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Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: correlation between histopathological features and age of patients
Diagnostic Pathology volume 9, Article number: 227 (2014)
The histopathological subtype, nuclear grade and presence or absence of comedonecrosis are established as critical elements in the reporting of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. The aims of this study were to determine the frequencies of morphological subtypes of DCIS, nuclear grade and comedonecrosis; to compare the age of patients with the histopathological characteristics of DCIS, and to assess the agreement of grade between in situ and invasive components in DCIS cases that were associated with invasive carcinoma.
We evaluated a series of 403 cases of DCIS, pure or associated with invasive mammary carcinoma, consecutively identified from the histopathology files of the Breast Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2003 to 2008.
DCIS displayed a single growth pattern in most cases (55.1%) and the solid subtype was the most common morphology (42.2% of the total). High-grade DCIS was identified in 293/403 cases (72.7%) and comedonecrosis was present in 222/403 cases (55%). Among DCIS with a single architectural pattern, high grade was more common in the solid subtype (151/168 cases, 89.9%; p < 0.001). Only 32% of tumours with a cribriform pattern had high nuclear grade. Comedonecrosis was more common in the solid morphology than in the cribriform, papillary and micropapillary subtypes (p < 0.001). Patients with high-grade DCIS were younger in relation to patients with low-grade DCIS (p = 0.027) and patients with tumours with comedonecrosis were also younger in comparison to patients with tumours without comedonecrosis (p = 0.003). Fair agreement was observed between in situ and invasive components with regard to grade (weighted kappa = 0.23).
The high nuclear grade and the presence of comedonecrosis were identified more frequently in younger patients and more often correlated with the solid pattern of DCIS.
The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_227
Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (DCIS) is defined as a neoplastic proliferation of epithelial cells confined to the mammary ductal-lobular system and characterized by subtle to marked cytological atypia and an inherent but not necessarily obligate tendency for progression to invasive breast cancer . DCIS constitutes 20% of all newly diagnosed breast cancer cases and 30% to 40% of the breast cancer cases diagnosed mammographically in the United States of America ,.
Currently, it is accepted that DCIS is not one entity but rather a heterogeneous group of lesions with different clinical, radiological, morphological and genetic features ,.
Genetic and molecular studies have been published aiming to establish prognostic and predictive factors and new targeted therapies to reduce the risk of recurrence and progression to invasive carcinoma in patients with DCIS ,-. These advances may become an important part of evaluating DCIS, but at this time, size, grade, comedonecrosis and margin status are established as critical elements in the reporting of DCIS ,.
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequencies of DCIS subtypes, nuclear grade and comedonecrosis of a series of cases of DCIS of the breast; to compare the age of patients with the histopathological characteristics of DCIS, and to assess the agreement of grade between in situ and invasive components in DCIS cases that were associated with invasive carcinoma.
Four hundred and three cases of DCIS, pure or associated with invasive carcinoma, were consecutively identified from the histopathology files of the Breast Pathology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2003 to 2008. Histopathological sections from all cases were reviewed by two authors (HG and AAP) and data considered in the analysis was that obtained in the current slide review.
The criteria defined by World Health Organization (2012) were used for histopathological diagnosis, classification and grading of DCIS and invasive carcinoma . The nuclear grade of DCIS was classified as low, intermediate or high on the basis of nuclear size, pleomorphism, chromatin pattern, presence of nucleoli and mitotic activity. DCIS with low nuclear grade consists of a monotonous population of cells with slightly enlarged nuclei, smooth nuclear membranes, finely dispersed chromatin, inconspicuous nucleoli and rare mitoses. The cells of low-grade DCIS are typically polarized with the longest axis of the cell oriented perpendicularly to the basement membrane, and radially distributed around neoformed extracellular lumina. DCIS of intermediate nuclear grade consists of a population of cells with intermediate-size nuclei with coarser chromatin and evident but still inconspicuous nucleoli. Mitotic activity may be encountered, but it is rarely high. The neoplastic cells may be polarized. DCIS of high nuclear grade consists of cells with large (>2.5 times the size of a red blood cell) and pleomorphic nuclei that show vesicular and coarse chromatin, with prominent and often multiple and irregular nucleoli. The neoplastic epithelial cells usually lack polarity, and mitotic activity is easily detected ,. The highest nuclear grade was used for the purpose of statistical analysis. The nuclear grade of DCIS was not evaluated in eleven cases (2.7%) because the slides were not available for review. The grade of invasive carcinoma was classified as low, intermediate or high based on an assessment of tubule/gland formation, nuclear pleomorphism and mitotic count . Tubular formation was assessed over the whole tumour; nuclear pleomorphism was evaluated in the area showing the highest degree of pleomorphism, and mitotic counting was performed in the area exhibiting most proliferation .
The architectural patterns of DCIS included solid, cribriform, micropapillary, papillary and apocrine . DCIS was divided into single (when >90% of the in situ tumor displayed one architectural growth pattern) and mixed (when the dominant pattern constituted <90% of the in situ carcinoma) .
The term comedonecrosis, which is poorly defined in the literature, was applied when significant necrosis, creating an appearance similar to comedos, seen in cutaneous acne, was noted in ducts involved by DCIS ,.
We measured the largest focus of all pure DCIS cases. Because not all slides from each case were available to be reviewed, we did not analyze margin status and size of DCIS in cases associated with invasive carcinoma.
Pearson’s asymptotic test was used to compare proportions. The t test was used to compare age means among the groups and the Bonferroni test was used to multiple comparisons between them. The weighted kappa test was used to assess the concordance between nuclear grade of DCIS and histological grade of invasive carcinoma. Kappa values in the range 0.21 to 0.40 demonstrated fair agreement . A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (protocol ETIC 655/08).
