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According to a recent article from the West Virginia Record, a federal jury has just awarded a plaintiff $3.27 million in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) case involving transvaginal mesh (TVM) products manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.
This case involved the Gynecare TVT Obturator. This device, manufactured by Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, is a surgically implanted medical device used in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The TVM device consists of what is essentially a layer of mesh being held within a support device. The fact that it is supported in this manner is the reason it is called a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) design, which was marketed as being superior and safer than previous TVM devices that are linked to serious injuries to patients, including erosion of tissue and vaginal dehiscence.
As our TVM plaintiff attorneys in New England understand, these products pose several other risks to women, including erosion of the mesh itself. There is also a risk that, when the device is surgically implanted through incisions made in the vagina and then anchored to the pelvic bone, the patient’s bowel and other internal organs may be perforated (punctured), resulting in internal bleeding, urinary incontinence, and potentially deadly infections.
In this case, the jury found that the drug company had defectively designed the product and failed to adequately warn doctors and patients of known risks. The verdict was in the amount of $100,000 to compensate for medical expenses, $470,000 in pain and suffering and emotional distress that had already been experienced, and $2.5 million for pain and suffering, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life that will likely be experienced by plaintiff in the future. Plaintiff’s husband was also awarded $200,000 in damages associated with loss of consortium.


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Avalon Center of Lakeview
Avalon Center of Lakeview is an alcohol and drug treatment program found at 6024 Spikes Way in Milton, Florida. They can be reached at 850-437-8900.
The center utilizes major approaches to treatment of Individual Counseling, Couples/Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Cognitive/Behavior Therapy. The facility offers services in these settings: Outpatient Drug Addiction Treatment.
Avalon Center of Lakeview also provides individuals with several individualized programs designed specifically for the needs of individuals, such as: Court-Ordered Outpatient Treatment. Finally, Avalon Center of Lakeview also allows the following types of payment: Cash or Self-Payment, Medicaid Public Insurance, Medicare, Private Health Insurance, Military Insurance Coverage.
We can help you find the right treatment facility that best fits your overall needs and financial requirements.

domain: medical


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The company has identified an issue with the fuel pump in certain models of WagonR and Baleno hatchbacks, and will replace the faulty part for free
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) today announced the recall of a total of 134,885 units of 1 l WagonR and Baleno petrol version, combined, for a possible fuel pump issue. The WagonR 1 l models being recalled were those manufactured between 15 November 2018 and 15 October 2019, and Baleno (petrol) manufactured between 8 January 2019 and 4 November 2019. MSIL will inspect 56,663 units of WagonR and 78,222 units of Baleno for a possible issue with the fuel pump, with the faulty part being replaced, free of cost.
MSIL said owners of the suspected vehicles under this recall campaign will be contacted by the company’s authorised dealers in due course of time. Additionally, customers can visit the ‘Imp Customer Info’ section on the company websites www.marutisuzuki.com (for WagonR) and www.nexaexperience.com (for Baleno) and fill in their vehicles chassis number (MA3 or MBH, followed by 14 digit alpha-numeric number) to check if their vehicle needs any attention and follow the instructions. The chassis number is embossed on the vehicle ID plate and is also mentioned in the vehicle invoice/registration documents.

domain: news


Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 1 – More than meets the eye
Don’t be fooled by the stylish good looks of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 1 14” laptop—with lots of storage options, an HD panel framed by narrow bezels, and the latest AMD processing, it’s as powerful on the inside as it is colourful on the outside. All-day battery life keeps you on the go.
Fit to be framed
You’ll want to take this lightweight laptop with you everywhere—and with 8 hours of battery life, it will keep you up and running throughout your day. Stream music on the Dolby Audio™ enhanced speakers. Enjoy videos on a 14″ HD panel, framed by narrow bezels. Or just browse online.
Be Efficient, Be Productive
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 1 delivers performance that matters. Get more from your PC experience with the 7th Generation AMD A-Series APUs which provide exceptional processing performance with superior power efficiency for on-the-go fun.
Crystal-Clear Sound Experienced
Dolby Audio delivers crystal-clear sound whether you’re watching a video or streaming music. With the built-in dual stereo speaker, you’re sure to love what you hear on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 1.
1. AC power input
2. 2 X USB 3.1 (Gen 1)
4. MicroSD card reader
5. Headphone / mic combo
Be the first to review “LENOVO IDEAPAD SLIM 1-14AST-05 NOTEBOOK (81VS003VSA)”


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A sportsbook is a gambling establishment that accepts bets on sporting events. The sportsbooks are often regulated and legal in many states, and they offer bettors the opportunity to place wagers on a variety of sporting events, including how many points will be scored in a game or who will win a specific matchup.
The best way to maximize your profits as a sports gambler is to shop around for the best odds. While this is money-management 101, some bettors are still surprised to find that a sportsbook will have different odds on the same team or event. This is because sportsbooks are free to set their own odds and can adjust them as they please. For example, a Chicago Cubs team may be -180 at one sportsbook and -190 at another. This difference might only be a few cents, but it will add up over time.
When deciding on which sportsbook to use, be sure to consider the number of teams and events that each one offers. It is also important to check out the betting rules and bonuses that each sportsbook offers. For instance, some sportsbooks will offer money back when a bet is placed against the spread, while others won’t. In addition, it is important to choose a sportsbook that accepts your preferred payment method and is safe to use.
If you’re new to sports betting, it can be helpful to consult a professional for advice. These experts can help you determine which sportsbooks to join and which ones to avoid. They can also provide tips for maximizing your bankroll and improving your chances of winning. They can even recommend a sportsbook that matches your style of play.
The key to winning at sports betting is knowing how to bet wisely and keeping track of your wins and losses. It’s also important to avoid betting more than you can afford to lose. Additionally, you should try to bet on sports that you’re familiar with from a rules perspective and stick to those that are heavily covered by the news media. Some sportsbooks are slow to adjust lines, especially props, after news about players and coaches, so this is another angle to consider when placing your bets.
Ultimately, the most important aspect of a sportsbook is its reliability. If the site is constantly crashing or the odds are always off, users will quickly get frustrated and look elsewhere. Choosing a reliable sportsbook is crucial to your success as a sports bettor, and you should always read reviews of the sportsbooks you’re considering before making any bets. Those who do this will be much more likely to enjoy their experience with the sportsbooks they choose and keep coming back for more.

domain: sports


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Explore Gallery of Rutledge Sideboards
Showing Photo About A.r.t. Furniture Belmar Ii Sliding Door Sideboard – Antique with Most Popular Rutledge Sideboards
It is always necessary to determine a design for the rutledge sideboards. In case you do not completely need to have an exclusive design and style, this helps you make a decision what sideboards and dressers to obtain also which styles of colors and models to get. Then there are inspiration by looking through on website pages, going through furniture magazines and catalogs, coming to various home furniture marketplace then making note of displays that are best for you.
Choose an appropriate place and apply the sideboards and dressers in a section that is definitely balanced size to the rutledge sideboards, that is certainly determined by the it's purpose. For example, if you need a large sideboards and dressers to be the highlights of a space, then you really really need to get situated in a zone that is definitely visible from the room's entrance locations also you should not overload the item with the home's architecture.
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According to the required appearance, you may want to keep on equivalent color styles grouped along side each other, or else you may want to diversify color choices in a weird style. Give special awareness of the way in which rutledge sideboards connect to each other. Wide sideboards and dressers, most important items has to be matched with smaller-sized and even minor parts.
Moreover, don’t worry to play with various color scheme and model. However a single accessory of individually painted fixtures may possibly look strange, there are actually solutions to connect home furniture with each other to make sure they are easily fit to the rutledge sideboards in a good way. However enjoying color and pattern is generally permitted, you should do not create an area without impressive color scheme, as this could make the room or space become lacking a coherent sequence or connection and messy.
Describe your entire needs with rutledge sideboards, take a look at depending on whether it will make you enjoy the appearance for years from today. In case you are with limited funds, be concerned about working with anything you have already, check out your current sideboards and dressers, then make sure it becomes possible to re-purpose them to install onto the new design and style. Designing with sideboards and dressers a great way to furnish the home an awesome appearance. Along with your personal ideas, it may help to have some ideas on decorating with rutledge sideboards. Keep yourself to all of your style and design in the event you take into consideration different designs, furnishing, also product ideas and furnish to help make your room a warm, cozy and exciting one.
There are numerous spots you could potentially apply your sideboards and dressers, as a result consider regarding position areas also categorize stuff according to size, color choice, object also design. The size and style, shape, theme also amount of elements in your living area can certainly influence the ways they need to be positioned and to have aesthetic of the best way that they get along with each other in size, type, area, themes and colour.
Know the rutledge sideboards the way it creates a component of mood into your living area. Selection of sideboards and dressers commonly shows our behavior, your priorities, your dreams, bit question now that more than just the decision concerning sideboards and dressers, also its proper placement need a lot of attention. Benefiting from some know-how, you will discover rutledge sideboards that meets all of your own preferences also needs. You must analyze the available place, create inspiration from home, and decide the things we had require for its suitable sideboards and dressers.

