High Speed Link (HSL)
High Speed Link (HSL) technology provides Gigabyte speeds between the processor unit and other towers in the configuration. The industry-leading technology is nearly 10 times faster than supported on previous models, and also provides improved reliability.
Dedicated Server for Domino
New Dedicated Servers for Domino are available in both 270 and 820 models. From a positioning standpoint, the second level 270 DSD model has the same processing power as the first level 820 DSD model; but the third DSD 270 is smaller than the second DSD 820. While the 820 provides far more growth (up to a 4-way processor), an expansion tower will be needed if more than 12 disk drives are needed. With the 270, up to 18 disks can be installed under the covers before an external expansion tower is needed (but there is a maximum of 24 disks available on the 270).


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John Montanari, WFCR's music director, says Reney's style bears no relation to the "outsized, jumping up and down" approach of some radio personalities.
burns with a cool blue flame."
"I'm your man," Reney
John Montanari, WFCR's music director and the man who originally interviewed Reney for the station, says the jazz-show host has "impeccably high standards" that are reflected in his choice of material.
"Tom's like the guy," says WFCR's John Montanari.
"The jazz guy.
Who in this area is a more known and more authoritative commentator on jazz than Tom?"
Twice a year, for the past 10 years, he's
been spreading the faith by teaching his
own course on jazz history.
The latest session started last Sunday at the Broadside Bookshop in Northampton.
gets a mixed group.
They range from people who simply listen to his
show to professional musicians who want to learn more about "the nuts and bolts of jazz history," he
People are intrigued by the history of jazz, he
continues, about what it reveals about the ways black culture and white culture come together, and fail to come together.
helps us understand who we are as Americans," he

domain: news


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1954 - Poli Distillery Archive - Schiavon (VI)
<< Photo 1 of 1
Advertising mirror of the distillery.
Please note the phone 2, the first private telephone. The telephone switchboard was 1 of Tel.Ve (the old Telecom).
Enjoy our Newsletter and learn more about our activities!
POLI DISTILLERIE SRL | VAT NO. 02813890247 | Via Marconi 46, 36060 Schiavon (VI) Veneto, ITALY

domain: history


Practices for Inclusive Cities
All-in cities are created through a set of equity-focused practices that cut across policy arenas.
- Integrate a focus on people, place, and the economy. Equitable growth strategies connect underserved residents to the regional and global economy. To make those linkages, city leaders must simultaneously invest in preparing people for the jobs of the future, making neighborhoods platforms for economic mobility, and fostering greater economic opportunity for all.
- Embrace equity as an economic imperative. Private sector businesses employ most city residents and are crucial partners for advancing equitable growth. All-in city leaders help business leaders see the long-term, bottom-line benefits of racial and economic equity and engage them in developing and implementing solutions.
- Focus on the most vulnerable. By developing strategies and policies to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, all-in cities create solutions that have cascading benefits. We call this the “curb-cut effect,” inspired by the ramp-like dips on sidewalk corners that disability rights activists fought for in the 1970s. When the wall of exclusion came down, everybody benefited — not only people in wheelchairs: parents with strollers, workers pushing heavy carts, travelers rolling suitcases, etc.
- Embed anti-racism throughout government. Racial inequities in cities are not inevitable: they are created and perpetuated by the actions, investments, policies, and decisions of society’s most powerful institutions, including local governments. All-in cities transform themselves from within, analyzing all of their decisions and practices with a racial equity lens (asking: Who benefits? Who pays? Who decides?), and using their power and influence to remove barriers and expand opportunities.
- Strengthen the public realm: public action, public space, and public institutions. All-in cities require active governments that find ways to invest in the public institutions — school districts, health departments, and public space – that are such critical resources for low-income communities of color who have little access to privately-provided goods and services.
- Ensure meaningful community participation, leadership, and ownership. Residents of disinvested neighborhoods possess valuable information, insight, and wisdom that city governments need to design and implement solutions that work. Community ownership and control of land and assets is critical for equitable development without displacement as neighborhoods attract new investment.
- Take on the challenge of achieving equity results at scale. All-in cities use a data-driven approach to understand current conditions and inform and continuously hone strategies to set targets and achieve results for specific excluded populations while improving outcomes for entire populations.


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State awards $80M for water, sewer improvements
Lansing – The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has awarded $80 million in loans for water and sewer projects intended to boost drinking water quality and protect public health in a number of cities.
The funding comes from federal-state programs that provide loans for water-related infrastructure upgrades. They offer loans with lower interest rates than those on the open market, as well as loan forgiveness opportunities.
Among recipients were the Great Lakes Water Authority in southeastern Michigan; Monroe County; and the cities of St. Joseph, Highland Park and Saline.
Also, the Huron River Green Infrastructure Drainage District got funding for street tree planting to reduce phosphorus runoff and bacterial contamination.

domain: economics


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Fossil to make NFL watch
Send this to a friend
Fossil Inc. has teamed up with the National Football League to make an official NFL watch collection featuring the league's 32 teams.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Fossil (Nasdaq: FOSL), a Richardson-based watch and accessories maker, said it will offer one to six styles of watches for each club.
The watches will retail for between $80 and $120, and will be available at select department stores, NFL team stores and specialty sports stores.
The Dallas Cowboys watch currently is available on Fossil's web site, and the NFL watch page will go live next week on the Web site, a spokeswoman for the company said.
Web site: www.fossil.com
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text:
Item Number: 3234
This is a Children's Text-Braille book, which means that in addition to raised Braille, it has extra features.What is a Text-Braille Book?
This book for the blind is offered in Original or Unified English Braille.What is Original Braille?What is Unified English Braille
- Package Weight: about 9.4 ounces.
Product DescriptionConvinced the sky is falling, Henny Penny and a band of gullible friends march off to tell the king, only to meet their end at the hands of a sly old fox.
For ages 4 to 8.
Ask a Question About this Product
(From the All-Time Favorites shelf.)

domain: literature


text:
First Lady of Tennessee Maria Lee revealed during a visit to the Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin Wednesday that Tennessee children had served roughly 1,400 hours of community service during the months of July and August, all through the Tennessee Serves initiative.
The Department of Revenue is pleased to offer Tennesseans the ability to apply for a personalized license plate online, rather than through a paper application.
Skanska, one of the world's leading construction and project development groups, has spearheaded the revitalization of Williamson County Juvenile Court’s safe sanctuary for children that were facing some of the worst days of their lives.
Franklin Police have released the names of the mother and son who were found shot to death in their Franklin home Tuesday evening.
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, along with Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina, wrote Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Monday, urging Esper to reverse a decision that would halt the company "Shields of Strength" from producing dog tags with U.S. Military seals alongside scriptures from t…
The Metro Nashville Police Department released its report on Friday’s crash that sent an SUV into a business on Old Hickory Boulevard just outside of Brentwood.
A Franklin man was arrested on Dec. 6 following a multiple-count indictment on sex charges involving two children aged 12 and 16.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office announced it would be conducting sobriety roadside safety checkpoints on the following dates:
The Brentwood City Commission met on Monday where they approved the second reading of Amending the Municipal Code Chapter 70 relative to water and sewer prepaid tap fees and automated meter reading customer opt-out policy, moved forward on license plate camera expansions and sponsored the ci…
GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville, a Down Syndrome achievement center, will host its eighth annual gala Feb. 1 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville.
The Tennessee Historical Commission is now accepting nominations for its Certificate of Merit Awards to honor individuals or groups that work to preserve Tennessee’s heritage. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2019.
The City of Brentwood has reported that both directions of Wilson Pike are currently closed between Concord Road and Brentmeade Boulevard due to an accident.
The Brentwood Police Department announced arrests for thefts and the search for a burglar at Plato's Closet in their weekly crime analysis.
A few moments after stepping outside the art studio he shares with his mom at their rural home in Leiper’s Fork, Nathan Collie commenced to making goose calls.
The Brentwood Planning Commission met on Monday night where they approved a Revised Site Plan for Andrews Cadillac, Jaguar Land Rover, Revised Site Plan for the Brentwood High School soccer bleachers and more items in the agenda.
As December is considered the “season of love” and good cheer, the Williamson County Animal Center is joining forces with Metro Animal Care and Control in Nashville to help spread the word this month about pet adoption throughout Middle Tennessee and to find forever homes for the dogs and ca…
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bill Hagerty walked alongside Franklin Mayor Ken Moore on Monday to tour downtown Franklin along Main Street, with Moore showing Hagerty businesses that he felt best exemplified Franklin’s bustling economy.
Thanksgiving is the No. 1 day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment, with three times the average number of fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The Brentwood City Commission met on Monday night where they passed the first reading of an amendment to the Municipal Code Chapter 70 relative to water and sewer prepaid tap fees and approved the construction and operation of a Joint Emergency Medical and Response Station.
Saturday marks the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
The Williamson County CASA nonprofit has hired the director of development at Waves Inc. to take over as its new executive director, replacing the retiring Marianne Schroer.
Though a solid opening date hasn’t been officially announced yet, the Harpeth Hotel in downtown Franklin is already welcoming guests through its two dining venues.
The Williamson County Foster & Adoption Care Association, a nonprofit founded in May 2018, is in the process of collecting new toys for an upcoming foster care Christmas party that will be held for foster children in Williamson, Davidson and Rutherford counties.
On the grounds of Marcella Vivrette Smith Park sits Ravenswood Mansion, a premier destination for weddings, meetings and dinner, but behind that sit two small brick structures with an even deeper history scarred by the brutality of slavery and recognized by the City of Brentwood as an import…
WARNING: This story contains information about suicide. If you or a loved one is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) at 1-800-273-8255. The NSPL provides 24-hour, free support to those in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources for…
The Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department detailed several of the 308 calls the department responded to from Oct. 15 to Nov. 11 in a Facebook post.
The Brentwood Police Department reports stolen handguns, vandalism and a serial newspaper thief in their weekly crime analysis.
With the first public impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump beginning on Wednesday, government leaders continue to be split across party lines as to whether Trump had committed an impeachable offense. One such leader is U.S. Rep. Mark Green.
With the 2020 Presidential Election less than a year away, the Williamson County Election Commission is announcing significant changes in how voters in the county will cast ballots on Election Day beginning early next year.
Opening its doors to adolescent victims of abuse back in September of 2000, Davis House Child Advocacy Center has remained true to its mission of helping abused or neglected children - as well as holding perpetrators responsible - for nearly 20 years.
The city of Spring Hill was ranked as the sixth safest city in the state of Tennessee, as well as the second safest in Williamson County in a new study published by the review website Security Baron. Spring Hill was narrowly beaten out by its neighbor to the north — Brentwood — which came in…
The Williamson County Commission on Tuesday approved a tax increment financing program for Mitsubishi Motors ahead of the company's headquarters move from Cypress, California to Franklin. The program will save Mitsubishi $31,074 in taxes annually over the next decade.
With consumer drones reaching sales in the millions, it's likely that many Williamson County residents have had a live music or sporting event disturbed once or twice — be it at this year's Pilgrimage Music Fest in Franklin, or at the Graystone Quarry in Thompson's Station.
The Brentwood City Commission met on Monday where they voted to rename Tower Park Dog Park in the honor of a late citizen volunteer and recognized new and accomplished firefighters.
As winter fast approaches, many of Williamson County’s homeless residents will find themselves headed north up to Nashville, as Williamson County lacks any permanent homeless shelters.
Local craft brewer Mill Creek Brewing Co. is shutting down and filing for bankruptcy protection after four years in business — the first Nashville-area such business to cease operations since the post 2013 explosion of the local craft beer scene.
Williamson County residents may see their first snowfall of the year Monday night as the National Weather Service (NWS) has predicted a "light snow" to fall later Monday evening through Tuesday morning. Issuing a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the county, temperatures are expected to drop int…
Members of Leadership Brentwood and Williamson Inc. were joined by community and government leaders on Friday afternoon for the official unveiling of the city’s first mural in the City Park shopping center.
A man is facing charges of rape and resisting arrest after allegedly sexually assaulting a 77 year-old Spring Hill woman in her home. The suspect, Santiago Garcia Cornejo, was at the victim’s home to repair the woman’s drywall when the alleged incident occurred on July 27.
Public schools in Williamson County will be open Monday, Veterans Day, but most will be honoring those who have served in the military through breakfast invitations, special programs and, perhaps most notably, participation in the Franklin Veterans Day Parade.


