Qualifying day at the Motocross of Nations in Maggiora, Italy, is all about gate pick for the main motos tomorrow and after the MXGP, MX2 and Open races, it is France that will have the first option. Romain Febvre won his MXGP race, while Gautier Paulin came second in the Open class. Third member Benoit Paturel also impressed with a third place in the MX2 class but his result wasn’t needed as only the top two scores count towards the total.
Unfortunately for Team USA, their day started off badly with the ballot giving them 30th gate pick for the qualifying races and it ended up getting worse from there. Cooper Webb crashed in the first race and struggled to restart it, eventually finishing 18th. Alex Martin fared slightly better but also made mistakes at critical points and could only make his way back to 9th place.
At that stage there was a real danger that the team wouldn’t qualify, especially when Jason Anderson crashed at the beginning of the Open race. However, he swept through the field and ended up 14th which was enough to give the USA 15th gate pick for the races.


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domain: entertainment


THE BGS (Brasil Game Show), which reaches its 12th edition and is considered the largest gaming event in Latin America, updated its visual identity and seeks to aggregate and unite its audience even more.
With a cleaner image and the motto “here is played“, The event expands and already shows how the items will be sold with the new identity.
Here is played_ with passion
Here one plays_ with respect
Here you play_ with the mines
Here we play_ with the homies
Here one plays_ professionally
Here play_ connected
Here is played_
“We want to convey the emotion of the event and reinforce that BGS is a fair unlike anything that exists in the gamer segment, be it in terms of launches and attractions for visitors or business opportunities“, Explains Marcelo Tavares, CEO and founder of the event. “Players and their passion will be the key to our communication and will be at the center of marketing actions in 2019. BGS is already part of the global calendar of major gamers events and has great sales and audience potential. The goal now is to strengthen the engagement of fans, so that they are enchanted with BGS and accompany the brand not only during the fair period, but also throughout the year“, He adds.
THE BGS 2019 will take place in São Paulo between October 9th and 13th, at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo. You can purchase tickets on the event’s official websitehttp: //www.brasilgameshow.com.br/ingressos/.
Held since 2009, the Brasil Game Show has consolidated itself as the largest game fair in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. Over 11 editions, more than 1.8 million visitors and dozens of international guests went through the event.


text:
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Popular points of interest near the holiday home include Shrewsbury Cathedral, Shrewsbury Library and Shrewsbury Town Council. The nearest airport is Liverpool John Lennon Airport, 72 km from Eko Terrace.

domain: travel


text:
The Animals' ArkBook - 2016
When the animals are stranded in the rain, they happily board a boat two by two. At first they keep themselves busy playing, and keeping up with their personal grooming routines, but they soon grow tired of the endless rain and their very close quarters. Will a new home be on the horizon soon?
Publisher: Toronto :, Kids Can Press,,
Copyright Date: ©2016
Branch Call Number: JP Dubuc
Characteristics: 1 volume (unpaged) : colour illustrations

domain: library


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text:
AXIS Capital has again highlighted the fact that a proxy advisory firm is in favour of its proposed merger with reinsurance firm PartnerRe, but this time it hasn’t gone so far as to accuse Glass Lewis of inconsistency.
Last week insurance and reinsurance firm AXIS Capital highlighted that proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services Inc (ISS) had been inconsistent, by recommending that PartnerRe’s shareholders vote against the proposed merger (and for the EXOR offer), while recommending that AXIS’ shareholders voted for it.
As we explained at the time, proxy firms look at both sides from the shareholders points of view and make a recommendation based on which way they feel the shareholders should vote. Hence, it’s perfectly reasonable to recommend one set of shareholders to vote for and the other against, based on the facts surrounding each company.
Glass Lewis has gone with the same recommendations this week, it transpires, recommending that PartnerRe’s shareholders vote against the merger as it feels the EXOR offer provides more value, but at the same time recommending that AXIS’ shareholders vote for it.
The reason the proxy firms have come out in favour of AXIS’ shareholders voting for the merger is likely that the PartnerRe deal is the best offer on the table for AXIS. It’s perhaps a strong reflection of the fact that if EXOR succeeds in buying PartnerRe, AXIS becomes a very strong candidate for another offer or merger deal.
Both ISS and Glass Lewis clearly recognise that there is value to be generated for AXIS’ shareholders if the company merges with another firm, in this case PartnerRe. However for PartnerRe, the value is not great enough to overshadow the EXOR offer in the proxy advisories opinions.
AXIS Capital CEO Albert Benchimol commented today; “We are very pleased that Glass Lewis has joined ISS in recognizing the strategic rationale of the merger of equals agreement with PartnerRe for our shareholders.”
Adding; “The amalgamation agreement—which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies—offers significant strategic, operational, and financial merits, and the substantial value created for the two companies’ shareholders will only be accentuated by the operating synergies and superior capital generation that can be realized through the combination of the two companies.”
AXIS quotes the Glass Lewis report as saying:
“[T]he proposed merger with PartnerRe is consistent with Axis’ strategic objectives and would result in the realization of a number of strategic and financial benefits on a meaningfully quicker timeline than Axis could likely achieve otherwise.”
“We recognize that the combined company would be better positioned to face the challenging environment confronting reinsurers and insurers through the addition of scale, further diversification and operational efficiencies. Therefore, we believe the merger stands to create a larger, more stable and diverse insurance/reinsurance company than either company could likely become in the near term otherwise.”
“[T]he merger consideration…continues to represent a reasonable and fair price for Axis to pay given the expected strategic and financial benefits and the opportunity to enhance shareholder value. Thus, we believe the transaction represents an appropriate use of the Company’s equity capital. Based on these factors, along with the support of the board, we believe the proposed merger is in the best interests of shareholders.”
These proxy firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, have now both recognised that the merger would create value for AXIS right now based on its situation, but for PartnerRe the value of the amalgamation with AXIS is questionable, compared to the EXOR deal. Both had also questioned the conduct of the PartnerRe board throughout the process.
For the full story see our previous articles, most recent first:
– Glass Lewis tells PartnerRe shareholders vote against AXIS deal.
– AXIS Capital questions ISS opinion on PartnerRe merger.
– ISS tells PartnerRe shareholders not to vote for AXIS merger, plus EXOR’s response.
– PartnerRe & AXIS continue to highlight tax risk of EXOR deal.
– AXIS: PartnerRe deal superior “immediately & in future” to EXOR deal, halts integration work.
– PartnerRe Board says EXOR’s offer likely superior, but still prefers AXIS.
– EXOR adds another $3 per common share to PartnerRe offer
– Enhanced PartnerRe – AXIS terms weaken merger rationale: Analyst.
– PartnerRe and AXIS reveal improved merger terms.
– EXOR says PartnerRe & AXIS acknowledge transaction is inferior.
– PartnerRe and AXIS Capital evaluate improving merger deal.
– As EXOR pursues PartnerRe, AXIS could attract buyer: Macquarie.
– Activist Sandell says PartnerRe board misinforming shareholders.
– AXIS needs to match, or beat, EXOR’s improved PartnerRe offer.
– EXOR enhances deal terms for PartnerRe shareholders.
– PartnerRe unimpressed with EXOR’s expanded completion guarantee.
– EXOR sweetens PartnerRe offer with completion guarantee.
– EXOR says receiving positive response from PartnerRe shareholders, plus updates from both sides.
– PartnerRe cites inadequate price, unacceptable risk of EXOR offer.
– Confusion over whether Arch is bidding for AXIS, or not.
– KBW analysts still give AXIS the edge to win PartnerRe deal.
– Arch said to be considering AXIS Capital bid: Reports.
– Analysts feel EXOR has improved chance of buying PartnerRe.
– EXOR capital structure has no bearing on PartnerRe rating: S&P.
– EXOR accuses PartnerRe board of “engineering” AXIS transaction.
– PartnerRe Board urges Preferred Shareholders to vote for AXIS merger.
– Bermuda court rules against Exor’s shareholder detail request.
– PartnerRe shareholders should vote to go with AXIS: KBW analysts.
– PartnerRe says Exor’s lawsuit claims “without merit”.
– Exor sues to gain access to PartnerRe shareholder details.
– PartnerRe-AXIS : $60m fees from third-party reinsurance capital by 2017.
– EXOR welcomes PartnerRe shareholder vote, Sandell questions Board.
– PartnerRe rejects EXOR again, to proceed with vote on AXIS merger.
– EXOR says will engage with PartnerRe board, but not on price.
– AXIS prepared to go it alone if PartnerRe deal breaks up.
– PartnerRe board wants improved EXOR bid, or it’s back to AXIS.
– AXIS unlikely to sweeten PartnerRe offer to match EXOR: Reuters.
– Shareholders hold key to PartnerRe’s future, EXOR bid preferred.
– EXOR increases offer for PartnerRe, becomes largest shareholder.
– Exor to consider increasing bid for PartnerRe, reports.
– AXIS, PartnerRe committed on merger. EXOR commits to its offer.
– Major shareholder prefers EXOR’s bid for PartnerRe over AXIS’.
– EXOR bids $6.4B for PartnerRe, to get into reinsurance.
Register today for ILS Asia 2023, our next insurance-linked securities (ILS) market conference. Held in Singapore, July 13th, 2023.
Get a ticket soon to ensure you can attend. Secure your place at the event here!