Pure DCIS was detected in 110/403 cases (27.3% of the total) and 293/403 cases (72.7% of the total) were DCIS associated with invasive carcinoma.
The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 54.1 years (standard deviation ± 13.1). There was no significant difference in age between pure DCIS and DCIS associated with invasive carcinoma (p = 0.814).
The mean size of pure DCIS was 15.2 mm (range: 2 to 100 mm; standard deviation ± 15.8). There was no significant difference between the size of pure DCIS and age (p = 0.938), neither between the size of pure DCIS and presence of comedonecrosis (p = 0.732). We did not find a significant difference in size between single growth pattern and mixed growth pattern (p = 0.213), and also between the size and the nuclear grade (p = 0.175). There was no significant difference between the size and the subtype of DCIS (p = 0.137). However, we identified a tendency of the micropapillary subtype to be larger than the other subtypes (p = 0.06).
The frequencies of DCIS subtypes are shown in Table 1. Of the 403 cases of DCIS (pure and associated with invasive carcinoma), 222 cases (55.1%) displayed a single growth pattern and 181 cases (44.9%) showed a mixed growth pattern. Among architectural patterns, the solid subtype was the most common (170/403 cases; 42.2%). The pure micropapillary subtype was found in 13/403 cases (3.2%). The apocrine morphology was not identified among DCIS with a single architectural pattern. There was no significant difference in single or mixed growth pattern between pure DCIS and DCIS associated with invasive carcinoma (p = 0.088).
The nuclear grade of DCIS was evaluated in 392/403 cases (97.3%; Fig. 1A-C). High-grade DCIS was identified in 293/403 cases (72.7%; Figure 1C). There was no significant difference in nuclear grade between pure DCIS and DCIS associated with invasive carcinoma (p = 0.142). The frequencies of different nuclear grades of DCIS and the relationship between nuclear grade and different single architectural patterns are respectively shown in Tables 2 and 3. Among DCIS with a single architectural pattern, high grade was more common in the solid subtype (151/168 cases, 89.9%; p < 0.001). Only 32% of tumors with a cribriform pattern had high nuclear grade.
Comedonecrosis was present in 222/403 cases (55%; Figure 1D). The frequencies of comedonecrosis in different architectural patterns are shown in Table 4. Among DCIS cases with a single growth pattern, comedonecrosis was more often in cases with a solid morphology (p < 0.001). The cribriform, papillary and micropapillary subtypes more frequently did not present comedonecrosis (p < 0.001).
Patients with high-grade DCIS were younger (mean age = 53 years) in relation to patients with low-grade DCIS (mean age = 58.4 years; p = 0.027). Patients with tumours with comedonecrosis were also younger in comparison to patients with tumours without comedonecrosis (p = 0.003).
Invasive carcinoma of no special type was the most common (262/293 cases; 88.7%), followed by the tubular carcinoma (12/293 cases; 4.1%), mucinous carcinoma (07/293 cases; 2.4%), invasive lobular carcinoma (04/293 cases; 1.4%), invasive papillary and micropapillary carcinomas (03/293 cases each one; 1%), secretory and cribriform carcinomas (02/293 cases each one; 0.7%).
Fair agreement was observed between in situ and invasive components with regard to grade (weighted kappa = 0.23).
In the present study we evaluated morphological features of a series of DCIS pure (110 cases, 27.3% of the total) or associated with an invasive component (293 cases, 72.7% of the total) correlating them with the age of patients. Clinical and histological characteristics that may predict the risk of recurrence in women with DCIS include the age, tumour grade, presence of comedonecrosis, architectural subtype, tumour size, and width of resection margin ,. In our series we evaluated nuclear grade, tumour size, comedonecrosis and age that are well established critical elements in the reporting of DCIS. Although recent genetic, molecular and immunohistochemical studies have contributed to advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of DCIS, age and histopathological features remain the most established predictors of behavior in DCIS ,,-.
In our series, the majority of the cases (293 cases, 72.7% of the total) were high-grade DCIS; 15.2% of cases had an intermediate grade and 9.4% were low-grade CDIS. The classification of DCIS has been based on the architectural growth pattern. Cytonuclear differentiation of tumour cells is more important than the architectural growth pattern and various novel classifications of DCIS have been proposed. Almost all modern classifications separate DCIS into three categories (high, intermediate, and low grade), but differ in the choice of features that are used for categorization . Studies have reported nuclear grade to be the most significant predictor of recurrence on both univariate and multivariate analysis ,. Therefore, cytonuclear grade has been used as the basic method for the assessment of intrinsic biological aggressiveness. Scripcaru and colleagues recognized, respectively, high-grade DCIS and intermediate nuclear grade in 45% and 41% of their cases . These differences in the frequencies of grade are possibly attributed to the variation in the classification criteria, to the differences between the populations or to the detection method of the tumours (clinical or mammographically detected tumours).
We also correlated the nuclear grade of DCIS with the histological grade of invasive carcinoma to assess the agreement between in situ and invasive components in DCIS cases that were associated with invasive carcinoma. The fair agreement between in situ and invasive components with regard to grade (weighted kappa = 0.23) observed in our study is probably related to the various categories (grades 1, 2 or 3) included in the statistical analysis.
We showed that comedonecrosis was significantly more often in solid morphology than in cribriform, papillary and micropapillary subtype (p < 0.001). Scripcaru et al. also identified a statistically significant difference between the presence of comedonecrosis in micropapillary and solid subtypes versus the cribriform morphology . Comedonecrosis may be seen in association with any architectural pattern. The term “comedo DCIS” is widely used in historical series but does not confer either a specific grade or architecture to the lesion and there is no consensus in the literature regarding the amount of central necrosis required, so reproducibility as a category of DCIS is questionable . Although rates of ipsilateral breast tumour recurrence are generally higher for tumours with a component of comedonecrosis than for those without, irrespective of adjuvant therapies, the presence of necrosis might be a weaker predictor of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence than cellular architecture and nuclear grade .