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Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index reversed earlier gains and closed down more than 1.4 percent Friday after reports said Japanese Prime Minister Shizo Abe was to resign for health reasons.
The Nikkei 225 index fell 1.41 percent, or 326.21 points, to 22,882.65 after local media reported Abe was set to quit, hours before he was due to speak at a news conference.
The broader Topix index lost 0.68 percent, or 11.02 points, to 1,604.87.
The Nikkei index temporarily plunged more than 2.6 percent after national broadcaster NHK said “Abe intends to resign as his illness has worsened.”
“It was a panic selling,” said Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities.
“Shares slightly recovered as investors bought back shares later, expecting monetary and economic measures won’t be changed dramatically,” Horiuchi told AFP.
“Trading is likely to remain volatile for now as the market will pay close attention to his successor,” he said.
The yen, considered a safe haven in times of uncertainty, rallied against the dollar, hitting 106.28 to the greenback, from 106.63 on Friday morning.


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If you haven’t grabbed your Nest Learning Thermostat you can now at Target and pay just $169.15 out of pocket. Plus, if you have a Target REDCard you can save an additional 5% off and free shipping! Don’t have a REDcard? You can learn all about it here and sign up to get one! (It’s FREE and easy!)
***Utah residents check out these rebates – most people can do two per household! Other states – check your state for rebates! *As always, read the rebate terms and be sure you qualify!
Dominion Energy – $100 rebate Rocky Mountain Power – $50 rebate


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Denver-based fast-casual chain Teriyaki Madness opened its first Chicago location Wednesday in South Loop, offering rice or noodle teriyaki bowls and stir-fried noodle dishes for patio service, takeout, and delivery. The franchise is the first entrepreneurial venture from longtime best friends, South Side natives, and Chicago Department of Water Management colleagues Tony Underwood and Phil Courtney. They plan to open two more Chicago locations. A different franchisee opened an outpost in 2019 in suburban Lombard.
Teriyaki Madness — or “TMad” to fans — features a menu that’s known primarily for customizable dishes that are made to order: customers can choose a bowl base (white rice, brown rice, or noodles), stir-fried vegetables, proteins (chicken, steak, salmon, tofu, and more), plus eight sauce options. Diners can also order from a selection of appetizers and sides including chicken egg rolls and edamame.
The chain includes 116 restaurants. Most look identical to one another, but Underwood and Courtney’s new location at 829 S. Wabash Avenue is unusual. It’s on DePaul University property between 8th and 9th streets, below the Flats at East-West University. The space is shaped differently than other locations, with the greeting and cashier area completely separated from the kitchen. Chicago restaurants aren’t yet allowed to serve customers inside, but when that ban is lifted Teriyaki Madness will seat around 18. The location does have some outdoor seating, which the franchisees want to keep limited. For now, there are eight spots.
The restaurant’s location on college grounds also means that Courtney and Underwood won’t be able to serve alcohol. Teriyaki Madness’s company-owned Denver restaurant is offering beer and wine, they said, an approach that may expand to other spots as well. The pair worked together at the Chicago Department of Water Management for two decades until Courtney retired and they began looking for a brand that struck their fancy. Underwood describes them as a dynamic duo that compliment one another’s skills — he’s the talker, while Courtney handles logistics. “People say we’re like an old married couple,” Underwood says, laughing. “We’re like Penn & Teller.”
View this post on Instagram
What’s better than one bowl? More than one bowl, genius. We’re not mathemagicians, but are pretty sure you can order as many as you want and have leftovers for days! Start by using the TMAD app to customize to your heart’s content. Find our app in your favorite app store! #TMAD #delivery #order #takeout #lunch #dinner #openforbusiness #stockedup #orderonline #herewecome
Courtney and Underwood haven’t settled on sites for their next two restaurants, but they’re considering placing their second spot in River North or Lincoln Park. Chicago doesn’t have a storied teriyaki culture like that of Seattle or Hawai’i. Still, local diners have shown an aptitude for the Japanese-American dish at restaurants like Lakeview’s Glazed Teriyaki, which opened in 2015.
Teriyaki Madness was founded in Las Vegas in 2003 and expanded into franchised locations two years later. Customers can now place orders for the South Loop restaurant via smartphone app.
Teriyaki Madness, 829 S. Wabash Avenue, Open 11 am. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Sunday.