domain: design


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Limited overseas travel is expected to resume from next month, but what does this mean for airport lounges...
As Qantas bids bon voyage to all its airport meeting rooms, rival Virgin Australia is retaining five of its own.
The final lounge in Virgin's domestic network unlocks its doors.
Get set for a bigger, brighter lounge with plenty of natural light plus airport views.
The airline's much-anticipated Adelaide lounge is a departure from what travellers currently expect at Virgin Australia.
Virgin rolls up the shutters on two more of its airport lounges.
As travel demand picks up and lounging returns, here's how the experience differs across Qantas' two tiers of domestic lounges.
As overseas travel returns in 2021, Qantas stands ready to reopen its flagship international lounges.
Virgin Australia's inner sanctum is no longer a secret, with this private lounge temporarily replacing the public lounge.
As domestic borders come down and demand for travel ramps up, here's where you'll find Virgin's lounges open and waiting.
It's "welcome back" to business travellers at the country's two busiest airports, with lounges unlocked for eligible travellers.
With Virgin Australia re-opening its lounges, we stopped by to see how the experience stacks up.
Virgin's airport lounges are ready to open up again, and there's also a new look on the way...
It's been a long time coming, but most Qantas lounges are getting ready to roll out the welcome mat.
Even as domestic borders start to come down, now isn't the time to invest in Virgin Australia lounge membership: here's why.
As states open their borders and Virgin adds more flights, the state of the airline's lounge network remains TBA.
Airlines will being moving into Berlin's Brandenburg Airport from October 31, so what's in store for the loungescape?
Maybe it's time to raise the preflight dining experience by introducing better quality meals at a reasonable price.

domain: travel


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It is safe to say that Fredrik Backman is my new favourite author, between this and A Man called Ove he has completely won me over. The only downside to reading his books is that I may have a bit of an odd reputation at the driving school because I was AGAIN in tears there thanks to reading this book.
There is something about the way he writes that just draws you in, I loved those characters. I felt their pain and their joy. I wanted to be there with them all! There is no character that lets this book down in any way, they all have depth and reasons to explain their odd quirks.
This is a fairy tale to a degree in the way that it is written and you do have to suspend reality a bit (what is a wurse after all!) Mostly though it’s the story of a girl with a unique grandmother. They have a special bond and her granny is a tad nuts but in an extraordinary and eccentric way. Elsa is an almost eight year old (that’s how she is referred to and I find it endearing) who doesn’t fit in at school and is bullied. Her grandmother creates a whole kingdom and amazing stories to make Elsa feel like a brave and valiant Knight. The detail of these stories is incredible – you want to visit the kingdom by the end! Being made to feel that being different is a gift saves Elsa from being miserable.
Elsa lives with her mother and step father in a block of flats, her grandmother lives in the flat next door. All the neighbours play a part in the story, they are all totally different and interesting.
Sadly tragedy strikes, this sets off a huge adventure for Elsa where she learns all about her grandmother, warts and all as it were. She also learns about her mother and father and step-father as well as the neighbours.
This is a plot I lost myself in completely, I sobbed my heart out at parts and I laughed out loud at other parts. I could go on and on about it all, but that would steal the magic from you and that would be wrong.
PLEASE go and get this and A Man Called Ove, I can’t imagine anyone regretting reading this. It’s uplifting in the end and shows the power of love and imagination. Now I just have to wait till Mr.Backman writes another one…fingers crossed he becomes a prolific writer! I have even become a fan of his so I will get word the second the next book is published!

domain: library


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We are going Against the Grain.
We are here to share our adventures with you!
We travel the world, whilst exploring the highs and lows of Ironman training. We share expert sport & nutrition insights, recipes, reviews and some incredible photographs of all of the places we visit and explore. We also share how to fully embrace a nutritious vegan lifestyle.
We kicked off our journey on 23rd November 2016. We have visited so many places in the world already including: Hong Kong, Chile, England, New Zealand, China, North Korea, Thailand, Russia, Netherlands, Spain… be sure to check out our blogs on these incredible places!
The original plan was to complete Ironman Barcelona in September 2017, but after Michiel had a life threatening bike accident 5 weeks before race day, we have adapted our mission.
Through these tough times, we have learnt so much, and we are now more determined than ever to accomplish the goal of crossing the Ironman finish line! This means so much more than just a race now.
Follow the courageous and inspiring journey from zero to ironman.
For more about us, drop by our individual pages:

domain: geography


Car sales in China increased 0.29 percent in November from the same month last year, fueled by year-end promotions offered by car dealers.
More significant growth is expected in December, when automakers and dealers usually offer aggressive discounts in order to meet their annual sales targets. A total of 1.34 million vehicles were sold in November, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) announced. November sales were 10.1 percent higher than October sales.
“October was almost flat, but sales have been picking up gradually since the beginning of the month as rebates and other gimmicks kicked in,” Sheng Ye, associate research director at industry consultancy Ipsos’ Greater China region was quoted as saying by Reuters. “Japanese automakers such as Toyota and Honda are more aggressive than the European or American players, as they try to recoup some of the lost sales in China because of the earthquake,” he added.
For instance, some versions of the Toyota Camry are currently on sale with discounts of almost 16 percent. Nissan and Honda are also offering substantial discounts for Teana and Accord models. Local brands are also using rebates to push sales forward, as they were badly hit by the cancelling of tax incentives for small cars.
The Chinese market gained 5.3 percent in the first 11 months of the year, much less than than the 32 percent increase from 2010 or the 46 percent gain from 2009.


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Chole/Chana Masala!(V)(GF)- Chickpeas slow cooked in a tomato sauce. a famous dish but with my little twist!
- Goes great with the Cumin rice
Mixed vegetable Sambar(V)(GF)-This soupy dish is a standard in our families having variations each time! Hyacinth beans ,bellpeppers, green beans, tomatoes, and pigeon peas cooked with onions and spices.
-Eaten with white rice or by itself

domain: food


THE appalling and dangerous state of rural roads in Mid Ulster has prompted a local SDLP councillor to demand a properly funded strategy to deal with the issue.
SDLP Ballinderry Councillor Christine McFlynn says the roads have deteriorated badly over Christmas and called for immediate repairs.
Councillor McFlynn also urged drivers to use caution when travelling on thse rural roads.
“We have not yet seen the severe weather conditions we experienced last winter, but the surfaces of our local rural roads have deteriorated badly over the Christmas period and, in some cases, are a danger to road users.
“Of particular concern are areas along the Ballylifford, Ballinderry Bridge Killybearn, Ballygrooby and Springhill roads.
“Potholes and the generally poor state of the road surface along these roads could damage cars and cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
“I urge all drivers to use caution when travelling on all rural roads and on these roads in particular.
“I and my SDLP colleagues will be pressing for immediate repairs to these roads and for the development of a co-ordinated, and properly funded, strategy to improve the maintenance of our rural roads network.”


The Kings are out of the playoff race, but goalie Erik Ersberg is generating plenty of buzz.
Ersberg, the rookie who turns 26 today, earned his first NHL victory on Thursday and will start for the Kings today against Montreal. Ersberg stopped 40 shots against Ottawa in the Kings’ 2-0 victory, and is looking increasingly confident in the net.
His fine play might make for goalie controversy talk in the offseason, but fans should be cautioned if they’re looking to anoint him as the No. 1 goalie any time soon.
“(Ersberg’s) a long ways away from being a guy that should wrestle with the burden of being a No. 1 goalie on a good team,” Marc Crawford said. “First of all, we’re not a good team yet. Second of all, he hasn’t put enough of a body of work together to get that distinction. That’s no slight on him. We like what we see. He’s got some great characteristics. Of all the goalies we’ve had of the young variety, he shows the most promise right now.”
The Kings have used 10 goalies this season. Jason LaBarbera had season-ending surgery for a sports hernia on Wednesday, but is expected to be ready in time for next season..
For now, Ersberg is enjoying his time in the net. Ersberg said he received a few text messages from family and friends, who were just waking up in Sweden.
“I just want to take the chance I’ve been given here to play some games and be happy for every game and try to show what I can do,” Ersberg said.
All in a name
Ersberg is the first Swedish-born hockey player in the Kings organization, which might be one of the reasons many fans have trouble pronouncing his name.
“Ersberg (pronounced like Airs-berg) is a little better,” Ersberg said. “That’s a little more accurate. I don’t mind, because back home in Sweden they have trouble pronouncing it, too. I’m used to getting a lot of different versions of my last name. It doesn’t bother me at all.”
Face of the Kings
Ersberg has become popular with Kings fans and with his teammates as well. With such a boyish face, he could easily be mistaken for a high school student, but he’s played like a veteran in his short stint with the Kings.
“He’s not as young as he looks,” Tom Preissing said. “He looks pretty young. He’s played in big games before. He played professionally in Sweden. He’s got a calmness to him, and that’s pretty nice to see in a goalie.”


lab2lab is a novel lab automation management solution to optimise your analytical instrument availability and reduce queuing. Nowadays scientists need easy access to a multiplicity of analytical instrumentation. lab2lab offers a simple way to enhance your lab automation by connecting your research labs and your existing instrumentation. This is proven to speed up data generation and optimize equipment use.
a virtual analytical laboratory on your bench-top lab2lab laboratory management system provides flexible, microtube transportation and scheduling. It allows you to send samples to analytical equipment for analysis direct from your laboratory bench, so you can focus on your work rather than manage your sample`s progress. lab2lab enhances your lab automation process by returning data from each sample straight back to your ELN, enabling rapid analysis of your research results and identification of relevant compounds.
lab2lab has the potential to bring the same level of optimisation and traceability to a wide variety of applications that includes forensics and compound QC. It could enhance the lab management process between labs, linking scientists across different disciplines, connecting synthesis to purification, then to compound management and biological assays.


