The Book of Souls is the final chapter in Iron Maiden‘s impressive and historic catalog of music remains to be seen, but it is certainly among its most memorable offerings since the band’s seminal 80’s works.


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Rocco Wright death: Inquest to hear from lifeguards at Leeds pool
Lifeguards who were on duty at a swimming pool when a three-year-old boy drowned are to be called as witnesses at his inquest.
Rocco Wright was found floating face down in the water at the David Lloyd Club on Tongue Lane in Leeds on 21 April 2018.
He and his four-year-old sister had been taken to the pool by their father, Steven Wright, for a swimming lesson.
The hearing is due to start on 10 February at Wakefield Coroner's Court.
Harry Vann, who represented the club during a pre-inquest review hearing, told coroner Jonathan Leach: "We know that the inquest will touch upon the safety of people using the pool but this ought to be limited, and focused towards the day of the incident itself."
Mr Vann said a jury will also hear about an "issue regarding the number of people at the pool on the day of the incident".
At the time of his death, Rocco's father said there was confusion over the swimming instructors and he decided to "forget the lesson" and take his children swimming himself "only to realise I couldn't see Rocco".
"I checked round the poolside thinking he would be hiding, but devastatingly he wasn't," Mr Wright said previously.
"I found him at the far end of pool face down at the bottom."
The family's lawyer, Natalie Marrison, said evidence on "how long Rocco was under the water for and issues of that nature" would also be heard.
Mr Wright, who was present at the hearing, previously described his son as "the most amazing, happy, joyful boy you could ever wish to meet" and his family were "all totally devastated".
David Lloyd Clubs had said it was "deeply shocked" and would work with the authorities during the investigation.

domain: news


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Border Patrol checkpoint. The dog didn't detect anything, so they waved us through.
It was a long drive from San Diego to Tucson. Interstate 8 dips down to the U.S./Mexican border several times. The Border Patrol presence was thick. We saw several roadside busts going down, including a van full of people. The border wall/fence was interesting to see. Much of the drive is very scenic with the multiple mountain regions on both sides of the road. At one point, we dropped in elevation from 4100 ft to 2000 ft within about 5 miles. The temperature increased 7 degrees in that short duration. Tomorrow we will try to hit Kitt Peak visitor's center and Pima Air Museum all in one day.
The fence/wall along the U.S./Mexico border.
The West Inn is the hotel we stayed in for 5 nights in Carlsbad just north of San Diego. We picked this hotel because of the close proximity to Legoland and the beach. The hotel was wonderful. All of the staff were very friendly. The hotel is privately owned and they thought of everything. Every night the hotel provided fresh baked cookies and milk. Our evening schedules centered around this snack event. The morning breakfast buffet was well done (much better than most hotels), and the large lodge area allowed for plenty of room to relax.

domain: travel


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According to a recent article in the Scotsman newspaper by journalist Craig Brown: “Unelected, unscientific and self-serving” church leaders should not have the legal right to make decisions on school education.
This was the preamble to his piece focussing on a petition from Edinburgh Secular Society (ESS) to the Scottish Parliament to repeal Section 124 of The Local Government Act which compels local councils to appoint three religious representatives to their education committees. In most local authorities, this means the education committee comprises councillors, a representative from the Church of Scotland the Roman Catholic Church plus one of the other denominations.
The ESS petition is supported by The National Secular Society, the Humanist Society of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh Humanist Society. Individuals supporting the petition include Green MSP Patrick Harvie and SNP councillor Sandy Howat.
The ESS argues that because the last census showed that nearly 50% of Scots said they had no religious beliefs: “To afford a particular section of society a privileged position within the decision making process based solely on their particular and personal religious beliefs is profoundly and inherently undemocratic, unfair and discriminatory.”
Predictably, the Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland have both rightly condemned the petition.
As a born again Christian and professional historian, I fully support our churches. The ESS petition is simply another aggressive act by a militant minority to drive the Christian faith from Scottish society and it won’t work.
The secularists conveniently forget that today’s national system of free and compulsory education was founded through the persistence of protestant reformer, John Knox and his colleagues. The task was undertaken by church parishes over a 200 year period, transforming Scotland from one of most backward and illiterate counties in Europe to a nation of inventors, economists, writers, doctors, entrepreneurs and missionaries.
The Church has been an enormous force for good through its passion for education. It still has a vital role to play today. Many of the religious representatives on our education committees are former teachers who bring a wealth of experience to groups of politicians who have little understanding of schools and the educational issues of the day.
We should be defending and celebrating the role of religious representatives on our education committees not campaigning for their abolition.

domain: sociology


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Princeton – Princeton mayor Don Rains, a local businessman and community leader, has filed for re-election.
“Princeton is in the middle of significant community projects such as drainage, water and sewer improvements, and we continue to raise funds to complete the construction of the new community center,” Rains said. The new center will be a venue for family and town events, as well as the Town Library. We have renewed economic success in our community, and I see an even brighter future with the completion of Interstate 42. Our community needs leadership that reaches out and involves the community. We know that change will be coming in our community but we will be prepared by supporting the vision and plans for growth.”… read more »
The races in multiple elections in Wayne County changed considerably as the deadline to file arrived on Friday.… read more »


When The Washington Post reported that the former Italian Embassy on 16th & Fuller would at long last become luxury condos called The Flats at Il Palazzo, it was the eight story addition behind the historic landmark that drew the most ire from their commenters. "I'll be interested to see how they integrate an 'eight story addition' into the original facade." says one commenter. "So much for architectural integrity," quipped another. So, how does this tower, a reported "hyphen" between the embassy and the newer surrounding buildings actually look? Actually, not too bad. From the looks of these renderings, the tower has similar coloring and a neo-Classical style that fits in well with the existing building without looking like a relic itself. Also, it's in the northwest corner of the plot of land, and as such, doesn't overshadow the former embassy. Construction on The Flats at Il Palazzo has already begun and the 110 to 130 condos have an optimistic delivery date of winter 2015.
· After years, The Flats at Il Palazzo--in the former Italian embassy--set to move forward [Elevation DC]
· Developers to convert former Italian Embassy into upscale condos [WaPo]
· International Relations [CDC]


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BCBG Max Azria Group Inc. is working to secure a new $230 million term loan to refinance a portion of its debt.
Standard & Poor’s Friday gave the proposed senior secured first-lien term loan a rating of “B-minus.” The debt watchdog also raised BCBG’s corporate credit rating to “B-minus” from “CCC-plus.” The company’s current rating suggests that it has capacity to meet its obligations, but that adverse economic conditions might change that.
BCBG has a $110 million first-lien term loan coming due in August that, if not refinanced, could impair the firm’s liquidity. The refinancing would extend repayment on the debt until 2015.
“The ratings on BCBG reflect our belief that liquidity will improve to ‘less than adequate’ from ‘weak’ after the completion of the refinancing, with an extended maturity profile and adequate covenant headroom,” said S&P analyst Helena Song.
S&P added that the rating reflected “expectations that although revenue will likely weaken in fiscal 2011, operating performance and credit metrics should remain relatively stable in 2011, benefiting from higher operating margins as a result of better product mix and a gradually improving economy.”
Low interest rates and easier terms from banks have made for a refinancing boom in fashion, with vendors and producers alike rolling over debt at better terms.
BCBG is owned by Tunisian-born Max Azria who has built a fashion empire through a frenzy of dealmaking. The company draws annual revenues of about $1.1 billion, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
In 1998, BCBG bought the French fashion house Hervé Léger. The Don Algodón chain of stores in Spain was purchased in 2005. The following year, BCBG acquired the Max Rave chain, which closed in January. That year it also bought French retail Alain Manoukian, and inked a deal to sell a ready-to-wear line called Tex by Max Azria at Carrefour in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Greece. That deal fizzled in 2009.
BCBG launched a Miley Cyrus line as an exclusive with Wal-Mart in 2009.
Most recently, Azria teamed with private investor Nicholas Berggruen to buy the bankrupt German department store chain Karstadt in September. He owns 20 percent of the 120-door chain.
EXCLUSIVE: @tomford is opening its first-ever beauty store. The boutique, which opens November 20 in London’s Covent Gardens, was designed with the over-the-top glam Ford is known for. Read the full story on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: Simon Wagner) #TomFordBeauty
New York-based DJ @harleyvnewton threw a party to celebrate the holiday collection of her dress and pajama line @hvn at the Ladurée Beverly Hills. It Girls @katebosworth, @rashidajones and more joined in on the fun, which included cocktails, croque monsieur sandwiches and a photo booth. #wwdfashion (📷: Owen Kolasinski/BFA.com)
For the holidays, @Burberry partnered with 20-year-old artist @blondeymccoy on a series of three outdoor murals in downtown Manhattan. The murals are McCoy’s interpretation of a Christmas eve party, the idea of charity and the spirit of family. His third mural, pictured here, is the most personal. The image depicts McCoy’s grandparents and father in London’s Trafalgar Square in the Seventies. “My work often features lots of sentimental objects.” #wwdeye
For spring 2018, designers applied bold colors and cartoonish motifs on everything from sneakers and belts to key chains. See all the top men’s accessories trends on WWD.com. #wwdtrends (📷: George Chinsee; Prop Styling by @rnasti; Market Editor: @luiscampuzano)
The @dior-sponsored @guggenheim international gala pre-party has a history of drawing cool-girl musical acts to serenade the crowd –– and last night was no exception. @haimtheband performed songs both new and old, and lured a star-studded audience with the likes of Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Mamoudou Athie and more. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
In a partnership between the @metopera and the @englishnationalopera, “Marnie” was born. The opera, with costumes sponsored by @mrporterlive, is an adaptation of the 1961 thriller by Winston Graham. Arianne Phillips, who created the costumes, is no rookie: She’s styled Madonna for her tours and created costumes for a myriad of films in the past. Read WWD’s interview with Phillips, where she talks about her inspiration for the opera’s costumes on WWD.com #wwdfashion
@barneysnyc took a different approach to their holiday windows this year. Instead of Christmas decor, Barneys tapped @thehaasbrothers to tell a story of positivity, gratitude and inclusivity via heartwarming silliness and humor. “It’s about kids and it’s about coming together and being family and loving each other,” said Simon Haas. #wwdfashion (📷: @joshuascottphoto)
Beauty influencer @kandeejohnson makes her foray into hair care with a collaboration with @ogx_beauty — making it the first time that OGX has teamed up for a product creation. The collab includes shampoos and conditioners in three scents. At 39 and a mom, Johnson is a different profile than the emerging social media stars, but is considered one of the pioneers of the digital beauty influencer world. Read WWD’s interview with her on wwd.com, including the strangest beauty product she’s ever tried #wwdbeauty