domain: geography


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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) Case Study
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease state characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. This newest definition COPD, provided by the Global Initiative for Chrnonic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), is a broad description that better explains this disorder and its signs and symptoms (GOLD, World Health Organization [WHO] & National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute [NHLBI], 2004). Although previous definitions have include emphysema and chronic bronchitis under the umbrella classification of COPD, this was often confusing because most patient with COPD present with over lapping signs and symptoms of these two distinct disease processes.
COPD may include diseases that cause airflow obstruction (e.g., Emphysema, chronic bronchitis) or any combination of these disorders. Other diseases as cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and asthma that were previously classified as types of chronic obstructive lung disease are now classified as chronic pulmonary disorders. However, asthma is now considered as a separate disorder and is classified as an abnormal airway condition characterized primarily by reversible inflammation. COPD can co-exist with asthma. Both of these diseases have the same major symptoms; however, symptoms are generally more variable in asthma than in COPD.
Currently, COPD is the fourth leading cause of mortality and the 12th leading cause of disability. However, by the year 2020 it is estimated that COPD will be the third leading cause of death and the firth leading cause of disability (Sin, McAlister, Man. Et al., 2003). People with COPD commonly become symptomatic during the middle adult years, and the incidence of the disease increases with age.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY:
The respiratory system consists of all the organs involved in breathing. These include the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. The respiratory system does two very important things: it brings oxygen into our bodies, which we need for our cells to live and function properly; and it helps us get rid of carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of cellular function. The nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi all work like a system of pipes through which the air is funneled down into our lungs. There, in very small air sacs called alveoli, oxygen is brought into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is pushed from the blood out into the air. When something goes wrong with part of the respiratory system, such as an infection like pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, it makes it harder for us to get the oxygen we need and to get rid of the waste product carbon dioxide. Common respiratory symptoms include breathlessness, cough, and chest pain.
The Upper Airway and Trachea
When you breathe in, air enters your body through your nose or mouth. From there, it travels down your throat through the larynx (or voicebox) and into the trachea (or windpipe) before entering your lungs. All these structures act to funnel fresh air down from the outside world into your body. The upper airway is important because it must always stay open for you to be able to breathe. It also helps to moisten and warm the air before it reaches your lungs.
The lungs are paired, cone-shaped organs which take up most of the space in our chests, along with the heart. Their role is to take oxygen into the body, which we need for our cells to live and function properly, and to help us get rid of carbon dioxide, which is a waste product. We each have two lungs, a left lung and a right lung. These are divided up into ‘lobes’, or big sections of tissue separated by ‘fissures’ or dividers. The right lung has three lobes but the left lung has only two, because the heart takes up some of the space in the left side of our chest. The lungs can also be divided up into even smaller portions, called ‘bronchopulmonary segments’.
These are pyramidal-shaped areas which are also separated from each other by membranes. There are about 10 of them in each lung. Each segment receives its own blood supply and air supply.
COPD VERSUS HEALTHY LUNG
How they work
Air enters your lungs through a system of pipes called the bronchi. These pipes start from the bottom of the trachea as the left and right bronchi and branch many times throughout the lungs, until they eventually form little thin-walled air sacs or bubbles, known as the alveoli. The alveoli are where the important work of gas exchange takes place between the air and your blood. Covering each alveolus is a whole network of little blood vessel called capillaries, which are very small branches of the pulmonary arteries. It is important that the air in the alveoli and the blood in the capillaries are very close together, so that oxygen and carbon dioxide can move (or diffuse) between them. So, when you breathe in, air comes down the trachea and through the bronchi into the alveoli. This fresh air has lots of oxygen in it, and some of this oxygen will travel across the walls of the alveoli into your bloodstream. Traveling in the opposite direction is carbon dioxide, which crosses from the blood in the capillaries into the air in the alveoli and is then breathed out. In this way, you bring in to your body the oxygen that you need to live, and get rid of the waste product carbon dioxide.
The lungs are very vascular organs, meaning they receive a very large blood supply. This is because the pulmonary arteries, which supply the lungs, come directly from the right side of your heart. They carry blood which is low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide into your lungs so that the carbon dioxide can be blown off, and more oxygen can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The newly oxygen-rich blood then travels back through the paired pulmonary veins into the left side of your heart. From there, it is pumped all around your body to supply oxygen to cells and organs.
The Work of Breathing
The lungs are covered by smooth membranes that we call pleurae. The pleurae have two layers, a ‘visceral’ layer which sticks closely to the outside surface of your lungs, and a ‘parietal’ layer which lines the inside of your chest wall (ribcage). The pleurae are important because they help you breathe in and out smoothly, without any friction. They also make sure that when your ribcage expands on breathing in, your lungs expand as well to fill the extra space.
The Diaphragm and Intercostal Muscles
When you breathe in (inspiration), your muscles need to work to fill your lungs with air. The diaphragm, a large, sheet-like muscle which stretches across your chest under the ribcage, does much of this work. At rest, it is shaped like a dome curving up into your chest. When you breathe in, the diaphragm contracts and flattens out, expanding the space in your chest and drawing air into your lungs. Other muscles, including the muscles between your ribs (the intercostal muscles) also help by moving your ribcage in and out. Breathing out (expiration) does not normally require your muscles to work. This is because your lungs are very elastic, and when your muscles relax at the end of inspiration your lungs simply recoil back into their resting position, pushing the air out as they go.
The Respiratory System and Ageing
The normal process of ageing is associated with a number of changes in both the structure and function of the respiratory system. These include:
- Enlargement of the alveoli. The air spaces get bigger and lose their elasticity, meaning that there is less area for gases to be exchanged across. This change is sometimes referred to as ‘senile emphysema’.
- The compliance (or springiness) of the chest wall decreases, so that it takes more effort to breathe in and out.
- The strength of the respiratory muscles (the diaphragm and intercostal muscles) decreases. This change is closely connected to the general health of the person.
All of these changes mean that an older person might have more difficulty coping with increased stress on their respiratory system, such as with an infection like pneumonia, than a younger person would.
Risk factors for COPD include environmental exposures and host factors. The most important risk factor for COPD is cigarette smoking. Other risk factors are pipe, cigar, and other types of tobacco smoking. In addition, passive smoking contributes to respiratory symptoms and COPD. Smoking depresses the activity of scavenger cells and affects the respiratory tract’s ciliary cleansing mechanism, which keeps breathing passages free of inhaled irritants, bacteria, and other foreign matter. When smoking damages this cleansing mechanism, airflow is obstructed and air becomes trapped behind the obstruction. The alveoli greatly distend, diminished lung capacity. Smoking also irritates the goblet cells and mucus glands, causing an increased accumulation of mucus, which in turn produces more irritation, infection, and damage to the lung. In addition, carbon monoxide (a by product of smoking) combines with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin. Hemoglobin that is bound by carboxyhemoglobin cannot carry oxygen efficiently.
A host risk factor for COPD is a deficiency of alpha antitrypsin, an enzyme inhibitor that protects the lung parenchyma from injury. This deficiency predisposes young people to rapid development of lobular emphysema, even if they do not smoke. Genetically susceptible people are sensitive to environmental factors (eg. Smoking, air pollution, infectious agents, allergens) and eventually developed chronic obstructive symptoms. Carriers of this genetic defect must be identified so that they can modify environmental risk factors to delay or prevent overt symptoms of disease.
In COPD, the airflow limitation is both progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases. The inflammatory response occurs throughout the airways, parenchyma, and pulmonary vasculature. Because of the chronic inflammation and the body’s attempts to repair it, narrowing occurs in the small peripheral airways. Over time, this injury-and-repair process causes scar tissue formation and narrowing of the airway lumen. Airflow obstruction may also be caused by parenchymal destruction, as is seen with emphysema, a disease of the alveoli or gas exchange units.
In addition to inflammation, processes related to imbalances of proteinases and antiproteinases in the lung may be responsible for airflow limitation. When activated by chronic inflammation, proteiness and other substances may be released, damaging the parenchyma of the lung. The parenchymal changes may occur as a consequence of inflammation or environmental or genetic factors (eg. Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency).
Early in the course of COPD, the inflammatory response causes pulmonary vasculature changes that are characterized by thickening of the vessel wall. These changes may result from exposure to cigarette smoke, use of tobacco products, and the release of inflammatory medicators.
Lung damage and inflammation in the large airways results in chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is defined in clinical terms as a cough with sputum production on most days for 3 months of a year, for 2 consecutive years. In the airways of the lung, the hallmark of chronic bronchitris is an increased number (hyperplasia) and increased size (hypertrophy) of the goblet cells and mucous glands of the airway. As a result, there is more mucus than usual in the airways, contributing to narrowing of the airways and causing a cough with sputum. Microscopically there is infiltration of the airway walls with inflammatory cells. Inflammation is followed by scarring and remodeling that thickens the walls and also results in narrowing of the airways. As chronic bronchitis progresses, there is squamous metaplasia (an abnormal change in the tissue lining the inside of the airway) and fibrosis (further thickening and scarring of the airway wall). The consequence of these changes is a limitation of airflow.
Patients with advanced COPD that have primarily chronic bronchitis rather than emphysema were commonly referred to as “blue bloaters” because of the bluish color of the skin and lips (cyanosis) seen in them. The hypoxia and fluid retention leads to them being called “Blue Bloaters.”
One of the most common symptoms of COPD is shortness of breath (dyspnea). People with COPD commonly describe this as: “My breathing requires effort”, “I feel out of breath”, or “I can not get enough air in”. People with COPD typically first notice dyspnea during vigorous exercise when the demands on the lungs are greatest. Over the years, dyspnea tends to get gradually worse so that it can occur during milder, everyday activities such as housework. In the advanced stages of COPD, dyspnea can become so bad that it occurs during rest and is constantly present. Other symptoms of COPD are a persistent cough, sputum or mucus production, wheezing, chest tightness, and tiredness. People with advanced (very severe) COPD sometimes develop respiratory failure. When this happens, cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the lips caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood, can occur. An excess of carbon dioxide in the blood can cause headaches, drowsiness or twitching (asterixis). A complication of advanced COPD is cor pulmonale, a strain on the heart due to the extra work required by the heart to pump blood through the affected lungs. Symptoms of cor pulmonale are peripheral edema, seen as swelling of the ankles, and dyspnea.
There are a few signs of COPD that a healthcare worker may detect although they can be seen in other diseases. Some people have COPD and have none of these signs. Common signs are:
- tachypnea, a rapid breathing rate
- wheezing sounds or crackles in the lungs heard through a stethoscope
- breathing out taking a longer time than breathing in
- enlargement of the chest, particularly the front-to-back distance (hyperinflation)
- active use of muscles in the neck to help with breathing
- breathing through pursed lips increased anteroposterior to lateral ratio of the chest (i.e. barrel chest).
Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, as it is otherwise known, formerly termed a chronic obstructive lung disease). It is often caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, including long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity (increased pulmonary compliance) of the lung tissue caused by destruction of structures feeding the alveoli, owing to the action of alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. This causes the small airways to collapse during forced exhalation, as alveolar collapsibility has decreased. As a result, airflow is impeded and air becomes trapped in the lungs, in the same way as other obstructive lung diseases. Symptoms include shortness of breath on exertion, and an expanded chest. However, the constriction of air passages isn’t always immediately deadly, and treatment is available.
Signs of emphysema include pursed-lipped breathing, central cyanosis and finger clubbing. The chest has hyper resonant percussion notes, particularly just above the liver, and a difficult to palpate apex beat, both due to hyperinflation. There may be decreased breath sounds and audible expiratory wheeze. In advanced disease, there are signs of fluid overload such as pitting peripheral edema. The face has a ruddy complexion if there is a secondary polycythemia. Sufferers who retain carbon dioxide have asterixis (metabolic flap) at the wrist.