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IntraDiscal ElectroThermal Therapy (IDET)
The IDET procedure offers a non-surgical option to treat back pain. A catheter that uses heat modifies the protein wall of the disc and reduces the amount of disc material that causes nerve irritation.
This is a minimally invasive procedure performed in an outpatient setting. The procedure involves a special wire (the catheter) which is guided into your disc through a spinal needle and is heated for about 15-20 minutes. One or multiple disc levels can be treated with IDET. The catheter and needle are removed, and you will be discharged home with specific instructions.
One week before the procedure you should do the following:
- Stop all NSAID’s, aspirin, and aspirin-containing compounds.
- Do NOT discontinue heart, blood pressure or diabetes medications, or other medications prescribed by your physician.
Be sure to tell your physician if:
- You are taking blood thinners or have a history of a bleeding disorder • You are allergic to iodine (for example, shellfish or IVP dye)
- You have fevers or signs of infection
You should not eat on the day of your procedure. Small amounts of clear liquids are permitted. Arrange to have someone drive you to and from the office.
An I.V. will be placed in your arm and you will be given antibiotics prior to the procedure. After you are in position on the table, x-ray equipment will identify the disc level(s). Your lower back skin and muscle tissue will then be numbed with a local anesthetic.
Your physician will place a needle into your disc under x-ray guidance. You may experience pressure during this part of the procedure. Once the needle is in the proper position, your physician may inject dye into the disc for diagnostic purposes. The electrothermal catheter is then inserted through the needle. Patients typically do not feel any discomfort during this step. However, some patients feel pressure in their back when the catheter moves through the disc.
IDET Catheter in a lumbar disc
When the catheter position is confirmed by x-ray, the heating element is activated. The heat is slowly increased and will last for 15 to 18 minutes. As the heat increases into the treatment range, you might experience your typical disc-related symptoms. Your physician will monitor your responses during the procedure to ensure that any discomfort you feel is well controlled.
At the end of the procedure, a bandage will be placed on your back, and you will rest in a recovery area until you are ready to go home.
In the first three days after your procedure (the immediate postoperative period), you may experience a moderate increase in your normal back pain. Rest, ice, pain medication, and anti-inflammatories will minimize possible discomfort during this time. Any unusual or new symptoms (i.e., fever, chills, rash, increased numbness, or weakness) should be reported to your physician. Do not expect your usual pre
procedure symptoms to immediately disappear.
You should not exert yourself during this time, even if you experience a marked reduction in your usual pre-procedure pain, because exertion may negatively affect the overall outcome. No housework, lifting, or bending should be done. Short walks (15 to 20 minutes) are okay, but generally, the first few days should be spent resting. You should discuss with your physician your plan to return to work. If your work is sedentary, you can typically return 1 to 5 days after the procedure. A follow-up appointment will be made with your physician for additional treatment recommendations.
For the few weeks following the procedure as your disc(s) heal, you should begin to feel a reduction in pain. However, pain reduction may occur over 3 months. During the first month, you must treat your back carefully. Restrict bending twisting or heavy lifting. You will be instructed to wear a soft lumbar brace for several months following the procedure. No sports will be allowed.
You may resume back exercises under your physician’s guidance. Anti-inflammatory medications and/or pain medication may be prescribed if needed to control discomfort associated with your normal back pain. Icing 1-2 times per day (10-15 minutes) is advisable to reduce any low back discomfort.
Rehabilitation Exercises and Therapy
Your physician will guide you regarding rehabilitation exercises after your procedure. If you have been performing strenuous rehabilitation exercises before the procedure, you will not immediately return to that level of exercise, but to a more moderate level that will be gradually increased as you improve.
Contact us today and your physician will help you advance your exercise program to improve your strength and flexibility. Your physician may allow you to resume sporting activity 3-4 months after the procedure and may allow you to resume traveling for work or pleasure during this time as well.


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was a huge mud hole this trip. This normally dry, semi-desert region was receiving
the first significant precipitation in years. Fields looked like lakes, intersected
occasionally with roads graded just high enough to stay dry. It's generally
flat here and there is little place for the water to go so it just collects
in ditches and low areas until the ground can absorb it. It made for some
nice photo op's though.
I took several shots here at the railroad crossing near the village of Shackleton. This was where I photographed the 50's style gas pumps elsewhere on the site back in autumn of 2001.
I had just completed a similar shot when I heard a car approaching in the distance. I opened the shutter once again in time to capture the trail of tail lights as the lone car passed on the highway. Both shots are nice but I think this is my favorite. The distant streak of passing tail lights just adds to the sense of solitude.


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Found March 03, 2013 on
In what could be a called a possible Western Conference Finals preview, things got heated between the Clippers and Thunder.
With the Clips trailing by three with under two minutes to go, Serge Ibaka and Blake Griffin were fighting for position under the basket when things escalated. Ibaka appeared to hit Griffin below the belt, drawing a flagrant-1 foul for the act but avoiding ejection.
Check it out in the animation below.
Animation via Twitter/@HPBasketball
BEST OF MAXIM
Serge Ibaka got away with what appeared to be a hit to Blake Griffin’s groin at the end of Oklahoma City’s 108-104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday.
The two were fighting under the basket for position as Matt Barnes’ 3-pointer from the corner went in with less than two minutes left in the game. As the ball was nearing the basket, Ibaka hit Griffin below the waist. ...
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka received a flagrant-1 foul on Sunday when he hit Blake Griffin near the groin (video of the play here) during his team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers. It is unclear whether Ibaka hit Griffin in the man region or not, but it certainly looked like the swing itself was intentional.
After the game, Ibaka insisted that he was not trying...
Looks like Serge Ibaka took some notes from Nicholas Batum in the Summer Olympics game. After leading by as much as 19 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to crawl within three in the final 2 minutes, where Serge Ibaka hits Blake Griffin in a particularly sensitive region in their fight for rebounding position.
While the hit looked malicious, Serge...
Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka committed a cardinal sin when defending Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin on Sunday. I mean, I know Griffin was boxing Ibaka out, but seriously? Karate chopping someone in the nuts is not cool. I can’t believe Ibaka was only given a flagrant and wasn’t thrown out of the game. Ibaka was huge down the stretch...
Sunday at Staples Center, the Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka supplied quite the nut shot to Los Angels Clippers star Blake Griffin with under two minutes to go in a showdown between two of the Western Conference's top teams.
In GIF form via HardwoodParoxysm.Com, watch Ibaka punch Griffin in the balls:
After reviewing the play, the officials somehow let...
There are flagrant fouls and there are things that we here at That NBA Lottery Pick like to deem as "super flagrant fouls".Near the end of Sunday afternoon's Clippers/Thunder match-up, Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka decided to pull off his own version of tough love with Blake Griffin.Watch as Ibaka punches Griffin right in the groin and gets called for a flagrant foul:
NEW YORK (AP) -- Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka has been fined 25,000 by the NBA for striking Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the groin area during Sunday's game.
NBA executive vice president for basketball operations Stu Jackson announced the fine Tuesday. The league also upgraded the flagrant foul 1 Ibaka's was given for hitting Griffin as the two battled...
The NBA has fined Serge Ibaka $25,000 for striking Clippers’ Blake Griffin in the groin during the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game at Staples Center. The league also upgraded the low blow, which was originally ruled a Flagrant 1 foul, to a Flagrant 2 foul, meaning Ibaka should of been ejected. The Thunder forward, receiving no suspension, will be available to play tonight...
The only thing I can think of is that Ibaka sent Keri Hilson up to David Stern’s office to take care of the problem. I rather take a Metta World Peace elbow, than getting hit in the groin.
Serge Ibaka has been fined $25k by NBA “for striking Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the groin area.”
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) March 5, 2013
This should have been a...
Serge Ibaka punched Blake Griffin in the groin on Sunday.
A month ago, Matt Barnes was suspended for striking Greg Stiemsma of the TWolves in the neck. A few days later, Metta World Peace was suspended for striking Brandon Knight in the face. On Sunday, Serge Ibaka struck Barnes teammate, Blake Griffin, in the groin. Tuesday, Ibaka was handed a lesser punishment than the aforementioned and fined 25K for his actions. Matt Barnes...
Poor, Nick Collision...at first glance it appeared that he had an easy basket against the Los Angeles Clippers until Blake Griffin decided to swat it away.Watch as Blake rises up in the third quarter of Sunday's OKC/LA match-up to deny Collison the shot at the rim:
JR The Bossman was joined by Phillip Jackson for his weekly spot on Monday nights at midnight. The two talked about numerous topics from the always entertaining “Boss Report”, to the NBA and Serge Ibaka’s punch to the man-region of Blake Griffin. Listen to the podcast below and be sure to tune in next time [...]
Check out the Top 10 NBA plays from February. There are dunks, buzzer beaters and of course, a Miami Heat featuring LeBron James moment. Plus, Blake Griffin and the Clippers and even a Jay Z sighting from Nets vs. Bucks.
video via NBA


