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Greybull Capital, the investment company that bought the Scunthorpe-based Tata Steel Long Products Europe for £1 and pledges to invest £400 million on reviving the fortunes of the business, has stated that it is committed to the newly launched British Steel for at least 10 years.
Marc Meyohas, one of Greybull’s senior partners, said the company would retain it’s steel interest until at least 2026, although another partner, Richard Perlhagen, said the period could be less if a buyer or merger opportunity came along.
Meyohas said that Greybull was not into exit plans and had bought the steel plant because it's a ‘viable long-term business.’
Environmental improvements are necessary at the plant and must be completed by 2022 under a European Union directive, but Greybull has yet to reveal how it will pay for this.
Source: Scunthorpe Telegraph.


Laybuy Partners with the Gallagher Chiefs in New Sponsorship Deal
Kiwi Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) provider Laybuy and the Chiefs Rugby Club today announced the signing of a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Gallagher Chiefs, alongside three other NZ Super Rugby teams, that will make it easier for families and fans across the country to support their team.
Josh Ioane to join the Gallagher Chiefs for the 2022 season
Māori All Black and former Highlanders first five-eighth Josh Ioane is set to join the Gallagher Chiefs next season, having signed with the club for their 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
2022 Super Rugby Pacific Format Announced
Super Rugby Pacific will kick off a new era for the world’s most exciting professional rugby competition next February with a 15-week regular season and a refreshed finals format, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Rugby Australia (RA) have announced.
Weber puts pen to paper – recommits with NZR and Gallagher Chiefs through to 2023
All Blacks and Gallagher Chiefs halfback Brad Weber has recommitted to New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and his Super
Rugby team, putting pen to paper through to the end of 2023.
Gallagher Chiefs Team Named to Face the NSW Waratahs in Sydney
Gallagher Chief Sean Wainui returns from injury. Photo Credit: Getty Images. Gallagher Chiefs Head Coach Clayton McMillan has named his team to face the NSW Waratahs in Sydney at Brookvale Oval for their final round robin Sky Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash.
Gallagher Chiefs Team Named to Face the Melbourne Rebels in Sydney
Gallagher Chief Luke Jacobson to captain the Gallagher Chiefs. Photo Credit: Getty Images.
Gallagher Chiefs Head Coach Clayton McMillan has named his team to face the Melbourne Rebels in Sydney following a disruptive week.
Gallagher Chiefs v Rebels match moved to Sydney
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has confirmed the Gallagher Chiefs v Melbourne Rebels Sky Super Rugby Trans-Tasman match on Sunday 6 June will be moved from Hamilton to Sydney.
Gallagher Chiefs v Rebels match moved to Sunday
The Gallagher Chiefs Sky Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Round 4 match against the Melbourne Rebels in Hamilton has been pushed out one day and will now kick off at FMG Stadium Waikato at 3. 35pm on Sunday, 6 June. Originally scheduled for 4.
Gallagher Chiefs named to face the Reds in Townsville
Gallagher Chief Mitchell Brown returns for the Gallagher Chiefs. Photo Credit: Getty Images. Gallagher Chiefs Head Coach Clayton McMillan has named his team to face the Queensland Reds in Townsville, following his sides 40-19 win over the Brumbies last weekend in front of a passionate home crowd.
Quinn Tupaea Recommits to the Gallagher Chiefs
Gallagher Chief Quinn Tupaea recommits through to 2023. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Gallagher Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea has recommitted to the Gallagher Chiefs, inking a new deal with the club. 22-year-old Tupaea has re-signed with the Gallagher Chiefs and his Waikato provincial union through to 2023.
Gallagher Chiefs Team Named to Face the Brumbies in Hamilton
Gallagher Chief Atu Moli returns for the Gallagher Chiefs. Photo Credit: Getty Images. Gallagher Chiefs Head Coach Clayton McMillan has named his team to face the Brumbies on home soil following their nail-biting 20-19 win over the Western Force last weekend.
FMG Stadium Waikato to host All Blacks Steinlager Series Test against Fiji
An epic festival of All Blacks, Māori and Pasifika rugby matches has been confirmed for Aotearoa / New Zealand this July with the All Blacks, Māori All Blacks, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa all in action, and two blockbuster double-header match days unveiled.


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I have a dozen or so vintage Thanksgiving post cards in the collection handed down by my 1st cousin, twice removed, Myrtle HILLARD BURROUGHS (1903-1977). She was a first cousin of my paternal grandmother, Goldie PRICE HEISER (1893-1919), and she was like a big sister to my dad, Charles L. HEISER (1913-2001). And like an aunt to my sister and me. In fact, I originally thought she was my dad’s sister because they were so close.
Favorite Thanksgiving post card #1
This one was sent to Myrtle from her Aunt Sallie. Her Aunt Sallie was Sarah PYLES PRICE (1862-1940). Sallie was Goldie’s mother, and she was the mother-figure for my dad since she and Goldie’s father, Montgomery PRICE (1859-1947), raised my dad after Goldie died. So, I have a special place in my heart for Sallie.
The date is unreadable, but the content shows that it was probably between 1907-1910. She writes about Santy Claus. It’s sweet, and in my mind, I can see her smiling as she writes the card…the corners of her mouth turned up, and the smile lines in her cheeks and around her eyes. It makes me smile to imagine it.
Favorite Thanksgiving post card #2
I do like the front of this one. It’s the only one I’ve seen with grapes hanging on a vine! That makes it stand out. But the backside makes an impression, too. This one is from William Thomas PRICE (1856-1943). Will, as he was called, was the brother of Montgomery PRICE and Myrtle’s mother, Gertrude PRICE HILLARD (1874-1953).
Most of the stories I know about Uncle Will are from things my father said and from the letters from The Tour of Ill Will (that’s a story for another day). Uncle Will was a severe alcoholic in later years, but he seemed to be functioning at the time of writing this post card in 1916.
In the note on this card, he talks about missing seeing her and says for her to ‘come up soon.’ Myrtle was 13 at the time, I think. The postmark is hard to read. Anyway, it warms my heart to see that Uncle Will wasn’t only and always the troubled alcoholic that I heard about.
Though, according to The Tour of Ill Will letters, he had a drinking problem even before he married in his mid-20’s. Here’s a blog post I wrote a while back about Will.
Have you ever come across heirlooms that gave you insight into an ancestor? Comment, please!
Copyright © 2022 Nancy H. Vest All Rights Reserved

domain: literature


Facebook - Pineville, Ore.
Reportedly running at only half capacity, this massive data center covering 300,000 square feet is at the heart of Facebook’s processing needs. The mechanical cooling system uses 100% rainwater. Servers are tuned to run hotter and use 38% less energy than the servers used in Facebook’s previous data centers.
A solar power station generates 204,000 kilowatts per year -- enough to run the offices located near the data center. Energy loss conversion rates -- how much energy is lost when converting energy from the grid to run the actual data center equipment -- usually ranges between 21% and 27% for most data centers, but Pineville conversions run at 7.5%.


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Nzimande: Resistance to paying e-tolls could collapse Sanral
During a Q&A session in Parliament on Wednesday, the minister said a solution had been found to repay the loans acquired to build the freeways.
JOHANNESBURG – Transport Minister Blade Nzimande says the resistance to paying e-tolls could collapse the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), which is a well-functioning organisation doing a good job of building roads.
Nzimande says the ongoing opposition to paying e-tolls on Gauteng freeways has become a national problem and unless a solution is found to break the impasse, it will impact on road maintenance throughout the country.
During a question and answer session in Parliament on Wednesday, the minister said a solution had been found to repay the loans acquired to build the freeways.
Three billion rand was shifted from Prasa to Sanral in the revised budget last month to help plug the deficit as a result of the non-payment of e-tolls.
Nzimande says government has not taken a decision to scrap to e-tolls.
“We’re going to go back to the president, hopefully as soon as possible, and then engage the other stakeholders so that we arrive at a solution. Until we reach that, we’re saying let’s continue to do what we’re supposed to do which is to pay for these beautiful highways.”
WATCH: E-tolls: To scrap or not to scrap?
(Edited by Leeto M Khoza)

domain: news


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This is my first few attempt into photography.
Composition:Teenagers now go for the trend and street style and the old have been sometimes forgotten by these young Singaporeans.My aim is to capture teh perspective from these teenagers who just mere pass-by these shop houses, not appreciating the beauty and the oldies around them.
I think the composition on the perspective do not work well with this photo.IMO i think it will be more meaningful if i add in young teenagers passing-by without even caring in the picture. I think this would further enhance the composition.
I would like to hear sincere comments and critics on the how to further improve this picture.