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First off: Baking At Home with The Culinary Institute of America: Essential Techniques and Recipes for Creating Great Breads and Desserts. This hefty, beautiful book is full of great step-by-step techniques, illustrations and tempting photos. When I unwrapped it, I opened it to a recipe for Smoked Provolone and Thyme Muffins. They’re in my very near future. Same goes for Eclairs, which I think would be a hit with the Bake Sale crowd — come to think of it, there’s a bake sale Saturday…
This book is beautiful, worthy of coffee table status, well on my coffee table, anyway. There are SO many new things to try. And if something goes awry, there’s a “What went wrong?” appendix of common baking problems. (Hmm, I don’t see “didn’t follow the directions” as a common problem; clearly the CIA Chefs aren’t familiar with the root of my problems!)
Next up: The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, who I’ve used before when she contributed a bread baking primer to Epicurious. This book is also full of great illustrations, photos and recipes for every kind of bread you could want to bake – from quickbreads and crumpets to sourdough and stud muffins. (Yes, stud muffins, which I’m going to have to bake just so I can say, “Oh, my weekend was great, I had some superb stud muffins!” )
So thanks again, Harriet, for the absolutely perfect presents.
A belated Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, wanna be mothers and mothers in spirit.

domain: food


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Dads Make a Difference
Mums and dads bring different things to the wellbeing of children. Dads are often more physical, flexible and have more of a give-and-take approach to play and interactions. While each parent will bring their own unique parenting style, there are some general truths that research backs up about the benefits that Dads bring to raising children.
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Here’s how dads help their children:
- Being a dad who is emotionally invested and well connected is associated with better well-being, cognitive development and social competence.
- Dads who are involved, supportive, non-controlling and can be flexible when needed, significantly increase the development of child executive function (important self-control skills developed in the preschool years and lead to greater success in school years).
- Dads who more often show warmth and can set limits have children in a healthier weight range.
- Dads have greater influence on child physical activity - role modelling, taking children to sport, being a positive spectator and helping to promote physical activity with your co- parent all make a positive difference.
- Dads of ‘gifted’ sons make a difference by reflecting on and accepting their own giftedness, not forcing conformity to stereotypes, avoiding too high expectations, listening more than talking, avoiding unnecessary power struggles and laughing with them at silly mistakes.
Dads are often more physical, flexible and have more of a give-and-take approach to play and interactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did you want to get some tips from a dad on what he learnt about being a good enough dad? Check out this video found on the Better Dads website (betterdads.com) - Nicho Plowman ‘The Importance of Being Great Dads While Our Children Are Young”.

domain: psychology


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from Undergraduate Chapel: Spring 2013
by Andy Crouch
May 1, 2013
Andy Crouch urges his audience to embrace the very beginning and very end of their Bibles: where God creates a good world, and where God creates a beautiful new world. He considers the tendency of ...
Chapels from the Spring 2013 semester at Biola University.
Chapels are presented in chronological order, with most recent chapels at the end of the list.
+ 44 other authors

domain: library


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World leaders are meeting to discuss tackling climate change at a big UN summit in Dubai.
It follows a year of extreme weather events in which many climate records have been broken.
What is COP28 and where is it?
COP28 is the 28th annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting where governments will discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change.
The summit is being held in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November until 12 December 2023.
What does COP stand for?
COP stands for “Conference of the Parties”, where the “parties” are the countries that signed up to the original UN climate agreement in 1992.
Why is holding COP28 in Dubai controversial?
The UAE is one of the world’s top 10 oil-producing nations.
It has appointed the chief executive of the state-owned oil company, Sultan al-Jaber, president of the COP28 talks.
Oil – like gas and coal – is a fossil fuel. These are the main causes of climate change because they release planet-warming greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide when burned for energy.
Mr Jaber’s oil company plans to expand production capacity.
Documents leaked to the BBC suggest the UAE planned to use its role as host to strike oil and gas deals.
Mr Jaber has previously argued that he is uniquely well-placed to push for action from the oil and gas industry, and that as chairman of renewable energy firm Masdar, he has also overseen the expansion of clean technologies like wind and solar power.
Why is COP28 important?
It is hoped COP28 will help keep alive the goal of limiting long-term global temperature rises to 1.5C. This was agreed by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015.
The 1.5C target is crucial to avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change, according to the UN’s climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Long-term warming currently stands at about 1.1C or 1.2C compared with pre-industrial times – the period before humans started burning fossil fuels at scale.
However, recent estimates suggest the world is currently on track for about 2.4C to 2.7C of warming by 2100, although the exact numbers are uncertain.
As a result, the window for keeping the 1.5C limit in reach is “rapidly narrowing”, the UN says.
What will be discussed at COP28?
As well as progress towards the existing Paris goals, COP28 will concentrate on:
- fast-tracking the move to clean energy sources, to “slash” greenhouse gas emissions before 2030
- delivering money for climate action from richer to poorer countries, and working on a new deal for developing nations
- focusing on nature and people
- making COP28 the “most inclusive” ever
There will also be themed days on issues including health, finance, food and nature.
Who will be at COP28?
More than 200 governments are invited.
US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping are not expected to attend, but both countries will be represented.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will take part, and Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles will also attend. He will deliver an opening address to delegates on 1 December.
Environmental charities, community groups, think tanks, businesses and faith groups will also take part.
Hundreds of delegates with links to fossil fuels attended COP27 in 2022.
What are COP28 sticking points likely to be?
There is likely to be disagreement about the future of “unabated” fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas which are burned without technologies to capture their emissions.
Mr Jaber has called for a “phase down” in their use, meaning a reduction over time, but not a complete end. However, the European Union is expected to push for a full “phase out”.
Climate campaigners point out that restricting agreements to “unabated” fossil fuels would allow some production to continue. They say there is no guarantee capturing emissions will work at scale.
Money will also be an issue.
At COP27, a “loss and damage” fund was agreed for richer countries to pay poorer countries facing the effects of climate change.
But exactly how this will work is still unclear. The US, for example, has ruled out paying climate reparations for its historical emissions.
In 2009, developed countries committed to give $100bn (£82bn) a year, by 2020, to developing countries to help them reduce emissions and prepare for climate change.
The target was missed but is expected to be reached in 2023.
Will COP28 make any difference?
Critics of previous COPs, including campaigner Greta Thunberg, accuse the summits of “greenwashing”: that is, countries and businesses promote their climate credentials without making the changes needed.
But as world leaders gather, the summits offer potential for global agreements that go beyond national measures.
For example, the 1.5C warming limit, agreed in Paris at COP21, has driven “near-universal climate action”, according to the UN.