domain: news


text:
Arabian Dreams online slot game
This Arabian themed slot is loaded with special features including scatter symbols, a pick & click feature, free spins, expanding wilds, and multipliers. It's a 5x3 and 15 pay line title that gives you the chance to bet low and win big in the base game thanks to high paying symbols and a flexible wildcard symbol, and in the free spins bonus which comes with multipliers for every win you land.
Theme and Storyline
Set under the starry skies of the Sahara Dessert a Sultan is looking for new ways to keep his delightful Princess entertained and content. Meanwhile, you will become part of the legend where fable has it that a mystery player will spin the reels and steal the Sultan’s riches and his princess’s heart – are you the one?
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The graphics are visually stunning, inspired by Arabian culture which has a soundtrack to match. Overall, the interface is slick, and the animations are superb. In particular, the bonus feature comes with stunning animated effects and the expanding wilds further show off how well the ZuesPlay development team executes high-end graphics. With all this in mind, Arabian Dreams is a good example of just how good this software provider’s design ingenuity is on other casino games it develops.
Top Casinos to Play the Game:
Arabian Dreams has a 5x3 reel set and features 15 pay lines. Symbols include an Arabian princess, a wealthy sultan, a magic lamp, a magic carpet, camels, which offer the higher paying combinations. The lower paying symbols are various coloured precious stones.
There is also a golden magic lamp representing the wild symbol. This can replace regular symbols as a wildcard, which helps to form more winning combinations. It only shows up on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th reels, and when it does, it expands to fill all 3 positions on the reel creating 1, 2, or 3 wild reels.
In the paytable, you will notice some high value multipliers. However, these do not relate to the spin bet and rather the multiplier applies to the ‘coin value’. For example, if you select the minimum bet of 0.15, this 1 coin per line is worth 0.01 per coin. A 15,000x multiplier will be (15,000x 0.01 = 150 win). It's a payout mechanic used by few slot developers, such as BGaming.
Here is a list of the ‘coin value’ multipliers for 5-symbol wins:
- Sultan: 15,000x your ‘coin value’
- Princess: 3,000x your ‘coin value’
- Magic Carpet: 900x your ‘coin value’
- Camel: 900x your ‘coin value’
- All 5 Coloured Stones: 600x your ‘coin value’
Bonuses and Free Spins
- ‘Pick & Click’ Lamp Bonus: The feature begins by landing 3 bonus symbols in any position on reels 1, 3, or 5. Initially, you will enter the ‘Pick & Click’ Lamp Bonus’ game. Here you will select 3 lamps from a game grid of 20. You only need to pick 3 matching-coloured lamps to win up to 30 free spins with up to a 3x multiplier.
- Free Spins: The colour of lamps you match in the ‘Pick & Click’ Lamp Bonus will decide the number of ‘free spins + multipliers’ you will play with.
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The minimum bet is 0.15 with the maximum set to 30.00. The theoretical RTP is 96%, however, the variance is low giving you regular wins with big wins via the duo pick me and free spins bonus.
Arabian Dreams online slot delivers some serious win potential, especially if you hit the 3x bonus multiplier during the free spins. With an entertaining free spins game that includes a multiplier feature and expanding wilds that muster up wild reels, there plenty of way to win big on this video slot title. Adding to all of this, the classic Arabian theme and authentic soundtrack never gets old, while the stunning graphics and animations make the Arabian Dreams online slot that much more appealing.


Artificial intelligence (AI) has been growing rapidly in recent years, revolutionising various digital services. One area where AI has made a significant impact is in customer service. Conversational agents like chatbots and digital employees have allowed businesses to interact with customers in a more personalised and efficient way.
But what exactly powers these conversational agents? The answer lies in an area called question answering (QA). The history of QA can be traced back 60 years. Over the course of six decades, QA systems have undergone remarkable advancements, evolving from early rule-based models to the sophisticated Generative AI based approaches we see today. Let's dive in and discover the incredible progress that has been made in this ever-evolving field.
The early Rule-based QA systems
In the 1960s and 1970s, QA systems were designed using structured databases that followed specific rules. These databases contained lists and graphs with specified entities. To retrieve answers from these databases, queries had to be formatted in a certain way or follow specific templates. For example, the Baseball program was developed to extract answers from a structured database, but the questions had to be highly constrained for the system to work effectively. Another well-known example is Eliza, a chatbot that turned user statements into questions. These early QA systems required questions to be in a particular format, and the answers were retrieved from well-formed databases. These systems laid the foundation for the sophisticated technology we have today.
The 1980s and 1990s marked a pivotal time for linguistic techniques and lexical resources in QA systems. Innovative techniques and resources were created and utilised during this period. TELI, for instance, was designed to handle comparatives by transforming natural language sentences into executable expressions. This breakthrough allowed for more efficient processing of complex linguistic structures. Another system, PARIS, utilised a large knowledge base structured around the lexical database WordNet to extract answers. Its inference rules enabled more efficient retrieval of information. This advancement enhanced the capabilities of QA systems, bringing a closer human-machine interaction.
These early QA systems were limited by their structured databases and constrained question formats. They could only provide answers within a narrow scope of information. The types of questions they could execute were strictly constrained by query transformation rules. As a result, the capabilities of these rule-based QA systems were heavily limited.
Feature Engineering based QA Systems
Since the 2000s, machine learning (ML) algorithms have propelled the question answering field to a new height. ML-based QA systems, also known as feature engineering-based systems, infer answers from a set of features extracted from relevant natural language documents. These systems consist of three main components: question processing, document processing, and answer processing.
The question processing component classifies questions into different categories according to answer types. The document processing component retrieves relevant documents and filters them based on defined features. The answer processing component identifies answer candidates and validates them. These ML-based QA systems combined natural language processing (NLP) technology with AI techniques, resulting in more sophisticated architectures and capabilities. IBM Watson, built on the DeepQA architecture, showcased outstanding performance on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! in 2010.
Recurrent Neural Network based QA Systems
In the ever-evolving landscape of AI technology, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have emerged as a game-changer in problem-solving. Unlike traditional methods that rely on manual feature extraction, ANNs have the remarkable ability to automatically learn meaningful representations from input and output data. This revolutionary approach has paved the way for neural network models to be trained in an end-to-end fashion, making them incredibly powerful tools for a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) tasks.
Among the different types of ANNs, recurrent neural networks (RNNs) stand out as a unique and powerful variant. RNNs, especially in the form of Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), excel at capturing sequential relationships within data, making them the ideal choice for NLP tasks like question answering.
It was in the mid-2010s when RNN-based QA systems started to gain prominence. These systems leveraged the unique capability of RNNs to model the sequential dependencies in natural language. Prominent RNN-based QA systems like BiDAF and DCN made significant progress in extracting answers to questions from passages or documents. What sets these systems apart is their ability to be trained in an end-to-end manner, using a set of triples consisting of a passage, a question, and an answer. This eliminates the need for extensive feature engineering, making them a special breed in the field of QA systems.
Language Model based QA
In the world of AI, more specifically deep learning, a special type of architecture called Transformers were developed in 2017. Transformers are designed to process sequential data, such as text, by paying attention to different parts of the input sequence. This attention mechanism allows the model to capture complex relationships and dependencies within the data, leading to improved performance on various NLP tasks.
Based on the Transformers’ architecture, a group of pre-trained language models gained popularity. These models are trained on a vast amount of unlabelled data, enabling them to learn the underlying patterns and structures of language. By leveraging this pre-training, these models can achieve impressive results on specific-domain using different tailoring strategies such as finetuning.
Some notable examples of pre-trained language models include GPT-1 , BERT, and GPT-2. These models were all trained on massive amounts of datatokens, allowing them to grasp the nuances of language. GPT-1, for instance, can excel in question-answering tasks when fine-tuned on a limited amount of labelled data. On the other hand, BERT can be customised to become a powerful question-answering model by adding an additional output layer during the fine-tuning process.
However, it was GPT-2 that truly pushed the boundaries of language models. It introduced a new concept called zero-shot learning, which enables the model to transfer its knowledge to a new NLP task, such as question-answering, without any specific fine-tuning. This groundbreaking approach opened up new possibilities for language models to tackle task-specific problems such as QA without any explicit supervision. It paved the way for the succeeding large language models (LLMs).
Large Language Models based QA
With the continuous advancement of language models, the scale has gone up along with the generative capability. These LLMs have shown amazing power of generating human-like outputs, like text, code, images, audios and videos. A typical example is GPT-3 and its updated versions such as text-davinci-003. Generative AI backed by these LLMs started to be widely used and recognized.
The year 2022 has seen a groundbreaking development in the field of Generative AI with the emergence of ChatGPT. It has undoubtedly made an awe-inspiring impact on human knowledge on the capability of AI. This advanced language model has revolutionised the way we interact with technology and has opened up new possibilities for human-machine communication. With its ability to generate human-like responses, ChatGPT has not only surpassed previous language models but has also pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible.
One of the most thrilling features of ChatGPT is its remarkable ability to answer questions. With just a simple query, ChatGPT can provide accurate and informative responses. This is particularly effective for open-domain questions, where its vast pre-trained data allows it to provide comprehensive responses. However, when it comes to specific domains, such as a client's data, ChatGPT struggles to answer accurately. Often it gives hallucinated answers, or it simply admits its lack of knowledge to those questions. This limitation arises from the model’s lack of specific knowledge in that particular domain.
To address this limitation, an approach called retrieval augmented generation (RAG) has been introduced. RAG is used to do QA over specific knowledge sources, which include documents in various formats like text and pdf, websites, combination of them and more. RAG combines the power of LLMs with an information retrieval mechanism that accesses domain-specific knowledge sources. By incorporating this retrieval system, LLMs can provide answers within the given domain. This makes it easier for users to obtain reliable information on a wide range of subjects.
In summary, the progress of question answering in the last sixty years has been truly remarkable. From early rule-based systems to sophisticated generative AI based approaches, technology in QA has come a long way. The advancements in AI technology have transformed the way we interact with information. As we continue to push the boundaries of AI, the future of question answering holds even more exciting possibilities.
If this article catches your attention and you would like to use it or part of it in your own work, we kindly ask that you give credit where credit is due. Citing our blog not only acknowledges our hard work, but it also helps others find the original source of the information.