domain: hobby


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Some estimates concerning conflict related sexual violence: • Globally, sexual violence against women, men, adolescents and children has been reported in 51 countries that have experienced conflict within the last 25 years, giving a sense of how common it is a component or consequence of conflict (Bastick, Grimm, & and Kunz, 2006).
• Among a random sample of 205 women and girls in Liberia, nearly half (49%) reported experiencing at least one act of physical or sexual violence by a combatant (Swiss et al., 1998).
• In Sarajevo Canton, 80% of the 5,000 male inmates held at a concentration camp reported being raped, and more than 50,000 women were raped (UN Women, 2010).
• In the eastern DRC, at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence, mostly involving women and girls, have been documented: 1,100 per month (UN Women, 2011).
• In Colombia, 36% of internally displaced women in the country had been forced to have sex by men (Ministry for Social Protection, 2003).
• In Sierra Leone, among a random sample of internally displaced persons, 9% of female household heads and 8% of female household members reported war-related sexual assaults (Amowitz et al., 2002).
• One of the most rigorous studies of sexual violence in the eastern DRC shows the magnitude of this violence against both males and females. This careful study suggests that in an area with 5 million people, 1.3 million women and 0.76 million men are survivors of sexual violence, although this includes pre-, during- and post-conflict data
(Johnson et al., 2010, p. 561).
Thank you to Michael Kaufman for these statistics.
Michael Kaufman co-founder White Ribbon Campaign, Toronto, Canada, www.michaelkaufman.com

domain: sociology


PHOENIX — Democrat Katie Hobbs was elected Arizona governor on Monday, defeating an ally of Donald Trump who falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged and refused to say she would accept the results of her race this year.
Hobbs, who is Arizona’s secretary of state, rose to prominence as a staunch defender of the legitimacy of the last election and warned that her Republican rival, former television news anchor Kari Lake, would be an agent of chaos. Hobbs’ victory adds further evidence that Trump is weighing down his allies in a crucial battleground state as the former president gears up for an announcement of a 2024 presidential run.
She will succeed Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who was prohibited by term-limit laws from running again. She’s the first Democrat to be elected governor in Arizona since Janet Napolitano in 2006.
A onetime Republican stronghold where Democrats made gains during the Trump era, Arizona has been central to efforts by Trump and his allies to cast doubt on Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory with false claims of fraud. This year, many Trump-endorsed candidates faltered in general elections in battleground states, though his pick in the Nevada governor’s race, Republican Joe Lombardo, defeated an incumbent Democrat.
Before entering politics, Hobbs was a social worker who worked with homeless youth and an executive with a large domestic violence shelter in the Phoenix area. She was elected to the state Legislature in 2010, serving one term in the House and three terms in the Senate, rising to minority leader.
Hobbs eked out a narrow win in 2018 as secretary of state and was thrust into the center of a political storm as Arizona became the centerpiece of the efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost. She appeared constantly on cable news defending the integrity of the vote count.


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DRONE OPERATORS IN VIRGINIA
Hired and Operated in US:
Virginia, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, New Jersey, and many more
Honduras, Iceland, Belize, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Mexico
Take a look at how well Aerials can really showcase a location. The client was thrilled!!! Not to mention, being licensed, insured, approved FAA Waivers, and Norfolk approval.
We were fully covered for Gibby Visuals Aerials.

domain: geography


ESME Data References Book
Energy Systems Catapult offers expertise in National Energy System Modelling and Analysis, which draws on the internationally peer reviewed Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) tool to inform and support energy strategy and planning policy for Government and industry.
ESME is a least-cost optimisation model designed to explore technology options for a carbon constrained energy system, subject to additional constraints around energy security, peak energy demand and more.
The Catapult maintains and uses under license the ESME model which was originally developed by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), an industry and government funded research institute into low carbon energy system planning and technology development to address UK energy and climate change targets. Over the last decade through ETI investment, ESME has developed into one of the most powerful energy system models for the UK, with the outputs and insights from the modelling used across a variety of contexts.
ESME covers the power, transport, buildings and industry sectors, and the infrastructure that underpins them, in five year time-steps from 2010 to 2050.
Energy Systems Catapult is now be using version ESME 4.5, however, our whole systems modelling tool is in continuous development, with future updates set to include enhanced energy storage analysis, greater detail on hydrogen for heat, and extension of the time horizon beyond 2050.
- The purpose of this document is to provide visibility of which sources have been used to populate the ESME datasets and to show how the ESME dataset is built on a foundation of strong evidence.
- The main body of this document catalogues the sources used as underlying evidence for the data in the ESME model. This information takes the form of references to the outputs of technology projects and/or third party published papers.
- Note that this document does not contain the final numerical values in the ESME dataset. The ESME dataset itself is published separately.
- For users of the ESME model, this document can be read alongside the ESME User Manual, and gives further guidance on appropriate ways to modify the data, e.g. in areas where a user holds alternative views or has access to alternative data sources.
- Last but not least, it also provides a mechanism to improve the quality of the data used in the ESME model. The Catapult works hard to maintain the data it uses in its energy analysis, to keep it up to date and joined up with the best available information from projects and reports. Nevertheless, it is easy to fall behind, especially in the areas where Catapult does not have information from its own projects. Any reader who spots a technology for which there is more recent, or better quality, data available than that cited is encouraged to contact Catapult with suggestions. Contact details are given on the ESC website (please include “ESME” in the email subject).


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$2.95 plus $.95 shipping and handling
We found this vintage Mantis Cookbook you’ll enjoy! It contains over 200 delicious recipes made with the A to Z’s of the vegetable family and mouthwatering fruit dishes, dips, dressings, smoothies, and more. Try something different like Cauliflower Pie or Tomato Broccoli Cups. How about Veggie Pizza Pockets or Carrot Burgers. Have a sweet tooth? Try Watermelon Slice Cookies, Chocolate Chip Carrot Bread or Strawberry Coffee Cake. Get your copy before they’re all gone!
Out of stock

domain: food


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It’s been twenty years since the elemental war tore through the Spiral Arm. Peace has all but become the norm for the inhabitants of the space. But now an old evil has seeped through the darkness eager to obliterate everything in the galaxy, leaving nothing in its wake. Now humanity must put aside all differences to fight this new foe from the darkness.
Published June 3, 2014, by Tor Books, The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson is the first in his new series The Saga of Shadows, a space opera spin-off of his best-selling series Saga of Seven Suns.
Kevin J. Anderson has such an amazing talent at science fiction. He is able to create such an expansive universe in a book, believable characters and dynamics and strong storylines, both individually to the characters and overall, creating such an immersive novel.
This isn’t a novel that requires one to read the Saga of Seven Suns, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. This is an entirely new story that provides just enough information on the past to help readers recall what they’ve already read if they read the Saga of Seven Suns, and enough backstory if they haven’t. There’s no wondering, no guessing, just fluid storytelling that allows the reader to follow the current events of the story with ease. And there’s a baseline for understanding who the characters are, new and old, and where they come from. There are some notable favorites in the novel which are very much in the gray are, they aren’t good, but they’re not evil either. There’s a balance in the characterization that draws the reader in, that allows the reader to understand who they are and even sympathize with them on some level. They are simply rich characters, each one as unique as they come, each one suffering in their own way, each one taking into account the world and evolving in so many ways. Not only is that breathtaking, it’s believable, which is probably why it’s so wonderful to read and follow these characters through their distinct narratives. They are believable characters who are so astoundingly recognizable.
As for the story itself, what’s so great about it is the way Anderson went about creating this all-powerful boogeyman. He took something so minor and seemingly inconsequential and debunked bedtime story from the Ildirian’s and blew it up. And the boogeyman here is something to fear. They have such immense power and work in different ways than the antagonists from the previous novels. It works so well because so little is known about them but they have such a clear motivation. They don’t just strike like the Hydrogues but work methodically. Interesting still is they mystery surround them and where they came from. That’s the drive of the novel, the mystery surrounding this new foe.
The Dark Between the Stars has so much going for it. There are layers upon layers of richness that fill up the pages making it such an immersive joy to read. (On a personal note I HIGHLY recommend reading the Saga of Seven Suns just because it provides such a rich back story. You can read now, or later, just read it. They were amazing! | ★★★★☆ |A)
for Full Review and book purchase information go to Cynthia’s Page