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US 20020165588 A1
Structures and methods relating to electrodes for incorporation into a feedthrough with a profile adapted for subcutaneous sensing of physiologic and cardiac signals. Electrode assemblies are adapted for integration with feedthrough to enable maximal electrode spacing, minimal myopotential electrical noise and provide reliable insulation from the IMD housing. Various structures and manufacturing processes are implemented to provide a large sensing surface with a low profile. The subcutaneous sensing electrode assembly provides a leadless sensing system and further enhances installation and follow-up procedures.
1. An IMD including at least one electrode incorporated into a feedthrough for electrical coupling with a circuit of the IMD to detect physiological signals, the electrode in combination with the feedthrough comprising:
the electrode disposed in a ferrule conforming to a periphery of IMD;
insulator means between said sensing electrode and said ferrule; and
electrical coupling means between said electrode and said circuit.
2. The IMD of
3. The IMD of
4. The IMD of
5. A sensing electrode system wherein one or more electrodes are disposed around the perimetric periphery of an implantable medical device (IMD), the sensing electrode system comprising:
a first end integrated with a feedthrough conductor;
insulator means having an opening to encase a segment of said first end;
braze means to hermetically seal and integrally connect said first end with said insulator and said insulator with a ferrule; and
a second end forming a large surface area extending through said ferrule;
said first end being electrically coupled to a circuit in the IMD, said second end providing sensing to process physiologic signals obtained via said large surface area.
6. The system of
7. The system of
8. The system of
9. An implantable medical device (IMD) having a hermetically sealed housing having a housing outer wall exposed to the body and a housing inner wall enclosing sensing circuitry within said housing for processing electrical signals of the body detected between at least two sense electrodes supported by the housing, wherein;
at least one sense electrode comprises a electrical feedthrough mounted to extend between said housing first side and said housing second side, said feedthrough comprising a ferrule having an inner ferrule surface extending between a ferrule first end and a ferrule second end, an electrically conductive feedthrough pin extending between a feedthrough pin first end and a feedthrough pin second end, and an electrical insulator extending between said feedthrough pin and said ferrule inner wall and supporting said feedthrough pin; and further comprising:
means for mounting said ferrule wall first end to extend said feedthrough pin through said housing to expose said feedthrough pin first end to the body and to hermetically enclose said feedthrough pin second end within said housing; and
means for electrically coupling said feedthrough pin second end with said sensing circuitry thereby enabling said feedthrough pin first end to function as a first sense electrode operable in conjunction with a second sense electrode coupled with the sensing circuitry to enable sensing of electrical signals of the body.
10. The IMD of
the ferrule first end is mounted flush with the outer housing wall and the ferrule second end extends within said housing; and
said insulator is mounted to extend between said ferrule inner wall within said housing and said feedthrough pin and supports the feedthrough pin first end recessed into the ferrule away from the ferrule first end.
11. The IMD of
the feedthrough pin has a pin diameter extending through said insulator; and
the feedthrough pin has an enlarged electrode diameter at the feedthrough pin first end providing en enlarged electrode surface area.
12. The IMD of
13. The IMD of
14. The IMD of
the feedthrough ferrule is cylindrical in shape between the ferrule first end and the ferrule second end and has a ferrule diameter;
the feedthrough pin has an enlarged electrode diameter less than the ferrule diameter at the feedthrough pin first end forming an enlarged electrode surface area.
15. The IMD of
16. The IMD of
17. The IMD of
the ferrule first end is mount flush with the outer housing wall and the ferrule second end extends within said housing; and
said insulator is mounted to extend between said ferrule inner wall within said housing and said feedthrough pin and supports the feedthrough pin first end extending past the ferrule first end and outward of the housing exposed wall.
18. The IMD of
the feedthrough pin has a in diameter extending through said insulator; and
the feedthrough pin has an enlarged electrode having an enlarged electrode diameter at the feedthrough pin first end providing an enlarged electrode surface area extending outward over the housing outer wall.
19. The IMD of
20. The IMD of
21. The IMD of
22. The IMD of
the feedthrough ferrule is cylindrical in shape between the ferrule first end and the ferrule second end and has a ferrule diameter;
the feedthrough pin has a pin diameter extending through said insulator; and
the feedthrough pin has an enlarged electrode having electrode diameter exceeding the ferrule diameter at the feedthrough pin first end forming an enlarged electrode surface area extending outward over the housing outer wall.
23. The IMD of
24. The IMD of
25. The IMD of
26. The IMD of
27. The IMD of
28. The IMD of
a plurality of sense electrodes are each formed of a like plurality of said feedthroughs each electrically connected with said sending circuitry to process a plurality of electrical signals detected from selected pairs of feedthrough pin first ends; and
said housing comprises a pair of opposed major housing walls joined a their peripheries by a perimeter, and each ferrule of said plurality of feedthroughs is attached to an opening through said perimeter of said housing.
29. The IMD of
the feedthrough pin has a pin diameter extending through said insulator;
the feedthrough pin has an enlarged electrode diameter at the feedthrough pin first end providing an enlarged electrode surface area.
30. The IMD of
31. The IMD of
32. The IMD of
33. The IMD of
34. The IMD of
35. The IMD of
a capacitive filter mounted between a second portion of the inner ferrule surface and the feedthrough pin; and
a polyamide disk between the capacitive filter and the insulator to facilitate hermetic leak testing of the insulator.
36. The IMD of
37. The IMD of
38. The IMD of
 The present invention relates generally to implantable pacemakers and more particularly to subcutaneous electrodes implemented to sense, acquire, and store electrocardiographic data and waveform tracings from an implanted pacemaker. More particularly, the present invention relates to various embodiments including the manufacture and assembly of such electrodes with feedthroughs that facilitate their electrical connection to a pacemaker's circuitry.
 Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are commonly used in medicine to determine the status of the electrical conduction system of the human heart. As practiced, an ECG recording device is commonly attached to the patient via ECG leads connected to skin electrodes arrayed on the patient's body so as to achieve a recording that displays the cardiac waveforms in any one of 12 possible vectors.
 Since the implantation of the first cardiac pacemaker, implantable IMD technology has advanced with the development of sophisticated, programmable cardiac pacemakers and pacemaker-cardioverter-defibrillator (PCD) arrhythmia control devices designed to detect arrhythmias and dispense appropriate therapies. The detection and discrimination between various arrhythmic episodes in order to trigger the delivery of an appropriate therapy is of considerable interest. Prescription for implantation and programming of the implanted device are based on the analysis of the PQRST electrocardiogram (ECG) and the electrogram (EGM). The waveforms are usually separated for such analysis into the P-wave and R-wave in systems that are designed to detect the depolarization of the atrium and ventricle respectively. Such systems employ detection of the occurrence of the P-wave and R-wave, analysis of the rate, regularity, and onset of variations in the rate of recurrence of the P-wave and R-wave, the morphology of the P-wave and R-wave and the direction of propagation of the depolarization represented by the P-wave and R-wave in the heart. The detection, analysis and storage of such EGM data within implanted medical devices are well known in the art. Acquisition and use of ECG tracing(s), on the other hand, has generally been limited to the use of an external ECG recording machine attached to the patient via surface electrodes of one sort or another.
 The aforementioned ECG systems that use detection and analysis of the PQRST complex are all dependent upon the spatial orientation and number of externally applied electrodes available near or around the heart to detect or sense the cardiac depolarization wave front.
 As the functional sophistication and complexity of implantable medical device systems increased over the years, it has become necessary for such systems to include communication means between implanted devices and/or an external device, for example, a programming console, monitoring system, and similar systems. For diagnostic purposes, it is desirable that the implanted device be able to communicate information regarding the device's operational status and the patient's condition to the physician or clinician. State of the art implantable devices are available which can transmit or telemeter a digitized electrical signal to display electrical cardiac activity (e.g., an ECG, EGM, or the like) for storage and/or analysis by an external device.
 To diagnose and measure cardiac events, the cardiologist has several tools from which to choose. Such tools include twelve-lead electrocardiograms, exercise stress electrocardiograms, Holter monitoring, radioisotope imaging, coronary angiography, myocardial biopsy, and blood serum enzyme tests. In spite of these advances in the medical device art, the surface ECG has remained a standard diagnostic tool since the very beginning of pacing and remains so today. The twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is generally the first procedure used to determine cardiac status prior to implanting a pacing system. Thereafter, the physician will typically use an ECG available through the programmer or extra corporeal telemetry transmission to check the pacemaker's efficacy after implantation. Previous ECG tracings are placed into the patient's records for later use in comparing against more recent tracings. It must be noted, however, that current art practice in ECG recording (whether through a direct connection to an ECG recording device or to a pacemaker programmer), involves the use of external ECG electrodes and leads.
 Unfortunately, surface ECG electrodes have technical drawbacks. For example, electrocardiogram analysis performed using existing external or body surface ECG systems can be limited by mechanical problems and poor signal quality. Electrodes attached externally to the body are a major source of signal quality problems and errors because of susceptibility to interference such as muscle noise, electromagnetic interference, high frequency communication equipment interference, and baseline shift from respiration, for example. Signal degradation also occurs due to contact problems, ECG waveform artifacts, and patient discomfort. Externally attached electrodes are also subject to motion artifacts from positional changes and the relative displacement between the skin and the electrodes. Furthermore, external electrodes require special skin preparation, for example, application of electrolyte ointment or cream, to ensure adequate electrical contact. Such preparation, along with positioning the electrode and attachment of the ECG lead to the electrode needlessly prolongs the pacemaker follow-up session. One possible approach is to equip the implanted pacemaker with features for detecting cardiac signals and transforming them into a tracing that is the same as or comparable to tracings obtainable via ECG leads attached to surface (skin) electrodes.
 Monitoring electrical activity of the human heart for diagnostic and related medical purposes is well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,565 issued to Ohlsson describes circuitry for recording ECG signals from multiple lead inputs. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,919 issued to Levin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,227 issued to Feldman, et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,702 issued to Kepski, et al, describe multiple electrode systems that combine surface EKG signals for artifact rejection.
 The primary application of multiple electrode systems in the prior art appears to be vector cardiography from ECG signals taken from multiple chest and limb electrodes. This is a technique for monitoring the direction of depolarization of the heart including the amplitude of the cardiac depolarization waves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,576 issued to Greensite discloses such a system.
 Numerous body surface ECG monitoring electrode systems have been implemented in the past to detect the ECG and conduct vector cardiographic studies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,086 issued to Page, et al., discloses a four electrode orthogonal array that may be applied to the patient's skin both for convenience and to ensure precise orientation of one electrode with respect to the other. U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,867 issued to Case describes a vector cardiography system employing ECG electrodes disposed on the patient in commonly used locations and a hex axial reference system orthogonal display for displaying ECG signals of voltage versus time generated across sampled bipolar electrode pairs.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,000 to Lindemans and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,729,376 and 4,674,508 to DeCote, incorporated herein by reference, disclose the use of a separate passive sensing reference electrode mounted on the pacemaker connector block or otherwise insulated from the pacemaker case. The passive electrode is implemented to provide a sensing reference electrode that is not part of the stimulation reference electrode and thus does not carry residual after-potentials at its surface following delivery of a stimulation pulse.
 Moreover, in regard to subcutaneously implanted EGM electrodes, the aforementioned Lindemans U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,000 discloses one or more reference sensing electrodes positioned on the surface of the pacemaker case as described above. In a related art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,443 issued to Lund describes a subcutaneously implanted electrode or electrodes for use in monitoring ECG.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,966 to Bennett, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method and apparatus for providing an enhanced capability of detecting and gathering electrical cardiac signals via an array of relatively closely spaced subcutaneous electrodes (located on the body of an implanted device).
 More recently, P-9033 Surround Shroud Connector and Electrode Housings for a Subcutaneous Electrode Array and Leadless ECGs, by Ceballos, et al. filed on Oct. 26, 2000, Ser. No. 09/697,438, incorporated herein by reference in its totality, discloses an alternate method and apparatus for detecting electrical cardiac signals via an array of subcutaneous electrodes located on a shroud circumferentially placed on the perimeter of an implanted pacemaker. An associated submission, P-9041 Subcutaneous Electrode for Sensing Electrical Signals of the Heart by Brabec et al, filed on Oct. 31, 2000, Ser. No. 09/703,152, incorporated herein by reference in its totality, discloses the use of a spiral electrode implemented in conjunction with the shroud described in P-9033. In addition, P-8786 Multilayer Ceramic Electrodes for Sensing Cardiac Depolarization Signals, filed Oct. 25, 2000, Ser. No. 09/696,365 and P-8787 Thin Film Electrodes for Sensing Cardiac Depolarization Signals, filed on Dec. 13, 2000, Ser. No. 09/736,046 both by Guck et al, incorporated herein by reference in their totality, disclose the use of multi-layer ceramic and thin film ECG electrodes placed into recesses incorporated along and into the peripheral edge of the implantable pacemaker.
 The present invention relates to various electrode designs that allow direct incorporation of the electrode into a feedthrough. Depending on the design, the feedthrough ferrules may be welded individually into desired positions around the perimeter of an implantable pacemaker and then the feedthrough/electrodes fabricated into the existing ferrules. Alternatively, the complete feedthrough/electrode assembly may be fabricated and then welded as one body into the pacemaker. These feedthrough/electrode assemblies are electrically connected to the circuitry of an implantable pacemaker to create a leadless Subcutaneous Electrode Array (SEA) for the purpose of detecting cardiac depolarization waveforms displayable as electrocardiographic tracings on an external device in communication with the pacemaker. When the programming head of a programmer is positioned above an implanted device equipped with a leadless SEA electrocardiographic tracing waveforms may be displayed and viewed on the programmer screen. These waveforms may also be telemetered extra-corporeally to an external device located nearby or at some distance from the patient, as is described in P-7683, Leadless Fully Automatic Pacemaker Follow-Up by Combs and Berg, filed on Dec. 27, 2000, Ser. No. 09/749,169 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
 The present invention, inter alia, may be a replacement for externally mounted electrodes and electrode wires in the prior art currently used on the leadless ECG implantable pacemaker, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,966 issued to Bennett. Typically, prior art practice includes electrodes placed on the face of the implanted pacemaker. When facing muscle, the electrodes are apt to detect myopotentials and are susceptible to baseline drift. The present invention minimizes myopotential detection and thereby makes the pacemaker less sensitive to orientation in the incision pocket of a patient. Further, allowing the device to be implanted on either side of the chest provides maximum electrode separation and minimal signal variation. This is primarily because of variations in pacemaker orientations within the pocket. Implantable device electrodes need to be placed on the perimeter of the pacemaker in such a way as to maximize the distance between electrode pairs.
 The present invention eliminates the need for a compliant shroud that typically houses the surface mounted electrodes and connecting wires as described in patent application No. P-9033, “Surround Shroud Connector And Electrode Housings For A Subcutaneous Electrode Array And Leadless ECGs,” by Ceballos et al. filed on Oct. 26, 2000, Ser. No. 09/697,438. Because the feedthrough/electrode assembly is an integral functional component, the complete assembly can be welded directly into the IPG casing. The present invention, including the manufacturing process disclosed herein eliminate the need for a compliant shroud in addition to structural efficiencies and ease of handling of the implantable pacemaker during the implant procedure.
 The spacing of the electrodes in the present invention provides maximal electrode spacing, minimal myopotential electrical noise, and, at the same time, appropriate insulation from the pacemaker casing particularly because of the welding of the assemblies to the pacemaker casing. The electrode spacing around the pacemaker's perimeter preferably maintains a maximum and equal distance between the electrode pairs. Spacing arrangements such as disclosed with the three-electrode equal spacing embodiment maintain a maximum average signal. The arrangement is preferred because the spacing of the three vectors between the electrode pairs is equal and the angle between the vectors is equilateral, as is shown using mathematical modeling. Such an arrangement of electrode pairs also minimizes signal variation. An alternate three electrode embodiment includes electrodes arranged so that the spacing of two vectors is equal and with angle between them set at 900. Vectors in these embodiments can be combined to provide adequate sensing of cardiac signals (ECGs). Further disclosure of the position of three and four-electrodes in the Subcutaneous Electrode Array (SEA) may be found in P-8552, Subcutaneous Electrode Array Virtual ECG Lead by Panken and Reinke, filed on Nov. 22, 2000, Ser. No. 09721,275, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
 Similar to the use of a compliant shroud, helical electrode and multi-layer ceramic electrode, the present invention allows a physician or medical technician to perform leadless follow-up that, in turn, eliminates the time it takes to attach external leads to the patient. Such timesavings may significantly reduce the cost of follow-up, and may enable the physician or medical technician to see more patients. Other implementations include, but are not limited to: Holter monitoring with event storage, arrhythmia detection and monitoring, capture detection, ischemia detection and monitoring (S-T elevation and suppression on the ECG), changes in QT interval, and transtelephonic and telemetric monitoring.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a body-implantable device system in accordance with the present invention, including a hermetically sealed device implanted in a patient and an external programming unit.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the external programming unit of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the implanted device from FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an implanted pacemaker in which the present invention may be practiced as a preferred embodiment.
 FIGS. 5 provides two cross sectional views of several alternative fabrications of the first embodiment of the present invention, using simple ECG sensing electrodes.
FIG. 6 shows four views of the second embodiment of the present invention that utilizes an ECG sensing electrode with a large surface area.
FIG. 7 shows four views of the third embodiment of the present invention that utilizes an ECG sensing electrode with a low profile and a filtered capacitor.
FIG. 8 shows four views of the fourth embodiment of the present invention that utilizes an ECG sensing electrode with a high surface area and a filtered capacitor.
FIG. 9 shows three views of how the third and fourth embodiments (FIGS. 7 and 8) of the present invention may be assembled with a polyimide disk to render the assembly as leak testable.
FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of the present invention with a low-profile disk electrode.
FIG. 11 is a display of various electrode types that may be used in the assemblies shown in previous figures.