text: SEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks workers at the coffee giant’s flagship roastery in Seattle have voted to form a union, the chain’s latest location to form a collective bargaining unit. The Seattle store voted Thursday 38-27 to unionize. Workers United said 26 Starbucks locations have unionized nationwide. The Starbucks Reserve and Roastery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood is the business’s second to unionize in its hometown of Seattle. Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges says in a statement the company will respect the process and bargain in good faith.

domain: economics


text:
DISGAEA 5: ALLIANCE OF VENGEANCE SERAPHINA AND KILLIA TRAILERS AND LAUNCH EDITION CONFIRMED
NIS America is happy to officially announce that the next entry in the long-lived Disgaea series, Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance has two new trailers available to view on YouTube.
NIS America is super excited to share the news that a Launch Day Edition will be available for the upcoming strategy RPG, Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance. This special Launch Edition will be available at Australian and New Zealand retailers and will include the full game, reversible cover, 32-page art book, and original soundtrack – all packed neatly into a gorgeous collectible box! The game will be available in Europe on October 16 exclusively on PlayStation®4!
About the game:
The sixth home console entry to the legendary Disgaea series tells a tale of revenge, and of rebellion. As a new and terrible Overlord named Void Dark seeks to enslave the countless Netherworlds, one young demon has stood to end his reign—Killia. In Disgaea 5, lead Killia and his tenacious army of rebels on their dark and dangerous path to vengeance. Filled with more over-the-top action and hilarious writing than ever before, Disgaea 5’s damage numbers are surely headed for the record books.
Alliance Attacks: New to the Disgaea series, your relationship with your teammates influences a new battle system called Alliance Attack. These special moves are only available to main characters and only when their relationships are appropriately aligned.
Recruitment: A familiar feature for Disgaea faithful, this system lets you choose from over 40 races and jobs, and identify new party members with the exact traits you desire.
Revenge Mode: A game about vengeance wouldn’t be complete without a character stat boosting system based on revenge, would it? The Revenge Mode empowers your characters with bonus stats when they’ve become fed up of their allies being beat on.
Explore the Netherworlds: While previous games in the series have shown a glimpse of the darkness that is the Netherworlds, Disgaea 5 takes you to a myriad of those dark lands.
Definitely over 9,000: In true Disgaea fashion, Disgaea 5 harnesses the power of the PlayStation®4 to deliver battles with a ridiculous number of enemies and outrageous damage.
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is releasing on PlayStation 4 on the 16th of October 2015
Click here to watch the new Seraphina trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vQbTZFIYXRU
Click here to watch the new Killia trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7v1S5KEax9U

domain: game


From our EMC SS20 Collection is this fun dress, printed with Disney's Daisy Duck and sparkling diamantés. Made in soft cotton-blend jersey, the white top has neon pink and white fringing on the shoulders, and the skirt has an overlayer of neon pink tulle.
- Top: 92% cotton, 8% elastane (soft, stretchy jersey)
- Skirt: 50% cotton, 50% polyester (soft, stretchy jersey)
- Machine wash (40*C)
- Knee length
- Official Disney print


[Catalyst] Re: Adding default query parameters to generated links.
pagaltzis at gmx.de
Sat Oct 17 19:42:50 GMT 2009
* Tomas Doran <bobtfish at bobtfish.net> [2009-10-13 00:00]:
> I'd very likely go with this myself.
> You can apply it as a role, and then trivially remove it later,
> it's wrapping one method and so low impact, and there are no
> negative consequences if your session goes away for any
> Just feels like less moving parts to me...
Less implicit state on the server = better HTTP style:
• Easier to scale: at the app level, no session to replicate
between web servers or communicate via the DB; above the app
level, easier to use proxies to selectively route/cache stuff
by inspecting URIs
• Easier to test and automate: no need to drive a (maybe long)
sequence of requests to put the interaction into the right
• Better user experience: allows multiple tabs with different
interaction state in each
• More detail in server logs: better data mining opportunities
Aristotle Pagaltzis // <http://plasmasturm.org/>
More information about the Catalyst


The program coordinator at the Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County in California never suspected that an email she received earlier this year contained anything more than the corporate invoice it claimed. But as soon as she opened the attachment, malware began to encrypt data on her computer. The breach threatened to expose far more than just her personal files: In order to provide its customers with health care, immigration assistance, and other social services, Catholic Charities handles the medical and financial records of more than 54,000 people each year. Of all the cybersecurity systems—including firewalls and antivirus software—that the nonprofit had in place to shield those sensitive documents, only one flagged the intrusion.
The security breach was detected by the flagship product created by Darktrace, a U.K.-based cybersecurity company founded in 2013. Just days before the malware attack, Catholic Charities had begun testing Darktrace’s pioneering new technology, the enterprise immune system (EIS).
Modeled after the human body’s immune system, the EIS embeds in a computer network and learns what behavior is considered normal for that system. It can then spot suspicious activity and even work to slow an attack, just as the human immune system releases antibodies at the first sign of invasive cells.
Darktrace’s immunity approach represents a compelling new take on cybersecurity. The $75 billion industry is under mounting pressure to evolve beyond traditional methods as dated systems have failed to prevent high-profile hacks on major businesses. With attackers increasingly relying on fast-moving algorithms to carry out highly sophisticated security breaches—such as those that have recently compromised major universities and hospitals—Darktrace is responding in kind, creating complex formulas that allow machines to continuously scan entire networks and register anomalies that other advanced systems may overlook. Its technology, built in part by former members of the British Intelligence Agencies MI5 and GCHQ, is intended to support—and enhance—existing systems.
Where most cybersecurity companies focus on teaching their technology to recognize the digital footprints of malware (which can quickly become outdated as new attacks emerge) or building firewalls to block intruders, Darktrace takes a more hands-off approach. Rather than rely on humans to feed them specific examples of suspicious behavior, its algorithms train themselves to find abnormalities—a technique that’s known as unsupervised machine learning.
“The concept of Darktrace says that [as attacks become more sophisticated], you’re not going to be able to keep the bad stuff out,” says Vanessa Colomar, a member of Darktrace’s board of directors. It’s far more effective to figure out how to stop attackers once they’re in. CEO Nicole Eagan says the EIS has been deployed in more than 1,000 networks worldwide, with clients ranging from a two-person hedge fund to a global bank. Once the hour-long installation is complete, the EIS searches for new threats while also examining the network for existing breaches. “Within the first and second weeks, we find things out of the ordinary in about 80% of the Fortune 500s we’re deployed in,” says Eagan. “It’s things their legacy tools totally missed.”
That success has helped accelerate the three-year-old company’s growth. Of the companies that have registered for its 30-day free trial, about two-thirds have become paying customers. The company, valued at $400 million, now has 20 offices, including outposts in New York; Hong Kong; Warsaw, Poland; and Milan.
Darktrace’s use of unsupervised machine learning comes with certain benefits: Since there are no assumed rules about what a hack looks like, attackers can’t simply tweak their code to dupe the system. And since the EIS operates as an observer, there’s no barrier that hackers could try to disable.
“What we’re really passionate about is that there’s no one algorithm that rules them all,” says Dave Palmer, Darktrace’s director of technology. “We’ve got a dozen different machine-learning techniques, all fighting to be the best representation for your specific setup.”
Not everyone agrees that unsupervised machine learning is the best approach to cybersecurity. Supervised learning—the technique used by anti-spam filters, in which algorithms are taught to discern between junk mail and the real thing—can help eliminate false positives that sometimes result when an unsupervised system reacts to a routine change within a network. (For example, an algorithm might notice that data is suddenly being transferred to Dropbox and flag it as a security violation, when in fact the company just added Dropbox as an official storage tool.)
Avoiding such confusion is why some security companies take a hybrid approach of supervised and unsupervised machine learning. PatternEx, which launched in February, uses unsupervised learning to scan for abnormalities, then presents its data to a human analyst to distinguish true attacks from false positives. In a recent study, researchers from PatternEx and MIT found the system caught 85% of attacks, while delivering fewer false alarms than unsupervised learning alone. There hasn’t been a similar lab study completed on Darktrace, though Eagan says her system—despite being totally unsupervised—typically generates five to 10 alerts per client per week.
Eric Ogren, a senior analyst at IT advisory firm 451 Research, says that most businesses will likely opt for the headache of false positives if it means a more secure network. “What’s the bigger risk, that you chase down a false positive, or that someone makes off with your customer data?” he asks. “I think that within five years, unsupervised machine learning is going to be driving security architecture.”