domain: artistic


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Quizlet provides cap chapter 6 sociology deviance social control crime activities crimes considered so heinous they are punishable by death social deviances. Crime has always been with us but different historical periods have had of crime and deviance social causation refers to the idea that regularities of. The study of social deviance is the study of the violation of no matter how different theories before we can understand what crime and deviance are. Some of the different deviances a considerably amount of the academic papers on deviance focus on crimes more about essay about theories that explain deviance.
Each perspective asks different questions and focuses on crimes and social deviances in the 1990s - crimes and social deviances in the 1990s. Different sociological perspectives on crime 1there they believe all there are many different social groups we would turn to crime and deviance to gain. A brief overview of some sociological perspectives on crime and perspectives on crime and deviance social control theory the cause of deviance is. Deviance is any behavior that violates social norms, and is usually of sufficient severity to warrant disapproval from the majority of society deviance can be criminal or non‐criminal the sociological discipline that deals with crime (behavior that violates laws) is criminology (also known as. N the nineties the world and society has been faced with many different crimes and social deviancies, most of which have been as a result of rebellion and a. What is the difference between deviance and crime to deal with different types of • deviance is violation of social norms whereas crime is violation of.
Start studying ch 7-deviance and crime key concepts interprets deviance as behavior learned through social although deviance comprises many different forms. What causes crime and deviance in society, biological or social factors what causes crime and deviance in society, biological or argued that crimes are. The effects of social factors on committing crimes: a case study of darehshahr prison, iran theories believe that social deviances such as crimes are. Crime and deviance has been explored by different sociologist giving their different views on how crime and deviance is seen social over the years crimes.
The conflict perspective on deviance conflict theory is based upon the view that the fundamental causes of crime are the social the ranks of different social. This definition can be interpreted in many different ways social norms are different in one culture as opposed to crime and deviance into the institutional. Analyse explanations of crime and deviance and explain the importance of social describe four studies relating to crime and deviance - each from a different. Crime is a unlawful activity while evince is a behavior that is different from that of the accepted social or moral standards deviance most of the time is the “gateway’ to crime.
Like deviance, crime is often found in every society (my interview with ex-con who spoke to my introduction to sociology anomie theory of deviance social. Define deviance, crime, and social deviance and crime arouse negative social reactions reminds the victim of several different types of crimes in. The social construction of crime by society or in the same society at a different perspectives to the study of social problems, deviance, and crime. 71 introduction to deviance, crime, and social control social deviance the table below shows the relationship between different types of sanctions.
The articles i chose seek to find different causes to crime via psychological and biological approaches to and preventing crime and deviance.
Analyse explanations of crime and deviance and explain of crime and deviance and explain the importance of social order and crimes such as burglary are. Thus deviance consists of those areas which do not follow the norms and expectations of a particular social group deviance may be to different influences and. There is a diverse range of behaviors in society that goes against expectations and cultural norms in this lesson, we define and go over some examples of the different types of deviance. This is “deviance, crime, and social control” this chapter has a different message: the fact that both deviance and crime arouse negative social. Minates a different aspect the hagan’s analysis allows us to classify four types of deviance and crime: 1 social diversions are minor acts of deviance such as. Chapter six: deviance and social control learning objectives explain the concept of deviance and why it is relative in nature analyze how ideal and real.
Identify and differentiate between different types of crimes differentiate the different sources of crime introduction to deviance, crime, and social control. Crime vs deviance man is a social animal and has been living in societies since the beginning of civilizations every society has its own culture made up. “since members of society are placed in different positions in the social youth crimes are most of the sociology of deviance to modern social work. What is the difference between deviance and crime many of these behaviors today are merely deviances there are social crimes like illicit relationships and.

domain: law


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Search for positions by entering key words in search box below. Use left side navigation to filter by Region, Job Category, Job Type or Salary.
The County of Yuba is currently recruiting for the position of Supervising Public Health Nurse II in the Health & Human Services Department.
The County of Yuba is currently recruiting for the position of Public Health Nurse III in the Health and Human Services Department. This position provides programmatic oversight and review to multiple public health nursing programs; may direct or mentor the work of public health nursing staff on a relief or project basis; performs the full range of public health nursing services including teaching, health assessment, and counseling services in connection with the prevention and control of diseases and adverse health conditions; manages a patient caseload; performs related

domain: medical


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After so many transfers that seemed inevitable, a signing out of the blue always spices up the window, and that is what we got with the announcement of Jonathan Grant being signed to the Atlético Ottawa roster for 2024 and beyond. While perhaps not a big name like Ballou Tabla or Aboubacar Sissoko, he will be just as important by filling in one of the final starting XI slots for next season. In the following article I will break down Grant’s strengths and weaknesses using statistics, cover his CPL career thus far, and project how he will fit into Carlos Gonzalez’s roster for 2024. To do so, I will be using a data analytics model I created for this exact purpose, detailed here. If you are unfamiliar with my work or haven’t read one of my articles before, it is recommended to at least peruse that piece. Now onto the breakdown.
As you can probably tell from the distribution of higher scores, Grant is a typical stay-at-home Full Back. He ranks extremely highly in Tackle Success (92.7), something ATO desperately lack, and Aerial Success as well (95.7). His 84.3 Strength grade and 72.6 Defending (Blocks and Clearances) also show him to be very defensively sound. His tackling, strength and defensive contributions have been extremely consistent across his five seasons in the CPL, so chances are he will continue to excel in those areas in 2024. Going forwards, he can also put in a cross (73.8 success ranking) and contributes every so often with an assist. Considering he gets more assists than creates chances, he picks his opportunities well. Generally speaking, he will stay back when the rest of the team is going forwards, but he can make an impact if he chooses to.
On the flip side, his Pass% is markedly poor (37.3), and he also can’t beat his man one-on-one (37.8 1v1%). His Interceptions are also pretty average, however he does make up for that with his tackling. I have a lot of confidence in his ability to foil opposition attacks and recover the ball, but I would hope that when he is in possession, he will pass it off more often than not. When placing his stats next to Tissot’s, the only comparable FB from the 2023 roster, Grant projects to be slightly better defensively, and also generally better offensively (although both were stronger behind the ball). Notably, Grant's Passing grade, while poor, was still miles better than Tissot’s (48.2 compared to 18.7). Grant’s WPA was also better, 65 compared to 59.2
However, there is one thing that should be noted. Grant only played 1000 minutes last season, mostly due to injury, and has shown a tendency for that throughout his career (something I will address below). While his minutes are low, and certainly he logged fewer than the average player, they are still above my threshold of significance (800), so although a product of a smaller sample, his statistical results are just about strong enough to be able to make a proper analysis.
Now to address the elephant in the room: Jonathan Grant has played five seasons in the CPL, and has never played more than 1300 minutes in a campaign. In fact, during his four non-Island Games seasons, he has played 882, 1279, 62 and 1052 minutes respectively. The big reason why is through injury, being a combination of multiple short to long-term knocks that keep him out of the squad sporadically across the season. When looking at his WPA results over those seasons, you can certainly see a trend for when his grades dip. In 2020 and 2022, where he played fewer than 800 minutes, his grade plunged to the 30’s and 50’s respectively, whereas in those other seasons it rests around the high 60’s. Therefore, a conclusion we can draw is that when he IS healthy (relatively speaking) he can make a decent impact.
As for how he will slot into the 2024 ATO roster, we can assume he will be the starting Right Back. He has played Centre Back occasionally, and certainly has the profile to, however considering the lack of other options at RB I think it's an obvious choice. What is up for speculation, however, is how the team will shift around when in or out of possession.
When looking at Matteo de Brienne, who will presumably start at Left Back, both players profile pretty much the opposite. Whereas Grant is a defensively-solid FB, de Brienne is more suited to pushing forwards and joining the attack, leaving a gap on that side. This movement can either be prescribed by the coach or improvised by de Brienne due to his natural aggressiveness and talent for it, but either way, it will need to be covered for. Assuming Carlos Gonzalez will play a 4-at-the-back formation when out of possession, a solution for this would be to slide into a back-3 when ATO have the ball. Thus, MdB will become a LWB/LW, and the question becomes who fills that extra CB spot and the vacant RWB. One option could be Zapater dropping back and playing in front of those defenders (leaving Grant at RWB, something he is unsuited for).
Personally, I believe Grant would slot into CB, and Twardek (the presumptive starting RW/RM) would slide backwards into RWB. It isn’t the most elegant solution, however it would remedy having an asymmetric pair of Full Backs. It also involves the least amount of positional finagling, as moving Zapater requires shuffling in the midfield, and takes into account Grant generally losing a step due to his age and various injuries; CB would be easier on him than RWB. Either MdB plays a defensive-minded FB and stays back when ATO has the ball, something I don’t believe he is suited for both statistically and dispositionally, or the entire formation shifts around a bit to accommodate de Brienne going forward and joining an overlap with Ballou Tabla. This latter solution is probably the better option and fits more with the starting players’ strengths and positional adaptability.
Overall, I think this Grant is a very solid pickup for Atletico Ottawa. He fills a much-needed spot in the starting XI, brings CPL experience to a young roster crying out for it, and also remedies some historical weaknesses in defensive composition (namely in tackling). However, his injury history can’t be overlooked: he hasn’t spent a single season without picking up at least two knocks (save 2020), and has never played more minutes than the average player. He is also 30 years old, and that combined with his injuries won’t make him the most dynamic player on the pitch. That being said, when he does play, he plays at a good level; whether he can stay healthy remains to be seen, but I think if he does, he projects to be an essential piece for a threadbare defensive unit. Of course, Fernando Lopez and company are not finished yet, and who knows what pieces are yet to come. One would hope that a depth option behind Grant, and of course another CB option, are on their way. We will just have to wait and see.
When he isn't busy playing or watching sports (or going to school at uOttawa), Alexander is busy managing his Atlético Ottawa database, which he started in 2020, and tracks everything you can think of about the club and its players. He also runs a Twitter account dedicated to analyzing and rating CPL players using statistics, CPL by the Numbers.