FIG. 12 shows a cross sectional view of electrodes attached to a feedthrough conductor through the use of a shape memory alloy.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an implantable medical device system adapted for use in accordance with the present invention. The medical device system shown in FIG. 1 includes implantable device 10 that has been implanted in patient 12. In accordance with conventional practice in the art, pacemaker 10 is housed within a hermetically sealed, biologically inert outer casing, which may itself be conductive so as to serve as an indifferent electrode in the pacemaker's pacing/sensing circuit. One or more pacemaker leads, collectively identified with reference numeral 14 in FIG. 1 are electrically coupled to pacemaker 10 in a conventional manner and extend into the patient's heart 16 via a vein 18. Disposed generally near the distal end of leads 14 are one or more exposed conductive electrodes for receiving electrical cardiac signals and/or for delivering electrical pacing stimuli to heart 16. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, leads 14 may be implanted with their distal end(s) situated in the atrium and/or ventricle of heart 16.
 Although the present invention will be described herein in an embodiment which includes a pacemaker, those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced in connection with numerous other types of implantable medical device systems, and indeed in any application in which it is desirable to provide a communication link between two physically separated components.
 Also depicted in FIG. 1 is an external programming unit 20 for non-invasive communication with implanted device 10 via uplink and downlink communication channels, to be hereinafter described in further detail. Associated with programming unit 20 is a programming head 22, in accordance with conventional medical device programming systems, for facilitating two-way communication between implanted device 10 and programmer 20. In many known implantable device systems, a programming head such as that depicted in FIG. 1 is positioned on the patient's body over the implant site of the device (usually within 2-to 3-inches of skin contact), such that one or more antennae within the head can send RF signals to, and receive RF signals from, an antenna disposed within the hermetic enclosure of the implanted device or disposed within the connector block of the device, in accordance with common practice in the art.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of programming unit 20 in accordance with the presently disclosed invention. Internally, programmer 20 includes a processing unit (not shown in the Figure) that in accordance with the presently disclosed invention is a personal computer type motherboard, e.g., a computer motherboard including an Intel Pentium 3 microprocessor and related circuitry such as digital memory. The details of design and operation of the programmer's computer system will not be set forth in detail in the present disclosure, as it is believed that such details are well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
 Referring to FIG. 2, programmer 20 comprises an outer housing 60, which is preferably made of thermal plastic or another suitably rugged yet relatively lightweight material. A carrying handle, designated generally as 62 in FIG. 2, is integrally formed into the front of housing 60. With handle 62, programmer 20 can be carried like a briefcase.
 An articulating display screen 64 is disposed on the upper surface of housing 60. Display screen 64 folds down into a closed position (not shown) when programmer 20 is not in use, thereby reducing the size of programmer 20 and protecting the display surface of display 64 during transportation and storage thereof.
 A floppy disk drive is disposed within housing 60 and is accessible via a disk insertion slot (not shown). A hard disk drive is also disposed within housing 60, and it is contemplated that a hard disk drive activity indicator, (e.g., an LED, not shown) could be provided to give a visible indication of hard disk activation.
 As would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, it is often desirable to provide a means for determining the status of the patient's conduction system. Normally, programmer 20 is equipped with external ECG leads 24. It is these leads that are rendered redundant by the present invention.
 In accordance with the present invention, programmer 20 is equipped with an internal printer (not shown) so that a hard copy of a patient's ECG or of graphics displayed on the programmer's display screen 64 can be generated. Several types of printers, such as the AR-100 printer available from General Scanning Co., are known and commercially available.
 In the perspective view of FIG. 2, programmer 20 is shown with articulating display screen 64 having been lifted up into one of a plurality of possible open positions such that the display area thereof is visible to a user situated in front of programmer 20. Articulating display screen is preferably of the LCD or electro-luminescent type, characterized by being relatively thin as compared, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT) or the like.
 As would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, display screen 64 is operatively coupled to the computer circuitry disposed within housing 60 and is adapted to provide a visual display of graphics and/or data under control of the internal computer.
 Programmer 20 described herein with reference to FIG. 2 is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,362 issued to Thomas J. Winkler, entitled Portable Computer Apparatus With Articulating Display Panel, which patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The Medtronic Model 9790 programmer is the implantable device-programming unit with which the present invention may be advantageously practiced.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic circuitry that makes up pulse generator 10 in accordance with the presently disclosed invention. As can be seen from FIG. 3, pacemaker 10 comprises a primary stimulation control circuit 21 for controlling the device's pacing and sensing functions. The circuitry associated with stimulation control circuit 21 may be of conventional design, in accordance, for example, with what is disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,388 issued to Sivula et al., Method And Apparatus For Implementing Activity Sensing In A Pulse Generator. To the extent that certain components of pulse generator 10 are conventional in their design and operation, such components will not be described herein in detail, as it is believed that design and implementation of such components would be a matter of routine to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, stimulation control circuit 21 in FIG. 3 includes sense amplifier circuitry 25, stimulating pulse output circuitry 26, a crystal clock 28, a random-access memory and read-only memory (RAM/ROM) unit 30, and a central processing unit (CPU) 32, all of which are well-known in the art.
 Pacemaker 10 also includes internal communication circuit 34 so that it is capable of communicating with external programmer/control unit 20, as described in FIG. 2 in greater detail.
 Further referring to FIG. 3, pulse generator 10 is coupled to one or more leads 14 which, when implanted, extend transvenously between the implant site of pulse generator 10 and the patient's heart 16, as previously noted with reference to FIG. 1. Physically, the connections between leads 14 and the various internal components of pulse generator 10 are facilitated by means of a conventional connector block assembly 11, shown in FIG. 1. Electrically, the coupling of the conductors of leads and internal electrical components of pulse generator 10 may be facilitated by means of a lead interface circuit 19 which functions, in a multiplexer-like manner, to selectively and dynamically establish necessary connections between various conductors in leads 14, including, for example, atrial tip and ring electrode conductors ATIP and ARING and ventricular tip and ring electrode conductors VTIP and VRING, and individual electrical components of pulse generator 10, as would be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art. For the sake of clarity, the specific connections between leads 14 and the various components of pulse generator 10 are not shown in FIG. 3, although it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art that, for example, leads 14 will necessarily be coupled, either directly or indirectly, to sense amplifier circuitry 25 and stimulating pulse output circuit 26, in accordance with common practice, such that cardiac electrical signals may be conveyed to sensing circuitry 25, and such that stimulating pulses may be delivered to cardiac tissue, via leads 14. Also not shown in FIG. 3 is the protection circuitry commonly included in implanted devices to protect, for example, the sensing circuitry of the device from high voltage stimulating pulses.
 As previously noted, stimulation control circuit 21 includes central processing unit 32 which may be an off-the-shelf programmable microprocessor or micro controller, but in the present invention is a custom integrated circuit. Although specific connections between CPU 32 and other components of stimulation control circuit 21 are not shown in FIG. 3, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that CPU 32 functions to control the timed operation of stimulating pulse output circuit 26 and sense amplifier circuit 25 under control of programming stored in RAM/ROM unit 30. It is believed that those of ordinary skill in the art will be familiar with such an operative arrangement.
 With continued reference to FIG. 3, crystal oscillator circuit 28, in the presently preferred embodiment a 32,768-Hz crystal controlled oscillator provides main timing clock signals to stimulation control circuit 21. Again, the lines over which such clocking signals are provided to the various timed components of pulse generator 10 (e.g., microprocessor 32) are omitted from FIG. 3 for the sake of clarity.
 It is to be understood that the various components of pulse generator 10 depicted in FIG. 3 are powered by means of a battery (not shown) that is contained within the hermetic enclosure of pacemaker 10, in accordance with common practice in the art. For the sake of clarity in the Figures, the battery and the connections between it and the other components of pulse generator 10 are not shown. Stimulating pulse output circuit 26, which functions to generate cardiac stimuli under control of signals issued by CPU 32, may be, for example, of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,868 to Thompson, entitled Body Stimulator Output Circuit, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Again, however, it is believed that those of ordinary skill in the art could select from among many various types of prior art pacing output circuits that would be suitable for the purposes of practicing the present invention.
 Sense amplifier circuit 25, which is of conventional design, functions to receive electrical cardiac signals from leads 14 and to process such signals to derive event signals reflecting the occurrence of specific cardiac electrical events, including atrial contractions (P-waves) and ventricular contractions (R-waves). CPU provides these event-indicating signals to CPU 32 for use in controlling the synchronous stimulating operations of pulse generator 10 in accordance with common practice in the art. In addition, these event-indicating signals may be communicated, via uplink transmission, to external programming unit 20 for visual display to a physician or clinician.
 Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that pacemaker 10 may include numerous other components and subsystems, for example, activity sensors and associated circuitry. The presence or absence of such additional components in pacemaker 10, however, is not believed to be pertinent to the present invention, which relates primarily to the implementation and operation of communication subsystem 34 in pacemaker 10, and an associated communication subsystem in external unit 20.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of implanted pacemaker 10 in which the present invention may be implemented. The major components of pacemaker 10 include a hermetic casing in which are housed electronic circuitry 52 and hermetic power source 50. Lead connector module 11 provides an enclosure in which the proximal ends of atrial and ventricular leads may be inserted into openings 15. Lead connector module 11 is connected to pacemaker casing 10 and as is well known in the art includes electrical connections (not shown) between lead connectors and hermetic feedthroughs (also not shown).
 Further referring to FIG. 4, feedthrough/electrode assemblies 54 are welded into place on a generally or substantially flattened periphery of the pacemaker casing. In the preferred embodiment, the complete periphery of the pacemaker may be manufactured with a slightly flattened perspective including rounded edges to accommodate the placement of feedthrough/electrode assemblies such as those disclosed in the present invention. These feedthrough/electrode assemblies 54 are welded to pacemaker casing for integral hermiticity and connected via wire 55 through separate feedthroughs 56 to gain access to electronic circuitry 52.
 FIGS. 5 represents several cross sectional views of alternative structures of the first embodiment of the present invention in combination with ECG sensing electrodes. In this embodiment, the complete assembly is quite small and designed to match with the pacemaker casing. Because of the small size of the complete assembly, the sensing electrodes must be designed and manufactured from materials capable of detecting faint/very slight cardiac depolarization waveforms, such as the P-wave.
 Further, the assembly of the subcutaneous electrodes including those disclosed in FIGS. 6 through 12 hereinbelow, must be hermetic (less than 106cc He/sec with 109cc He/sec preferred), biocompatible, and joinable to or fully integrable with the pacemaker casing. In general, all the electrodes disclosed herein may be constructed from the following materials. The insulator may consist of glass, ceramic (direct braze), polymeric, or glass-ceramic. The ferrule may be fabricated from any suitable alloy or metal such as titanium, niobium, stainless steel, or combination of these metals and alloys. The feedthrough conductor may be made of any suitable alloy such as niobium, tantalum, platinum, or platinum-iridium. The sensing electrode may be constructed of any suitable material such as platinum, platinum black, titanium, titanium nitride, or ruthenium oxide, or combinations thereof. Electrode coating deposition methods, including sintering (powder metallurgy), sputtering, plating, CVD, PVD, or other methods, can be used to obtain large surface areas and low polarization. Ion etching, directional solidification, or other processes may be used to texture the surface to increase the surface area of the electrode and to simplify manufacturability.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate simple subcutaneous ECG electrode assemblies. FIG. 5A shows feedthrough conductor 75, mounted in ferrule 73 with optional welding notch 70 to accommodate the welding of the pacemaker casing (not shown) to ferrule 73. Glass insulator 85 joins feedthrough conductor 75 and ferrule 73. Preferably, feedthrough conductor 75 is machined to function as an ECG sensing electrode. P-8787, Thin Film Electrodes for Sensing Cardiac Depolarization Signals, by Guck et al, filed on Dec. 13, 2000, Ser. No. 09/736,046, disclosed a manufacturing process for conversion of feedthrough conductors to ECG electrodes. FIG. 5B displays brazed feedthrough 84 with a conductor 75 that is supported by insulator 76 and ferrule 73. These components are joined with gold braze 77.
 The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B disclose elegant electrode designs and a low profile. They have no appreciable protrusions and as such, lend themselves to an easier implant procedure and greater comfort for the patient.
FIG. 6 shows four views of the second embodiment of the present invention that utilizes an ECG sensing electrode with a large surface area. FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view, 6B a top view, 6C a perspective view, and 6D a cross sectional view all which represent, inter alia, a glass insulator within a modified ferrule casing.
 Referring to FIG. 6A, a cross-sectional view of feedthrough conductor 75 terminating in a substantially flat-ended electrode 74 is shown. Electrode 74 is recessed within ferrule 73 that is welded to the pacemaker casing at optional welding notch 70. Thus, the complete assembly has no components that protrude above or outside of the pacemaker's casing. Feedthrough conductor 75 fits through opening in insulator 76 to which it is joined by braze 77. Insulator 76 maintains electrical isolation of the ECG signal as it circuits from sensing electrode 74 through feedthrough conductor 75 that is electrically connected to SEA circuitry within pacemaker 10. Braze 77 serves to hermetically seal the assembly and prevent the intrusion of body fluid that fills the cavity around electrode 74.
 In this embodiment, the increased surface area of ECG sensing electrode 74 is one of the significant features of the invention. The geometric surface area is increased to improve detection of cardiac waveforms that have lesser amplitudes, for example, atrial fibrillation waves. In addition, increasing the geometric surface area may attenuate polarization effects at or around the ECG sensing electrode. Both features help to ensure the appropriate detection of ECG waveforms. The structure enables adequate detection, and transmission of cardiac depolarization signals. In an alternate embodiment, electrode coatings may be used to obtain larger surface areas and effect low polarization. Coating deposition methods may include sintering (powder metallurgy), sputtering, plating, CVD, PVD, or other methods. In addition, ion etching, directional solidification, or other processes may be used to texture the surface to increase the surface area of the electrode and to simplify manufacturability.
 Sensing electrode 74 may be integral and homogenous with feedthrough conductor 75 and established via deposition methods such as sintering, sputtering, plating, etc. Alternatively, sensing electrode 74 may be subsequently attached to the feedthrough conductor via shape memory alloys, welding, brazing, compression interference joints, etc.
FIG. 6D shows a cross sectional view of the embodiment in which the same feedthrough conductor 75 and sensing electrode 74 are used, with the exception that glass 85 is used to 1) join the feedthrough conductor/electrode with the ferrule, 2) electrically insulate so as to maintain signal integrity, and 3) hermetically seal the assembly.
FIG. 7 shows four views of a third embodiment of the present invention that utilizes an ECG sensing electrode with a low profile and a filter(i.e/, capacitor).
FIG. 7A shows the addition of a multi-layer ceramic capacitor 71 that serves to filter electromagnetic interference to improve the detected signal prior to passing the signal on to the pacemaker circuitry. The feedthrough conductor and feedthrough ferrule are electrically joined to the capacitor. Capacitor 71 can be placed in the assembly and stabilized using non-conductive epoxy 79. Conductive epoxy 78 may be used to couple capacitor 71 with feedthrough conductor 75. Note also that in FIG. 7D, the filter capacitor 71 is used with glass insulator 85.
FIG. 8 shows four views of yet another embodiment of the present invention that utilizes both an ECG sensing electrode with a high surface area and a capacitor. In FIG. 8A, ECG sensing electrode 74 is implemented in a manner similar to that disclosed in conjunction with FIG. 6, the second embodiment. The reasons for using a sensing electrode with a high surface area are the same as those cited in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 shows three views of how the third and fourth embodiments (FIGS. 7 and 8) of the present invention may be assembled with a polyimide disk to render the assembly leak testable. This figure focuses on the important element of testing for hermeticity, that is, determining whether the assembly may be tested for leaks. The addition of polyimide disk 72 immediately below capacitor 71 accomplishes this purpose. For further description of a leak testable feedthrough, reference is made to P-8990, Leak Testable Capacitive Filtered Feedthrough for an Implantable Medical Device, by Fraley et al, filed Oct. 25, 2000, Ser. No. 09/696,601, that is incorporated herein by reference in its totality. As with the embodiments disclosed hereinabove, the same element could be added to an assembly using glass as an insulator (not shown).
FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of the present invention with a lowprofile/high surface area disk electrode 80. Specifically, electrode 80 may be implemented in the embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 6 and 8 to further increase the surface area of the ECG sensing electrode. The electrodes are attached to the feedthrough conductor after welding the feedthrough to the shield. Electrode attachment may be performed by laser weld, resistance spot weld, mechanical interference, or other equivalent methods.
FIG. 11 is a representation of various electrode types that may be used with the assemblies shown in the embodiments disclosed hereinabove. FIG. 11A is a standard, substantially flat headed, feedthrough conductor to which is attached sensing electrode 86 (as was shown in FIG. 6). Alternative types of electrodes may be used, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C. Feedthrough conductor 75 may be modified to contain a platinum powder chamber 67. Electrode 75 in FIG. 11B is coated and sintered with Pt powder 68. Electrode 75 in FIG. 11C is coated and sintered with Pt powder 68 and with Pt black 69. In accordance with the present invention, any combination of sintered Pt 68 and Pt black 69 may be used. All electrodes may include a steroid plug 82 as shown in FIG. 11D. FIGS. 11E and 11F represent stages of manufacture in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, a shown in FIG. 11F, electrode 75 protrudes through electrode disk 80. The protrusion is preferably laser welded or mechanically formed to have a compliant contour as shown in FIG. 11E. The feedthrough conductor fits through the low-profile electrode disk 80. As shown in FIG. 11F by dotted lines, the feedthrough conductor protrudes through the disk and is welded to attach electrode 75 to feedthrough conductor as shown in FIG. 11E.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are examples of assemblies that make use of shape memory alloy 66 to allow easier and less costly fabrication. FIG. 12A represents the implementation of a ceramic or glass insulator 83, with an insulator of another material 87 to electrically isolate sensing electrode 74 from ferrule 73 and pacemaker casing (not shown). The electrode in FIG. 12B, is an alternate embodiment using epoxy backfill 79 and insulator 88 to electrically isolate the low-profile sensing electrode 80 from ferrule 73 and pacemaker casing.
 The preceding specific embodiments are illustrative of the practice of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that other expedients known to those of skill in the art or disclosed herein may be employed without departing from the invention or the scope of the appended claim. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described, without departing from the scope of the present invention. As to every element, it may be replaced by any one of infinite equivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed in the specification.