The architectural patterns of DCIS include solid, cribriform, micropapillary, papillary and unusual variants (apocrine, signet ring, neuroendocrine, spindled, squamous or clear cells) . Some combinations of nuclear grade and architectural pattern tend to be more frequent than others but any combination can occur . The current World Health Organization classification does not recognize the low-grade (monomorphic) variant of DCIS with an exclusive flat type (clinging) pattern and did not recommend this terminology .
Our results showed that high grade was more common in the solid subtype (89.9%; p < 0.001) and only 32% of tumors with a cribriform pattern had high nuclear grade. Solid DCIS is characterized by a proliferation of neoplastic cells that fill, expand, and distort a duct. Nuclear grades can range from high to low in solid DCIS, although pure solid DCIS with low nuclear grade is fairly rare. Low-grade DCIS with solid architecture sometimes raises the differential diagnosis of lobular carcinoma in situ ,-. Cribriform DCIS is characterized by well-defined lumens lined by neoplastic cells. Such an orderly arrangement is rare in high-grade DCIS .
DCIS most frequently (62%) shows a mixture of architectures, which is seen almost twice as often as the second most commonly seen pattern (solid, 31.9%) . In our series, 55.1% of cases displayed a single growth pattern and 44.9% showed a mixed growth pattern. Among architectural patterns, the solid subtype was more common (42.2%). Similar to our results, Scripcaru and colleagues also described that 58% of cases of DCIS displayed a single growth pattern and 42% showed a mixed growth pattern .
Silverstein’s group showed age to be an independent prognostic factor for local recurrence, which led to incorporation of age into the Van Nuys Prognostic Index by the division of patients into three groups (≥ 61 years, 40–60 years and ≤ 39 years) . Goldstein et al. examined pathologic features of DCIS in three different age groups of patients to identify differences that might explain why young patient age at the time of diagnosis is a risk for recurrence. They found that younger patients more frequently had higher nuclear grade DCIS, central necrosis, smaller initial biopsy maximum dimensions and close or positive margins .
In our series, patients with high grade DCIS were younger in relation to patients with low grade DCIS (p = 0.027) and patients with tumours with comedonecrosis were also younger in comparison to patients with tumours without comedonecrosis (p = 0.003). This group of younger patients may have an increased risk of local recurrence when treated with breast-conserving therapy due to a greater proportion of high nuclear grade DCIS and presence of comedonecrosis. In the present study, the type of treatment (radical or breast-conserving therapy) and the local recurrence were not evaluated. Maybe the association of high nuclear grade DCIS, comedonecrosis and younger patients can guide the clinicians to perform more aggressive surgical treatments, as these factors are associated with local recurrence.
The high nuclear grade and the presence of comedonecrosis were identified more frequently in DCIS of younger patients and more often correlated with the solid pattern DCIS. As clinical and histopathological features remain the most established predicts of behavior in DCIS, the choice of surgical treatment should be guide by them in addition to the size of DCIS and margin status.
Written informed consent was obtained from the patients for the publication of this report and any accompanying images.
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This work was supported in part by grants from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
AAP conceived the study, participated in the review of the original slides, and drafted the manuscript. MAS participated in the design of the study and helped drafting the manuscript. DB performed the statistical analysis and helped drafting the manuscript. HG participated in the design and coordination of the study, reviewed the original slides, and helped drafting the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
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Perez, A.A., Balabram, D., De Almeida Salles, M. et al. Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: correlation between histopathological features and age of patients. Diagn Pathol 9, 227 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13000-014-0227-3
- Ductal carcinoma in situ
- Histological pattern
- Breast cancer

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At&t Sincerely Flatters P&g’s Olympics Ad Campaign
At first glance, both sets of commercials could be from the same campaign.
Both have the same dark lighting and gritty look, underlined by minor-key music tracks. Both show their main characters in determined semi-isolation. Both show self-sacrificial training for the winter Olympics. And both confine product pitches to brief, incidental placements.
Separated at birth
But in substance, they couldn’t be more different.
Because while the AT&T campaign follows a tired, old “Let’s support our athletes” strategy, Procter & Gamble’s does something far more fundamental and compelling.
Each AT&T spot focuses on an athlete in a minor winter sport: skeleton racer Noelle Pikus-Pace, alpine snowboarder Justin Reider, short-track speed skater Alyson Dudek and Paralympic alpine skier Heath Calhoun.
The first spot, for example, shows “Pikus-Pace lifting weights in her home basement, feeding her kids, watching them play soccer, and then later saying good-night via video before she jumps onto her sled for a late-night training run,” as Advertising Age describes it.
Though nobody’s admitting it in so many words, the P&G campaign was very much on AT&T’s mind. “These aren’t made-up stories, these are real stories about sacrifice and determination and how they made it,” Rudy Wilson, AT&T VP-brand management and advertising, told Ad Age.”We’re showing them in a way not to make people cry, but to inspire people.”
Specifically, to “inspire” viewers to download an #ItsOurTime app, then use Facebook, Twitter or email to upload video or audio of an individual “U-S-A” chant to a website, where they can become part of a “Wall of Support” on display in Times Square.
But in thinking that Procter & Gamble’s objective is “to make people cry,” AT&T completely missed the point of what they’re doing.
Missing the point
The P&G commercials are also about “sacrifice and determination,” but by mothers, on behalf of their children – and “how they” – the children, not the mothers – “made it.”