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The metadata below describe the original scanning. Follow the "All Files: HTTP" link in the "View the book" box to the left to find XML files that contain more metadata about the original images and the derived formats (OCR results, PDF etc.). See also the What is the directory structure for the texts? FAQ for information about file content and naming conventions.
Pt. I. A black heritage: Mise-en-scène. The oligarchy. The land without law. The underworld: Mendel Rosenbaum's story. The old Bastille. Annals of Schlusselburg. Siberian exile as it is. Russia's "Île du diable" [Sakhalin] The budget. Debt and drink. The tariff. A sick society. The final crime.--pt. II. Pioneers of revolution: The propagandists, 1870-74: Nicholas Tchaykovsky's narrative. The Tsar's vengeance: Madame Kovalsky's narrative. Felix Volkhovsky. Sergius Stepniak and terrorism. The new generation: Dr. Soskice; Mark Broido. The rise of the labour movement: Father Gapon.--pt. III. The awakening: The end of Plehve. "Bloody Sunday": a broken idol. Terrorists and reformers. The prospects of the revolution


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Sunday, June 12, 2016
"San Francisco" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 16" X 20" X 2", 2016
This is painting no. 7 in my "Travelogue" series. Each of the items has a particular reason behind it was used for the painting. I start with choosing these items, and then finding a way to arrange them so that there is rhythm, harmony, movement, and some visual paths to draw the eye around the picture plane, and keep an interesting liveliness to the painting.
I set the items up on the floor (yes, the floor) and I have an elevated cushioned seat that allows me to look down on the arrangement while painting.
I always start by blocking in the the largest elements so that I don't lose the original design idea, and then I build the painting through a series of glazes and scumbling. This takes time to allow the paint to dry and not muddy any of the colors by trying to rush the process. I don't work in any sort of impasto until I am near the end of the process, and then, it is only accents to bring some of the elements forward in the picture plane.
I usually stop when the painting looks a little "raw," as I don't like anything overdone, especially not a painting. Two things are awful when they are overdone: paintings, and steaks. Just can't abide by overcooked and over processed.
So, that's the long and short of it, the very condensed process of how I paint a still life painting :-).
"Old stone cottage and wildflowers" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11" Lest you think I have moved to some r...
"Study of young male nude musculature" by Hilary J. England Brown Conte on paper, 14" x 18" Today is Independe...
Study of African-American female nude, by Hilary J. England, conte on Ingres paper, 11" X 14 Here is today's study. The model was ...
"Study of young female nude" pencil on hot pressed paper, 14" X 18" by Hilary J. England Here is an hour long study I di...

domain: artistic


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The Nintendo Switch promoted itself like a portable gaming system that not only could be played in your home on your television, but in addition transported around and playable in which you go. Nintendo console makes playing on the go simple and features a control with broken screen alternatives, and that means it’s possible to play friends.
The Nintendo Switch has 50 third party publishers in venture for developing its future games. Hits like Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda: all the Mario and also Wild Odyssey have given it a lineup. The Switch causes for a great system for parties with its Joy Con controls — once out of its docking station, it acts.


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Author Talk; August 8, 2003
August 8, 2003
Tess Gerritsen talks about: THE SINNER
When I sit down to write a book, I try to tap into a vein of fear --- some premise, some situation, that raises the hair on the back of my neck or gives me a chill. With HARVEST, it was the fear of children being harmed. With GRAVITY, it was the fear of being trapped and dying in the claustrophobic confines of a space station. With THE SURGEON, it was the utter terror of waking up in your bed at night and hearing someone walking into your room.
In THE SINNER, I write about something that has terrified mankind for centuries. It was first described in 1550 BC in Egyptian writings. In 326 BC, it was described in Ancient Greece. It is mentioned numerous times in the Bible, where it was thought to be a punishment from God. What was this thing that so horrified ancient man, and continues to terrify us even in this modern age?
Hansen's Disease, otherwise known as leprosy.
Why did this disease --- rarely fatal, and not very contagious --- so horrify the ancients? Why were lepers so feared that in medieval times they were forced to wear a special cloak and ring a warning bell so that others might flee? It's because leprosy destroyed the face and hands. It could transform the most beautiful woman into a monster. Disfigured, cast out from society, the leper experienced the hell of a living death.
I first learned about leprosy when, as a child, I watched that old classic movie Ben-Hur. I was too young to understand what this disease was that the characters were talking about, but I distinctly remember the scene where the Roman guards open the door to a prison cell, peer inside, and recoil in absolute horror. I didn't need to see the object of their horror --- I could hear the fear in their voices, and knew that what they were gazing upon must surely have been frightening. They were looking at the mother and sister of Ben-Hur, now afflicted with leprosy.
Years later, while I was working as a physician in Hawaii and the South Pacific, I examined a number of elderly leprosy patients, irreversibly deformed by their disease. And even though I know leprosy is now treatable with antibiotics, it still gives me chills to think of what it must be like to watch your own fingers and toes melt away, to watch your face slowly collapse.
As a suspense writer, I've long wanted to weave this disease into one of my stories. But only when I sat down and began writing THE SINNER did I suddenly come up with a way to do it. The mystery opens in Boston, where Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles are appalled by a shocking crime: two cloistered nuns have been brutally beaten by an unknown assailant. Rizzoli and Isles are about to discover that this seemingly senseless crime is in fact the work of a coldly logical mind. And that the disease leprosy will prove to be a vital clue to the killer's motives.


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The Rahul Mahajan imbroglio will once again focus an extremely uncomfortable spotlight on the lifestyle habits of the top Sangh Parivar leadership and their family members. Champagne and cocaine parties, though, are a new one, and the BJP top-brass will have a tough time trying to white-wash this unpleasant, tragic, incident.
Only earlier last week, Rahul Mahajan was a prominent special invitee to the BJP’s National Executive meeting where the senior leaders commiserated over his father’s death and talked of finding a suitable place for Rahul in the organisation.
What exactly was the reason for Rahul’s celebrating the night with champagne, etc? It is a bit odd that Rahul was in a celebratory mood, that too in the country’s political capital where such things are closely noted.
Only a few months ago the BJP was rocked by the sex-VCD scandal involving Sanjay Joshi, who had then resigned, only to return recently as a general secretary, while the stories about Pramod Mahajan’s lavish lifestyle and wheeling-and-dealing had only just died down.
With the party struggling to find its voice and put up a semblance of an opposition to the UPA government, the Mahajan Jr incident couldn’t have come at a worse time and will surely puncture any revival efforts.


I hadn't really looked at her for over a year; just kinda lost the passion. I didn't even enter another post vintage race after 2016 even though I had some other bikes that I could have rode. Maybe it was the constant tuning or the never ending parts search. Truthfully, the old girl needed some serious work. So she sat there, listless, sans front wheel, pipe, carby and still dirty from her last 2016 event; the ISDT Reunion Ride held in Arkansas and hosted by the Razorback Riders. I didn't realize it at the time but the clutch side crank seal had blown. I'm pretty sure it was right before the final grass track moto of the day. While on the start line the YZ was sucking, burning and puking ATF in large quantities. Even though mortally wounded the old girl soldiered on to finish the event, but that was it. It had been a long year of racing for both of us. The YZ didn't even get a decent clean up. She was pushed into a recess where she wouldn't bother me or get in the way of other "more important" projects. When the stock pipe was removed I had found cracks in several places and it had been bent up aganist the downtube. Fork seals were leaking and some hardware was missing; so was the carburetor. I had stripped the fresh M59 Brigstone tire off to use on a another bike and didn't even bother to put the YZ's front wheel back on. I didn't even renew my AHRMA membership for 2017. When I rode, I rode modern bikes at modern events. I rode a few national enduros. Two of them left me with multiple hospital visits and a injured right leg that required months off a bike. Still there were those occasions when I brushed by the YZ on my way to other things; and she pulled at me. Almost like saying "Com'on, with a little work we could have so much fun again". She knew I missed her and that big bore painter shaker engine with it's crazy, thick power and that chassis's high center of gravity. I gave in to her. I needed to commit to her again so I circled Diamond Don's race weekend on my calendar, sent off my membership to AHRMA and placed a phone call to AMS in Arizona and had a sexy PFR pipe ordered. There, I did it; at over $400 for the pipe and silencer plus hundreds more looming in entry fees, gate fees, fuel, food and more parts; there was no turning back now.