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The taste of the beer was rich and woodsy, with overtones of Christmas trees and undertones of history. I dropped in to learn about the art of beer making in this ocean side microbrewery, but did not expect to find a “real taste of history.” I was in for a surprise or two.
À l’abri de la TEMPĒTE , translated Storm in a Barrel,is a microbrewery located on the island of L’Étang du Nord in the Magdalen Islands, Québec. It has been operating since June of 2004 under the artistry of brew master Jean- Sébastien. It was built on the site of an old crab-processing factory that is situated on dunes against a background of sea and sky.
The Magdalen Islands or Îles De La Madeleine, are a group of 12 islands in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River in Canada. The population of 12,000 plus residents, live in colourful homes on six islands linked by long and slender sand dunes. The islands are part of the province of Québec and the culture is mainly Acadian and French Canadian, although there is a small English speaking community of those of Scottish, Irish heritage. The islands can be reached by air and sea from Montreal or Prince Edward Island.
After an excellent talk describing the beer making process, in view of the workers in the background making beer, we went upstairs for some tastings.
I spoke to brew master Jean Sébastien and explained my Dining Out With History project.
His eyes lit up as he explained the 2011 Annedd’Ale project that he was part of, and how it worked.
This project was established to introduce a unique beer from Québec that was produced using ingredients available in 1563.
Annedda (also spelled Aneda), means Tree of Life and is the French word for Balsam Fir. Balsam fir is of historic significance. When Jacques Cartier landed in North America with a ship of dying sailors in 1563, the Iroquois fed them tea made of balsam fir, which is accredited with saving many lives.
The first beer in Québec was made using the readily available balsam fir.
The 2011 Annedd’Ale project used yeast spores that came from the vaults of the first known commercial brewery established by Jean Talon in 1668, in Québec city. The project grew yeast from those spores and distributed it to six microbreweries with the challenge to create a new beer.
“You are lucky,” said Jean Sébastien, “I still have a few bottles of the Palabre de L’Intendant,” left in the vault.
The server poured the dark, rich beer into my glass and as I sipped, visions of the past raced through my mind. I felt privileged to truly taste “a bit of history,” knowing that the yeast in that beer had a very old base.
That special beer is no longer produced by Á l’abri de TĒMPETE, but the skill and knowledge is alive.
As mentioned in the other articles, the food artisans of the Magdelen Islands, blend their skills and resources to create some truly distinct tastes.
Jean Sébastien serves beer using malt that has been smoked over the fires of Le Fumoir D’Antan, a local fish smokehouse. The drippings from the herring above, flavour the malt. Local wildflowers, algae and herbs are also used to make a beer with a true Îles De La Madeleine taste.
As I sipped my beer and smelled the fresh sea air, the tastes of time turned back…for a moment.
See recipes for an old recipe for a Spruce Beer.
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domain: geography