Yes, the P&G campaign inspired tears and lumps in the throat, but that was an effect, not a cause. What their commercials and videos were all about was a huge valentine to their audience – the mothers of the world, who sacrifice for their kids, whether athletes or not. As we noted after the 2012 London Olympics, P&G’s
“Proud Sponsor of Moms” campaign glorified not the Olympic athletes, but the mothers who raised, nourished, supported and rooted for them from very young childhood on — and, by extension, mothers throughout the world (who, incidentally, comprise the target audience for Procter & Gamble products).
For Sochi this year, P&G has produced literally dozens of YouTube videos, ranging from two to four minutes in length. One, called “Pick Them Back Up” encapsulates two minutes of mothers helping their kids get back up again, from tottering baby steps to Olympic finishes. Its message, in unspoken end titles is, “For teaching us that falling only makes us stronger, Thank you, Mom.” The longer videos are mini-documentaries about 2014 Olympic athletes and their mothers.
The point here is not to generate recorded shout-outs in Times Square, but to make mothers feel good about all they do to raise their children – and about the household brand that recognizes them for it.
And boy, does it work.
In both Ace Metrix television research and Unruly Media’s Brand Tracker viral video measurements, P&G was far and away the overall winner. And it looks like they’ll go for the advertising gold this year.
As of this writing, their “Pick Them Back Up” video has 14,082,397 YouTube views, while AT&T’s “inspiring” video has inspired a total of 769.
The whole point of getting people to “talk” with brands via social media is supposed to be building an emotional connection. Funny, but P&G has managed to do that with just a commercial.
Make your advertising more effective. Visit www.BrightOrangeAdv.com


US 6422127 B1
A hydraulic actuation arrangement including a double-action working cylinder whose working chambers are in communication via a mutually unseatable check valve with one side of a reversible pressure medium source, respectively, whereby each working chamber is connected to a pressure medium reservoir by a pressure-relief valve or pressurizing valve, and at least one working chamber is furthermore connected to the pressure medium reservoir via an additional pressurizing valve. When an additional pressurizing valve is provided with two different pressure threshold values, the manual force used in emergency operation is therefore clearly reduced after introduction of the manual movement whereby these force levels for both movement directions may be selected independently from the maximum system pressure. A two-stage pressurizing valve includes a flow-through opening in the passage that may be blocked by the valve element whereby the surface of the flow-through opening is smaller than the cross section surface of the valve element.
1. A two-stage pressurizing valve which comprises:
a housing which defines a bore; an outlet passage which communicates with said bore at a first seat; an inlet passage which communicates with said bore at a second seat, said second seat having a smaller cross section than said bore; and a control passage for pressure medium,
a valve element movable in said bore to open and close said first and second seats, said valve element having a first end shaped as a cone which is capable of seating on said second seat to block said inlet passage,
a bias means for assisting pressure medium from said control passage in moving said valve element such that said cone-shaped first end seats on said second seat and blocks said inlet passage, and
a piston which is movable against a second end of said valve element to prevent movement thereof away from said second valve seat, said piston being movable by pressure medium from said control passage.
2. A pressurizing valve according to
3. A pressurizing valve according to
4. A pressurizing valve according to
5. A hydraulic apparatus for moving an element relative to a vehicle body, said hydraulic apparatus comprising a double-action working cylinder defining first and second working chambers, a reversible pressure medium source, first and second respective lines connecting said pressure medium source with said first and second working chambers, a reservoir for pressure medium, third and fourth lines for respectively connecting said first and second working chambers with said reservoir, first and second valves respectively in said third and fourth lines, and a fifth line connecting one of said first and second working chambers with said reservoir, said fifth line containing a two-stage pressurizing valve according to
6. A hydraulic apparatus according to
7. A hydraulic apparatus according to
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydraulic actuation arrangement, particularly for covers, doors, convertible tops and the like on vehicles, having at least one double-action working cylinder whose working chambers are in communication via a mutually unseatable check valve with one side of a reversible pressure medium source, respectively, whereby each working chamber is connected to a pressure medium source by at least one pressure-relief valve or pressurizing valve, and whereby at least one working chamber communicates additionally with a pressure medium reservoir through an additional pressurizing valve and a two-stage pressurizing valve. This configuration is especially used in an actuation arrangement to open and close a flow-through opening in a passage for the pressure medium, having a valve housing and a valve element slidably mounted therein, whereby the valve element is biased by a resilient element in the closing direction of the flow-through opening, and whereby on the resilient element there is a control connection provided through which the valve element is biased by a force in the closing direction as well.
2. The Prior Art
Arrangements of this type are well known and make possible, for example, automatic actuation of vehicle doors, hoods, maintenance access doors, trunk lids, or the cover of the space receiving a convertible top. It is guaranteed by the use of mutually unseatable check valves, which are for example described for pneumatic actuation devices in DE 43 34 843 A1, that during turn-off or malfunction of the operational pressure, the hinged covers remain hydraulically blocked in a particular position to prevent uncontrolled movement (of the component) and risk of injuries resulting thereof. The pressurizing valve enables controlled continued movement of the hinged cover by hand in this condition, for example, to thusly allow emergency closing against the force determined by the pressurizing valve. In AT 405 752 B1 there is also a similar configuration described in which however no precautions of any kind are offered to make available different force levels during the manual actuation process.