- PFTs demonstrative airflow obstruction – reduced forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1, FEV1 to FVC ration; increased residual volume to total lung capacity (TLC) ratio, possibly increased TLC.
- ABG levels- decreased PaO2, pH, and increased CO2.
- Chest X-ray – in late stages, hyperinflation, flattened diaphragm, increased rettrosternal space, decreased vascular markings, possible bullae.
- Alpa1-antitrypsin assay useful in identifying genetically determined deficiency in emphysema.
The goals of COPD treatment are 1) to prevent further deterioration in lung function, 2) to alleviate symptoms, 3) to improve performance of daily activities and quality of life. The treatment strategies include 1) quitting cigarette smoking, 2) taking medications to dilate airways (bronchodilators) and decrease airway inflammation, 3) vaccinating against flu influenza and pneumonia and 4) regular oxygen supplementation and 5) pulmonary rehabilitation.
Quitting cigarette smoking
The most important treatment for COPD is quitting cigarette smoking. Patients who continue to smoke have a more rapid deterioration in lung function when compared to others who quit. Aging itself can cause a very slow decline in lung function. In susceptible individuals, cigarette smoking can result in a much more dramatic loss of lung function. It is important to note that when one stops smoking the decline in lung function eventually reverts to that of a non-smoker.
Nicotine in cigarettes is addictive, and, therefore, cessation of smoking can cause symptoms of nicotine withdrawal including anxiety, irritability, anger, depression, fatigue, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, and intense craving for cigarettes. Patients likely to develop withdrawal symptoms typically smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, need to smoke shortly after waking up in the morning, and have difficulty refraining from smoking in non-smoking areas. However, some 25% of smokers can stop smoking without developing these symptoms. Even in those smokers who develop symptoms of withdrawal, the symptoms will decrease after several weeks of abstinence.
Treating airway obstruction in COPD with bronchodilators is similar but not identical to treating bronchospasm in asthma. Bronchodilators are medications that relax the muscles surrounding the small airways thereby opening the airways. Bronchodilators can be inhaled, taken orally or administered intravenously. Inhaled bronchodilators are popular because they go directly to the airways where they work. As compared with bronchodilators given orally, less medication reaches the rest of the body, and, therefore, there are fewer side effects.
Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) are used to deliver bronchodilators. An MDI is a pressurized canister containing a medication that is released when the canister is compressed. A standard amount of medication is released with each compression of the MDI. To maximize the delivery of the medications to the airways, the patient has to learn to coordinate inhalation with each compression. Incorrect use of the MDI can lead to deposition of much of the medication on the tongue and the back of the throat instead of on the airways.
To decrease the deposition of medications on the throat and increase the amount reaching the airways, spacers can be helpful. Spacers are tube-like chambers attached to the outlet of the MDI canister. Spacer devices can hold the released medications long enough for patients to inhale them slowly and deeply into the lungs. Proper use of spacer devices can greatly increase the proportion of medication reaching the airways.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation has become a cornerstone in the management of moderate to severe COPD. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program of education regarding lung function and dysfunction, proper breathing techniques (diaphragmatic breathing, pursed lip breathing), and proper use of respiratory equipment and medications. An essential ingredient in this program is the use of increasing physical exercise to overcome the reduced physical capacity that usually has developed over time. In addition, occupational and physical therapy are used to teach optimal and efficient body mechanics.
- Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has received much fanfare in the lay press. LVRS is a surgical procedure used to treat some patients with COPD. The premise behind this surgery is that the over-inflated, poorly-functioning upper parts of the lung compress and impair function of the better-functioning lung elsewhere. Thus, if the over-inflated portions of lung are removed surgically, the compressed lung may expand and function better. In addition, the diaphragm and the chest cavity achieve more optimal positioning following the surgery, and this improves breathing further. The best criteria for choosing patients for LVRS are still uncertain. A national study was completed in 2003. Patients primarily with emphysema at the top of their lungs, whose exercise tolerance was low even after pulmonary rehabilitation, seemed to do the best with this procedure. On average, lung function and exercise capacity among surviving surgical patients improved significantly following LVRS, but after two years returned to about the same levels as before the procedure. Patients with forced expiratory volume in FEVI of less than 20% of predicted and either diffuse disease on the CAT scan or lower than 20% diffusing capacity or elevated carbon dioxide levels had higher mortality. The role of LVRS is at present is very limited.
- Beta-2 agonists have the bronchodilating effects of adrenaline without many of its unwanted side effects. Beta-2 agonists can be administered by MDI inhalers or orally. They are called “agonists” because they activate the beta-2 receptor on the muscles surrounding the airways. Activation of beta-2 receptors relaxes the muscles surrounding the airways and opens the airways. Dilating airways helps to relieve the symptoms of dyspnea (shortness of breath). Beta-2 agonists have been shown to relieve dyspnea in many COPD patients, even among those without demonstrable reversibility in airway obstruction. The action of beta-2 agonists starts within minutes after inhalation and lasts for about 4 hours. Because of their quick onset of action, beta-2 agonists are especially helpful for patients who are acutely short of breath. Because of their short duration of action, these medications should be used for symptoms as they develop rather than as maintenance. Evidence suggests that when these drugs are used routinely, their effectiveness is diminished. These are referred to as rescue inhalers. Examples of beta-2 agonists include albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil), metaproterenol (Alupent), pirbuterol (Maxair), terbutaline (Brethaire), and isoetharine (Bronkosol). Levalbuterol (Xopenex) is a recently approved Beta-2 agonist.
- In contrast, Beta-2 agonists with a slower onset of action but a longer period of activity, such as salmeterol xinafoate (Serevent) and formoterol fumarate (Foradil) may be used routinely as maintenance medications. These drugs last twelve hours and should be taken twice daily and no more. Along with some of these inhalers to be mentioned, these are often referred to as maintenance inhalers.
- Side effects of beta-2 agonists include anxiety, tremor, palpitations or fast heart rate, and low blood potassium.
- Anti-cholinergic Agents
- Acetylcholine is a chemical released by nerves that attaches to receptors on the muscles surrounding the airway causing the muscles to contract and the airways to narrow. Anti-cholinergic drugs such as ipratropium bromide (Atrovent) dilate airways by blocking the receptors for acetylcholine on the muscles of the airways and preventing them from narrowing. Ipratropium bromide (Atrovent) usually is administered via a MDI. In patients with COPD, ipratropium has been shown to alleviate dyspnea, improve exercise tolerance and improve FEV1. Ipratropium has a slower onset of action but longer duration of action than the shorter-acting beta-2 agonists. Ipratropium usually is well tolerated with minimal side effects even when used in higher doses. Tiotropium (SPIRIVA) is a long acting and more powerful version of Ipratropium and has been shown to be more effective.
- In comparing ipratropium with beta-2 agonists in the treatment of patients with COPD, studies suggest that ipratropium may be more effective in dilating airways and improving symptoms with fewer side effects. Ipratropium is especially suitable for use by elderly patients who may have difficulty with fast heart rate and tremor from the beta-2 agonists. In patients who respond poorly to either beta-2 agonists or ipratropium alone, a combination of the two drugs sometimes results in a better response than to either drug alone without additional side effects.
- Theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theolair, Slo-Bid, Uniphyl, Theo-24) and aminophylline are examples of methylxanthines. Methylxanthines are administered orally or intravenously. Long acting theophylline preparations can be given orally once or twice a day. Theophylline, like a beta agonist, relaxes the muscles surrounding the airways but also prevents mast cells around the airways from releasing bronchoconstricting chemicals such as histamine. Theophylline also can act as a mild diuretic and increase urination. Theophylline also may increase the force of contraction of the heart and lower pressure in the pulmonary arteries. Thus, theophylline can help patients with COPD who have heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. Patients who have difficulty using inhaled bronchodilators but no difficulty taking oral medications find theophylline particularly useful.
- The disadvantage of methylxanthines is their side effects. Dosage and blood levels of theophylline or aminophylline have to be closely monitored. Excessively high levels in the blood can lead to nausea, vomiting, heart rhythm problems, and even seizures. In patients with heart failure or cirrhosis, dosages of methylxanthines are lowered to avoid high blood levels. Interactions with other medications, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), calcium channel blockers (Procardia), quinolones (Cipro), and allopurinol (Zyloprim) also can alter blood levels of methylxanthines.
- When airway inflammation (which causes swelling) contributes to airflow obstruction, anti-inflammatory medications (more specifically, corticosteroids) may be beneficial. Examples of corticosteroids include Prednisone and Prednisolone. Twenty to thirty percent of patients with COPD show improvement in lung function when given corticosteroids by mouth. Unfortunately, high doses of oral corticosteroids over prolonged periods can have serious side effects, including osteoporosis, bone fractures, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, thinning of the skin and easy bruising, insomnia, emotional changes, and weight gain. Therefore, many doctors use oral corticosteroids as the treatment of last resort. When oral corticosteroids are used, they are prescribed at the lowest possible doses for the shortest period of time to minimize side effects. When it is necessary to use long term oral steroids, medications are often prescribed to help reduce the development of the above side effects.
- Corticosteroids also can be inhaled. Inhaled corticosteroids have many fewer side effects than long term oral corticosteroids. Examples of inhaled corticosteroids include beclomethasone dipropionate (Beclovent, Beconase, Vancenase, and Vanceril), triamcinolone acetonide (Azmacort), fluticasone (Flovent), budesonide (Pulmicort), mometasone furoate (Asmanex) and flunisolide (Aerobid). Inhaled corticosteroids have been useful in treating patients with asthma, but in patients with COPD, it is not clear whether inhaled corticosteroid have the same benefit as oral corticosteroids. Nevertheless, doctors are less concerned about using inhaled corticosteroids because of their safety. The side effects of inhaled corticosteroids include hoarseness, loss of voice, and oral yeast infections. A spacing device placed between the mouth and the MDI can improve medication delivery and reduce the side effects on the mouth and throat. Rinsing out the mouth after use of a steroid inhaler also can decrease these side effects.
- Treatment of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Emphysema can develop at a very young age in some patients with severe alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT). Replacement of the missing or inactive AAT by injection can help prevent progression of the associated emphysema. This therapy is of no benefit in other types of COPD.
- Respiratory failure
- Pneumonia, overwhelming respiratory infection
- Right-sided heart failure, dysrhythmias
- Skeletal muscle dysfunction
- Monitor for adverse effects of bronchodilators – tremulousness, tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmias, central nervous system stimulation, hypertension.
- Monitor condition after administration of aerosol bronchodilators to assess for improved aeration, reduced adventitious sounds, reduced dyspnea.
- Monitor serum theophylline level, as ordered, to ensure therapeutic level and prevent toxicity.
- Monitor oxygen saturation at rest and with activity.
- Eliminate all pulmonary irritants, particularly cigarette smoke. Smoking cessation usually reduces pulmonary irritation, sputum production, and cough. Keep the patient’s room as dust-free as possible.
- Use postural drainage positions to help clear secretions responsible for airway obstructions.
- Teach controlled coughing.
- Encourage high level of fluid intake ( 8 to 10 glasses; 2 to 2.5 liters daily) within level of cardiac reserve.
- Give inhalations of nebulized saline to humidify bronchial tree and liquefy sputum. Add moisture (humidifier, vaporizer) to indoor air.
- Avoid dairy products if these increases sputum production.
- Encourage the patient to assume comfortable position to decrease dyspnea.
- Instruct and supervise patient’s breathing retraining exercises.
- Use pursed lip breathing at intervals and during periods of dyspnea to control rate and depth of respiration and improve respiratory muscle coordination.
- Discuss and demonstrate relaxation exercises to reduce stress, tension, and anxiety.
- Maintain the patient’s nutritional status.
- Reemphasize the importance of graded exercise and physical conditioning programs.
- Encourage use of portable oxygen system for ambulation for patients with hypoxemia and marked disability.
- Train the patient in energy conservation technique.
- Assess the patient for reactive-behaviors such as anger, depression and acceptance.
Education and health maintenance
- Review with the patient the objectives of treatment and nursing management.
- Advise the patient to avoid respiratory irritants. Suggest that high efficiency particulate air filter may have some benefit.
- Warn patient to stay out of extremely hot or cold weather and to avoid aggravating bronchial obstruction and sputum obstruction.
- Warn patient to avoid persons with respiratory infections, and to avoid crowds and areas with poor ventilation.
- Teach the patient how to recognize and report evidence of respiratory infection promptly such as chest pain, changes in character of sputum (amount, color and consistency), increasing difficulty in raising sputum, increasing coughing and wheezing, increasing of shortness of breath.
NURSING CARE PLAN – BRONCHITIS
Medical and Surgical Nursing by Brunner and Suddarth’s
Medical Surgical Nursing by Josie Quiambao Udan
Manuals of Nursing Practice by Lippincott
Mosby’s Medical Surgical Nursing