This work presents a generalized methodology for the optimal thermal management of different powertrain devices. The methodology is based on the adoption of an electrically driven pump and on the development of a specifically designed controller algorithm. This is achieved following a Model Predictive Control approach and requires a generalized lumped-parameters model of the thermal exchange between the device walls and the coolant. The methodology is validated at a test rig, with reference to a four-cylinder spark-ignition engine. Results show that the proposed approach allows a reduction in fuel consumption of about 2-3% during the engine warm-up, a decrease in fuel consumption of about 1-2% during fully warmed operation, and an estimated fuel consumption reduction of about 2.5-3% in an NEDC. Finally, the investigation highlights that the proposed approach reduces the risk of after-boiling when the engine is rapidly switched off after a prolonged high-load operation.
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|Titolo:||A contribution to improving the thermal management of powertrain systems,|
|Data di pubblicazione:||2020|
|Appare nelle tipologie:||1.1 Articolo in rivista|


- PingRX ADS-B Traffic Receiver for UAS Sense and Avoid
- Features a dual-frequency ADS-B traffic receiver
- Receives position reports from surrounding aircraft
- Compatible with Ardupilot/PX4 based autopilots
- Connects directly to TELEM2 Pixhawk/Cube interface
- Interface: MavLINK Serial 57600 bps
- Support Cross-Platform
The PingRX ADS-B Traffic Receiver for UAS Sense and Avoid is the world’s only dual-frequency ADS-B traffic receiver for UAS Sense and Avoid. At just 5 grams, pingRX receives position reports from surrounding aircraft and displays them to the UAS pilot.
Increased awareness and safe operations are not limited to one platform. pingRX communicates by MAVLINK to a number of autopilots, including Ardupilot based systems like pixhawk, cubepilot, and PX4. An integration guide is available to develop pingRX support for any autopilot.
ADS-B is the foundation of the next generation airspace. After January 1, 2020, all manned aircraft operating in controlled airspace in the U.S. will be equipped with ADS-B Out.
ADS-B allows aircraft to broadcast their position and course information in real-time, this makes pingRX the most effective and cost-effective Sense and Avoid solution for UAS.
Sense: pingRX receives nearby aircraft ADS-B positions automatically. This data is relayed through the autopilot to the remote pilot and aircraft positions are displayed on the Ground Control Station (GCS)
Assess: pingRX continues to update the remote pilot with threat aircraft position and course in real-time. The remote pilot assesses the threat of the intruder breaking the Well Clear threshold.
Avoid: The remote pilot analyzes the threat and moves to remain Well Clear.