To achieve a reduction in the force necessary to move the component by hand in an emergency operation, which is otherwise actuated hydraulically, it has been proposed in DE 197 40 029 C2 to provide a pressure-relief valve with two different operational triggers so that after overcoming a first higher threshold value at the beginning of the emergency operation, a lower pressure is subsequently necessary to keep the valve open and to manually bring the component into the desired position. Nevertheless, in this arrangement the valve element is continuously biased by the existing operating pressure in the opening direction and the first pressure threshold value must correspond to the maximal possible or desired system pressure, which leads to very high initial forces to overcome during emergency operation. Moreover, the two-stage pressurizing valve disclosed in DE 197 40 029 C2 is to be provided with a cylindrical stepped sealing element so that a considerably longer passage is necessary to the opening of the first higher pressure stage, which in turn makes necessary a longer influence of the higher force at the beginning of the manual actuation.
Two-stage valves are also very generally disclosed in DE 41 30 832 C1, wherein the two stages are however not disposed one behind the other and in the same flowthrough passage. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,628 a check valve is disclosed but no information is given about the force conditions before and after pressurizing by the valve, since only the flow-through cross section is of significance during the process of the opening movement. The safety check valve in U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,946 includes two independently functioning valve elements that are connected in series, but there is no information concerning a controlled movement sequence or different pressure stages.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement of the type described above wherein the manual force necessary during emergency operation may be clearly reduced at the start of the manual movement as well as during the movement, whereby these force levels may be selected for both movement directions independently from the maximum system pressure and the force levels may also be selected independently in consecutive sequence. However, an additional object of the present invention is also a two-stage pressurizing valve which safely guarantees by simple fabrication the keeping of both pressure threshold values and which makes the transfer between the two switching stages possible in a rapid manner.
The first object is achieved according to the invention in that the hydraulic actuation arrangement described above is provided with at least one additional pressurizing valve and at least two different threshold values. The forces for emergency operation are given by the pressure threshold values of the second pressurizing valve, whereby the higher value may correspond to the highest system pressure at the most, but which is preferably considerably lower. The higher pressure threshold value is preferably selected in a way whereby the normally hydraulic actuated component is safely fixed exactly in each position—its own position and that of the vehicle—and whereby a force exceeding the holding force only by a small degree is sufficient for displacement from this position. After introduction of the manual movement there is only a force necessary to continue the movement, which is given by the second lower pressure threshold value of the second pressurized valve. This advantageous force reduction may be in the most simple application be provided only for one movement direction, but it may also be achieved of course for both movement directions of the normally hydraulic actuated component in that both working chambers are respectively connected to the pressure reservoir via at least one common pressurizing valve, preferably via a respective dedicated (own) pressurizing valve.
The pressure threshold value for opening of the additional pressurizing valve is thereby preferably higher than the pressure threshold value to keep the valve in an open position.
Each working chamber is connected with the pressure means reservoir through its own pressurizing valve according to the invention to achieve, independently from one another, an adjustment of the actuation forces in the opening and closing direction.
In both above-mentioned cases it is also conceivable that two separate pressure relief valves exist for the maximum system pressure, one for the outward movement of the working cylinder and one for the inward movement. Thereby the pressure threshold values are then set maximally as high for the respective second pressurized valve as the threshold values of the pressure relief valve connected on that side of the working cylinder.
In working cylinders with a different cross section at the piston-side or rod-side it is preferably proposed that in order to obtain volume compensation, the piston-side working chamber of the working cylinder is connected with the pressure medium reservoir via a line having a check valve blocking toward that pressure medium reservoir.
The second object of the present invention is achieved by a pressurizing valve which is characterized in that there is a flow-through opening provided that may be blocked by the valve element whereby the surface area of the flow-through opening is smaller that the cross section area of the valve element, and whereby the front end of the valve element controlling the flow-through opening is designed in a cone-shaped manner. Through the cooperation of the valve seat (defined by the flow-through opening) with the valve cone of the valve element, an optimum sealing effect on the shoulder of the valve seat is obtained to guarantee the transfer between the two pressure threshold values as quickly as possible, which are given by the different pressure applied to the surfaces (entire valve cone—lower pressure threshold value; cross section of the valve seat higher pressure threshold value.)
It is preferred that the front end of the valve element sealingly cooperates with the shoulder of the flow-through opening metal-to-metal and whereby the valve element, and preferably the second flow-through opening, are sealingly guided in the valve housing metal-to-metal as well.
According to an additional characteristic of the invention, a piston is provided for hydraulic blocking of the pressurized valve whereby the piston is urged toward the end of the valve element, which is disposed at the opposite end of the shoulder of the flowthrough opening, by means of pressure applied at the control connection.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows thereby a schematic, hydraulic circuit of an arrangement according to the invention, and
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through a two-stage pressurized valve according to the invention.
The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 for hydraulic actuation of a hinged cover, a trunk lid or an otherwise moveable component on a vehicle is provided with at least one double-action working cylinder 1, which is joined to the vehicle on one side and on the other side to a component to be moved, such as a hinged cover. The two working chambers 2, 3 of the working cylinder 1 are connected via lines 4, 5 with a reversible pressure medium source 6, preferably a reversible pump with an electric drive motor, which communicates via a connection line with the main electric circuit or possibly the control electronics of the vehicle. In place of the directly linked attachment of the working cylinder at both sides, which requires of course correspondingly flexible lines 4, 5 or a hydraulic unit 6 moving together with the working cylinder 1, the linked attachment of the working cylinder 1 at the vehicle side and/or hinged cover could also be a lever or a hinge arrangement whereby the working cylinder 1 could be mounted rigidly in relation to the vehicle as well.