domain: medical


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Unison by Mirvac is all about the perfect backdrop. Outside is the Brisbane River. Inside, it’s the modern and refined interior and furnishings, many of which have been hand selected from DOMO.
Unison is located in the sought-after neighbourhood of Newstead and has been designed for the Queensland lifestyle, embracing the community and indoor-outdoor living. The apartments have open-plan spaces, high ceilings, large courtyards and spacious balconies, and all just a stone’s throw from the river.
Guided by today’s desire for functionality and smart living, the interiors have a focus on good design, long-lasting appeal and exceptional comfort; and the colour palette is inspired by the raw concrete and historic industrial elements of the surrounding environment.
In the luxe and laid-back living room, beautiful brown accents warm the light and bright room. Duvuvier’s Centquatre Sofa has a strong and minimalist structure, as does the Pont Neut coffee table with a wooden frame and glass top. They are accompanied by the Maria Bride armchairs, which are simple and seductive with pointed and delicate legs and an enveloping backrest, and Ligne Roset’s Fifty chair that abstracts the form of the classic wingback. And to top it all off, the Bul Floor Lamp shines its sophisticated light across the whole composition.
Adjacent to the living room, the dining room is a crisp, white backdrop with warm and colourful highlights. The TONON Salt and Pepper dining table is sleek and modern with a wooden top and legs joined with steel connections, and Ligne Roset Rocher dining chairs and Polygon vase have a similar multi-faceted form.
In one bedroom, Ligne Roset’s Ruche bed adds quilted comfort and detail with the fabric of the base curving up around the bedhead. And in another, the Jacob bed and bedside table by Grange X Greg Natale bring some classic luxury to the apartment.
Unison’s interiors evoke exactly what its name implies: harmony and unity. You can find the furnishings by Ligne Roset, Duviver and Grange X Greg Natale on display in DOMO’s seven showrooms across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

domain: artistic


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Amazon.com Inc. has reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board to make it easier for its employees to organize at work, a step that comes as its workers in some areas continue to push for unionization.
Under the agreement, which was approved by both parties Wednesday, Amazon will notify past and current warehouse staff of their rights to organize in its buildings via email and other internal communications. The settlement also would allow the NLRB to more quickly hold Amazon accountable should it violate the terms of the agreement, according to the federal agency.
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A modern color pattern meets traditional design in this loveseat from the Alasdair Collection. This loveseat's defining features include a beautiful curvature along the edge of its back, as well as bold tufting across both its back and seat cushions. The curvature in the loveseat's back edging is complemented by its high, rolled arms that curl over in dramatic, yet tasteful fashion. Its upholstery comes in a calming light brown tone, complemented by its four turned wooden legs in a rich brown finish.
Length: 69.0 Width: 37.0 Height: 34.75


Changan CX70 won the Best Value Auto Award (Mejor Auto de Valor) at the 2018 Annual Automotive Press Gala organized by MT Automobile Magazine in Chile. Nearly 50 automotive media organizations and institutions attended the event and selected the Changan CX70 for the award.
The CX70 7-seat SUV has seen tremendous success in Chilean market for its stunning design, versatility, and cost-effective functionality. This achievement affirms Changan’s message that the company is dedicated to providing better vehicles for better life.
Changan has been in Chilean market for nearly a decade now and does extremely well, not just in Chile but the entire Latin American region, with CX70 SUV being one of the prime sellers. In the past three years, Changan has maintained a 50% year-on-year growth rate in the American market. It is expected that Changan would achieve 20,000 units sales target in 2018 in Latin American region.
The 7-seat Changan CX70 is powered by a 1.6 liter naturally aspirated engine that produces 116hp of power and 150Nm of torque. Although the engine may seem underpowered but its supported by a 5-speed manual transmission with very well developed and efficient gear ratios, and is praised by Chilean automotive media.
The ground clearance is an impressive 190mm high, supported by an excellent chassis and robust suspension system. Fuel economy figures are rated at 12.5 km per liter. There is a 180 liters of space behind the third row seats, however once the third row is reclined it enhances to 692 liters and with second row folded, adds up to 1,278 liters of cargo space.
In terms of equipment the CX70 gets leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, power windows, air conditioning with second-row air vents, 7 “multimedia touch-screen system, keyless entry system, power sunroof, GPS integration, reversing camera and 6-point parking sensors (270 degrees) etc.
Safety features include driver and passenger airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and BA, electronic stability program (ESP), traction control system (TCS) and hill-hold control (HHC) and TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System).
Changan in collaboration with Master Motors is in process of introducing the turbocharged variant of the CX70 SUV called the CX70T in Pakistan. The vehicle was displayed at 2018 ITIF Karachi and 2018 IEMA Expo Lahore and is expected to be introduced in our market by 2019.
A 3d animation professional with over 20 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations & production facilities of Pakistan, an avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver writings to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com


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Mara Bunda — District in Mara Region has reported a huge success through implementation of contract farming and the use of approved high-yield seeds, as reported during a cotton stakeholders meeting recently. Mara Acting Regional Commissioner, Ms Angeline Mabula said the district projected to double productivity.
"Bunda has been the area where the contract farming has been successfully implemented and it has been a role model in the system," she said. She said the acid-delinted seeds have proven to be wise best choice for cotton farmers in Mara Region.
Wards where the seeds grew very well include Chamriho, Serengeti and Kenkombyo, all in Bunda District. A related development four cotton seed suppliers in Geita Region were arrested for allegedly illegally selling inputs and pesticides to cotton farmers in the region.
Geita Regional Commissioner, Mr Saidi Magalula issued the arrest of the four officials from ginning companies during a cotton stakeholders meeting held at Geita municipal council.
Officers who arrested included, William Matonange from Kahama Oil Mill Ltd, Pastory Mabuto who represented I.C.K, Dickson Ulotu of Freshon INV Co. Ltd and the fourth person simply known as Kesy.
"You have sold the inputs and pesticides to the farmers instead of giving them out as loans as per directives of the contract farming regulations, we can't allow this to continue," warned the Regional Commissioner.
The Regional Commissioner reacted after the owner of Fresh Inv Co. Ltd, Mr Dickson Olutu failed to give a an accurate report on the supply and distribution of pesticides under his allocation.

domain: agronomy


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The Scown’s Pharmacy team is here to support you and the local community. Our team will continue to provide professional advice and essential services, including influenza vaccinations. Bookings are available in-store and on the phone.
Please do not enter the Pharmacy without a face mask.
If you are unable to wear a mask due to medical reasons or another valid exemption, please contact our pharmacy on 9391 3954 for assistance before entering.
Prescriptions, Health Products and Deliveries
Scown’s Pharmacy continues to supply your medication and health care needs. We will remain open throughout any lock-down stages.
Additionally, Prescriptions can be submitted via Fax (9399 2999) or Email (firstname.lastname@example.org) from your tele-health appointment for immediate supply.
We offer free same-day local delivery on any urgent prescriptions or pharmacy medicine.