TRENTON >> Who sent an anonymous letter outing former Mercer County Prosecutor Joe Bocchini for alleged sexual harassment of members of his former staff? And if it’s true the alleged harassment took place over a decade, why did this person wait to send the letter until after Bocchini retired and was being honored as citizen of the year by the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce?
Those questions have become footnotes as a criminal investigation hangs over the head of the former prosecutor who through an attorney has denied any wrongdoing. State grand jury subpoenas have started flying, and most people related in any way to the investigation have stopped talking.
But the lawyer for a woman who plans to sue Bocchini for sexual harassment wants to solve the mystery and is urging whoever wrote the anonymous letter to come forward, saying the individual is protected by state whistle-blower laws that prevent the person from being retaliated against.
No one has stepped forward claiming responsibility for writing the letter, which tipped off newspaper reporters to sexual harassment allegations against Bocchini that might not have otherwise become public.
County officials and Trenton attorney Robin Lord, who represents the woman planning to sue Bocchini, have denied they or anyone from their camps wrote or sent the letter, which was purportedly authored by an employee of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Lord said in an interview earlier this week she had been willing to negotiate a confidential settlement with county officials and making allegations against Bocchini public would have undermined her attempt to do so.
“I wouldn’t have to send an anonymous letter; I could pick up the phone and call a reporter,” Lord said. “Sending a letter would completely undermine what we were trying to accomplish, which was to resolve this matter in a manner that avoids unnecessary hardship and embarrassment to all persons involved.”
She added the letter contained detailed accusations against Bocchini, specifically that the matter had been referred to the AG’s office, which is something she said was not shared with her at an April 15 meeting with members of County Counsel.
Lord said at the meeting she asked county officials to investigate whether they believed they had liability for Bocchini’s alleged sexual harassment. Deputy Counsel Paul Adezio and another unnamed county attorney were present at the meeting, county spokeswoman Julie Wilmot said.
Wilmot did not respond to a request to provide the name of the second county attorney, and it is unclear whether the unnamed county attorney was from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office or County Counsel.
Neither Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes nor County Counsel Arthur Sypek Jr. attended the April 15 meeting. Sypek was told about the allegations the next day, Wilmot said. Hughes said he found out about the allegations from Sypek.
Wilmot declined to respond to a question from The Trentonian about whether anyone outside of County Counsel was aware sexual harassment allegations were forwarded to AG officials before it was widely reported by local media.
People in the legal community have privately pointed at Hughes as the source of the leak. They base their allegations on fissures in the relationship between Hughes and the former prosecutor and specific information in the letter they said few people outside of County Counsel could have known about, such as accusations Bocchini had his secretary plan his wedding and schedule golf tournaments on county time.
Hughes called the insinuation he sent the letter “absolute baloney” and said he would never do anything to harm the reputation of Bocchini, a friend and mentor.
Legal experts have said if some of the allegations in the letter are true it could be the basis for investigators to look into whether Bocchini committed official misconduct, which carries a 5-year mandatory sentence upon conviction.
A former deputy attorney general suggested investigators could also be looking into whether Bocchini or someone from the county prosecutor’s office tampered with evidence by deleting emails from the former prosecutor to a female prosecutor’s office employee. The woman contends she saved emails on her work computer but they had disappeared when she went to retrieve them at a later date.
Tracking down the emails might be an easier task for investigators than finding the source of the letter, which was circulated en masse after allegations against Bocchini were widely reported.
Initially, it is believed copies of the letter were sent to reporters at the city’s daily newspapers.
Lord has since obtained a copy of the letter, and The Trentonian has learned people in the county prosecutor’s office and at County Counsel also obtained copies.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has repeatedly declined to comment for stories related to Bocchini’s alleged sexual harassment and has not commented on a report in The Trentonian that said at least two assistant prosecutors complained about Bocchini’s alleged harassment to a high-ranking staff member before the prosecutor retired in late February. It is unclear whether those complaints influenced Bocchini’s decision to retire.
The Trentonian has learned from numerous sources someone inside the county prosecutor’s office emailed prosecutors and staff members within days of allegations against Bocchini becoming public that directed them to refer media inquiries to the public relations office.
Someone who answered the phone at a number listed for a woman who was at one point Bocchini’s secretary would not put the woman on the phone with a reporter and then hung up the phone.