ESD Protection Simple Parallel Discharging Zener Diode Special Diodes for High speed Lines Electrical EngineeringUmm Al-Qura UniversitySlide 22
General Adder (Mixer) Electrical EngineeringUmm Al-Qura UniversitySlide 23
Slide 24 the integrator produces a voltage output proportional to the product (multiplication) of the input voltage and time the differentiator produces a voltage output proportional to the input voltage's rate of change.
Slide 28 A differentiator circuit produce s a constant output voltage for a steadily changing input voltage. An integrator circuit produces a steadily changing output voltage for a constant input voltage.
Process Check What circuits did you face in your field? Do you need more details? Where to find more Designs? Electrical EngineeringUmm Al-Qura UniversitySlide 29
Transformer Slide 33 A transformer is an electrical device that transfers power from one electrical circuit to another by magnetic coupling It is most often used to convert between high and low voltages Must be AC current; a transformer does not convert DC Uses Faraday’s law and ferromagnetic properties
DC Motor Variables Slide 49 E A (volt)is the back EMF V T (volt)is the applied voltage T dev (N.m)is the torque developed by DC Motor T load (N.m)is the opposing load torque m (rad/s)is the armature shaft speed = 2 rpm /60 R a ( )is the motor internal resistance I A (A)is the motor current
DC Generator Variables Slide 50 E A (volt)is the generated voltage V T (volt)is the load voltage T pm (N.m)is the prime-mover generated torque T dev (N.m)is the opposing motor torque m (rad/s)is the armature shaft speed = 2 rpm /60 R a ( )is the motor internal resistance I A (A)is the motor current
DC Machine Equations Slide 51 E A (volt)is the generated voltage T dev (N.m)is the motor torque m (rad/s)is the armature shaft speed = 2 rpm /60 I A (A)is the motor current Kis the machine constant (Wb)is the magnetic flux per pole
Power Electric Power: Mechanical Power: Slide 52
Ideal DC Machine Motor IN:Electric Power OUT:Mechanical Power Slide 53
Ideal DC Machine Generator IN:Mechanical Power OUT:Electric Power Slide 54
Motor Example A DC motor having R a = 0.2 , I A = 5A, V T = 220V, m = 1200 rpm What is: back EMF voltage? developed torque? developed power? Slide 55
Generator Example A DC generator having P mech = 1kW, R a = 0.3 , R L = 10 What is: electric current drawn? terminal voltage? Slide 56


Published on December 7th, 2014 | by SUSHIBOMB STAFF0
GAMING | CAPCOM UNVEILS STREET FIGHTER 5 GAMEPLAY VIDEO AND SCREENSHOTS
Unveiled at Sony’s Playstation Experience event, Street Fighter V. Fans have been waiting for this game to drop, and it’s looking absolutely epic.
So far Ryu, and Chun Li have been revealed in a work-in-progress gameplay video.
Check out the gameplay video, Rise Up trailer, and screenshots below.
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Automatic Transmission Efficiency Characteristics and Gearbox Torque Loss Data Regression Techniques
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Published March 01, 1993 by SAE International in United States
Annotation ability available
This paper presents a general discussion of automatic transmission parasitic losses and efficiency characteristics.
Efficiency characteristics of the three major automatic transmission components-pump, torque converter, and gearbox-and their contribution to the transmission total torque losses are examined. A data reduction method for isolating gearbox torque losses from total transmission losses is also described.
The information presented is based on pump, torque converter, and transmission testing performed at SwRI for Ford Motor Company. Test data was used to perform analytical fuel economy benchmarking studies. Testing included 13 transmissions manufactured by American, European, and Japanese manufacturers for 3.0-5.8L truck applications.
|Technical Paper||Proposed Efficiency Rating for an Optimized Automatic Transmission|
|Technical Paper||Synchronizer Design and Development for Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT)|


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Most famous Dominican of Haitian descent gets her ID
Santo Domingo.- The most famous Dominican of Haitian descent on Friday received her ID card (cedula) at the Central Electoral Board (JCE) in a process her attorneys called fast and “free of trauma.”
Juliana Deguis arrived at the JCE District Board at Centro de los Heroes (La Feria) at 10:30 under a downpour rain and after routine paperwork was handed her Dominican ID.
After receiving the cedula, Deguis said the first thing she’ll do will be to enrol her four children in school and look for a job, to lead a normal life in her native town of Yamasa, eastern Monte Plata province.
Her lawyers Genaro Rincón and María Martínez said they were satisfied the their client’s odyssey has come to an end, but vowed to continue their fight since many other descendants of Haitians are going through the same situation.


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Don’t get used to it, though. Because my bold prediction is that this will be the last strong jobs number for a LONG time!
Look, the Federal Reserve continues to believe we can remain a relative island of prosperity in a tumultuous world. So do a lot of mainstream economists and reporters.
Indeed, as soon as the ADP number hit the tape, the CNBC pundits were chattering about how this “proves” the U.S. economy won’t get dragged down. Not by the implosion in overseas markets … the ongoing meltdown in energy … the weakness in manufacturing … or any of the other challenges out there.
But if you look behind the ADP headline, you see that factory employment shrank by 15,000. That was the worst drop in almost five years. Things aren’t going to get much better, either, with U.S. exports poised to decline in 2015. That’s the first time that has happened since the Great Recession.
|Are we on the verge of more layoffs and weaker employment reports?|
Companies in the energy patch are continuing to fire workers, as evidenced by yesterday’s Chesapeake Energy (CHK) announcement that it would eliminate 15% of its workforce. So are diversified manufacturers like Caterpillar (CAT), which recently announced it would lop up to 10,000 workers off its payroll.
I find it patently ridiculous to assume that rising layoffs, falling exports and reduced hiring won’t impact domestic demand for housing, cars, retail goods and the like. And I believe investors in assets like junk bonds are sniffing out a broader economic slowdown.
Yields are surging to multi-year highs, and prices are falling to multi-year lows there. It’s no longer happening mostly in energy bonds, either. The pain is spreading to a wider and wider swath of bonds in other industries and sectors.
Bottom line: A major ECONOMIC turn may be at hand, rather than just a major MARKET turn. If I’m right, the figures we got out of ADP today … and that we’ll get out of the Labor Department on Friday … are going to be the best you’ll see for some time.
That’s another factor that should weigh on stock prices going forward. So be sure you continue to stay cautious and defensive when it comes to investing strategy.
|“Investors in assets like junk bonds are sniffing out a broader economic slowdown.”|
Now I’m interested in hearing what you think. Is the overall job market going to deteriorate from here?
Or will strength in services and domestically-focused business offset weakness elsewhere? Should you place more “recession-style” bets? Or do you think investing for stronger U.S. growth is a better play? Head over to the Money and Markets website and share your answers with me and your fellow investors.
Global stocks caught a bit of a reprieve yesterday and overnight. But that didn’t seem to convince many of you we’re in for better conditions ahead.
Reader Calabro said: “I believe we are in a deflationary cycle. It has been proven over and over again that during the boom period, especially when interest rates are at low levels, investors tend to borrow and over-invest, especially in the capital goods part of our economy.
“When the yield curve flattens, people begin to start paying down debt by selling other assets. Depending on the amount borrowed, these other assets are sold at fire sale prices. This process spreads like a contagion, which as you well know, is known as bad deflation. The Fed will try to fight this by printing more money. It will not work. The market must be allowed to clear itself of its mistakes.”
Reader Books said: “With safe savings earning nothing for years, many retirees are using up their savings. Now with market gyrations and advice to be in cash, our money is not growing to keep up with the cost of living.
“Despite talk of deflation – groceries, prescriptions, utilities, car costs, etc. continue to rise. Many retirees have been helping their adult kids and grandkids due to job losses, low wages, etc. This does not bode well.”
Reader Tom3451 added: “With velocity of money at an all-time low, and the labor participation rate at a 38-year low, watch out below.”
Finally, Reader Fred 151 said: “This Glencore thing could really spread. Reportedly they are having serious credit problems, sorta like Lehman. With no credit, companies die. Many companies in the Great Depression were in good shape. They just could not make regular payroll because there was NO credit for even such small costs.”
I appreciate the feedback. You’re absolutely right that credit is essential to the functioning of any economy, and that’s why the large deterioration in the junk bond market is so important. That weakening is now beginning to spread to higher-rated corporate debt, albeit with less intensity.
None of this is bullish for equities, nor is the resurgence of deflationary pressures in Europe, Japan and elsewhere. So I agree with you – this is a time to buckle up and invest for safety rather than aggressive growth!
Keep those comments coming at the website when you get a chance. Here’s the link to get you started.
The obvious failure of QE to work anywhere in the world was once again laid bare for everyone to see, with Europe reporting today that consumer inflation dropped 0.1% in September. That was the first negative print in six months, and it comes despite a massive $1.2 trillion QE program from the European Central Bank. Japan also just slipped back into deflation, with prices falling 0.1% in August despite a ridiculously large amount of QE from the Bank of Japan.
One problem going forward could be an economic slowdown on the Continent. Germany reported a 2,000-worker rise in unemployment in September, compared to expectations for a decline of 5,000. The unemployment rate held at 6.4% in Germany, better than the Eurozone-wide unemployment rate of 10.9% in August.
Turmoil in the Middle East and South Asia is picking up again. American fighter planes launched another round of airstrikes on Taliban forces in an effort to help Afghan troops keep them from overrunning more territory in the northern city of Kunduz.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Parliament approved the use of force in Syria in support of leader Bashar al-Assad. That could lead to Russian airstrikes in the country even as the U.S. and other allied nations are bombing ISIS targets in the region.
Hurricane Joaquin is strengthening and potentially headed for a strike on the U.S. East Coast. The hurricane is moving toward the Bahamas, but is expected to turn toward the north in a day or two and head toward the eastern Seaboard somewhere from North Carolina northward.
Is Europe’s economy in trouble, and what does that say about the success or failure of Euro-QE? What do you think about the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, and the possibility of Russian and U.S. warplanes conducting bombing runs practically side-by-side? Let me know over at the website.
Until next time,


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Made an appearance in Super Robot Wars - the original series, The Last Red Shoulder, Red Shoulder Document: Roots of Ambition, and Pailsen Files all debuted in Super Robot Wars Z2, and Shining Heresy and Big Battle debuted in Z3. Fortunately, it was a debut fans have been clamoring for for a long time, and those that didn't got introduced to the series in a gigantic Colbert Bump.
A BGM named "The Advance of Warhorses" popped up at the beginning of Scenario 29 of Super Robot Wars Z2: Saisei-Hen, which makes Chirico go nuts. This song is remade from the original Red Shoulder March of Armored Trooper VOTOMS since Banpresto couldn't purchase the song's licensing, but this version is very well-conceived. The reason Banpresto couldn't purchase the song's licensing should be noted: The "Red Shoulder March" was originally orchestrated as "Arrivano I Marines", a song from the obscure 1966 Italian Comedy Due Marines E Un Generale. The fact that the song that is used as "PTSD in music form" was composed for a Comedy is an odd turn of events in its own right.
The Other Darrin: Yuri Nashiwa voiced the Phantom Lady/Fyana in her first speaking appearance in episode 3, but was quickly replaced with Kazuko Yanaga. Albert Killy was initially voiced by Kenichi Ogata in the first episode, but was voiced by Saburo Kamei in all appearances afterwards.