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“The corrosive elements of hookup culture are in all of our lives,” Wade writes.“In our workplaces, in our politics and the media, within our families and friendships, and, yes, in bars and bedrooms. It makes no sense, then, to shake our fingers at college students. If we want to fix hookup culture, we have to fix American culture.” When we have a new president who has exhibited the worst of hookup culture — a culture where groping and denigrating “locker room talk” about women are normalized — it feels all the more imperative for us to transform hookup culture into a sexual culture that is more inclusive, more equal in its distribution of pleasure, more kind.
Students “select, interpret, and negotiate” these definitions.
At a public university in northwestern United States, Hollman and Sillars sampled 274 underclassmen students who were a variety of majors, around 20 years old, almost evenly male and female, and predominantly Caucasian.
More than half were single, others were seriously dating and less than three percent were married.
Additionally, one partner hooking up may not have fully consented, this can occur because of emotional, verbal or physical manipulation.
Hollman and Sillars state “78% of unwanted sex reported by college students occurred during a hook up.” Second, Hollman and Sillars examine how students networks (people they interact with regularly) play into hook up culture.
Many students describe hooking up by saying: “it just happened” or “I was swept away.” Usually, alcohol was present and used to justify or catalyze the spontaneous act. Students felt sexually aroused and emotionally excited during the hook up, but claim to feel psychological distress afterwards.

domain: psychology


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Shutdown Begins: Stalemate Forces First U.S. Government Closure in 17 Years (The Washington Post)
The U.S. government began to shut down for the first time in 17 years early Tuesday, after a Congress bitterly divided over President Obama’s signature health care initiative failed to reach agreement to fund federal agencies. Hours before a midnight deadline, the Republican House passed its third proposal in two weeks to fund the government for a matter of weeks. Like the previous plans, the new one sought to undermine the Affordable Care Act, this time by delaying enforcement of the “individual mandate,” a cornerstone of the law that requires all Americans to obtain health insurance. TVNewser President Obama gave a brief statement Monday afternoon as the threat of a government shutdown loomed over Washington. He began by listing off what agencies would continue to operate and which would not. “I think it is important for everyone to understand that the federal government is the country’s largest employer,” Obama said. “A shutdown will have a very real economic impact on real people, right away.” HuffPost With the government hurtling toward a shutdown, the media dug in for some round-the-clock coverage on Monday. From the competing countdown clocks to the continuing stream of elected representatives appearing on camera, cable news was in its element: circling around and around the same few pieces of news, getting hosts and guests to argue with each other, speculating, postulating and predicting over and over again. Reuters The U.S. Agriculture Department’s public face, the usda.gov website, will “go dark” and be linked to an informational page in the event of a shutdown, allowing no access to USDA data banks, a spokeswoman said on Monday. WSJ / Washington Wire Washingtonians have remained stoic, even dismissive of news that a government shutdown could halt garbage pickup, street cleaning, and pothole-repair come Tuesday. But when the National Zoo announced Monday that continued congressional impasse would shutter the zoo and its Panda Cam, the sole window onto the zoo’s newborn cub, fans traveled the stages of grief, from rage to bargaining and grim acceptance. “This just got real,” wrote several contributors to the zoo’s Twitter feed.
Posts Tagged ‘Hillary Clinton’
To say thank you for a great year, we’re offering 15% OFF any boot camp, in-person course, or online course when you use code MBTHANKU. Choose from any of our exciting upcoming courses, from a novel writing class taught by an accomplished author, to an intro course for Excel. Hurry – offer expires 12/24! Browse our upcoming courses.
According to the company, Clinton’s book will focus on how she’s going to win the 2016 election. Kidding! It will focus on “sharing key decisions and experiences as Secretary of State and her ideas for how the United States can address the challenges of a dramatically changing world in the 21st century.”
“Hillary Clinton’s extraordinary public service has given her a unique perspective on recent history and the challenges we face,” said Jonathan Karp, president and publisher of Simon & Schuster, in a statement. “This will be the ultimate book for people who are interested in world affairs and America’s place in the world today.”
The book will publish in 2014, two years before Clinton becomes president.
By the way, Mediabistro editors will be at tomorrow’s Women in the World conference where Clinton keynotes in the morning. Look for coverage on FishbowlNY tomorrow.
The cover story for the latest issue of Time is dedicated to Hillary Clinton, and the piece discusses everything from the 64-year-old’s relentless work ethic to her many accomplishments.
In addition to the cover story, Time’s Managing Editor, Richard Stengel, sat down with Clinton for an interview in which she explains that there are no hard feelings toward Obama over losing the presidential nomination, and likens the Occupy Wall Street protesters to the Tea Party.
And to top all of that, there’s also a poll that shows Clinton would do better than Obama if she were up for re-election:
According to a press release obtained by Adweek, the comic will cover her “time studying in England, her marriage to a congressman, her run as governor of California and how her website was sold to AOL for $315 million.”
The cover is a little disappointing, isn’t it? Couldn’t we at least get a cape? Oh well. If you’re interested, the issues comes out in October.
Michael Paterniti at GQ wrote a compelling article called “Inside Al-Jazeera,” which takes a look at how Al-Jazeera became the news network to watch in 2011, while casting a shadow on U.S. news coverage and its shortcomings.
Initially, Al-Jazeera was met with great distrust. “To Western governments after September 11, the network was a mouthpiece for Al Qaeda, while for Al Qaeda the network wasn’t mouthpiece enough.” But things turned around with its coverage of the Arab Spring. The network puts less emphasis on the fame level, book deals, attractiveness or pounding opinions of its correspondents; the emphasis, believe it or not, is on the actual news. And with it’s coverage of the Arab uprisings, the stark differences between U.S. networks and Al-Jazeera became came more and more to the fore.
[It] threw into high relief the difference between what we’ve come to accept as our television “news” here in America and what a network like Al Jazeera presents of the world each day, many times through a lens that has an almost populist, retro feel… In fact, Americans found themselves so hungry for full coverage and so stymied by their inability to watch Al Jazeera that 80,000 signed on to a “Demand Al Jazeera in the U.S.A.” campaign.
Everyone likes those photo hunt games, right? Well, let’s play one right now. See anything missing from the bottom picture? If you guessed Hillary Clinton, you win a prize that we won’t ever actually send you.
According to The New York Post, Der Tzitung - a Hasidic newspaper in Brooklyn – deleted Clinton and Audrey Tomason, the Director of Counterterrorism, from the now iconic picture because it doesn’t want to show women in positions of authority.
Not only is that going to upset people, it’s against the law. The White House doesn’t allow the media to alter photographs that it releases.
WWD asked some very fancy people what they thought of the now famous Situation Room photograph shown here. Almost every single one mentions Hillary Clinton as the most pivotal part of the picture, but they all saw something that wasn’t there.
Here’s a quick rundown of their thoughts:
Kira Pollack, Director of Photography, Time:
The Hillary Clinton expression is the one that holds the photograph fully. The reaction of her hand over her face. Her eyes. Clearly, she’s reacting to something she’s watching. She’s very unaware she’s being photographed. To me, the whole image is about Hillary.
Scott Hal, Director of Photography, Newsweek:
What’s most interesting to me about this photo is what you’re not seeing. The mystery of what’s happening off camera is captured wholly in the expression on Hillary’s face.
Michelle McNally, Assistant Managing Editor for Photography, The New York Times:
It’s pretty simple. It’s just the intense expression on Obama and Hillary’s faces.
It’s a dreary Sunday, which means it’s the perfect time to sit back with your coffee and the updated New York Times Magazine (FishbowlNY is loving it), so we don’t want to take up too much of your time.
But since there’s been a lot of talk over the revamped Newsweek, we thought we’d just pass along this little bit of info: Hillary Clinton is on the cover of the first issue. Tina Brown just unveiled the new look magazine this morning on ABC News’ This Week with Christiane Amanpour.
Now back to your coffee. And gigantic donut.
Hey, we’re not judging.
Fans of the longtime defunct satirical magazine Spy have reason to rejoice today. According to The Observer’s Dan Duray, Google has digitized every issue Spy has ever released and organized them in an archive for all to access. Those of you who are interested in taking a trip down memory lane and reading some classic spoof articles on Hillary Clinton’s true gender and the sexy side of Martha Stewart can check out the entire Spy catalog here.
— DIANE CLEHANE
Even presidential gridlock couldn’t keep the diehards away from Michael’s today. While President Obama dished with the gals on The View across town, the usual mix of media mavens, moguls and socialites pecked at their lunches and traded war stories about their oh so busy summers. Overheard in the ladies’ room: “The traffic in the Hamptons is worse than ever!” and “There’s just too many parties to get to this year!” What a pity.
I was lunching today with Amy Matthews, licensed contractor and host of This New House, premiering Thursday night on DIY. In it, she and co-host Kevin O’Connor travel the country in search of the latest and greatest innovations in home building and construction. The mission of the show, explains Amy, is to teach do-it-yourselfers how to spruce up their homes using their own muscle.
Fresh off an appearance on The Early Show this morning, Amy looks more like a movie star (think a younger Virgina Madsen) than a hardhat, but she says she came to love all things construction from her dad while growing up in Minneapolis. She recommends home improvement novices start by consulting the experts and trying “cosmetic” projects like painting or switching kitchen and bathroom faucets first. But if you think you’re ready and want to have some real fun, pick up a pickaxe and go for it. “A lot of people find doing their own demolition very therapeutic,” she says. “Plus, you can save yourself a lot of money.”
In the series this season, Amy and Kevin meet up with all kinds of inventors, builders and scientists that are sure to get you off the couch and into your local hardware store. One of her favorite inventions, she says, is an at-home system that allows doors in private homes to operate like those handy automatic ones at your favorite big box store. Just the thing you’ll need when you come home ladened with packages from the new Target uptown. We’ll be tuning in.
Here’s the rundown on today’s crowd:
1. ‘Mayor’ Joe Armstrong (Long time no see!) and pals David Patrick Columbia who celebrated a birthday earlier this week, Joan Jacobsen, Patrick Murphy and Mary McDonagh Murphy. I stopped to say my hello’s and found out the gang was celebrating the release of Mary’s new book Scout, Atticus & Boo which celebrates the 50th anniversary of To Kill A Mockingbird. Congrats!
2. An almost unrecognizable Laurie Dhue, who exchanged her usual anchorwoman ‘do for a slicked back look today, and some equally attractive gal pals.
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Esper Wants to ‘Evangelize DevOps’ After $60M Series C Raise
Just four and a half months after closing its $30 million Series B, DevOps startup Esper is back at it again with a new round of funding. This time, the Bellevue-based company is announcing its $60 million Series C raise, which was led by Insight Partners. Esper has now raised nearly $100 million in total funding since its inception.
This rapid influx of capital represents a growing trend in the IoT industry. Esper has created a tech platform that helps developers and engineers manage their fleet of Android-based devices, letting them build software, deploy that software across devices and maintain it via over-the-air updates.
This is important because a lot of companies rely on IoT devices that run Android (yes, the same Android OS built by Google that all non-iPhone smartphones run on). That includes all those point-of-sale terminals, connected exercise equipment, medical devices, smart kiosks and more. Companies that operate these machines need to have a way to monitor them and keep them functioning and secure with things like updates or IT support. Esper helps these companies do that.
Over 200 companies and a total of 2,000 developers use Esper. For example, there’s Ordermark, which has built a custom tablet that allows restaurant owners to manage their UberEats and Grubhub orders in one place. There’s Siyata Mobile, which has built a handset for emergency first responders. And there’s Spire Health, which uses its devices to monitor patients’ health. All of these companies rely on Esper to make sure their devices work at scale.
“With Esper, our remote patient monitoring service just works. Esper’s seamless deployment ensures that even patients who are not as comfortable with technology can successfully use our service,” Spire Health chief scientist and co-founder Neema Moraveji, Ph.D., said in a statement. “Device set-up is simple, there is zero configuration needed by the patients, and Esper’s full-service solution detects connectivity and sensor failures ahead of time and alerts the Spire team for proactive outreach to our patients, often before they even notice an issue.”
This new funding will allow Esper to “evangelize DevOps” and go after more customers. In a blog post, the company’s CEO and co-founder Yadhu Gopalan writes that the next step for the company is getting itself in front of more enterprise customers, in order to show the benefits of having a tool like theirs.
“Our biggest opportunity right now is getting the word out to more enterprises that Esper exists. Our customers tell us that we are completely resetting their assumptions about what is possible. It’s so rewarding to see the light bulb go off when a customer realizes all of the infrastructure they no longer have to build themselves,” Gopalan wrote.
Gopalan adds that the Esper product and team will grow from here. Esper has already quadrupled its employee headcount this year, and revenue growth is currently on target to be 4x higher than it was last year, according to TechCrunch. Esper is also currently hiring for over 20 Bellevue-based jobs in order to help prepare the company for its future goals.