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My second post is up today at Flash Fiction Chronicles. Here's a taste:
"It has happened to many of us at one time or another: The words are flowing, the story is unfolding on the page and then … the words just stop.
"You stare at the screen (or notebook, if you work in longhand) and realize that you don’t know how to write the next sentence. Or the one after that. So you take a break, get a glass of water, run some errands, maybe even sleep on it.
Then you come back to the story. Still nothing. You're blocked."
Make sure you check it out, and the other fantastic posts there.

domain: literature


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Wrexham are among British football’s most historical clubs, established in 1864 and a long-term member of the English Football League (EFL) from being confessed to the old Division Three North in 1921 up until their transfer from League Two in 2008.
The Welsh club have actually notoriously beaten Arsenal in an FA Cup video game in 1992, along with Porto in a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup incorporate 1984, by virtue of winning the Welsh Cup – and just 3 years prior to the Portuguese giants won their very first European Cup.
In 2020, Wrexham struck international headings when they were purchased by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The objective is to make Wrexham a ‘global force’, however whilst still completely appreciating the club’s storied history and participating in the regional neighborhood.
Last summertime, Wrexham landed a handle social networks giant TikTok and ended up being the very first non-league club to be consisted of in an EA SPORTS FIFA video game when they made it into FIFA 22.
Now, the imagine going back to the EFL is close.
Wrexham are secured a National League title fight with Stockport County, another club with years of EFL heritage that have actually been sleeping at non-league level given that being relegated out of the Football League for the very first time in their history in 2011.
Only among them can protect automated promo into EFL League Two for next season.
As things stand, Wrexham lead the National League on objective distinction, having actually beaten Stockport 3-0 on Sunday to leapfrog their competitors. But the Dragons have actually played a video game more and their fate is not theirs to manage since of Stockport’s exceptional component today.
The title and automated promo had actually appeared like Stockport’s to lose in April after County had actually won 17 of 18 league video games given that Boxing Day. But 4 beats in their last 6 National League components, consisting of versus Wrexham which would sealed things there and after that had they won, has actually unlocked late on for the Hollywood-backed Welsh club.
If Stockport win their video game in hand versus Torquay in the house on Wednesday night, they will go back to the top above Wrexham with a three-point cushion entering into the last day. Stockport then complete the 44-game routine season in the house to Halifax on 15 May, with Wrexham concurrently playing away at Dagenham & Redbridge to conclude their own project.
Should Stockport take a minimum of 4 points from their staying components, they will win the National League and immediately go back to the EFL, despite whether Wrexham beat Dagenham. But anything less than 4 points and Wrexham will have a possibility to complete initially.
Whichever club ends up 2nd in the table, currently an ensured minimum at this phase, will go into the National League play-offs – making a bye to the semi-finals phase together with the league’s 3rd location club, either Solihull or Halifax depending upon last days outcomes.
Four other clubs, which might consist of Dagenham if they distress Wrexham, will begin in quarter-finals, with 2 winners from that preliminary round advancing to the semis.
The 2022 National League play-off last then will be dipped into the London Stadium on Sunday 5 June, which has actually triggered debate for Wrexham as it is the exact same day as Wales’ World Cup play-off last versus Scotland or Ukraine.
For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!