domain: entertainment


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Neglected by the banks, small firms are willing to pay the 20-24% interest rates charged by China’s 6,080 microlenders. But micro-loans amounted to only 592 billion yuan ($97 billion) at the end of last year, equivalent to less than 1% of bank credit (see table). A far bigger source of finance for illiquid firms is other more liquid ones. Non-financial companies are barred from lending directly to each other, but they can make “entrusted” loans via a bank or trust company. This lending is sizeable, but also relatively safe, according to Standard & Poor’s. Most of the loans are made by big firms to their sister companies.
The credit kulaks
The growth in wealth-management products reflects deeper financial distortions
AS THE grandson of a “rich farmer”, a stigmatised class in communist China, Joe Zhang grew up on the wrong side of the ideological tracks. At school he envied the town-kids who could look forward to a cushy job minding grain-stores or writing propaganda. But after winning a spot at university, he eventually escaped into central banking in Beijing and, later, investment banking in Hong Kong. By pleading, petitioning and playing a lot of ping pong (a sport he hates) he was even admitted into the Communist Party in 1985.
Then, in 2011, his social climb suffered an abrupt reversal. He took on a role that remains stigmatised and discriminated against in today’s China: he became a shadow banker. His new book, “Inside China’s Shadow Banking: the Next Subprime Crisis?”, recounts his trials as the head of a microlender in Guangdong. Elsewhere in the world, microcredit is a respectable, even canonised, endeavour. In China, Mr Zhang complains in his book, it is “only slightly more respectable than perhaps massage parlours or nightclubs.”
He describes the variety of institutions and instruments that operate and innovate in the shadow of China’s mammoth banks, where they are hard for the authorities to see. They include the informal lenders, kerbside capitalists and back-alley bankers for which China is famous. But the most important institutions are China’s 67 trust companies, lightly regulated finance firms that make loans and other investments but cannot collect deposits. And the most significant instruments are the uncountable wealth-management products (WMPs), which raise money from better-off investors, in large increments (at least 50,000 yuan, about $8,160) and for short periods (typically less than six months, sometimes much less).
Like banks, shadow banks are middlemen, issuing liabilities and holding assets. Another point of resemblance is that their assets are often less liquid, longer-term and riskier than their liabilities purport to be. Yet unlike banks they lack an official safety net, such as a lender of last resort, should these mismatches ever be exposed.
That makes shadow banking a bit scary. The International Monetary Fund frets that “a fast-growing share of credit is flowing through the less-well-supervised parts of the financial system.” Mr Zhang’s book is marketed to people who suspect that systemic dangers lurk in these shadows. But the tale it goes on to tell is more interesting. Shadow banking, he argues, is “more a symptom than the disease itself.”
The disease itself is financial repression. China imposes a ceiling on the interest rate that banks can pay to depositors. This keeps banks’ cost of funding low, making them eager to lend. To curb their enthusiasm, the regulators must impose offsetting limits on their lending, as Dong He and Honglin Wang of the Hong Kong Institute of Monetary Research have pointed out. These limits range from conservative loan-to-deposit ratios to heavy reserve requirements and blacklists of overexposed borrowers, such as property developers or local governments.
Where there is regulation, there is evasion, notes Mr Zhang. Much of China’s shadow-banking system serves merely to help banks evade deposit ceilings and lending guardrails. It would be less pervasive if China’s lending limits were less strict. But then those limits would not need to be so tight if banks’ funding costs were not repressed.
WMP! There it is
As well as midwifing loans from one firm to another, trust companies also raise pools of money from investors by issuing their own WMPs. These products amounted to 1.9 trillion yuan at the end of 2012. Most mature within 1-3 years, according to Jason Bedford of KPMG, an auditing firm. The money is often invested in loans to credit-starved enterprises. Some products are, however, more imaginative, speculating on tea, spirits, or even graveyards. In at least one case, a product was not just imaginative but entirely imaginary: raising money for a non-existent project dreamed up by a rogue trust-company manager.
These products are, then, risky. But potential losses are cushioned by collateral and unmagnified by leverage, Mr Bedford points out. In principle these losses are also borne by investors. The buyers of two faltering products issued by CITIC Trust, China’s largest trust company, have been told not to expect a bail-out. In practice, however, many trusts are less stiff-spined. They are tempted to rescue investors to maintain their good name.
Often, these trust products are sold through banks, which distribute them, without guaranteeing them. The public, however, “pretends not to understand the distinction”, Mr Zhang says. By feigning ignorance, aggrieved investors hope to browbeat the government into holding the banks liable, he argues. In Hong Kong banks had to ease the pain of losses on Lehman minibonds sold through their branches. It is notable that one of the banks involved, Bank of China, has been unusually reluctant to sell WMPs in the mainland, points out Mike Werner of Sanford C. Bernstein, a research firm.
Trust products sold by banks tend to be confused with a less risky kind of WMP: bank products packaged by trusts. In the first case, Mr Bedford explains, the bank provides a service to the trust companies, offering its staff and branches as a distribution channel. In the second case, the roles are reversed: trust companies and, increasingly, securities companies, provide a service to the bank, helping it to package assets in its WMPs.
Unlike trust products sold by banks, bank products packaged by trusts are fairly conservative. They are mostly “deposits in disguise”, as Standard & Poor’s put it, offering yields one or two percentage points higher than the deposit-rate ceiling. As well as helping banks to breach this ceiling, these products allow banks to window-dress their balance-sheets, points out Mr Werner. The WMPs are typically timed to mature just before the end of each quarter. As the money is returned to the WMP-buyers, it is paid into their deposits at the bank, just in time to bring the bank’s loan-deposit ratio below the regulatory limit of 75%.
If enough of the riskier WMPs fail, it might prompt investors to stop buying fresh products. Since WMPs usually mature long before the underlying assets do, that could inflict a nasty credit crunch on otherwise solvent ventures. But the impact on the banking system would be less obvious. If investors lose confidence in WMPs, they are likely to switch to deposits instead. The result would be a run to the banks, not a run on them. The only worry is that investors may not run to the same banks that issued most of the WMPs. China’s smaller joint-stock banks, which have led WMPs issuance, could therefore face a funding squeeze.
One answer would be to introduce formal deposit insurance. That would force banks to pay for the implicit backing they enjoy from the state. It would instil confidence in the smaller banks, as well as the ones that are obviously too big to fail. It would also draw a clearer distinction between safety (insured deposits) and risk (uninsured investments).
Critics of China’s shadow banking like to compare WMPs to the collateralised debt obligations at the heart of the global financial crisis. But according to Ting Lu of Merrill Lynch, the banks’ WMPs bear a closer resemblance to American money-market funds, investing mostly in safe, liquid, short-term paper. Those funds, which first arrived in America in 1971, competed successfully with bank deposits, forcing legislators to phase out America’s caps on deposit interest rates in the 1980s. Perhaps the banks’ WMPs will prove a similar spur to reform in China.
Mr Zhang is impatient for that day. He graduated from the central bank’s academy back in 1986 with a thesis entitled “The Path to Interest-Rate Liberalisation”. Then, he thought the removal of interest-rate controls was only five years away. Over a quarter of a century later, students are still writing the same thesis, he says. “Those five years have never ended.”
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline "The credit kulaks"
From the June 1st 2013 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
The metal offers a hedge against inflation—and a way to circumvent sanctions
They want more of a say
Sanction busters rejoice


MSC Technologies has announced the availability of a wide-format TFT LCD module (NL13676BC25-03F) from NLT Technologies. The new product’s key features include typical brightness of 1100 cd/m², a contrast ratio of 900:1 and a wide operating temperature range of -20°C to +70°C.
These characteristics make it suitable for use in industrial applications, particularly outdoors. Images and text are easy to view and read on the NL13676BC25-03F. Even in unfavourable lighting conditions, the display’s optical qualities are significantly better than average.
The display diagonal is 39.5cm (15.6”) and features a resolution of 1366×768 pixels on a display area of 344.2mm (H) x 193.5mm (V). Its external dimensions measure 363.8mm (W) x 215.9mm (H) x 12.65mm (D). This makes the NL13676BC25-03F the largest display in the NLT High Bright product range. It is especially suited to applications requiring a multifunction display to show various types of information and data simultaneously on a single display.