A check valve 7, 8 is respectively provided in each of the lines 4, 5, which are in turn connected with one side of the reversible pressure source 6. The two check valves 7, 8 are thereby connected by the lines 9 and may be unseated through the lines 9. The two working chambers 2, 3 of the working cylinder are depressurized by a respective pressure relief valve 10, 11 and pressure medium is diverted into the pressure means reservoir 12, preferably a hydraulic fluid tank, as soon as a set pressure level has been reached or surpassed on the corresponding side. The pressure relief valves 10, 11 determine the maximum possible pressure at the respective side of the working cylinder 1, and in simplified configurations, only one pressure relief valve for both sides could be provided, which would predetermine one single maximum value for the system pressure. In the connection lines 4, 5, preferably between the hydraulic unit 6 and the check valves 7, 8, there are also nozzles 13 or similar throttle elements installed.
Parallel to the pressure relief valves 10, 11 or toward the lines in which they are disposed, each of the working chambers 2, 3 of the working cylinder is also connected with the pressure means reservoir 12 via a two-stage pressurizing valve 14, 15, respectively. These second pressurizing valves 14, 15 are connected with the reversible pressure medium source 6 via control lines 16, 17 in such a manner that the pressurizing valves 14, 15 are completely blocked hydraulically at least at applied system pressure in front of the check valves 7, 8—so that pressure may build up on the corresponding side up to the set maximum pressure determined by the respective pressure relief valve 10, 11.
Both sides of the reversible pressure medium source 6 are finally also connected with each other via a shuttle valve 18, which is also provided with a connection to the pressure means reservoir 12. Lastly, the piston-side working chamber 2 of the working cylinder 1 is connected with the pressure medium reservoir 12 via a check valve 19 blocking in the direction of the reservoir 12 for the purpose of volume compensation during emergency operation.
In the following, the functioning of the illustrated arrangement is described as shown in FIG. 1. The working cylinder 1 moves in or out during hydraulic opening or closing. The motor of the pump for the pressure medium source 6 is placed under electric power, the pump subsequently runs and supplies pressure medium via check valves 7 or 8 to the piston-side working chamber 2 or the rod-side working chamber 3. The pressurizing valve 14 or 15, which is disposed on the same side as the respective in-flow check valve 7, 8, is hydraulically blocked via the lines 16 or 17. The pressure in the working chamber 2 or 3 may build up to a value at which the pressure relief valves 10 or 11 open up. Thereby varying forces and therefore also varying pressure levels may be required at both sides depending on kinematics and lever ratio. However, the pressure and the thereby produced force are set at a value that is merely sufficient to be able to conduct or to continue the opening or closing movement in the respective stages. Unnecessary and excessive forces are avoided, which would lead to damage or injuries when engaging obstacles. The (fluid) volume of the rod-side working cylinder 3 flows then into the tank 12 through the controlling check valve 7 and the shuttle valve 18 during the outward movement.
During malfunctioning of the reversible pressure medium source 6, as during electric power supply failure, the check valves 7 and 8 block immediately and thus keep the normally hydraulically moved component fixed in its current position. At the same time, the pressure in the control lines 16 and 17 drops also so that the hydraulic block of the second pressurizing valve 14 and 15 is lifted. The two pressurizing valves 14, 15 are then functioning and the force necessary for the now manual operation of the vehicle component is determined by the pressure threshold values of these two pressurizing valves 14, 15. The higher one of the two pressure threshold values serves as holding pressure in case of employment to fix the normally hydraulic actuated component of the vehicle in a particular position, for example, when the vehicle is at an inclined position or is positioned against the force of the wind or the like. Should now manual actuation take place, then the user has to overcome this holding pressure, which may be selected differently at either side of the hydraulic system by separate pressurizing valves 14 and 15, and which leads then to switching of the pressurizing valve to its second lower pressure threshold value so that the necessary force for continued movement of the component is clearly less than the holding force. At release of the force needed to move the component, the pressurizing valve 14, 15 jumps back again to its higher-pressure threshold value and the holding force becomes effective again.
In FIG. 2 there is shown in a sectional view an embodiment, according to the invention, of a two-stage pressurizing valve 14,15, which may advantageously find application in a hydraulic arrangement as described above, but which is not limited to an application of this type.
In a housing 20 there are provided an inlet connection 21 and an outlet connection 22 for the pressure medium between which runs a passage 23 for the pressure medium. A valve element 25, which is slidably mounted in a bore 24, opens and closes in the process of its movement in the bore 24 a first valve seat 26 for the pressure medium. One end of the valve element 25 is thereby designed in the shape of a valve cone 27 and cooperates with a second valve seat 28. The valve seat 28 is flat, preferably with a circular cross section, and it is sealingly locked metal-to-metal with the valve cone 27 in an end position of the valve element 25. Through the difference in the cross section of the second valve seat 28—which is smaller than the cross section of the bore 24 in the housing 20 of the pressurizing valve 14, 15—the two different pressure threshold values are realized since the force to displace the valve element 25 is there of course substantially the same in both cases and which consists only of the counterforce of the resilient element, preferably in the form of a closing spring 29. Through the cone-shaped design of the valve element 25, there is guaranteed a secure seal seat in conjunction with the rapid availability of a best possible flow-through cross section, which means rapid switching is ensured from one pressure threshold value to the second pressure threshold value.
The closing force of the spring 29 may be set by a set screw 30, which may be adjusted in a threaded bore of the housing 20 in the direction of movement of the valve element 25. The set screw 30 is sealingly inserted via a seal 31 whereby the set screw 30 compresses the spring 30 during tightening into the housing and which thereby increases the force of the spring. A control connection 32 is provided in the housing 20 for hydraulic blocking of the pressurizing valve 14, 15 whereby the control connection 32 communicates with a passage 33 in the set screw 30, which controls the function of a working chamber of a hydraulic cylinder. The pressure medium in the passage 33 acts upon a pin-type piston 34, which is slidable in longitudinal direction toward the valve element 25, and which finally applies a force in the closing direction of the valve and on the rear side and thereby totally blocks the valve 14, 15.