domain: sports


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The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) publishes annually updated estimates of the global HIV epidemic. These estimates are developed by countries with the support of UNAIDS and partners. National HIV programs, UNAIDS and other international organizations and donors utilize these as consensus estimates to guide program planning, policy decision-making and resource allocation, to monitor epidemic trends, and to track progress towards global goals and targets.
In 2019, 170 countries, representing 99% of the global population, used Spectrum modelling software to develop estimates of HIV and related indicators. The methods underpinning these estimates are continually refined and evolve in response to changing epidemic dynamics, new data availability, new research, and in support of the needs of programs and decision makers. This process is guided by the UNAIDS Reference Group on Estimates, Modelling and Projections (www.epidem.org).
Recent methodological developments have tracked themes in the global HIV response:
- Increasing policy attention to HIV incidence and trends in new HIV infections as the ultimate indicator of sustained success at HIV prevention;
- Evaluating progress in scaling-up HIV testing, antiretroviral treatment, and viral suppression as countries approach 2020, the year for achieving the ’90–90–90’ target;
- Availability of more detailed, granular and heterogenous data with which to understand the HIV epidemic across settings. New data sources include expanded HIV biomarkers in general population household surveys in sub-Saharan Africa, increased availability and granularity of routine HIV service delivery data about HIV testing, treatment, and antenatal care, and an increasing number of countries across global regions relying on HIV case surveillance and vital registration to understand their HIV epidemic.
This collection of articles, produced on a biennial basis, describes the new developments in the methods used to produce these estimates. For the first time, this Supplement also includes headline results from the 2019 UNAIDS estimates and reports on progress towards global goals and targets. Two articles present the headline results [1,2], four articles describe developments in the modelling methods and tools used to produce the estimates [3–6], and three articles describe developments in the data used to inform modelling methods and parameters [7–9].
The HIV epidemic and progress towards 90–90–90 in 2019
Global declarations called for a 75% reduction in new HIV infections and AIDS deaths between 2010 and 2020 through achieving 90–90–90 HIV testing, treatment, and viral suppression targets, alongside implementation of effective HIV primary prevention . Mahy et al. report positive progress toward these targets in the 2019 UNAIDS estimates, but substantial gaps remain. Globally, there were an estimated 37.9 million (32.7–44.0 million) people were living with HIV with 1.7 million (1.4–2.3 million) new infections and 770 000 (570 000 to 1.1 million) AIDS-related deaths in 2018. Compared with 2010, HIV incidence at the global level has declined 16% whereas estimates of AIDS deaths have declined 33%, the latter largely attributable to treatment scale-up. These declines are not on track to meet global targets; only three countries are on track to reach the 75% incidence reduction target. The greatest declines in AIDS deaths have occurred in the Eastern and Southern Africa region. However, new HIV infections are estimated to have marginally increased in Latin America and both new HIV infections and AIDS deaths are estimated to have increased in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in the Middle East and North Africa regions. Across all regions, declines in incidence and AIDS deaths have been greater among women compared with men.
Two countries that contribute substantially to the global HIV burden made notable adjustments to their estimates this year based on new data available. Nigeria produced estimates at the state level informed by the 2018 household-based survey, which found lower HIV prevalence than previous surveys. The resultant estimate of the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Nigeria was revised from 3.1 to 1.9 million. China has produced estimates for each region and report 500 000 more PLHIV than previous estimates produced by UNAIDS based on data publicly available. These changes impact the regional and global estimates of HIV burden.
The UNAIDS 90–90–90 target reflects the 2020 goal of 90% of PLHIV knowing their status, 90% of PLHIV who know their status accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 90% of those on ART having sustained viral suppression. Marsh et al. report on the global progress towards this target in 2018. It was estimated that globally 79% (67–92%) of all PLHIV know their status, 78% (69–82%) of those who know their status are accessing treatment, and 86% (72–92%) of those on treatment have suppressed viral loads. There have been steady increases in diagnosis and access to treatment at the global level with an estimated 23 million (20.5–24.3 million) people on treatment in 2018, but the rate of treatment scale-up will need to increase to meet the 2020 target of 30 million people receiving treatment. The Eastern and Southern Africa region, where the greatest proportion of PLHIV reside, has made consistent gains each year toward the 90–90–90 target. However, there is substantial variability in progress across regions and differences overall and by sex. In nearly all regions, progress is greater among women compared with men, and many countries and regions are unlikely to reach the 90–90–90 target by 2020.
Development of estimation tools
Almost all countries use the Spectrum model to produce estimates of HIV-related indicators for the UNAIDS estimates. Within Spectrum, there are different estimation tools developed in response to the data available in different settings, and in support of the needs of programs and decision makers.
Stover et al. describe key updates implemented in the AIDS Impact Model in Spectrum. These include revised estimates of AIDS-related mortality among adults not on ART, dependent on CD4+ and ART coverage, which reflect the changing pattern of mortality as ART coverage increases over time. Second, a new procedure has been developed to estimate country-specific patterns of HIV incidence by age and sex from HIV prevalence in national surveys. This is intended to improve the age and sex-specific estimates of HIV prevalence and produce more accurate estimates of pregnant women in-need of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Third, the paediatric model in Spectrum has been refined to reflect newly available data about retention of pregnant women on treatment at delivery, and slightly higher estimates of HIV transmission in the postpartum period. The age-specific pattern of ART initiation among children has also been modified to reflect the increasing proportion of children who start ART under 2 years and over 10 years of age. Finally, a new tool has been added to disaggregate national or provincial HIV estimates to the district level. This tool aims to support local program planning and decision-making while providing a set of localized estimates that are consistent with the estimates obtained at the national level.
The Estimation and Projection Package (EPP) within Spectrum is the tool used to estimate HIV incidence from general population surveys and surveillance of HIV prevalence in antenatal care. Eaton et al. describe two key updates for estimating HIV incidence trends in sub-Saharan Africa: the modification to include age and sex stratification, and the development of a new functional form for modelling the HIV transmission rate. Historically, EPP has not been stratified by age and sex. As HIV epidemics mature, it has become increasingly important to capture the changing demographics including a shifting of prevalence to older ages and changing patterns of prevalence among pregnant women. The EPP Age-Sex Model (EPP-ASM) was developed to explicitly capture the demographic dynamics of the HIV epidemic over time in a manner consistent with the age-structured Spectrum model. EPP-ASM also provides the structure to produce more detailed and granular estimates in the future. Within EPP and EPP-ASM, a new functional form for modelling the HIV transmission rate has been developed. The ‘r-hybrid’ model combines two approaches to model the changing transmission rate over the epidemic, using one model to capture the initial growth and decline of HIV incidence and a second model for recent incidence trends. The authors demonstrate that EPP-ASM and the r-hybrid model can improve estimation and projection of HIV prevalence trends in generalized epidemic settings.
In concentrated and low-level HIV epidemics where the primary data for tracking the HIV epidemic are case reports of HIV diagnoses and AIDS death reports from vital registration, alternative estimation methods have been developed. Mahiane et al. document the development of the Case Surveillance and Vital Registration (CSAVR) tool in Spectrum. This approach capitalizes on the robust HIV case surveillance and vital registration systems available in many middle-income and high-income countries. A family of curve fitting models with different functional forms are described, which estimate HIV incidence from case report, mean CD4+ at diagnosis and AIDS deaths data. The CSAVR tool was used by 43 countries to produce estimates for the 2019 UNAIDS estimates.
For persons living with HIV, knowledge of HIV status is the critical initial step to receiving care and treatment and achieving viral suppression. This ‘first 90’ of the UNAIDS 90–90–90 target is an important indicator but difficult to measure directly. Maheu-Giroux et al. describe the development of a mathematical model to estimate the first 90 in sub-Saharan Africa. The ‘first 90’ model uses national population-based surveys on HIV testing history and program data from HIV testing services to estimate the proportion of PLHIV who know their status over time. This is a major advance on previous methods, which often relied on self-reported ‘knowledge of HIV status’ among survey participants, which has been shown to be under-reported [11–14]. The authors describe the methods used and validate the results using data from three countries in sub-Saharan Africa. They demonstrate the model can reproduce trends in testing behavior over time and can consistently predict the proportion of individuals who know their status by age and sex. Age-specific and sex-specific estimates for other HIV testing indicators include the total number of tests, first tests, positive tests, and new diagnoses, which can be used to inform and strengthen HIV-testing services. Estimates from the first 90 model were published by all 17 countries with national population surveys in Eastern and Southern Africa, and by 16 of 20 countries in Western and Central Africa, for the 2019 UNAIDS estimates.
New data and epidemiological analysis
Recent data from cohorts of patients receiving ART have been used to inform updated assumptions about the regional patterns of mortality on treatment in Spectrum. These updates are important because they incorporate new data since the advent of the ‘treat-all’ ART era, which capture patterns of mortality with earlier ART initiation. Johnson et al. conduct an updated analysis of the regional patterns of mortality after ART initiation in Africa, Asia and the Americas, analyzing patient cohort data from the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) network up to 2017. An imputation approach to account for unascertained mortality among those lost to follow-up is applied in the African regions. The authors find that after controlling for treatment duration and baseline CD4+ count, mortality after ART initiation has declined over time in all regions, although with slower and more modest declines observed in Africa. However, there is substantial variability in the mortality rates on ART between and within regions, and across programs, which remain even when controlling for key variables.
New data from patient cohorts in Europe were used to improve the Spectrum mortality assumptions for high-income settings. Trickey et al. compare data from the ART Cohort Collaboration (ART-CC) to the Spectrum estimates to validate mortality rates and excess mortality for PLHIV on ART in European countries. The authors find that for all-cause mortality, the ART-CC data suggest higher observed mortality in the early ART period, which declined more steeply and to lower levels in more recent years than the Spectrum assumptions. Further, while the excess mortality rates among PLHIV were similar, the estimated proportion of deaths because of AIDS in Spectrum were higher than in the cohort data. The Spectrum assumptions were updated with the mortality rates from the ART-CC and IeDEA data for the 2019 UNAIDS estimates resulting in improved estimates of AIDS deaths in many settings.
Finally, transitioning from sentinel surveillance of HIV prevalence in antenatal care to leveraging routinely conducted HIV testing at antenatal care to screen for PMTCT programs has been a major shift in tracking the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa . Historically, HIV prevalence from surveillance in antenatal care was a key data source used to estimate trends of HIV prevalence, incidence and AIDS deaths. As many countries transition from sentinel surveillance to routine monitoring in PMTCT programs, the implications of this switch and the biases that may arise are important to understand. Maheu-Giroux et al. use PMTCT data from Malawi to investigate the impact on estimates of HIV prevalence if there is suboptimal coverage of routine HIV testing among pregnant women. The authors find that imperfect coverage can bias HIV prevalence estimates. In Malawi, HIV prevalence was higher in facilities with high testing coverage, thus use of results from only those facilities with optimal testing coverage resulted in an overestimation of HIV prevalence. These findings indicate the need for careful evaluation and appropriate adjustment of HIV prevalence data from routine testing data when used to monitor epidemic trends.
This supplement describes substantial methodological developments underpinning the tools used by countries to understand and respond to their HIV epidemics. Innovations have focused on refining estimation of HIV incidence trends, new data about AIDS mortality and the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment programs, and new tools for tracking knowledge of HIV status. The UNAIDS 2019 estimates, which incorporate these methodological advancements, indicate that most countries are not on track to meet global targets. New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have increased in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa regions, and progress towards global targets has been greater among women than men.
The epidemic of the next decade will unfold differently than that of the past. Looking forward, it is certain that the methods and data that characterize the HIV epidemic will continue to evolve alongside the epidemic and global response. Keeping pace with the epidemiological changes will require innovation of estimation and modelling tools that describe HIV transmission dynamics in order to anticipate where pockets of HIV transmission are likely to occur in the future, rather than extrapolating from the past. Understanding patterns of mobility and migration, the epidemiology of HIV amongst key populations, and the locations and populations at greater risk of HIV transmission and acquisition, will be central to ensure that all persons equitably receive the HIV care, treatment, and prevention services required to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Finally, new tools are needed for monitoring sustained viral load suppression, ensuring the halting of individual HIV disease progression and onward transmission. This will become an increasing focus as HIV testing and treatment programs transition from identifying and initiating large numbers of untreated persons to maintaining large cohorts of patients on successful lifelong treatment.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
1. Mahy M, Marsh K, Sabin K, Wanyeki I, Daher J, Ghys PD. HIV estimates through 2018: data for decision-making
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S203–S211.
2. Marsh K, Eaton JW, Mahy M, Sabin K, Autenrieth CS, Wanyeki I, et al. Global, regional and country-level 90-90-90 estimates for 2018: assessing progress towards the 2020 target
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S213–S226.
3. Stover J, Glaubius R, Mofenson L, Dugdale CM, Davies M-A, Patten G, Yiannoutsos C. Updates to the Spectrum/AIM model for estimating key HIV indicators at national and subnational levels
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S227–S234.
4. Eaton JW, Brown T, Puckett R, Glaubius R, Mutai K, Bao L, et al. The Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model and the r-hybrid model: new tools for estimating HIV incidence trends in sub-Saharan Africa
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S235–S244.
5. Mahiane SG, Marsh K, Glaubius R, Eaton JW. Estimating and projecting the number of new HIV diagnoses and incidence in Spectrum's case surveillance and vital registration tool
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S245–S253.
6. Maheu-Giroux M, Marsh K, Doyle C, Godin A, Lanièce Delaunay CM, Johnson LF, et al. National HIV testing and diagnosis coverage in sub-Saharan Africa: a new modeling tool for estimating the ‘first 90’ from program and survey data
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S255–S269.
7. Johnson LF, Anderegg N, Zaniewksi E, Eaton JW, Rebeiro PF, Carriquiry G, et al. Global variations in mortality in adults after initiating antiretroviral treatment: an updated analysis of the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS cohort collaboration
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S283–S294.
8. Trickey A, van Sighem A, Stover J, Abgrall S, Grabar S, Bonnet F, et al. Parameter estimates for trends and patterns of excess mortality among persons on antiretroviral therapy in high-income European settings
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S271–S281.
9. Maheu-Giroux M, Jahn A, Kalua T, Mganga A, Eaton JW. HIV surveillance based on routine testing data from antenatal clinics in Malawi (2011–2018): measuring and adjusting for bias from imperfect testing coverage
2019; 33: (Suppl 3): S295–S302.
10. UNAIDS. HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map: accelerating HIV prevention to reduce new infections by 75% Geneva, Switzerland: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; 2017 [cited 2019 October 17]. Available at: https://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/hiv-prevention-2020-road-map_en.pdf
. Accessed 17 October 2019
11. Kim AA, Mukui I, Young PW, Mirjahangir J, Mwanyumba S, Wamicwe J, et al. KAIS Study Group. Undisclosed HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy use in the Kenya AIDS indicator survey 2012: relevance to national targets for HIV diagnosis and treatment
12. Marzinke MA, Clarke W, Wang L, Cummings V, Liu TY, Piwowar-Manning E, et al. Nondisclosure of HIV status in a clinical trial setting: antiretroviral drug screening can help distinguish between newly diagnosed and previously diagnosed HIV infection
. Clin Infect Dis
13. Grobler A, Cawood C, Khanyile D, Puren A, Kharsany ABM. Progress of UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets in a district in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with high HIV burden, in the HIPSS study: a household-based complex multilevel community survey
. Lancet HIV
14. Johnson LF, Rehle TM, Jooste S, Bekker LG. Rates of HIV testing and diagnosis in South Africa: successes and challenges
15. Dee J, Garcia Calleja JM, Marsh K, Zaidi I, Murrill C, Swaminathan M. HIV Surveillance among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics: evolution and current direction
. JMIR Public Health Surveill