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Caring for a loved one is a noble and selfless act many undertake without a second thought. While it is rewarding to be there for our loved ones when they need us the most, it is also essential to take care of ourselves. Providing care to an aging or disabled loved one can be physically and emotionally draining, leading to burnout and mental exhaustion.
Respite care is a service that provides temporary relief for primary caregivers by taking over their responsibilities for a short period. Depending on the caregiver’s needs, this break can take a few hours to weeks. Here are some benefits of respite care in Elmhurst, IL:
Caring for a loved one can be emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. It can affect the caregiver’s health, leading to chronic stress and burnout. Respite Care in Elmhurst, IL, gives caregivers a much-needed break, allowing them to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge. When caregivers return to their responsibilities, they feel refreshed, more relaxed, and better able to cope with the demands of caregiving.
Improves the Quality of Care
When caregivers are burned out and exhausted, it can affect the quality of care they provide to their loved ones. They may become forgetful, irritable, or neglectful, impacting their loved one’s well-being. Respite care ensures that caregivers have the time and energy to provide high-quality care to their loved ones. This, in turn, leads to better outcomes for both the caregiver and their loved one.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
The constant demands of caregiving can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. Respite care provides a much-needed break, reducing stress levels and helping caregivers to manage their mental health. Careers are better equipped to manage their emotions and stay positive in challenging situations by taking time to care for themselves.
In conclusion, respite care is an essential service for caregivers in Elmhurst, IL, providing them with the support they need to care for their loved ones while maintaining their health and well-being. Whether a few hours a week or a more extended break, respite care can help prevent burnout, improve the quality of care, allow caregivers to focus on their health, and reduce stress and anxiety. If you’re a caregiver in Elmhurst, IL, consider respite care as an option to help you manage your responsibilities and provide the best care possible to your loved one. Contact Home & Hearth Caregivers to get the best live-in or companionship care.

domain: sociology


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In Hadoop I have worked on Map Reduce,Pig,Hive,Sqoop,HBase.
My domains are investment banking,Education technology and telecom.It mostly include dataware housing and product development project.
For more details please feel free to contact me.
I can work on th following.
1. Creating store procedure,function or any database related work.
2. Creating Unix Shell Script,Autosys job.
3. Data analysis,Data mining, automation script and Web scrappingin Python.
4. Writing a Java and Java Swing program with database connection.
5. .Writing GUI app in Python and Java
6. Installing theme for e-commerce site and doing administrative work.
7. Predictive analysis using python and scikit learn
8. Creating plotting application using matplot lib and pandas
9. Real time plotting
10. Writing MapReduce code in both Java and Python
11.Writing Hive queries.
12.Writing Pig script
13.Building application using Hadoop component
I will dedicate myself for 20hrs per week.
Please feel free to contact me.
Read More »
Oracle Financial Software Solution
2010 - 2011
I worked on dataware housing project for invetment bank. I have to write stored procedure,function,Autosys Job,Unix Shell Script.


Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
A Proposed Agenda for a New PCLOB
President Trump recently nominated Travis LeBlanc and Aditya Bamzai as members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), placing a full set of five nominees before the Senate and creating the possibility that the inquorate body could soon be revived. (A quorum requires three members; since early 2017, the body’s only member has been Elisabeth Collins.) This would be a welcome change.


A German Gigafactory?
Story contributed by Marc Semail, VEVC
Daimler Tripling Size of Its Plant for Lithium-Ion Vehicle Batteries, Will Also Sell Home Backup Power
March 1, 2016 , Clifford Atiyeh | Photography by Robert Kerian
Electricity is the sexy way to propel a car these days. Within the past 12 months, even before the Volkswagen scandal, all the major German automakers have announced plans to expand their electric-vehicle lineups in response to tightening emissions laws. The latest is Daimler, which has announced plans to drop more than $540 million on a new battery plant scheduled to open two summers from now.
Daimler’s existing 215,000-square foot facility in Kamenz, two hours south of Berlin, will triple in size by 2017. Since it opened in 2012, the plant has built an average of just under 18,000 lithium-ion batteries a year for the few hybrids and EVs Daimler has had on the market. Mercedes-Benz needs a whole lot more to supply 10 all-new plug-in hybrids going on sale by 2017, some of which are already out in Europe. Another dedicated all-electric crossover will join the party to compete with the Audi Q6.
A lot has changed in short time. In 2009, Daimler bought a 9.1-percent stake in Tesla for $50 million in order to secure powertrains for the Smart Fortwo and Mercedes B-class Electric Drive models. That stake then dropped to four percent before Daimler sold it for $780 million in October 2014.
Now that Tesla is an actual threat—the Model S outsold the S-class worldwide last year—Daimler is developing its own battery technology and plans to compete against the Tesla Powerwall with Benz-branded battery backup power systems for homes and businesses.


I have several questions about designing a circuit for AD8302 working in frequency range of 20 Hz to 50 MHz.
I highly appreciated to read your opinions.
1. according to AN-691 app note, for output ripple reducing we can put a capacitor as a filter (CFLT) on MFLT and PFLT pins. but the app note did not speak about how much this capacitor can be large!? the test results show a 1uF as CFLT. is it possible to using a large CFLT and how to calculate the proper value for it?
2. for input ac decoupling capacitors series with INPA and INPB pins, if i want to operate with a low frequency such as 20 Hz I have to use a large capacitor in range of 22u to 47u. according to the desire frequency range of operation, the circuit must be work till 50 Mhz so we have to use high speed op amps as analog front end circuits. the question is which high speed op amps can and how drive this large capacitor as a load?
also if I going to select a FET input high speed op amp with very large input impedance, I can design an ac coupling circuit with small value capacitor with Mega Ohm range resistor but choosing a larger resistor make some issues with parasitic characteristics and thermal noise and so on... so what cand we do about choosing the proper high speed op amp for analog front end of AD8302 if it works in a wide range frequency included the low one?
3. how much large the termination resistor on the signal side of the input coupling capacitor cab be choose?
4. also I have question about putting a 90 degree phase shifter that data sheet recommended in one input to make a better reading of phase differences. you know almost of the phase shifter operation related to frequency. you consider a active phase shifter based on an op amp. if you choose a fix RC and change the input frequency, then you have a different amount of phase shift.
so if I want to scan the freqency range from 20 Hz to 50 MHz, What phase shifter or programmable phase shifter circuit do you recommend to have a fix 90 degree phase shift in a range?


Dean Watkins has more than 30 years of experience in public administration, police administration, community development and finance. He is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional, with expertise ranging from budget and finance – including capital budgeting and project management – to housing revitalization and organizational reviews, in addition to his knowledge of police operations.
He was a supervisor in the Budget and Evaluation Office of the City of Cincinnati where he directed budget development and built revenue forecasting models. He has extensive budget and finance experience, has managed community development programs and managed loan fund portfolios of over $20 million. In addition, Mr. Watkins has extensive knowledge of federal programs and requirements, having been the City of Cincinnati’s Community Development Administrator for 8 years.
Dean has also managed staff directly involved in the development of new housing and rehabilitation of existing housing for all market ranges, and provided city financing and support to several HOPE VI redevelopment efforts to transform public housing. Mr. Watkins has assisted, in partnership with commercial banks and others, moderate income families to become home owners and to rehabilitate homes that had been neglected. He has been instrumental in the revitalization efforts of inner-city neighborhoods through both housing and economic development projects. He has the rather unique experience of transforming a brown-field site to market rate housing.
Dean Watkins has served as the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of a community development financial institution and served on several boards and committees in the community. He has experience evaluating properties for acquisition, acquiring properties, accumulating and consolidating sites, demolishing badly deteriorated sites, and directing rehabilitation and new construction. He has knowledge of lending practices, housing development and housing purchase finance practices.
Dean also has six years of local government consulting experience. He has worked with an Ohio village to determine their fiscal situation and, he assisted them by reducing their accounts payable substantially and putting together a plan to guide them toward financial solvency. Dean has worked on organizational reviews of many local governments. He has helped develop comprehensive systems of performance measures and management systems for local governments.


text:
March 7, 2016
Note: We've added a video with the sources of this story who elaborate further on the topics covered in this story. Check it out at the end of the story.
It’s easy to spend time discussing the value of big data and how it may change the way you farm, but getting firmly on the road to putting information to work may mean building the road first. “The first step is to have the proper precision agriculture technologies, such as guidance, variable rate and yield monitoring, in place and have experience with it,” say John Fulton, associate professor of ag engineering, Ohio State University.
Fulton says the growing trend toward sharing information brings a rise in telematics, or wireless technologies, to distribute data. And with cloud computing, it’s important that your farm’s “data infrastructure” is more robust than in the past.
Fulton notes the industry has gotten by with slower data connections — partly because it had to. Yet, the increase in information that must be shared will intensify the need for higher-speed connections. “Looking ahead, 4G [networks] to gain both uplink and downlink rates, consistent data linkage, and security to more large amounts of data in real time between machines and the cloud will become necessary,” he says.
The price to pay
Given the rising need to not only collect information but to move it to the cloud for easier interaction between advisers and other information providers, Fulton says “solid data infrastructure will be necessary in the future for farmers to take advantage of different prescriptive services being offered. I see farmers in the future working with eight to 10 different companies, each requiring different data from the farmer to provide information, prescriptions or recommendations back.”
Given that future, he says ensuring data is stored in a location allowing for portability or mobility will be important to take advantage of these services and product offerings.
Fulton notes as farmers get more involved with this information flow, the process may “generate more questions about products, rates and other aspects for the farm operation. But the goal is to improve decisions.”
His advice is to collect quality data today to set yourself up for opportunities in the future, especially prescriptive services. Four to eight years of quality yield data will “help drive field-by-field prescriptions and help develop proper management zones,” he says.
Making a statement
The ag data industry knows the value of a more robust data infrastructure. USDA has invested in broadband systems for rural communities and supported efforts to bring a “bigger pipe” to the farm. Laura Donaldson, product manager for John Deere, notes that the industry is concerned about the issue. Near Washington, D.C., John Deere has conducted a “Fieldtrip to the Farm” event, where legislative staffers travel to a farm and get a look at the day in the life of a farmer.
“For data infrastructure companies, they focus on services where the most people are,” she says. “For us, we’re concerned about where the tractors are. We want to make sure that customers have access to strong [Internet] service for their farms.”
The goal of the farm tours was for policymakers to understand that information services are becoming more important to food production, and that broadband in the country is important, too.
“The reaction was incredible; the education level we were able to provide for those legislative staffers was great. They were not only excited about being around harvest [but also] planting in the following spring, and saw the need for having access to good-quality Internet from a remote location,” Donaldson says.
As farmers turn to more sophisticated data tools, the infrastructure will have to keep up.
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Tuesday, April 04, 2006
The Black Daffodil--Outtake
The Black Daffodil--Outtake, well, some of my outtake maybe should be intakes and vice versa but it's a new day. I probably WILL post this to BP. Tell me if you think I should not. This month's theme is Black and white. They should have done that theme in the WINTER, not spring!!!
Posted by Mary Stebbins Taitt at 3:52 AM