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Chicago Design Museum
Chicago Design Museum, Out of the Container | 2018
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design | 2022
Great Ideas of Humanity is an ongoing collaborative project of the Chicago Design Museum. Inspired by John Massey’s iconic campaign, “Great Ideas of Western Man,” designers are invited to graphically interpret noteworthy ideas from literature and spoken word. Early in 2018, I was presented with the following statement by Henry Ward Beecher, “The real democratic American idea is not that every man shall be on a level with every other, but that every one shall have liberty, without hindrance, to be what God made him.”
In a handful of words, Beecher’s statement of “the real democratic American idea” asks far more than it answers. It dispatches the notion of equality, replacing it with a vague, possibly less desirable, concept of liberty to “be what God made” us. It’s a statement that points to the ongoing tension between popular ideology and the historic roots of our politics in enlightenment thinking. It implores us to ask who God is, and what we were made to be. My goal was not to resolve the paradox of Beecher’s idea, but to illustrate it with beauty and provoke others to take part in a discourse on what our democracy does and should mean.


The home ministry said the CPI (Maoist), which is leading the unrest in the Lalgarh area of West Bengal, would be the 35th entry on the list of terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The CPI (Maoist) was already being considered a banned organisation as it was formed from the merger of two other banned organisations, the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). The list of terrorist organisations in the home ministry clearly mentioned that all the different formations and front organisations of MCC and CPI (ML) would be considered a part of the list of banned organisations.
Mondays decision, however, stemmed from a realisation that the list must be made as unambiguous as possible.
The Centre has been asking the West Bengal government to declare the CPI (Maoist) as an unlawful organisation. West Bengal is the only Naxal-affected state not to have done so.
However, it was pointed out that the Centres own list of terrorist organisations was ambiguous on the CPI (Maoist) since it was not explicitly mentioned on the list.
All that we have done today is to avoid ambiguity. We have added the words of CPI (Maoist) in the schedule of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. It was always a terror organisation and today an ambiguity has been removed, home minister P Chidambaram told reporters.
Top leaders of the CPI(M) criticised the move. Party general secretary Prakash Karat said banning the Maoists wont serve any purpose. They will function under some other name, he said, adding that the partys line was that Maoists needed to be fought politically and administratively.


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Join us this holiday season to give the gift of shelter, health and a little love! Our Home for the Holidays promotion runs through January 3 and there are two ways you can participate!
Adopt a Pet
Give a shelter animal the gift of a forever home
- Adoption fees WAIVED for animals with holiday-themed names!
- Dec 2- Jan 3 | Oakland and Dublin adoption centers
Not the right time to adopt? Consider making an online donation to our holiday Giving Tree. For every donation received an ornament will be placed on one of our Giving Trees (located at both adoption centers, spay/neuter clinics and our full-service veterinary clinic). Your donation helps give the gift of shelter, medical care, training and loving attention to animals in our care.

domain: pet


The Intelligence Community Studies Board (ICSB) serves as the convening authority for the discussion of science and technology issues of importance to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). In coordination with ODNI and other agencies of the IC, the ICSB provides the governance structure for studies, workshops, symposia, and expert meetings on science and technology topics of interest to the IC. The principal sponsor of the ICSB is the Director of S&T, ODNI; however, the intent is to make ICSB resources and publications available to all intelligence agencies.
Download ICSB Brochure
Intelligence Community Studies Board Meeting
July 10-11, 2018
For general inquiries please email firstname.lastname@example.org or call 202-334-3166.
Contact Board Director Alan Shaw at email@example.com.


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If you'd like to contribute a picture of your Goliath tomato please upload via the variety opinion form. I will credit your name below the picture if you like. Thanks!
The Goliath heirloom tomato, not to be confused with the Goliath Hybrid variety, is a huge beefsteak type tomato. It may even be the largest known tomato!
This variety is aptly named. The Goliath variety bears giant fruit on a really large plant. The fruits have dark pink skin that is slightly ribbed, and solid interiors that have few seeds. The taste is very sweet yet has an acid component, making for really good flavor. Average fruit size is in the 1 to 2 pound range, but it is not unusual for tomatoes to become a humongous 3 pounds.
The Goliath heirloom tomato has been grown since the late 1800's.
The plant is an indeterminate (tall growing, continuous bearing) variety. It is a hardy plant and has good disease and crack resistance. It's also a prolific producer.
Growing tomatoes from seed is easy, which is good because Goliath tomato plant availability is spotty. Plant after all danger of frost has passed. You'll find the last frost dates for many cities in when to plant tomatoes.
Color: Dark Pink
Average Size: Very large, 1- to 2-pounds
Seed Type: Heirloom
Plant Characteristics: Indeterminate; regular leaf; high yield
Maturity: Late-season, 85 days after transplant