Even though the video might say "Unavailable", you can still click on them to watch.
· Each film had to be made within 48hrs, and have included the chosen theme, action, and object that were pulled randomly and announced on April 9th at 6pm PT (and noted above).
· The film had to be 4 minutes or under.
· The film had to feature live-performance puppetry.
OUR GRACIOUS 2021 JUDGES
48hr PUPPET FILM PROJECT 2021 SPONSORS
The 48hr Puppet Film Project is an annual event produced by Alex U. Griffin through the LA Guild of Puppetry. For the past two years, it has also been sponsored by Heather Henson and the Handmade Puppet Dreams film series.
This event first started in 2018 as an effort to spark creativity-through-challenge within puppeteers and filmmakers in the LA area by giving them just 48hrs to create a short film using our randomly-drawn theme, object, and action. Since then, the event has gone international and attracts submissions from participants from around the world!
Past judges have included Kirk Thatcher (The Muppets, Dinosaurs), Tim Lagasse (Crash & Bernstein, Helpsters), Trish Sie (Step Up: All In, Pitch Perfect 3), Heather Henson (IBEX Puppetry, Handmade Puppet Dreams), Christine Papalexis (Team America: World Police, Amaterasu), Bill Watterson (Dave Made a Maze, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Sam Koji Hale (Alien X-Mas, Yamasong: March of the Hollows), Liz Hara (Sesame Street, Life in Pieces) and Victor Yerrid (Crank Yankers, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance)


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The brain is composed of a network of neurons that transmit signals by propagating nerve impulses. The propagation of this impulse from one neuron to another is typically controlled by neurotransmitters, though there are also electrical pathways between some neurons. Neurotransmitters can inhibit impulse firing (primarily done by γ-aminobutyric acid, or GABA) or they can excite the neuron into firing (primarily done by glutamate). A neuron that releases inhibitory neurotransmitters from its terminals is called an inhibitory neuron, while one that releases excitatory neurotransmitters is an excitatory neuron. When the normal balance between inhibition and excitation is significantly disrupted in all or part of the brain, a seizure can occur. The GABA system is an important target for anticonvulsant drugs, since seizures may be discouraged by increasing GABA synthesis, decreasing its breakdown, or enhancing its effect on neurons.
1. The side plank exercise is the best way to reduce belly fat. There are only two points of contact with the floor which helps the core muscles to contract even harder. Lie on your side with your legs top of each other, rest on your lower forearm that is bent on the elbow. Force your upper body off the floor by using your forearm and place other hand on your hips. You should resemble a diagonal line from head to toe. After you lift your bodies just hold it for 30-60 seconds.
This high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carb fad diet sends the body into a state of ketosis, in which the body uses stored fat for energy. Research published in Clinical Cardiology suggests the ketogenic, or “keto,” diet can be an effective weight loss method, but to be successful, you must follow the plan consistently with no cheat days — otherwise, you’re just eating a high-fat diet that may be high in unhealthy fats for no reason. (1) (A pro tip? If you're planning on doing the diet, consider perusing this complete keto food list and reading up on the healthiest fats for keto diet followers.)
“This is a great way of eating that I highly recommend to many clients, and I even model in my own life,” says Elizabeth Shaw, RDN, who is in private practice in San Diego and is the co-author of Fertility Foods Cookbook. “Since the premise of the diet is designed to help people who have high blood pressure, low-sodium foods are recommended. But considering that most Americans exceed their daily sodium levels anyway, it’s not surprising that dietitians recommend this style of eating for treating many different conditions, such as heart disease and obesity.”
The 2003 research indicated that exercise is a top weapon against visceral fat, backed up by a 2011 study which found that aerobic exercise is basically a magic bullet. Aerobic exercise is known to most people as cardio — activities such as running and cycling, as opposed to resistance training (where you lift heavy stuff around). While participants in the study worked fairly hard (jogging 20km per week at a high intensity), the researchers said lower-intensity but longer workouts should have similar benefits.

domain: medical


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We are a family of friends who share an interest in PSP. We have challenges, games, special tag events, & activities for taggers & non-taggers. Our resident artists, Bobbie & Marilyn Allen
Follow the white rabbit down the hole into our Wonderland. You won't find Alice or The Mad Hatter, but you will find new friends, pretty tags, & fun activities.
Free forum : A friendly group for lovers of Psp and siggy piggies who love tags. Lots of challenges, games and friendship. Everyone is welcome.
We are a talented Pro Shop Pro & Siggy Piggy LADIES ONLY Group. . Gift Fairy. . PSP Challenges. . Surprise Giveaways
A drama free place to make friends, exchange tags, and just have fun. Come in and make yourself at home.
Free forum : We are a group of friends who love to make and share tags. We have daily theme threads, PSP Challenges and more. Please join us!
Free forum : PSP, TAGS, SIGS, TUTORIALS. Free forum : Wicked Cute Tutorials
Signature Tags for all occasions, email signature tags, Avatars
Free forum : We are a Paint Shop Pro signature tag group that offers beautiful tags, games, and fun.
Free forum : A PLACE FOR INSANE HACKERS
Creating beautiful designs with your photos free of charge.
Chat about anything!
Siggies, Snags, Tags, Gift Baskets and More
Free forum : For all your Paint Shop Pro needs.
Where old friends gather and meet new friends. G rated. Tags given daily .
We're a group of friends dedicated to create graphics with PSP and other graphic programs. Tubes PSP
A place to trade tags with all tagvillage friends. Keywords Training - Trade Tags and help great Causes and Charities too.
Free forum : Paint Shop Pro Hobbies
A place to request tags, make friends and have fun with NO DRAMA! very friendly place
Free forum. Free forum : The Everybody Forum. Free forum,
Giving Inf. CE,Clan Tags,Room Saves,And More To Non-Hackers
PSP Group offering tags, snags, WWO, games, tutorials, graphics & much, much more!! We are an open group so please feel free to join at any time.
Free forum : We are a fun drama free group that loves to have fun. Tagging, sharing, games, challenges.
A Forum for Friends to enjoy their photoagraphy, poetry, short stories, energy tips and tricks, flash games and favorite places, gifs, Animations, tags, tutorials,
Free forum : Paint Shop hobbies
Welcome to Creative Cafe - where Taggers and Friends can come play, share, and learn.
Psp Forum, get together, hang out have fun and be creative to your hearts content. Friends, Fun, challenges and contests, tags, layouts and more. Drop by and check us out!
PSP addicts! A place to create, learn, play and meet friends that love tags, animation and having fun.
The forum every PokeFan!

domain: hobby