domain: artistic


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by Michael S. Horton
©1996, 1998 Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Dismissing his doctor's orders, J. Gresham Machen, beaten down by a career of struggling for the Faith even within his own communion, kept his commitments to a small circle of Orthodox Presbyterian parishes in South Dakota. "I have too much to do," he insisted, as his chest was even then tight from pneumonia. The next day, however, Machen was hospitalized. On New Year's Eve, the host pastor visited this infamous opponent of Liberalism on his deathbed and the elder statesman related a dream he had enjoyed that made him long for Heaven. "Sam, it was glorious, it was glorious," he said. "Sam, isn't the Reformed Faith grand?" Just before he passed into the next world, Machen dictated a telegram to John Murray, professor of systematic theology at Westminster Seminary. These last words read, "I'm so thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it."1
Once more we are reminded of just how practical and relevant doctrine can be in our deepest crises. When all is well, we can dispense with such questions, but not when the truly great issues of life are staring us in the face. But what is this "active obedience of Christ" to which Machen referred and why was it such a remarkable comfort in his dying hour?
John Murray, the recipient of that famous telegram, wrote eloquently of this great biblical doctrine. "Early in our Lord's ministry we have his own witness" to being the promised "Servant of the Lord" in Isaiah, says Murray. When John the Baptist questioned the propriety of him baptizing the Messiah, Jesus answered, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness" (Mt 3:15).2 It was our Lord's great pleasure and duty to "fulfill all righteousness" down to the least stroke of the Law: "I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me" (Jn 6:38). Calvin observes, "Now someone asks, how has Christ abolished sin, banished the separation between us and God, and acquired righteousness to render God favorable and kindly toward us? To this we can in general reply that he has achieved this for us by the whole course of his obedience."3
We are told in Scripture that Jesus Christ was both human and divine. Because of this union of the divine with the human nature, "he grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man" (Lk 2:52). In fact, he "learned obedience from the things he suffered" (Heb 5:8). This is not at all to suggest that our Lord was sinful, but in his humiliation he was truly and fully human. That is, just as he grew up physically, so too he progressively obeyed God throughout his life. At no point did he fail to respond positively to his Father's will, so his growth was perfect and complete.
It is impossible for us to imagine what it would have been like for this Son of Man to experience genuine temptation in precisely the same way as it comes to us and still to have turned his will from every form of hatred, lust, selfishness, greed, pride, laziness, and every other form of disobedience, whether in thought, word, or deed. He sinned neither by omission nor commission, neither by ignorance nor malice. Even when faced with the temptation in the wilderness, where Lucifer offered him the kingdoms of the world (as if he owned them), in addition to food to satiate his fast-weary body, Jesus, unlike the first Adam, answered with the Word of God.
But more than all of these countless acts of obedience and perfect conformity to his Father's will in mind, body, soul, and heart, there was one act of obedience that crowned our Savior's righteousness: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!" (Phil 2:6-8). This death is our Lord's passive obedience, just as his active obedience is his thirty-three years of perfect conformity to God's will. Although some other word might be preferred, the "passive" nature of Christ's obedience to death took the form of suffering, while his "active" obedience took the form of doing. It was not merely the agony of the cross as a form of human punishment, nor indeed even the unjust accusations of his tormentors, but the divine curse that was attached to this death that made this step of obedience so daunting. For this reason, our Lord prayed in Gethsemane, "Lord, if it is possible, take this cup from me." And yet, even in the face of divine judgment, when he would bear the sins of his people, he still prayed, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done" (Mt 26:41-43).
This obedience was voluntary. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep...No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father" (Jn 10:14-18). Because it was a voluntary obedience, it is offered to the Father as the eternally meritorious sacrifice of the God-Man. "By the obedience of the one man many shall be declared righteous," Paul declared (Rom 5:19), contrasting the imputation of the first Adam's guilt and the imputation of the last Adam's righteousness. Thus, in his high priestly prayer, our Lord prays, "For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified" (Jn 17:19). Throughout the Old Testament, one of God's names had been Yireh-Tsadikenu, "The Lord Our Righteousness," and in First Corinthians this is applied to Christ, "who has become for us our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (1:30).
So what does all of this mean for us in our troubles? Why did Machen find so much satisfaction in clinging to this promise on his deathbed?
First, it is quite easy for us to believe that God is lenient. We conceive of him as Santa Claus: "He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake." But who would think of jolly 'ol St. Nick punishing people for their sins? And yet, that is what the Bible insists God will do at the end of history. The same Jesus who emptied himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, will return to judge the living and the dead. It will be a trial of strict justice and nothing short of perfect righteousness will be required of each of us. Either it will be our own, or borrowed from the host, but God will not be lenient on that dreadful day.
Second, it is quite easy for us to believe that God's grace makes up for what we lack. We even hear justification defined as "just-as-if-I'd-never-sinned." But surely this would not be sufficient for our salvation. God not only requires an absence of sin, but a positive possession of the righteousness his nature requires of us. "It is finished," our suffering Savior cried out, not only concerning this final trial, but as the capstone to the whole life that he so willingly lived to God for us. While his passive obedience on the cross canceled our sins, it is his active obedience throughout his life that provides the ground upon which God can declare us righteous. This perfect obedience does not merely make up what we lack, but satisfies God's just wrath against even the imperfection of our best works as believers. The Father "so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son," so it is not as if the Father is a harsh, demanding taskmaster who must be persuaded by the Son to have mercy. Rather, it is the Father himself who sends the Son to save the world by his voluntary obedience in life and death.
Finally, it is good to know--especially when facing the next world--that for every time we have failed to conform to God's will in thought, word, and deed, by actively sinning or failing to conform to his revealed will, his Son has fulfilled the obedience that we owe. By never once giving in to the lust, pride, sloth, greed, selfishness, and malice that are so often allowed space in our overcrowded hearts, Jesus Christ becomes our Savior not only in his atoning death but throughout his life. In this way, every day of his life was as necessary for our salvation as that dark afternoon on Golgotha. He was the only "fully surrendered, victorious, sold-out," Christian who ever lived! Our surrender is halfhearted and partial; our victories seem always to be sullied by pride. Even if we could live the "higher life," could God not smell our smugness? Wouldn't our best works be sabotaged by our own depravity? These good works would be corrupt enough to condemn us on the last day, so what we require is the obedience of someone else to stand in for us. It is not only Christ's atoning death, but his saving life during the thirty-three years of his conformity to the Father's will that shelters us from God's just sentence. "This is why," wrote Charles Hodge, "the believer, when arrayed in this righteousness, need fear neither death nor hell. This is the reason why Paul challenges the universe to lay anything to the charge of God's elect."4
May we proclaim this hope while we have breath, and then may it find its way to the center of our vision when God calls us home. For it is the only reason we will hear those welcome words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
1. Ned B. Stonehouse, J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir (Banner of Truth, 1977), p. 508.
2. John Murray, Collected Writings: Systematic Theology (Banner of Truth, 1977), pp. 151-157.
3. John Calvin, Institutes 2.16.5.
4. Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Eerdmans, 1946), vol. 3, p. 144.
Dr. Michael Horton is the vice chairman of the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and is associate professor of historical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in California. Dr. Horton is a graduate of Biola University (B.A.), Westminster Theological Seminary in California (M.A.R.) and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford (Ph.D.). Some of the books he has written or edited include Putting Amazing Back Into Grace, Beyond Culture Wars, Power Religion, In the Face of God, and most recently, We Believe.

domain: literature


Sarah's Palin's 17-year-old daughter Bristol, a high school senior, is pregnant.
In his online article, "In Wasilla, Pregnancy Was No Secret," Thornburgh writes of being charmed by the friendliness, honesty and integrity of the folks of Palin's hometown...and of their trust that he would treat Bristol's circumstances with sensitivity and respect:
It was, more or less, an open secret. And everyone was saying the same thing: the governor's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, the father is her boyfriend, and it's really nobody's business beyond that.And he wasn't. He didn't run the story until after the announcement was made.
I happen to agree....
All weekend they had the decency not to pretend that they didn't know the governor's eldest daughter was pregnant. But they also expected decency in return, that I wouldn't be the kind of person to make sport out of a young girl's slip.
Barack Obama didn't need to be in Wasilla to come to the same conclusion as Thornburgh. According to CNN, he essentially feels the same way - that it's nobody's business:
"Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president."Do you agree it should be off-limits? Or is it of legitimate concern? Take the poll below and see how your answer compares to others:


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Departures NYC just won grand prize in the MTA's "best consumer/transit rider app" category.
Bring the look and feel of roadway negligence to your coffee table.
A great gift for the traveler in your life.
Yvonne Bambrick's new book is as comprehensive as it is approachable.
Friends who smoke: Want to be avoid being a litterbug? Consider a pocket ashtray.
A London-inspired set piece for the concrete apologist.
The 3D-printed buildings are based on architecture in New York, Chicago, and elsewhere, and can glow at night.
These colorful, gold-plated bangles feature landmarks big and small.
Illuminate a room in a classy way, while also making it seem the world is upside down.
Show your love for Paris with Dutch Lab's Eiffel Tower cold brew device.
Dutch designers want you to put away that awful-looking rain poncho.
A concept for one commuter bag to rule them all.
Just don't try adding it to pho.
These high-quality poster reproductions from an 1870s statistical atlas are at once gorgeously designed and utterly antiquated.
Designer Rachel Binx is offering cartographic tops and skirts powered by OpenStreetMap data.
Four households around the world reveal unique yet familiar domestic experiences in an immersive new app.
Why settle for regular stripes when you can sport a pattern made from video footage of Fort Greene or Red Hook?
And you can have one customized for your location, too.
Wide Path Campers make bike-camping more accessible (and comfortable).