During, use of the hydraulic actuation arrangement described above, a control connection 32 on the valve 14, 15 is connected with a control line 16 or 17. At the inlet connection 21 there is a line 4 or 5 connected, starting from the piston-side or rod-side working chamber 2, 3 of the working cylinder, and at the outlet connection 22 there is the line connected that leads into the pressure medium reservoir.


text:
Got an Extra $11,500? You’ll Need It to Keep Up With 2022 Prices
Even if inflation slows in coming months, Americans will have to spend thousands more in 2022.
Elizabeth Renter Aug 17, 2022
Rising prices (i.e., inflation) are everywhere you look — on the news, at the pump and in the grocery store. We notice these changes when we reach for our wallets, but it’s difficult to grasp what an extra dollar here or several dollars there mean over the course of several weeks, months or an entire year.
With prices up 8.5% year over year, household spending — that’s yours and mine — stands to rise by several thousand dollars. Even with the Federal Reserve’s attempts to control inflation through interest rate increases, it’s unlikely these prices will fall dramatically. This climb isn’t just a tank of gas or a few additional dollars at the store. For some people, it could be an entire paycheck every month.
Using inflation and annual spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we looked at how spending in 2022 will differ from 2020, the last full year when inflation was relatively stable. We chose a handful of categories that many, if not most, Americans spend money on, such as food and electricity. The inflationary impact is remarkable.
Household expenditures could rise by $11,500
In all of 2020, American households spent $61,300, on average. This number includes everything we spend our money on: housing, food, entertainment, clothing, transportation and everything else. In 2022, it stands to reach $72,900, a difference of more than $11,500 if consumers want to maintain the same standard of living. Keep in mind, this is an average, a number that represents an approximation across all Americans, but one that’s exact to a very few. Those who earn (and therefore spend) more will see more dramatic dollar increases. Those who earn less may see less dramatic dollar jumps, but the impact of these rising prices could be more significantly felt.
It’s worth calling out — spending was a bit unusual in 2020. People spent less on commuting, child care and entertainment, for example, and more on home improvements. It’s a safe assumption that people will spend less in certain categories this year too, if for no other reason than avoiding high prices. This is primarily why we think spending in 2022 will be more similar to 2020 than 2019, for example, another year for which such spending data was available.
We can all likely agree that $11,500 is a lot more money to spend in a single year, but grasping what big numbers like that mean in practice can be difficult. Per month, you’re looking at close to $1,000 more. For many people, this is an entire extra rent or mortgage payment.
Average monthly spending changes, 2020-2022
+$961 Total monthly expenditures.
+$70 Household utilities.
Source: NerdWallet analysis of 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey data and Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Across all the spending categories we examined, groceries, shelter and gas stand to rise the most. Throughout all of 2022, if inflation doesn’t slow considerably, we can expect to spend $1,200, $1,400 and $2,500 more on these categories, respectively.
Click here for a table of all anticipated spending changes.
LFC Comments: We suggest going to their website to see more of their excellent analysis. We calculate that the inflation is more like 18.7% rather than the government’s misinformation of 8.5%.
Increase in household expenditures: more than $11,500
2020 American Household expenditures: $61,300
2022 Projected Household expenditures: $72,900
% increase due to inflation: ~18.7% ($11,500 / $61,300)

domain: news


text:
Based on the latest survey report of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Tk 87,926 crore in gross value has been added by the hotel and restaurant sector to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the fiscal year 2019-2020, increasing by 7.34 times in the last 10 years from Tk 11,986 crore in FY 2009-2010
The report stated that the contribution of hotels and restaurants to the nation’s GDP have been increasing exponentially, which has proved that the sectors are expanding rapidly and making valuable contributions to the economy.
The value of products sold or manufactured and services rendered, the gross output, increased by more than 2 times to Tk 88,643 crore in the previous one decade as the gross output was only Tk 35,159 crore in FY2010.
The report stated that the number of hotel and restaurant establishments also saw an upturn of 58.46 per cent, reaching 4.36 lakh in FY 2020 from 2.75 lakh in FY 2010.
On June 10, the BBS released the provisional report of the Hotel and Restaurant Survey 2020 conducted in March-April 2021.
Based on the survey estimates, the number of persons, including proprietors, full-time and part-time workers and unpaid family workers, engaged in the business also increased by 153 per cent during that time frame and stood at 22.83 lakh in FY 2020 from 9.04 lakh 10 years ago.
18.04 males were engaged in the sector for FY 2020, an upturn from 8.56 lakh in FY 2010 while the number of females engaged in the sector increased to 4.80 lakh in the year from that of 47,463 in FY 2010.
A survey was conducted by the BBS to provide the required data for national accounting and other policy and management purposes as the sector is an important component of the non farm economic sector for calculating the nation’s GDP.
The report stated that the estimated employment cost which involves salary, wages, other cash benefits and non-cash benefits in hotels and restaurants stood at Tk 15,767 crore in FY 2020 instead it was only Tk 3,575 crore in FY 2010.
It also said that the annual employment cost per person was Tk 69,048 in FY2020, which was Tk 39,557 in FY2010.
As per the Bangladesh Standard Industrial Classification (BSIC 2020), BBS joint director Akhter Hossain, also the focal point for the survey, stated that the survey included all types of permanent establishments, including hotels, restaurants, motels, rest houses, student hostels, messes, fast food and tea shops and catering houses.
Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association adviser Khandaker Ruhul Amin said that there were around 40,000 restaurants in the country which held trade licences and which employed more than 12 lakh people.