domain: medical


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Kidman cattle get their marching orders in self-herding trial
09 August 2018
An MLA-funded trial has begun at the NT Government’s Victoria River Research Station (also known as Kidman Springs) which aims to encourage cattle to go where the grass is greener.
Stock in the test paddock at the Victoria River site are being tempted with tasty treats to change their grazing behaviour. If all goes well the trial will demonstrate that given the right incentives cattle can herd themselves, resulting in lower costs for producers and good production outcomes.
“It would be a win for the landscape and for the pastoralist – and ultimately for the bottom line”, said Dean Revell, the agricultural scientist from WA who has developed the suite of self-herding methods with a NSW farmer specialising in stress free stockmanship Bruce Maynard.
“During initial trials on a number of stations in WA, we saw the exciting possibility of achieving grazing management benefits without huge infrastructure set-up costs. And the potential to reduce mustering costs is high,” Bruce said.
Traditionally whole paddocks have to be closed off when land needs to rest and recover – or fencing has to be erected to section off out-of-bounds areas. That’s costly in labour and materials and isn’t easily adjusted over time as seasonal conditions and regeneration patterns dictate.
The self-herding trial aims to create new grazing behaviours which will encourage the stock to find their own way to new areas, giving a boost to the animals’ nutrition and allowing the overused areas to recover. The trial is with cattle, but the methods are equally relevant to other livestock.
Back in March the project team identified the perfect site at Kidman Springs; the entire paddock is already routinely spelled from grazing during the wet season to reverse the effects of historical overgrazing in one particular area,
“It presents an ideal opportunity to test the concept at paddock scale and will address industry-relevant issues such as how to increase the portion of a paddock that is used sustainably for grazing - and minimise overgrazing of sensitive patches within a paddock,” Dean said.
The fun began last month: before being led to the test paddock, cattle were introduced to nutritional rewards and other attractants in a location familiar to them. Now that they are in the paddock their behaviour is being monitored and their movements are being tracked. The attractants include high-nutritional value pellets, mineral lick, cracked lupins, barley, coarse salt and ‘Bruce’s brew’, which is a blend of ash and charcoal from burnt timber. By varying the rewards, the animals’ interests are heightened – a bit like a kid at lolly shop who is hoping they get something from the offering.
“A group of cattle in the trial have been fitted with GPS devices and, combined with observations and feed utilisation patterns, we’ll test if animal use of targeted areas is increased by Self Herding methods," Dean said.
“Cattle performance will be assessed by monitoring body weight and body condition.”
“It’s an exciting, cutting-edge concept with so much potential for the techniques to become ‘business as usual’", said Mel McDonald from Territory NRM’s Katherine office.
“The emphasis on low environmental impact, cattle health and sustainability tick all the boxes for sound natural resource management. We are thrilled to be on board.
“It'll be a huge win if we can learn ways to regenerate land without the need to install expensive infrastructure or take good pasture out of production by locking up a whole paddocks to spell sensitive areas."
Territory NRM is coordinating communications for the self-herding trial as one of six partners in this unique collaboration, funded by MLA with support from the NT Government.
Local producers will be able learn more about the trial at the Kidman Springs Field day on 15 August.
The team will also be making a presentation at the TNRM Annual Conference in Darwin in November.
More information: Territory NRM
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domain: agronomy


text:
The major difference between passive and active nerve membranes is that the transmembrane proteins of active membrane increase their conductances in response to signals. The signals can be electrical (sodium channels open and allow an inrush of sodium ions when the transmembrane potential, Vm, reaches the threshold voltage for depolarization, V9, e.g., +10 mV above the resting potential). Signals can also be chemical, where neurotransmitters or second messenger molecules bind with specific ion-channel gates, opening them. The abrupt increase in specific ionic conductances causes ion currents to pass through the membrane in directions determined by the combined factors of the transmembrane potential and the concentration gradient of the ion across the membrane.
The specific ionic conductance is defined in the case of sodium by gNa - V(Vm - VNa) S/cm2 1.2-20
Vm (t) is the actual transmembrane potential, and VNa is the Nernst potential for sodium ions, defined by:
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This guide will help millions of people understand this condition so that they can take control of their lives and make informed decisions. The ebook covers information on a vast number of different types of neuropathy. In addition, it will be a useful resource for their families, caregivers, and health care providers.

domain: biology


text:
I’m addicted to anything pumpkin and these beignets from the secret Club 33 at Disneyland are right up my alley!
- 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (105º)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Combine flour, pumpkin puree, sugar, heavy cream, hot water, egg, shortening, and salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture. Mix dough just until combined and smooth. Let dough rest in bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, 30 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Pat to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Fry beignets until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes, turning as soon as they brown on one side.
- Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Combine butter and maple syrup in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until butter melts. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth.
- Drizzle warm beignets with maple glaze and serve immediately.

domain: food


text:
Travelodge Rathmines Hotel
Lower Rathmines Road, D6 Dublin, Ireland
Travelodge Rathmines Hotel - Description
Travelodge Rathmines. "Travelodge Rathmines" is an ideal base from which to explore Dublin. Guests can have dinner at the onsite restaurant. For a drink in the evening, you can visit the bar. In the morning, you have the option to enjoy a continental breakfast. Staying connected with the rest of the world is made easy with free Internet access.
Travelodge Dublin City Rathmines. "Travelodge Dublin City Rathmines" is an inn. It has been awarded 3 stars. The hotel is an excellent pied-a-terre from which visitors can discover Dublin. This hotel features 54 bedrooms in total. Inside, you will always find a pleasant room temperature thanks to the relieving air conditioning. The hotel includes a restaurant to serve you dinner as well as continental breakfast. For a drink in company, guests can visit the bar. Of course, from inside the inn, you can go online.
Travelodge Rathmines Hotel is conveniently located in the popular Ranelagh / Dartry area. Featuring a complete list of amenities, guests will find their stay at the property a comfortable one. Business center, elevator, pets allowed, 24hr room service are there for guest's enjoyment. Relax in you...
Travelodges Are Great Places For The Whole Family With Comfortable Family Rooms And Fantastic Locations Close To All Major Attractions Up And Down The Country. Our Family Rooms Offer Value And Quality You Just Wont Find Anywhere Else. All Rooms Have En suite Bathroom And Will Easily Sleep A Fami...
From Dublin Airport to Rathmines: follow signs to WAY OUT, DUBLIN.Follow signs to the M1 at roundabout take 2nd exit.Follow signs (M50), at the end of the motorway take the N1 exit 4. At traffic lights take Malahide Howth. At T junction turn right (R105)6. At junction R131 turn left and...
Discover all that Dublin has to offer with Travelodge City Centre as a base. All hotel's guestrooms have all the conveniences expected in a hotel in its class to suit guests' utmost comforts. These top-class facilities are complemented to excellent services to meet the needs of visitors to Dublin...
The Travelodge Rathmines is located in Dublin, Ireland. One kilometre from the city centre Two kilometres from Christchurch and Patrick's cathedralsNext to a Dubliln Bus stop20 kilometres from Dublin AirportNear Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green Hotel Features. High-speed Internet access(sur...
Travelodge Rathmines Hotel type(s): Family ,Budget
This hotel belongs to: TG™
Travelodge Rathmines Hotel facilities and services
High speed Internet , Internet Access , Wireless internet access
- Satellite Television
- Tourist information
- Family Rooms
- Business services
- Disabled rooms
- Fast Check-in/out
- Non smoking
- Tea and Coffee facilities
- Laundry services
- Currency Exchange
- Fully equipped business center
- Car Rentals
- Business Center
- Room Service
- Near Exhibition Center


Aaron Eckhart Slays Winged Demons in 'I, Frankenstein' TV Spot
Aaron Eckhart has no mercy for his opponents as he channels his inner badass in the first TV spot for "I, Frankenstein". Playing the titular scarred monster, he fends off winged demons and various supernatural creatures in fiery hand-to-hand battles.
The story will take place 200 years after his creation by Dr. Frankenstein. He is caught up in a battle for ultimate power between the two immortal clans in an ancient city. The film is due Stateside on January 24, 2014.
"The story revolves around a man who is trying to find his purpose in life," Eckhart dished on. "In cinema, and television Frankenstein has become a clunky, inarticulate, sort of catatonic figure. And we don't do that at all. He's a very active, smart and sexy."
The movie is directed by Stuart Beattie, the screenwriter of "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra", "Collateral" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl". Yvonne Strahovski plays the leading lady, while Bill Nighy and Miranda Otto are on the supporting roles.
- 'Supernatural' Casts David Haydn-Jones as a Mysterious Character
- Lin-Manuel Miranda Releases Tribute Rap for 'The West Wing'
- Kim Kardashian, Kylie and Kendall Jenner Dolled Up for 'Ocean's Eight' Cameo Filming
- Amanda Seyfried Dishes on Upcoming Low-Key Wedding to Thomas Sadoski
- Harley Quinn Might Appear on 'Gotham' Earlier Than Expected
- Soulja Boy Takes a Shot at Chris Brown, 50 Cent, Mike Tyson on New Song 'Stop Playing with Me'
- Is Tina Fey Making 'Mean Girls 2' Without Lindsay Lohan?
- Lady GaGa Builds a Dance Floor in Her Backyard, Shares Crazy Idea for Super Bowl Performance