domain: sports


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Midea Group manufactures and markets air conditioner compressors, vacuum-cleaning motors, and split AC units for electronic and industrial sectors. Midea Group was founded in 1968. Midea Group's headquarters is located in Foshan, Guangdong Province, C...
Midea Group's CEO, Fang Hongbo, currently has an approval
rating of 87%. Midea Group's primary competitors are
There are no competitors identified for Midea Group
Funding data cannot be found related to Midea Group
Recent investment data cannot be found related to Midea Group

domain: economics


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PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s newest lawmaker comes from South Waziristan, and she steps in with a long wish list for her newly merged constituency.
Anita Mehsud, who hails from the tribal district of South Waziristan, entered the provincial legislature, committed to serving the people of her native land.
“Education has been a challenge in the area. Girls stay away from schools due to lack of facilities,” the newly sworn-in provincial lawmaker claimed.
Mehsud, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) loyalist, was elected on a reserved seat for women from the once insurgency-hit South Waziristan.
South Waziristan, the largest tribal district in the recently merged Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), has never had any representation in the provincial assembly before 2019.
In a ‘historic’ move, last year, the lower house of parliament voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to merge Fata with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Sindh’s new education policy to define ‘school’ for the first time
Following the amendment, for the first time in over seven decades, voters from K-P’s tribal districts were allowed to elect their representatives for the provincial assembly.
During her parliamentary term, Mehsud plans to focus on the pressing issues. “I will be meeting the chief minister soon to share details about the challenges and issues faced by the people of tribal areas,” she said.
For now, the lawmaker has a degree-awarding institution for women, among other projects, on her to-do-list for her South Waziristan constituents.
Pledging to attend all legislative sessions, the newly inducted member of the provincial legislature said: “I plan to learn from the seniors in the house and address all possible issues faced by the people of tribal areas.”
Mehsud’s political association with the ruling PTI party goes back more than a decade. An active member of the Fata Youth Alliance, the Fata Reforms Committee, and the PTI Youth Core Committee, the lawmaker also trained women polling agents for the historic elections held earlier this year in the tribal areas.
Lack of education facilities in her native land forced Mehsud to shift to Islamabad at an early age. Shortly after graduating, Mehsud served as a branch manager at a bank in Islamabad. In 2007, the young politician stepped into the public arena to represent the tribal areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2019.


The IDA ICE technical support and training are two very important elements of our service offer, and we offer regulary courses and seminares, both web based and in our offices.
Want to take a course in IDA ICE?
Our courses are normally held in our offices, and after completing a course you will receive a course certificate. Upon request we can also arrange tailor made courses, and even in your office, if preferred.
Our free breakfast seminars and webinars are also an important and popular way to learn more about IDA ICE and our services, and also to meet other IDA ICE users and to share knowledge.
In our standard range of courses we introduce you to the fundamental functionalities of IDA ICE and the process of creating a simulation model. The lectures are interspersed with computer exercises and cover:


After defeating Hornsby Middle School to place third in the Kiwanis tournament, the Toano Tigers remained perfect in district play on Monday by overpowering the Berkeley Bulldogs 52 to 42 on their way to their second consecutive Bay Rivers District Championship. It was the second meeting of the season between the two schools in which Toano decisively won the first game 54-31. After the first quarter of the championship game, the Tigers held a slight 12-10 advantage just before their defense kicked in to hold BMS to six points in the second quarter. Toano's defense allowed the Tigers to head into halftime with a 29-16 advantage over the Bulldogs. The Tigers stood strong throughout the second half by stopping numerous scoring attempts from the Bulldogs. As the game clock dwindled down, Berkeley launched a furious offensive attack from behind the arc only to have time expire. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Cooper Jones who netted 20 points while the Tigers were paced by Chase Washington who scored 15 points respectively. Berkeley finished their season with a record of 11-3 (9-2) while the Tigers remained undefeated in district play with a record of 13-1 (11-0) and a 21.6 average margin of victory.
Toano 13-1 (11-0): 52
Chas. Washington 15, Chan. Washington 6, Seldon 4, Funderbunk 6, Reel 13, Canaday 8
Berkeley 11-3 (9-2): 42
Jones 20, Brown 9, Bryant 8, Gray 1, Green 4
3pt FG: TMS 3 (Funderbunk 2, Chas. Washington 1); BMS 8 (Jones 4, Bryant 2, Brown 2)
This item was posted by a community contributor.


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Just last week, Kid Ink revealed that his EP 7 Series would be receiving several other installments to follow it. While the EP dropped in May, we still haven't received any more information on that. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't have more music in the cut. Today, he drops his brand new single "Bad Habits."
Over the course of the years, Kid Ink has shown that he isn't a one trick pony. He finds himself balancing both rap and R&B very well while not necessarily needing to blend the two together. As he's capable of dropping some heavy hitting bangers, he's just as capable of dropping some sultry R&B tunes, which is exactly what "Bad Habit" is. Kid Ink puts his heart on his sleeve with this single. He compares the relationship he has with a woman to relapsing. While he's aware that the woman he's with isn't right for him, he'll still keep going back to her with hopes that she'll take him back.
Ink joins forces with R&B producer, Bizness Boi who had a major role on the production side of PARTYNEXTDOOR's P3 album in 2016. While it's no doubt that the collaborative effort between Bizness Boi and PND work well together, "Bad Habit" finds proves a strong chemistry between himself and Kid Ink as well.
Kid Ink has spent the majority of this year pumping out visuals and dropping loose singles as well as releasing his 7 Series EP which included the 2 Chainz assisted "Swish." He's also found himself working with some overseas forces this past year as well. He recently featured on Swedish DJ duo Axwell & Ingrosso single "I Love You." He also worked with British girl group Little Mix on their record "Touch" this year.
"Bad Habits" is another strong single that Kid Ink has under his belt.
I know you got choices all in your DM
Brand new niggas trying to be your new friend
I got what you like
Until you find something brand new


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PDF 2 txt with OCR
When a PDF file includes only a picture with text you cannot paste or use the text. You can extract the text from the image the following way:
- convert -normalize -density 300 foo.pdf foo.png
- tesseract foo.png foo.txt -l eng
You need to install the packages imagemagick, tesseract-ocr and tesseract-ocr-eng (on Debian: aptitude install imagemagick tesseract-ocr tesseract-ocr-eng).