domain: biology


President Muhammadu Buhari, according to the Presidency, is not looting the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
NNPC made a profit in 2020, according to Adesina, because Buhari “did not use it as his personal Automated Teller Machine (ATM).”
This was stated by the presidential spokesman in an article titled, “How Buhari Broke The Jinx At NNPC.”
He explained that the president refused to run NNPC like his personal ATM, so the company declared a profit.
“Well, it happened because, perhaps for the first time in the country’s and NNPC’s history, there is a President who is not using the place like a personal Automated Teller Machine,” the article says (ATM).
“He (Buhari) is not amassing vast sums of money through fiat, nor is he issuing orders for any under-the-table deal. And that President also serves as Minister of Petroleum Resources.”
He also quoted Mele Kyari, the NNPC Group Managing Director, as saying that the president has never made any demands on the Corporation.
Adesina quoted Kyari as saying, “Buhari has never made any demand of us, asked for a single thing for himself or any individual.”
Buhari, who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, recently announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made a profit after tax (PAT) of N287 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020.
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During continuous casting of steel, surface quality requirements of the produced slabs increase, whereas the mold slags have a tremendous impact on the surface quality. For a control of the melting behavior, mold powders contain free carbon; however, a carburization of certain steel grades is not desired. Furthermore, mold powders can contain fluorine for viscosity adjustment, and the fluorine can induce corrosion of the casting plant or the slag band. Beside this, occurring redox-reactions lead to a changed mold slag composition. This results in a massive change of the slag viscosity and the solidification behavior.
The slag viscosity is important not only for the continuous casting, but also for other metallurgical processes. Increasing CPU performance capacities enable augmented process simulation possibilities. The knowledge of slag viscosity is relevant for both, the current operation as well as for process prediction. Since viscosity measurement is time and cost intensive, it is necessary to develop viscosity models for large ranges of validity.
The planned methodology of the current project consists of theoretical studies, thermochemical model calculations and experimental activities in lab and pilot scale. Since 2004, the scientific partner of the project, Chair of Ceramics from Montanuniversität Leoben, is active in the research on mold powders and mold slags. Therefore, several evaluation methods exist to develop improved mold slags such as Double and Single Hot Thermocouple Technique (DHTT and SHTT) to characterize the crystallization behavior as well as a high temperature rheometer to measure slag viscosity (see figures).
Potentially suitable slag compositions will be tested in a pilot-scale continuous casting plant of our industrial project partner and the obtained results should help to further optimize the slag compositions. In addition to this, dissolution tests of certain particles in the mold slag are planned by using High Temperature Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (HT-LSCM, Chair of Ferrous Metallurgy of Montanuniversität Leoben) to estimate the corrosion behavior of the slag band.
Regarding the development of a mold powder without free carbon, research work will focus on a raw material concept using different oxides and the target will also be to quantify suitable components as substitutes for the free carbon. The corresponding methodology contains stepwise annealing, simultaneous thermal analysis and heating microscopy.
Viscosity measurements will be done with a high temperature rheometer. Synthetic slags will be produced with varying composition to systematically quantify the influence of the different components on the final slag viscosity. Finally, viscosity models should be generated based on the results from the rheometer measurements.
Results and application
Optimized mold slag compositions are expected for the continuous casting process to produce certain steel qualities. The viscosity of the mold slags should stay within a certain range, and beside this, requirements on the solidification behavior will be given. Based on the pilot plant tests, knowledge should be generated regarding slag film generation, slag behavior during operation and regarding the heat transfer.
For viscosity modelling, an evaluation is expected on viscosity calculation models being available in literature. Based on that, a model should be developed, which enables the viscosity calculation for different slag systems. Beside this, single sets of slag viscosity values are expected. Furthermore, a full set of data for one slag type should be available being used to generate a viscosity model.


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Since the internet boom, it’s become more and more popular for professionals to quit their day jobs. Then, they work for themselves. At one time, this was frowned upon. Furthermore, it was seen by many as a big risk. Now, it’s much more accepted and even celebrated.
Research shows that this trend isn’t going anywhere. In fact, as many as 42 million people could be working for themselves by 2020. Between 2018 and 2020, it’s estimated that 27 million Americans will leave their full-time jobs.
Millennials are largely driving this trend. So, instead of reporting to an office, these professions are freelancers, work remotely, or complete contract jobs.
Many professionals who are already working for themselves are very content. This is why more and more people are quitting their jobs. Research shows that 3.4 million people in the US gave their two-week notice in April 2018.
Surveys show that 97 percent of these professionals have zero desire to return to traditional 9-5 work.
The funny thing about this trend is that self-employment isn’t easy. However, the psychological benefits of creativity and autonomy outweigh any downfalls of being your own boss. Plus, you get the freedom, flexibility and control of making your own money.
Fortunately, when you work for yourself you also have the opportunity to learn through real-life experiences.
Some other reasons people are choosing to work for themselves include:
These benefits only add to the trend.
We will continue to see more people working for themselves. This is why we created Boon!
Boon makes it easier for healthcare providers to connect with practices. This way, practices can hire and providers start earning quickly. On the other hand, practices can hire in a safe, affordable environment.
Our platform makes being your own boss a reality, with the ability to create your own schedule. Plus, you can also have greater control over your earnings. It only takes a few minutes to create a profile. Get started and earn today!
September 2, 2019

domain: sociology


To transform UPM into an excellent university that is well connected by information and communication technology (ICT).
To develop and enhance the teaching, research and administrative systems through the provision of a broad and comprehensive information technology system.
- To focus on the vision of computing and communication technology in UPM.
- To be proactive in anticipating the effect of ICT transformation on teaching and learning, research, administration collaboration and community development.
- To facilitate discussion on policy and planning of information technology and communication at each level of administration in UPM.
- To create standards and guidelines for computing and internet technology for UPM.
- To lead in the structuring of the computer and network security plan for UPM.
- To nurture a comprehensive information technology environment through profesional technology acquisition practice.
Updated:: 12/10/2018 [nazlina]


Source: Deep Learning on Medium
Towards Safer Navigation of Indoor Robots
The realm of robotics has witnessed a tremendous surge in terms of research, development and implementation of assistive machinery. From self-driving cars in practice to autonomous floor cleaning robots, intelligent machines have come a long way down. There are a couple of core technologies or research concepts that are applied in the above mentioned domains, with computer vision being one primary example.
Modern computer vision algorithms have made navigation really easy to achieve. Most of the techniques are found already implemented in open-source computer vision libraries like OpenCV, scikit-image, imgaug etc. These implementations make it very simple to incorporate complex algorithms into your system and implement an autonomous intelligent robot. With the given environment, we literally had to pick and choose the most appropriate algorithm for feature extraction and motion generation. With the advent of deep learning however, this need was also downsized.
Deep learning discards the usage of hand-crafted feature extraction techniques and uses deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automatic feature extraction. For instance, semantic/instance segmentation algorithms learn pixel-pixel representations using the above CNNs thereby creating a full semantic understanding of the environment, and this is exactly what we implemented at Aziobot.
Aziobot is a robotics startup based in Den Bosch, Netherlands, focusing on developing and deploying autonomous floor cleaning machines to the industry. Our first product SB2, is already out for ground testing. The robot has multiple interesting features with intelligent cleaning and simple setup being the most fascinating. This robot has the capability to clean anywhere and anytime, even in the low ambient light. Furthermore, SB2 now has all the required safety features that should be incorporated in indoor robots. Let’s take a moment and see SB2 in action!
This was the demonstration of a feature in SB2 called autonomous spot cleaning, implying that the robot is capable of cleaning a particular spot, as indicated by the user in the selected map. SB2 is also capable of autonomous zonal cleaning, where the selected map can be distributed into multiple zones, based on the user’s cleaning requirements.
Another important facet of SB2 is the simplicity in the mapping process. A lot of cleaning robots are hard-coded in terms of motion planning and path following. SB2 however, on the other hand, provides a very simple UI for mapping the area. Post mapping, the motion profile is generated autonomously by SB2 and the cleaning process begins, all by itself. Sounds far fetched? Well not really, have a look below:
So now that the robot is introduced, I would now like to talk about the safety facets of it. The primary safety layer is already a core part of Aziobot’s Navigation Stack, which provides for basic collision avoidance from nearby walls, doors and other local static objects. The secondary layer has a bit more functionality in terms of detection. This layer is basically an custom-trained instance segmentation algorithm running on the on-board computer called DeepLabV3, by Google.
This semantic segmentation algorithm has been trained to identify people, and the floor structure at the wheel base. Now we know that people are usually the dynamic obstacles that can possibly obstruct the cleaning routes of these robots, and in order to avoid colliding with people, this semantic segmentation algorithm lays the foundation.
Once the people are detected in the frame as you can see above, their average distances and velocities are calculated and fed to navigation stack. This software stack utilizes this information to create a kind of no-go zone near the people. Furthermore, the algorithm can detect basic floors, wooden floors and carpet/rug type structures. As you know that scrubbing operations have to be different on different types of floors, this algorithm tells the robot when to stop water flow and when to stop scrubbing, depending on what kind of floor is encountered.
Also in the image above, the distinct pink color on the ground indicates the presence of a carpet/rug type structure where the scrubbing process is strictly forbidden. Furthermore, the segmented human being in the frame contributes to dynamic obstacles. This semantic understanding of the surroundings makes SB2 more intelligent and capable to handle multiple flooring techniques. As of now, further research is going on to distinguish between tiles/marble/wooden/carpet types to further enhance this capability.
This capability makes SB2 safe around people which is the most important factor in the modern era with respect to social acceptability of robots. Safety of the humans is of top priority and SB2 fulfills this required criteria. For any more information, please feel free to visit www.aziobot.com