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Chennai: It is official now. Vice-President Hamid Ansari will inaugurate the much-awaited new terminals at Chennai airport in the presence of chief minister J. Jayalalithaa at 3 pm on January 31.
“We will operationalise new facilities within two months from inaugural,” airport director H. S. Suresh told Deccan Chronicle on Friday. With new terminals in place, the old domestic terminal would be closed for renovation, while the old international terminal would be refurbished and linked to the new one.
On the request made by TN CM for naming the new domestic terminal after former chief minister and Bharat Ratna M. G. Ramachandran, Suresh said that the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) could only take a decision on that.
26/01/13 Deccan Chronicle


The Greater Richmond Chorus invites you to an original play set to barbershop-style a cappella music! The Ringing Chord, written by Kate Monaghan and Pat Wall, tells the story of a novice musical muse as she desperately struggles to find her musical genre and save herself from banishment from the ethereal realm.
The Ringing Chord will be performed on October 15, 2023 at 3pm at the Perkinson Center for the Arts. Mark you calendars now! Tickets go on sale August 20, 2023. Special prices for seniors, military, and youth. Blocks for groups of 10 or more also available.
Looking to promote your business? Advertisement opportunities are available in our show program with price levels to meet your budget. Reach out to a chorus member or send a message to firstname.lastname@example.org for more information about ad sizes and prices.


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Forecast: Temperatures rising as rain arrives
Rain is on its way to close out the month of November.
Showers are expected late Saturday evening with a 60 percent chance of precipitation after 8 p.m. The rain will stay here through the rest of the weekend.
Sunday will be wet - all day. Chances of rain stay at 60 percent for all of Sunday and rise to 80 percent into the night.
Although the weekend will be wet across the city, temperatures will take a turn to the warmer side. A high of 50 is expected for Saturday and temperatures will jump to 60 midday Sunday.
Monday also has a chance to be wet with a 40 percent chance of rain in the morning.
Temperatures will drop back to a more winter-like feel on Monday with highs only up to 42.


Put’em Up If you look closely you can see what it’s been like watching the Falcons this season. I was really riding on the Tower of Terror ride at Hollywood Studios at Disney last weekend […]
Falcons wideout Julio Jones might face a season-ending injury in Atlanta.
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA (October 8, 2013) — As part of the National Football League’s International Series, the Atlanta Falcons have been selected as one of three teams to host a regular season home game in […]
It’s been a disappointing season for Falcons fans so far and with good reason. At this point last season Atlanta was 4-0 and wouldn’t lose their first game of the season until they ran into the Saints in Week 10. While a 1-3 start is not ideal, the season is far from over for the Dirty Birds.
Lyrics: Another week is in the rear view The Falcons went to South Beach, the record fell to 1-2 Gotta have a run game, everyone is concerned Can’t find the end zone, when they’re in […]
Put’em Up The Falcons dominated every single part of the game, but found a way to lose the game last Sunday is this a trend? They are finding ways to lose instead of finding a […]
Once during my “stellar” college academic career I took a class called Theories of Coaching Football, Basketball, & Track. In that class, The AFCA Football Coaches Bible was the required text book and in that […]
Atlanta drops to 1-2 for the first time since 2011. The Falcons out-gained the Dolphins 377-285, including 146-90 on the ground in Sunday’s loss. Atlanta’s 146 rushing yards were the club’s highest this season and […]
Atlanta (WAOK)-The final hurdle to the Falcons ability to build a new state of the art billion dollar stadium in downtown Atlanta was removed on Sunday when the congregation of Friendship Baptist Church agreed to […]
The news just keeps getting better for the Falcons, as they prepare for the Dolphins in week three. Today, we all found out that linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is going to the “short-term” injured reserve and […]


text:
Former Egyptian presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohammed Morsi are no longer in power and both are facing trials, but the two remain the top searched politicians in the country on Google according to the company’s latest trends report for 2013.
General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, head of the military that ousted Mr. Morsi in July, came third. “Teslam El Ayadi” – a musical tribute to General Sisi, was the most searched song:
The technology giant publishes its search trends report at the end of each year, which offers some interesting insights into what captures the attention of internet users in different countries around the world.
In Saudi Arabia, the list of the most trending searches reflected a varied combination of interests and concerns by citizens in the kingdom. The list featured photo sharing app Instagram as well as the MERS Coronavirus that has killed 57 people in the country so far.
In neighboring United Arab Emirates, Apple’s iPhone 5S and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 mobile phones occupied top spots in the trending searches list.
Apple’s Mac was found to be the most searched brand in the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia and Egypt. And satirical TV anchor Bassem Yousef, often described as Egypt’s Jon Stewart, was also among the most popular searches in the three countries.


CZ USA 550 416 RIGBY European Safari Magnum Rifle 04201
Availability: NOT IN STOCK Qty in stock: 0
Price: $1,185.01 MSRP: $1,479.02
Known world wide as the 602 Brno, the CZ 550 Safari is a true full sized Magnum, not a smaller action blown out to barely hold the cartridge with only 2 rounds in the magazine, the Safari can hold 4 Rigby’s in the magazine! Features include Express sights (1 standing, 2 folding), hammer forged barrel and single set trigger. The stock is made from select Turkish walnut and has a classic safari shape. The controlled round feed and fixed ejector make this rifle reliable enough for Heavy and Dangerous game.
The ideal dangerous game rifle with positive feed, 4 round magazine. Rugged steel and walnut constriction with dual recoil lugs and dual recoil cross bolts. 3 leave express sights and integral scope base. No plastic or die cast parts on this rifle. A true clasic.


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Turkey really is a fantastic destination. It offers everything you find in the more traditional Spanish, Italian and Greek resorts and more. The best way to demonstrate this is to tell you about one of Turkey’s best destinations – Ölüdeniz.
Whether you want to chill by the pool with a cocktail, complete with umbrella and sparkles, or you are an active person you will be happy in Ölüdeniz.
The beach life
It is defiantly a beach resort and a lot of the action takes place there. The area is famous for paragliding because the conditions are perfect for this great leisure activity. There are also plenty of other water sports to enjoy.
The area offers a range of different diving opportunities, but the scuba diving is the most popular. There are plenty of shallow areas to explore with wonderful clear water and beautiful underwater fauna, which means that there is a huge range of fish and sea life to enjoy. It is also a great place to learn to dive with plenty of licensed diving instructors. The waters are calm as well as clean.
There are several private beaches in the area as well as four beautiful public beaches. They are all stunning, the blue lagoon in particular, which is a nature reserve.
It really is one of the best-preserved parts of Turkey, which is why paragliding is so popular. If you have never tried paragliding, Ölüdeniz is the place to try it.
The hotels of Olu Deniz are exceptional. There is every kind of hotel you can think of in the area, but the luxurious resorts are the most popular. The nice thing about these hotels is that they are not crazy expensive. If you book an all-inclusive deal, you can enjoy a touch of luxury at a great price.
Food and drink
Many people worry that they cannot enjoy a drink while they are in Turkey. This is not true you can enjoy alcoholic drinks if you want to.
The nice thing is that many local people do not drink, so if you fancy a non-alcoholic drink there is a huge choice. Try an Ayran, which is a salty yogurt drink, which is great with seafood. Turkish sherbet forms the base of some amazing non-alcoholic drinks. However, if you are more of a cocktail person, do not worry because you will be able to get them in most bars and restaurants.
Any kind of food you can think of is available in Ölüdeniz. However, we recommend that you try some of the local food. It is tasty and not too spicy. Meze is a great way of eating. It is a plate of various foods, which are perfect with a drink.
If you are a night bird Ölüdeniz has a lot to offer. The Fethiye area has plenty of clubs and bars with entertainment that will suit most people.
The best thing about the area is that it still very Turkish. There is plenty of local culture to enjoy. This area has not been overwhelmed by tourism, so it is a good place to experience Turkish culture.

domain: geography


text:
Dendrimers: Synthesis, types and applications: A reviewAuthor(s): DhavalG.Gajjar,PravinkumarM.Patel
Dendrimers are newclass of polymers, first inventedin1978byVogtle.Unlike linear polymers, dendrimers have special properties such as nanometer size range,narrowpolydispersity,highdegreeofbranchingand presence of internal cavitieswhich allows them to be used inmany applications. Dendrimers can be mainly synthesized by either divergent or convergent routes. Recent advances lead to different routes for dendrimer synthesiswhich gives control overmolecular architecture and allows incorporation of different functionalities indendritic architecture.As a result new types of dendrimerswith different functionalities have beensynthesized.Uniquepropertiesofdendrimershave attracted attention of several researchers frominterdisciplinaryfields. This led to applications of dendrimers in various applications for e.g. various routes of drug delivery, gene therapy, cancer therapy, catalysis and in membrane technology.This reviewcovers approaches for dendrimer synthesis, andtheir potential applications such as drug delivery, gene delivery, cancer therapy, catalysis and inmembrane technology.