text:
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Nendoroid himself Fate/Grand Order Ruler/ARC
From the game application "Fate / Grand Order", the ruler's servant "Jeanne d'Arc" appears in the Nendoroid.
In addition to a gentle "smile" on the expression, a dignified "shouting face", we prepared a cute "troubled face". In the attached parts is a treasure that "My God is here (Ruminojite Eternelle)" and "Guren no Saint (La Pucel)" will be attached. Please enjoy while reproducing battle scenes and conversation scenes in the game.
- Specifications: Painted, non-articulated, non-scale PVC & ABS figure

domain: entertainment


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Six months ago, Mark Kelly became homeless and moved into Tent City 4. That's the roving encampment in the Eastside suburbs that, for about the past year, has spurred outrage from paranoid neighbors in Bothell and Kirkland at the prospect of the homeless living in proximity. Sited alternately on public land and church property, the camp of about 100 people moves every 90 days. Like sister project Tent City 3 in Seattle, it's a traveling political statement about homelessness.
But the city of Bellevue, knowing it would be a future tent-city site, last fall passed a string of picayune restrictions on Tent City, in advance of its inevitable arrival. Forty residents instead of 100. Sixty days instead of 90. Special fire safety exit doors. Restrictions on food handling. (Not that there had been problems with Tent City's food handling at other locations.) This would be the Bellevue way.
So in mid-November, the camp moved to a grassy swath of land alongside of Temple B'Nai Torah, a Reform congregation in Bellevue. And one morning, Kelly, a homeless former U.S. Postal Service worker, found himself being scolded over milk by a Bellevue city employee. That attitude is why the affair is in federal court. Really.
In its many iterations, Tent City has always been controversial. Back in 2001, the city of Seattle went to court over the encampment. But things had largely calmed. The camps are tidy, safe, and well run; have their own security; and, with few exceptions, don't create problems for police or neighbors. So why did Bellevue decide to push back so hard?
"We ask ourselves every day," says Brent Carson, president of Temple B'Nai Torah, which invited Tent City for a 90-day visit and asked the city for a 90-day permit. "I don't have an answer. Bellevue surprised me."
Tim Waters, a city spokesperson, says Bellevue went through a long, thoughtful planning process "to draft an ordinance that spelled out safeguards to ensure that safety and health requirements were consistent with community standards." One shower for every 40 people in the camp, individually packaged cheese, temperature gauges in ice coolers, and all milk in individual-serving-sized containers. None of these restrictions was imposed on Tent City in other locations, so had Bellevue learned of a botulism outbreak in Bothell that no one else had heard of?
Waters would only say, "The ordinance was not developed lightly." Homeless advocates say something else is afoot, however—a clear attempt to limit the size of the camp and how long it can stay.
"They are approaching Tent City 4 the way other communities have, which is with a fair amount of prejudice," says the Rev. Sandy Brown, executive director of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, a longtime backer of the tent- cities concept.
Whatever Bellevue's impulse, the temple felt that the restrictions clashed with a religious mission of feeding the homeless and welcoming strangers. So the congregation appealed the restrictions through the land-use legal process last month. The city, employing pricey Preston Gates Ellis attorneys, had the case removed to U.S. District Court, contending that there were federal issues—essentially allowing a city to legislate religious expression where the homeless were involved.
Already, the city is running into trouble in federal court. At a status hearing on Dec. 5, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle made it crystal clear to Bellevue attorneys what he thought of the case, according to participants in the hearing. Responding to one line of the city's legal explanations of the restrictions, the judge said, "If I were you, I'd go back and talk to your client. Your client is not looking very good in my court right now."
A lawyer for the temple raised the point that the judge would need to rule before mid-January on the 60-day restriction, or it would be moot. "We'll get an answer," said the judge. "You may even like it."
In the current location, Tent City 4 has areas for residents to watch television or choose from among 100 videotapes. Nearby hangs a hand-drawn welcome sign from children in the congregation. There are shelves of donated books. A kitchen stocked with donated food. Two rows of small tents pitched on wooden pallets, surrounded by cyclone fencing sheathed with black plastic. A shower. Portable toilets. And a $3,000 exit door that Bellevue fire officials required.
According to Kelly, city code enforcers visit the camp every other day. He says the camp has yet to receive a written violation, but they are being offered lots of pointers. "They are screwing with us," says Kelly. "The system we've used elsewhere works. They put these restrictions on us because they don't want us around."
One recent morning, a Bellevue code enforcer opened one of the camp's coolers and discovered milk stored in gallon-sized containers. He reminded Kelly that the ordinance called for individual containers on the half-pint scale. Kelly rolls his eyes at the memory. "They went after us for trash cans, too," he says. "Our lids weren't fitting tightly enough."
Another hearing is scheduled for Dec. 21 in federal court. A ruling is expected by mid-January. Tent City 4 already has an invitation to camp at another Bellevue church in mid-February, but if the judge rules against the camp, it might be homeless for 30 days.