Tackling the Housing Challenge breakfast
With the Queensland Government finalising the development of its comprehensive Housing Strategy, the Property Council hosted the Minister for Housing for a breakfast event exploring the housing challenge.
Hon Mick de Brenni MP, the Minister for Housing and Public Works, proposed a radical departure from current thinking on housing affordability, suggesting that the contemplation of other living costs needed to be front of mind for housing policy makers.
The Minister acknowledged that the scrapping of the Logan Renewal Initiative was “an ideological decision” – outlining his position that public housing must be managed by government. While making no apologies for this decision, the Minister assured guests that the impending housing strategy would provide the confidence for the private sector to invest in addressing the housing challenge.
The Government’s housing strategy will contain a 10 year strategic plan, to be accompanied by a short-term action plan, outlining the Government’s immediate objectives.
Stephanie Wyeth, Director – Urbis, and David Cant, CEO – Brisbane Housing Company, joined the Minister for a panel discussion on how the private and community sectors can assist the Government in delivering diverse housing options.
David explained how the community housing sector has had to shift its focus from bridging the gap between public housing and the rental market, to housing some of the community’s neediest – who traditionally would have used the public housing system.
Stephanie made it clear that there is no ‘silver bullet’ to addressing the housing challenge, but expressed the industry’s frustration in mixed messages from government on potential schemes to improve the provision of social housing.
The Minister acknowledged the need to partner with the private and community sector to activate the next generation of affordable and social housing for Queenslanders.
The Property Council would like to thank the Minister, Stephanie and David for sharing their insights into the housing challenge, and RCP for their sponsorship of the breakfast.
Photos of the event can be found here.
The Property Council’s submission to the Government’s Housing Strategy discussion paper can be found here.


text:
Richert, J. C., Leffler, A. J., Spalinger, D. E., and Welker, J. M.. 2021. Snowier winters extend autumn availability of high-quality forage for caribou in Arctic Alaska. Ecosphere 12( 7):e03617. 10.1002/ecs2.3617
Snowier winters extend autumn availability of high-quality forage for caribou in Arctic Alaska
|Author:||Richert, J. C.1; Leffler, A. J.1; Spalinger, D. E.2,3;|
1Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007 USA
2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska 99508 USA
3Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Palmer, Alaska, USA
4Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
|Online Access:||PDF Full Text (PDF, 2.2 MB)|
|Persistent link:|| http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe2021100850523
John Wiley & Sons,
|Publish Date:|| 2021-10-08
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) rely on the short Arctic growing season to restore body condition, support the demands of lactation, and prepare for the long arctic winter, making them susceptible to even small changes in forage availability or quality. Body condition in the summer and autumn is linked to winter survival rates and fecundity in cows, critical factors in the productivity of caribou populations. Climate change predictions of warmer and wetter northern winters suggest increased snowfall over Alaska’s North Slope, which has recently been verified between 1995 and 2017. However, a comprehensive analysis of how deeper snow will affect caribou forage quality is absent across Alaska. In this study, we quantify how snow depth alters the quality and seasonality of caribou forage using a long-term (24 yr) International Tundra Experiment snow depth manipulation to evaluate how winter climate change scenarios may affect tussock tundra systems in northern Alaska. Deeper snow in prior winters leads to increases in growing season leaf N and digestible protein (DP) in deciduous shrubs (Salix spp. and Betula spp.) and graminoids (Carex spp. and Eriophorum spp.), but not evergreen dwarf shrubs (Rhododendron spp. and Vaccinium spp.). Dry matter digestibility varied among species with small differences (<5%) associated with snow depth. Most striking was the discovery that deeper snow in the prior winter increased the duration of DP levels above the minimum threshold for protein gain in caribou by as much as 25 d in Salix pulchra and 6–9 d in Betula nana and Carex bigelowii in late summer and early autumn. Consequently, deeper winter snow may provide an extended window of opportunity for foraging and the accumulation of lean body mass and fat reserves which promote winter survival and successful calving the following spring and potentially improve the productivity of caribou in northern Alaska.
|Type of Publication:||
A1 Journal article – refereed
|Field of Science:||
1181 Ecology, evolutionary biology
South Dakota Agriculture Experiment Station. Grant Number: SD00H550-15; U.S. National Science Foundation. Grant Numbers: ARC1604249, ARC1602440
Data are available from the Arctic Data Center: https://doi.org/10.18739/A2MS3K28M.
© 2021 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


text:
My grandfather, Aharon Shidlovsky, among the founders of kibbutz Kvutzat Kinneret, asked me many years ago whether I knew the difference between Sodom and every other place. After all, he said, there’s bad everywhere, so what made Sodom so special? He answered before I could give it a thought. At Sodom, the bad had become law; the bad stemmed from obeying the law, not breaking it.
- Lapid Warns Over Haredi Draft Bill
- Religion Above All Else
- 'Equal Burden' Bill: Not About Equality
- The Army's Real Manpower Problem
- Criminal Charges for Haredi Draft Dodgers?
It’s hard to think of a distinction more relevant to our own times, which are flooded with bad and immoral laws and bills. There’s the law that imprisons people whose only crime is to be an asylum seeker. There’s the constitutional discrimination against Palestinians in the territories. There are laws prohibiting religious marriage or kashrut permits except through the Chief Rabbinate. And there are laws enshrining religious coercion and prohibiting civil marriage, unlike the situation in the rest of the world.
The bill on “equal sharing of the burden” in the military, in which the Shaked Committee is now deeply immersed, is also a patently bad and immoral law. Surprisingly, the ultra-Orthodox, the Haredim, in whose favor the bill scandalously discriminates, have come out against it.
Meanwhile, the non-Haredim, particularly the knights of the secular world like Finance Minister Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party, are promoting it. In this way they’re pulling the rug out from under themselves and their voters, and for all intents and purposes they’re adopting the Haredi ethos, under which the Torah is more important than the state.
Speaking on Channel 2’s “Meet the Press” about a week ago, Lapid said he won’t remain in the government if there’s no true equal sharing of the burden. At the same time, he is promoting a bill that grants a sweeping exemption to Haredim for the next four years, a lifelong exemption to 1,800 so-called prodigies annually, and the option for Haredim to postpone their military service until age 24. Then they’ll be able to choose between brief civilian service and military service with a bloated monthly salary of thousands of shekels.
That is extreme discrimination – enshrined in law – against non-Haredim, who are drafted into the army at age 18 with almost no salary. This legislation is unlikely to stand up in the High Court of Justice. With the other immoral laws, it turns Israel into Sodom.
The debate between Yesh Atid and Habayit Hayehudi regarding criminal sanctions is intended to camouflage the infuriating discrimination that the law perpetuates. The Shaked Committee has now created even more discrimination: Combat soldiers will both risk their lives and serve longer than soldiers on the home front. Lapid knows full well that if this bill passes there will be no equal sharing of the burden. And if that’s the case, by his own declaration, he will have to resign.
Yesh Atid’s hypocrisy in this matter is rivaled only by that of the ultra-Orthodox. This month they have protested the High Court’s ruling that financial support no longer be given to yeshiva students whose army service is deferred by the defense minister’s order, an order whose constitutionality is questionable.
The protesters shouted slogans like “We survived Hitler, we’ll survive this,” and “We’ll emigrate to the United States, where they allow Torah study.” This gives the impression that Hitler’s great crime was stopping generous financial support for yeshiva students whose draft into the Wehrmacht was deferred, or that the United States gives stipends to yeshiva students, saving them from the need to work.
Demographic data show that Israel will collapse if it continues to subsidize the Haredim’s dodging of work and the draft, but Lapid has just increased funds to the yeshivas for 2014, as if he were a Haredi wheeler-dealer. If he wants to be true to his pledges, he must bring down the bill on equal sharing of the burden, or resign.

domain: politics


Although not as popular in Australia as in Europe, the Ford Focus is one of the blue oval's best sellers worldwide. To celebrate its success Ford has unveiled the new Ford Focus Estate at this year's Geneva motor show.
According to Ford the Focus Estate is one of just 10 bodystyles currently planned for the company's global C-segment architecture.
The Ford Focus Estate won't be available in Europe till 2011 and a release date for Australia (if at all) won't be known for some time.
Ford has high expectations for the Focus Estate with predictions it will become the second biggest selling bodystyle globally.
The main difference is of course the massive boot that comes with a lift-up tailgate. It will be available with a powered option in Europe.
Other Ford vehicles built on the same platform include the Ford C-Max and Ford Grand C-Max which will be available by September 2010 (Europe).
News of the Ford Focus Estate comes after Ford already confirmed a new global performance car under the direction of Jost Capito (who was in charge of the Focus RS and ST).
The highlight of the Ford Focus range will be its 2.0-litre turbo direct injection EcoBoost engine which develops 147kW but can potentially make up to 180kW of powered if needed.
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