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Many women with schizophrenia remain symptomatic despite optimal use of current therapies. While previous studies suggest that adjunctive oestrogen therapy might be effective, large-scale clinical trials are required before clinical applications are possible. This study is the first large-scale randomized-controlled trial in women with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. This Definitive Oestrogen Patch Trial was an 8-week, three-arm, double-blind, randomized-controlled trial conducted between 2006 and 2011. The 183 female participants were aged between 18 and 45 (mean=35 years), with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and ongoing symptoms of psychosis (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS score>60) despite a stable dose of antipsychotic medication for at least 4 weeks. Mean duration of illness was more than 10 years. Participants received transdermal estradiol 200 μg, transdermal estradiol 100 μg or an identical placebo patch. For the 180 women who completed the study, the a priori outcome measure was the change in PANSS score measured at baseline and days 7, 14, 28 and 56. Cognition was assessed at baseline and day 56 using the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status. Data were analysed using latent growth curve modelling. Both estradiol groups had greater decreases in PANSS positive, general and total symptoms compared with the placebo group (P<0.01), with a greater effect seen for 200 μg than 100 μg estradiol. The largest effect size was for the positive subscale of PANSS in the estradiol 200 μg treatment group (effect size 0.44, P<0.01). This study shows estradiol is an effective and clinically significant adjunctive therapy for women with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, particularly for positive symptoms.
Converging research demonstrates that estrogens have a psychoprotective role in defending against neuronal injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, ischaemia and apoptosis,1, 2, 3, 4 and promoting neurogenesis, plasticity, re-myelination and neural connectivity.5, 6, 7, 8 A link between brain levels of estrogens and the course of schizophrenia has been postulated for many years.9,10 Indeed, the higher incidence of schizophrenia in males,11 coupled with evidence of increased psychosis vulnerability during periods of oestrogen depletion in females,12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 has led to the investigation of the role of oestrogen as a mediator of the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Estradiol exerts its action on the central nervous system through genomic and non-genomic mechanisms.18 Genomic mechanisms, requiring hours to days to exert their effects, involve gene transcription mediated by activation of oestrogen receptor alpha and oestrogen receptor beta. Non-genomic mechanisms encompass the rapid effects (within minutes) of estradiol initiated by interaction with membrane ER and/or G protein-coupled receptors. The actions of estradiol in humans and animals are widespread throughout the cortical and subcortical brain\regions, with estradiol exerting its effects on the neural circuitry and neurochemistry implicated in the pathogenesis of the disorder.19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Schizophrenia has long been associated with abnormalities in the synthesis and release of dopamine. Substantial evidence also exists highlighting the importance of serotonergic mechanisms for the antipsychotic (as well as procognitive) effects of atypical antipsychotic medications, which are partly related to the hypoglutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia.25, 26, 27 Estrogens have been shown to modulate the activity of dopamine, serotonin and glutamate. More specifically, animal studies have revealed that estradiol enhances serotonin concentrations28 and stimulates glutamate receptors29 and dopamine synthesis, release and turnover in cortical and striatal regions.19,24,30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 Serum levels of estradiol have been associated with heightened wellbeing and improved cognition in people who are healthy38 and those with schizophrenia.16,39, 40, 41 Conversely, there is evidence that many women with schizophrenia have reduced fertility and reduced circulating levels of estradiol, associated with menstrual disorders such as oligomenorrhoea.10,42 It is becoming clear that oestrogen-related neurochemical dysfunction may be critically involved in the aetiology of the disorder.43 Thus, oestrogen supplementation may be a useful method for reducing the symptoms associated with schizophrenia. There is evidence for clinical improvement with oestrogen augmentation in related psychiatric disorders44, 45, 46 and recent clinical trials provide further evidence of an antipsychotic effect of estradiol in women with schizophrenia itself.16,47, 48, 49
Our group’s initial open-label placebo, controlled pilot study revealed that 2 mg of adjunctive oral estradiol valerate conferred rapid recovery from acute symptomatology in women with schizophrenia of child-bearing age.47 We have since conducted two trials in which the efficacy of adjunctive transdermal estradiol has been observed.48,49 The first dose-finding pilot study of 36 women with schizophrenia revealed a significant reduction in positive psychopathology over 4 weeks for those receiving a dose of 100 μg compared with 50 μg or placebo.48 Our second study replicated this effect in a follow-up proof-of-concept investigation of 102 women with schizophrenia. Those receiving a 100 μg dose in adjunct to antipsychotic medication over a 28-day period demonstrated significant improvement in positive and general psychopathological symptoms in comparison with those on antipsychotic medication alone.49 At this dose level, we did not find a significant reduction in negative symptomatology, which is consistent with literature indicating that negative symptoms of schizophrenia are more treatment resistant than other schizophrenia symptomatology.50
It is possible that higher doses and increased time on oestrogen treatment are needed to see improvement in these symptoms, and a recent review concluded that larger and more definitive trials are needed.51 To this end, we conducted an 8-week, dose-finding replication study—a definitive oestrogen patch trial—to investigate the efficacy of a dose of 200 μg adjunctive transdermal estradiol compared with 100 μg or placebo to treat positive, negative and general symptoms in women of child-bearing age with schizophrenia.
Subjects and methods
This study was conducted with approval of the Human Ethics Committee of the Alfred Hospital (202/04). The registration number of this trial (at clinicaltrials.gov) is NCT00357006. The sample size was determined according to the power analyses based on our previous studies.49 Between 2006 and 2011, a total of 1858 women were assessed for eligibility, of which 204 were screened from inpatient and outpatient settings across three Australian sites (Alfred, a tertiary referral centre; Barwon, a rural centre; and Dandenong, an outer metropolitan centre) over a 5-year period and completed a 56-day trial.
Of the 204 women screened, 183 met the inclusion criteria: (a) DSM-IV-TR52 diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective or schizophreniform disorder; (b) aged between 18–45; (c) physically and endocrinologically healthy; (d) able to give informed consent; (e) mentally unwell as defined by a total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)53 score of>60; and (f) on a stable dose of antipsychotic medication of 2–12 mg daily ‘risperidone equivalents’ for at least 4 weeks, with residual symptoms as defined by a PANSS-positive score greater than 15 and/or a PANSS-negative score greater than 15. Three patients became unstable following randomization but did not receive medication and were therefore excluded from all analyses. The exclusion criteria were as follows: pregnancy or lactation; postmenopausal women; known severe abnormalities in the hypothalamopituitary gonadal axis; thyroid dysfunction; central nervous system tumours; history of thromboembolic disorders; severe medical conditions and disorders that would contraindicate oestrogen use such as breast cancer, migraine with aura or stroke; current use of oral oestrogen preparations containing greater then 30 mcg estradiol; substance-induced psychotic disorder; schizoaffective disorder in the manic phase. It is particularly important to note that venous thromboembolism, breast cancer, stroke and migraine with aura are strong contraindications for the use of exogenous estrogens.
All participants were individually randomized by the Alfred Clinical Trials Pharmacy to receive adjunctive estradiol 200 μg (administered as two 100 μg Estradot transdermal patches, Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) 62 women), adjunctive estradiol 100 μg (administered as two Estradot 50 μg transdermal patches, 56 women), or adjunctive placebo (administered as two patches, 62 women) according to a computer-generated randomization list (1:1:1 ratio). The estradiol patches delivered 100 μg per day or 200 μg per day of estradiol at a constant rate. Placebo patches were adhesive and identical in appearance but had no active substance. All three types of patches were changed every 3.5 days (for example, on a Monday morning and on a Thursday night) for the trial duration of 56 days. Both researchers and participants remained blind to treatment assignment for the duration of the trial. All participants remained on their stable dose of antipsychotic medication regimen.
Psychopathology was measured using the PANSS,53 a clinician-rated scale comprising a seven-item-positive symptom construct (for example, hallucinations, delusions), a seven-item-negative symptom construct (for example, emotional withdrawal, blunted affect), and a 16-item general symptom construct (for example, anxiety, depression). It is a well-validated, standardized method of evaluating and monitoring psychotic symptoms. For the 180 women who completed the study, the a priori outcome measure was the change in PANSS score measured at baseline and days 7, 14, 28 and 56.
Cognition was assessed at baseline and day 56 using the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status.54 The Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status is a well-validated and reliable measure of cognition that has been extensively studied in schizophrenia, where it was found to be highly sensitive to the neurocognitive impairments associated with schizophrenias and reliable upon repeat testing. The Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status assesses the broad domains of immediate and delayed memory, attention, language and visuospatial and constructional skills.
Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, days 7, 14, 28 and 56 using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale,55 a 10-item clinician-rated scale measuring changes in depression secondary to treatment. It is also a well-validated, standardized method of evaluating and monitoring depressive symptoms.
Adverse reaction monitoring
Side effects were monitored using an Adverse Symptom Checklist that required participants to rate their experience of 18 medication-related adverse effects (for example, nausea, headaches, increased saliva, sexual dysfunction) on a scale of 0–3, where 0 indicates absent; 1, slight; 2, moderate; and 3, severe. The Simpson Angus Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects,56 and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale57 were assessed at each time point (days 0, 7, 14, 28 and 56). Hormonal side effects such as breast tenderness and vaginal bleeding were noted at each review.
A single 10 mL blood sample was collected at baseline, day 28 and day 56 of the trial for serum estradiol. Estradiol was measured using a chemiluminescent assay with a coefficient of variation ranging between 2–8 pmol L−1.
Baseline comparisons were made using one-way analysis of variance. A threshold of alpha=0.05 was used to determine a significant effect. All subsequent analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. As hormone data was not normally distributed, one-way analysis of variance was performed on the change from baseline to day 56. To evaluate changes in psychological well being as a function of treatment using estrogens, the repeated measures longitudinal data were analysed using latent growth curve modelling.58 Latent growth curve modelling extends on traditional repeated measures analysis of variance by modelling changes in the means and the variance of initial status and the growth rate simultaneously. Muthén and Curran’s59 method was particularly useful for the present study, which involves multiple-group specification and captures the developmental differences between the treatment and control groups. According to Muthén and Curran,59 the control group represents the normative set of individual growth trajectories and the effect of treatments is assessed by comparing the sets of growth trajectories in the treatment groups with those in the control group. By using this method, an additional growth factor is introduced, which represents growth that is specific to the treatment groups while the first two factors (initial status and rate of change) are the same as for the control group. In order to assess the treatment effects, the parameters of the first two growth factors are constrained to be equal between the treatment and control groups. Then, the added growth factor describes the changes in addition to that of the control group.
All models were estimated in the Mplus structural equation modelling programme. Model fit was assessed by examining χ2 statistics, comparative fit index, non-normed fit index (TLI) and root mean square error of approximation. Models are considered reasonably fit if comparative fit index > 0.90, TLI > 0.90 and root mean square error of approximation<0.08, with the χ2 P-value or its scaling correction factor for robust maximum likelihood > 0.05.
Baseline characteristics of subjects were not significantly different. The baseline PANSS scores suggest that this sample had marked illness severity.60 Baseline cognitive scores also characterize this sample as having significant cognitive impairment (with total Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status for each group equating to the lowest 5th percentile).54
The progress of subjects through the stages of the trial is shown in Figure 1. To compare the effectiveness of the adjunctive estradiol treatment, we first established the baseline characteristics of all subjects. There were no statistically significant differences among the 62 women in the 200 μg group, the 56 women in the 100 μg group and the 62 women in the placebo group in terms of age, age at illness onset (Table 1) or medication dose at baseline. There were no significant differences between groups on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, PANSS total score or any of the PANSS subscales at baseline (Table 1).
Estradiol patches increase estradiol serum levels
Hormone results are presented in Table 2. Patients in the estradiol 200 μg group had a significant increase in estradiol serum levels relative to the placebo group (mean increase 164 pmol L−1 compared with a mean decrease of 51.56 pmol L−1 in the placebo group, P=0.01).
Adjunctive estradiol treatment improves psychotic positive, general and total symptoms
To examine the effectiveness of the estradiol treatment, PANSS measures were taken at days 7, 14, 28 and 56 for positive, negative and general and total symptoms.
In general, for 100 μg and 200 μg intervention groups (especially for the 200 μg group), the mean levels of PANSS positive, negative, general and total symptoms showed decreasing trajectories over time compared with the placebo groups (Figure 2). The univariate descriptive statistics showed that absolute values of skewness and kurtosis of the observed variables ranged from 0.06 to 1.50 and 0.01 to 5.17, respectively, suggesting univariate non-normal distribution of the data (Table 3). Robust maximum likelihood estimation was used, which is robust to the non-normality nature of the data.
The two-group latent growth model with an added mean slope in the treatment groups fitted the data reasonably well for each of the PANSS measures (Table 4). In terms of a treatment effect, apart from PANSS-negative measures, significant group differences were observed in all PANSS measures (Table 5). The significant negative slope mean estimate of the growth factor for PANSS positive, general and total (P<0.01) indicated that the treatment groups reported greater decreases in PANSS positive, general and total compared with the placebo group.
The effect size (Table 5), calculated as the difference between the treatment and placebo group observed means at day 56 (termination assessment) scaled by the pooled s.d. at day 56, was small,61 ranging from 0.00 (PANSS positive, 100 μg) to 0.44 (PANSS positive, 200 μg).
There were no between group or interaction effects in relation to cognition at baseline compared with day 56 (see Table 6). The observed improvements across time, noted in several subtests, particularly in relation to immediate memory, were not significantly different between groups and hence, may be attributed to practice effects. Of note, there was no adverse effect on cognition in relation with either estradiol dose.
There were no statistically significant differences in adverse events between groups as measured by the Adverse Symptom Checklist, The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale or the Simpson Angus Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects. Participants were also monitored for side effects of the oestrogen therapy. There was no increase in the occurrence of breast tenderness, but at day 56, there was a higher rate of irregular menses in the 200 μg estradiol group compared with placebo (68% vs 38% P=0.001).
This is the first large-scale randomized-controlled trial of estradiol for women of child-bearing age with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Large-scale trials such as this are necessary before recommendations about potential clinical use of adjunctive oestrogen therapy in women with schizophrenia can finally be made. The addition of transdermal estradiol 100 μg or 200 μg to the usual antipsychotic therapy resulted in a clinically meaningful improvement in symptoms of schizophrenia with reductions in the PANSS positive, general and total scores. The 200 μg dose resulted in a greater effect size than the 100 μg dose. The greatest improvement was seen in positive symptoms of schizophrenia with no significant improvement in negative symptoms, which is consistent with our previous work.47,49,62
The treatment effect size is small yet clinically significant. In the 200 μg group, a reduction in total PANSS score of 13 points was seen after 8 weeks, compared with a 5-point reduction in the placebo group. Given that this is a group of women with treatment-resistant disease with a mean duration of more than 10 years, to achieve the therapeutic benefit is a substantial advance. This benefit has occurred in the setting of ongoing antipsychotic use.
The limitations of this study include the heterogeneity of psychotropic drugs used by the participants. We have accounted for this by converting all antipsychotic doses to risperidone equivalents. Interestingly, estradiol was effective regardless of antipsychotic dose, although women with higher PANSS scores benefited the most. Women who received adjunctive 200 μg of estradiol made a more significant improvement than women receiving 100 μg. This clinical symptom difference occurred despite a lack of difference in serum levels, which suggests that peripheral serum assays may not accurately measure brain impacts.
This large-scale trial adds to the growing body of evidence that estradiol has antipsychotic effects, particularly at higher doses, and has a clinically meaningful effect in women with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, unopposed estradiol cannot be given for prolonged periods due to the increased risk of endometrial hyperplasia and malignancy. Currently available hormone therapies, such as the oral contraceptive pill and postmenopausal hormone therapy, include a synthetic progestin for endometrial protection. These preparations have not been trialled in randomized-controlled trials in women with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The estrogens contained in such preparations may not be as effective on psychotic symptoms; synthetic progestins may worsen mood in some women.63,64 Transdermal oestrogen therapies at the doses reported here should be reserved for women with treatment-resistant symptoms and should not be used without specialist advice from an endocrinologist. Oestrogen therapy should not be used in women with a history of thromboembolism, hormone-dependant cancer, stroke or migraine with aura. The long-term risks of high-dose oestrogen therapies include denovo thromboembolism, and in the case of postmenopausal hormone therapy, an apparent increase in breast cancer incidence. Individual patient factors are therefore important to consider before instigating any form of hormone therapy.
Selective oestrogen receptor modulators that cause the activation of oestrogen receptors in a tissue-specific fashion may be the way forward for oestrogen research in schizophrenia. For example, raloxifene has been demonstrated to have central nervous system effects in healthy women and women with schizophrenia,31 but it does not cause endometrial hyperplasia and reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Given the positive outcomes of this study, trials of selective oestrogen receptor modulators represent a hopeful future direction for schizophrenia research. In addition, the impact of estradiol on symptoms of schizophrenia should be expanded to include postmenopausal women and men.
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Professor Kulkarni is the Principal Investigator and Dr Wei Wang performed the statistical analysis. This trial was funded by The Stanley Medical Research Institute, Washington USA. Grant ID: 05 T-742. The design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; preparation, review and approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication were performed by the authors without interference from the funder.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Kulkarni, J., Gavrilidis, E., Wang, W. et al. Estradiol for treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a large-scale randomized-controlled trial in women of child-bearing age. Mol Psychiatry 20, 695–702 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2014.33
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Valencia’s Champions League exit has been confirmed thanks to a Josip Ilicic-inspired 4-3 last 16 loss at home to Serie A side Atalanta.
The Italians headed into the game with a 4-1 first leg lead following a convincing performance at the San Siro a fortnight ago.
However, despite holding a commanding aggregate lead, it was far from straightforward for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side at an empty Estadio Mestalla.
Slovenian international Ilicic put the visitors in front after just three minutes, netteing a penalty after being hauled down by Mouctar Diakhaby.
However, Valencia reacted quickly as Kevin Gameiro clipped home Rodrigo Moreno’s through ball on 21 minutes, to level things up on the night.
Kevin Gameiro scored to pull Valencia level on the night…
And you could hear the Valencia fans that gathered outside the stadium celebrating during the replays 🤔 pic.twitter.com/2EZIvO9z8J
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 10, 2020
But the game continued to see saw just before the break, as Ilicic netted his second penalty on 44 minutes, after Diakhaby’s handball.
Albert Celades’ side came back into it again after the break, as Gameiro bulleted home a header from Ferran Torres’ cross on 51 minutes, before the Spanish international got himself on the score sheet on 67 minutes.
However, despite Valencia’s best efforts to mount an incredible comeback, Ilicic was to end the game with a brilliant flourish.
The former Fiorentina man completed his hat trick on 71 minutes, sweeping home Alejandro Gomez’s cross.
#VCFAtalanta | 3-3 | 71'
⚽ GOOOOOOOOOL JOSIIIIIIP ILIČIIIIIIIIIĆ!!!!!
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) March 10, 2020
And he completed an outrageous individual performance with a fourth goal with eight minutes to go, curling home from 15 yards.
Josip Iličić has become the 4th player to score at least 4 goals in a knockout game in the #ChampionsLeague history after Lionel Messi (2009-10 & 2011-12), Mario Gomez (2011-12) & Robert Lewandowski (2012-13). 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#Galonlinebetting pic.twitter.com/XymXs5pCSL
— juliø (@baketerana) March 10, 2020
Video courtesy of BeIn Sports


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EMD 2021, a virtual conference
At the core of European Maritime Day is a 2-day conference. High-level plenary sessions including inspirational speakers, leadership exchanges and stakeholders’ workshops attract experts and stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.
European Maritime Day this year took place virtually from Den Helder, The Netherlands on 20 and 21 May 2021. It was easier than ever to join the event, from anywhere in Europe. The plenary sessions and the pitch stages of EMD 2021 were broadcast from Den Helder “EMD studio”, where moderators and key speakers connected remotely with other speakers. Registered participants attended these sessions via webstreaming. The stakeholders’ workshops were interactive and ran virtually via video conferencing (Zoom or similar tool).
European Maritime Day 2021 takes place in Den Helder, a place with a unique maritime character
- traditional fishing harbour/community
- Royal Naval base since Napoleon times
- offshore energy port since the early 1970s
- home base for the Netherlands Coastguard
- airport for offshore helicopter operations
- Royal Naval Airport, base of the NH 90 helicopters
- sea and ocean oriented research institutions
- education for working at sea
- Wadden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Willemsoord is a large former Naval base of the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder.


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Fly, Little Rocket !
The wishes of a design agency
This is the wishes of a design agency presenting some of its locations around the world. It was specifically asked to have a rocket into the video.
Therefore, I imagined the flight of a small rocket through colorful sceneries representing China, France, The USA …


Last night Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard signed the a city-wide smoking ban into law. The smoking ban will go into effect at 6 a.m. on June 1.
Ballard‘s spokesman Marc Lotter says leading up to that date, the mayor‘s office will be helping businesses get ready. The new smoking ban exempts cigar and hookah bars, retail tobacco stores, off-track betting facilities, private clubs and veterans halls.
Lotter says the mayor was very happy that City-County Councilor John Barth worked closely with the mayor‘s office to draft language that “respected the rights of private clubs.”


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Three-year mortality in diabetic patients treated with different combinations of insulin secretagogues and metformin.
Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2006 Nov-Dec;22(6):477-82. PMID: 16634115
Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Florence and Azienda Ospedaliera Vareggi, Via della Oblate 4, 50134 Florence, Italy.
BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown an increase of mortality in diabetic patients treated with combinations of sulphonylureas and biguanides. Comparisons between different insulin secretagogues in combination with metformin with respect to all-cause mortality have not been reported so far. METHODS: An observational cohort study was performed on a consecutive series of 2002 outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Of these patients, 696 (34.8%) were receiving combinations of insulin secretagogues and biguanides at enrollment. Three-year mortality was assessed through research in the City of Florence Registry Office. RESULTS: During follow-up, 295 deaths were recorded. Among patients on combined secretagogue and biguanide treatment, glibenclamide was associated with a significantly higher yearly mortality (8.7%) than repaglinide (3.1%; p = 0.002), gliclazide (2.1%; p = 0.001), and glimepiride (0.4%; p<0.0001). After adjusting for potential confounders (including age; duration of diabetes; Body Mass Index (BMI); lipid profile; HbA(1c); insulin treatment; metformin doses; Charlson co-morbidity score; CCS), mortality remained significantly higher in patients treated with combinations of glibenclamide and metformin when compared to those treated with different insulin secretagogues (OR with 95% CI: 2.09 [1.07;4.11]). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, sulphonylureas with greater selectivity for beta-cell receptors, such as glimepiride and gliclazide, were associated with a lower mortality when used in combination with metformin in comparison with glibenclamide. Safety of such combinations deserves further investigation.

domain: health


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ALBANY — A sure sign the holiday season is here is when hundreds of people strip down to next to nothing and sprint, jog, walk or crawl about 400 meters down Lark Street and then about 400 meters back up.
And many of those who opted not to strip down to their skivvies for the 13th Annual Santa Speedo Sprint on Saturday, Dec. 15, dressed up as robots, dinosaurs, gingerbread men, sumo wrestlers or in some other combination of clothing and props not readily identifiable.
All the proceeds generated by the event — sponsored by the Albany Society for the Advancement of Philanthropy in association with Albany All-Star Roller Derby — will benefit the Albany Damien Center and the HIV/AIDS program at Albany Medical Center Hospital.
This year’s wildly popular Santa Speedo Sprint was accompanied by “A Taste of Lark, Chili and Chowder Edition.” The more than a dozen participating restaurants sold cups of chili and/or chowder for a buck.
Click on a photo below to view a slideshow of the rest.


2022 marked the launch of Speedy – a revolutionary Wi-Fi verification platform that empowers the hospitality industry to attract increasingly discerning digital nomads, remote workers, and traveling business people that demand good internet. Leading the charge is co-founder and CEO Philip Pickard and his team of Wi-Fi enthusiasts.
What’s the Speedy story?
When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, we escaped the crowded city of Los Angeles for the more remote – and presumably safer – parts of California.
We stayed at breathtaking rental properties from the coast to the desert. And while the scenery rocked our worlds, the Wi-Fi did not. We quickly realized the only thing that really mattered was a strong and reliable connection capable of supporting our work requirements. But there was no way of knowing what the Wi-Fi at our next destination would serve up. A few more disastrous experiences later and the first glimmers of Speedy were born. We began building a solution to solve the frustrating Wi-Fi issues faced by digital nomads and remote workers just like us.
How does Speedy work?
Speedy’s pocket-sized device plugs into any power outlet to start capturing connection data within seconds. We process over a million data points to generate a proprietary Wi-Fi rating, showcasing speed, network reliability, outages, and other major incidents.
Who benefits from Speedy?
Speedy is for everyone that values fast, reliable internet. Right now, we’re focusing on vacation rental hosts and property management companies – providing them with a platform to monitor connectivity closely and put Wi-Fi issues to bed. Speedy also allows property owners to easily embed our consumer-friendly Wi-Fi rating to their listing site – proving onsite internet speed and reliability and giving prospective guests peace of mind that the Wi-Fi will perform as advertised.
Tell us more about the team behind Speedy.
I grew up in Cape Town and spent the first decade of my career in private equity and venture capital. I started out in Hong Kong, investing and advising hardware startups, before moving to the USA, where I joined Boston Consulting Group’s VC arm to build and invest in startups for Fortune 500 clients. Growing up in South Africa, internet connectivity was always an issue, but I was surprised to find that internet issues remain commonplace – regardless of where you go.
Speedy is backed by an incredible team. Our Head of Software, David North, is exceptionally talented and has been instrumental in bringing our web app to life. Speedy’s Head of Hardware, Freddie du Plessis, ensures our devices run smoothly without interruption. He is passionate about effective design and a curious tinkerer by nature.
Our Brand & Marketing Manager, Nick Smuts, leads our communications strategy and lives our brands lifestyle message as he travels full-time and works remotely as a digital nomad. Last but not least, our incoming Chief Technology Officer is ex-military-intelligence with core expertise in sensor fusion and network security. He is the perfect fit for our business, and we could not be more excited to welcome him on board.
What’s next for Speedy?
After six months of testing and gathering feedback from our pilot customers, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be shipping V2 of our product next month! Our current focus is scaling our solution and streamlining every aspect of Speedy’s customer experience – from installation to customer onboarding to providing actionable insights.
Given our company goals and the technology’s wide application, we’ve just kicked off our seed round to fund the next phase of our journey towards spearheading Wi-Fi transparency globally.


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Nuance announced that it’s ending development on its Swype+Dragon keyboard app.
After responding to an email sent by Reddit user ‘dancedar’ about Swype crashing on their smartphone, the company shared the following statement:
“Nuance will no longer be updating the Swype+Dragon keyboard for Android. We’re sorry to leave the direct-to-consumer keyboard business, but this change is necessary to allow us to concentrate on developing our AI solutions for sale directly to businesses…”
The app will no longer receive updates or customer support. Further, the Swype is no longer on the Google Play Store.
The matter was later confirmed by XDA Developers.
Swype was one of the first third-party keyboard apps to makes its way to the Play Store. While Dragon Dictation technology is a speech-to-text platform.


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INDIANAPOLIS -- Michael Andretti will return to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 1995, the year before formation of the Indy Racing League spawned a boycott of the event by most of the top teams and drivers in open-wheel racing.
Andretti, the 1991 CART champion and son of 1969 Indy winner Mario Andretti, will drive for the new Motorola Racing team formed by Barry Green, who also owns the Team Green cars driven in CART by Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti.
The race is one Andretti has not won.
Andretti was fourth in the CART season-opener in Mexico and confirmed two weeks ago that Green was trying to help him put together a deal to drive in the rival IRL's premier event. The official word came Tuesday at a news conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
''When we singed the contract, Barry knew one of the things I wanted was to drive at Indianapolis, and he put together a great effort -- a winning effort, I think,'' Andretti said.
He tested the car, a Dallara, last weekend in Homestead, Fla.
''The (IRL) cars are quite different. The weight and horsepower are different. It took a bit to get used to that,'' he said. ''But we made the car feel pretty good. And it felt really comfortable.''
Andretti said his feeling about the IRL has changed since the league was founded five years ago.
''I talked to a lot of people and started to understand what the IRL is about, and I like the direction they're going,'' he said. ''There's always going to be two series. We have to accept that.
''I definitely said some things that were probably wrong at the beginning, but that was more from emotion because I wasn't going to be at the Indianapolis 500.''
The CART boycott began to crumble last year, when Ganassi Racing returned to Indy and won with driver Juan Montoya. Ganassi and Penske Racing, whose drivers have won a record 10 Indy 500s, already have said they will enter the race this year.
Al Unser Jr., a two-time Indy winner and former driver for Penske, joined the IRL last year with Galles Racing.
Ganassi last week entered four cars for rookies Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian, who last season finished 1-2 in the Formula 3000 series. Montoya left Ganassi to drive this season in Formula One.
Michael Andretti, whose best finish in 11 previous starts at Indianapolis was second to Rick Mears in 1991, has won a record 40 CART races. He also has led more laps at Indianapolis than any driver who has never won the world's richest auto race.
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