TVs are one of the main sights at CES, so it’s with no impress that the huge names are announcing fresh models already. We extra love the LG Signature and currently Sony has reported a slate of super-sized models for its Master series.
Sony’s fresh TVs are categorized into two – the Z9G what is an 8K LCD series and the A9G what is a 4K OLED series. Both are incredible in their own ways.
The Z9G series arrives in 98” and 85” models. These are the initial 8K TVs from Sony made for buyers and the manufacturer claims there are new technologies that help it reach its incredibile picture quality.
The Z9G series have an LCD display, so the OLED’s acoustic Surface Audio+ tech can’t work. However, Sony found a way to replicate the audio experience so it feels such as the sound is coming from the display. To achieve this, there are 2 speakers more than and below the display for a total of four front-facing speakers.
Sony Furthermore says the Z9G series can upscale 4K content to near-8K excellent due to a proprietary algorithm.
The A9G model comes in 77”, 65”, and 55” models. Due to the fact the screen is OLED, you could be sure of having true blacks, super-wide viewing sides, and superb contrast. The A9G moreover shows to have thinner bezels and according to Sony, after mounted, the TV “appears to be floating on the wall, leaving only the brilliance of its picture”.
The Z9G and A9G both run Android TV (Oreo) and Sony says they offer better performance than older models. Sony hasn’t said anything about the price of the TVs and after they will be available for buy.


Although their new album won't see the light of day by 2015, UK rock masters Muse seem to be quite certain about the direction they'll be taking. As frontman Matt Bellamy described it, the band is aiming to shift its sound toward classic rock, mostly because for the first time in years, he personally got back to listening to guitar-driven tunes as a fan. Chatting with KROQ radio, Bellamy explained: "I went through a stage where I stopped listening to music - it kept influencing me, I kind of cut off listening to music altogether. I kind of thought I'd write purer music if I didn't have any outside influence at all." However, those days are now over, making Matt once again an active listener and a fan of rock music. "I've gone back, I'm listening to a lot of music, especially classic rock music again, which I haven't listened to for a very long time. I'm getting really back into that again, as a fan." Explaining he had also gone through a period of listening to anything but rock, Bellamy also noted he is no longer afraid of other rockers' influence. "I'm into it, I think our next album's gonna sound like 'Back in Black' basically [laughs]." Summing it all up, the frontman added: "I think we're getting back to where we started - straight rock is coming back to us. We've done a lot of experimentation with all these other weird things and I think it's good for us to do that - to basically remind ourselves that you can't just beat guitar, bass and drums - you just can't beat that." The band's latest studio effort, "The 2nd Law," dropped in October 2012 via Helium 3 Records.
UG editorial team. A group of people who are passionate about guitar and music in general.


text:
Nelson has a new Mayor
Progress results put sitting
Councillor Rachel Reese taking the seat with 1429 votes
ahead of first term Mayor Aldo Miccio.
The Mayoral results
· Rachel Reese 7477 votes
Miccio (sitting) 6048 votes
· Brian McGurk 3018
· Richard Osmaston 308 votes
was not standing for Council at large.
results for the 12 Councillors will be released as soon as
candidates have been informed.
There has been a 48.74%
voter return in Nelson compared with 52.20% in
© Scoop Media
Gordon Campbell: On Populism And Labour 2017
For many people on the centre-left, populism is a dirty word, and a shorthand for the politics of bigotry. In this country, it has tended to be equated with the angry legions of New Zealand First. Who knew they were not just a reactionary spasm, but the wave of the future?
Certainly, at the end of this week, the next US President will have won office (at least in part) thanks to his proven ability at (a) scapegoating refugees and migrants (b) wooing neo-Nazis and racial supremacists (c) attacking journalists and judges (d) threatening to jail his opponents (e) urging nuclear proliferation and (e) by promising to restrict women’s rights to control their own fertility.
On the face of that campaign record, there wouldn’t seem to be much in common between Donald Trump and say, Spain’s centre-left populist party, Podemos. Yet arguably, the similarities could be instructive for the Labour/Green partnership here. More>>

domain: politics


The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the organization which had Whitey Bulger on its payroll, ignored Olympic gymnasts’ sexual abuse claims, and arguably had a hand in the January 6th “insurrection,” has now decided prospective agents can smoke marijuana twenty-three times and still be hired.
Activists were encouraged this summer when the FBI moved to loosen its employment restrictions for would-be agents who’ve previously used marijuana—but the agency more recently further revised the policy to add a stipulation that applicants are ineligible if they’ve used cannabis more than 24 times after turning 18.
Why 24 times specifically? The agency doesn’t explain.
I guess that explains why the FBI is so utterly and completely inept.
It simply said in an update to its job eligibility guidance that candidates who “have used marijuana or any of its various forms (e.g., cannabis, hashish (hash), hash oil, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), synthetic or natural), in any location (domestic or foreign) regardless of the legality in that location of use, more than twenty-four (24) times after turning 18 years old is a disqualifier for FBI employment.”
FBI Undersecretary for Ganja Jeff Spicoli was unavailable for comment.


The MP argues Westminster is viewed as an example to follow in many other countries.
There is nothing like FOTBs anywhere else in Europe. This toxic mix of high stakes and rapid spins is leaving an alarming amount of people with addiction and debt.
James Frayne: To win over young voters, don’t make the mistake of assuming they’re all wealthy graduates
Targeting stamp duty and tuition fees could be less effective than technical education and the right industrial policy.
The Government must keep talking; be as Ready on Day One as it can be (Deal or No Deal), and resolve its position on what economic, social and regulatory model it wants Britain to follow.
Not only would many borrowers feel pain, but the Opposition might well be tempted to seize the chance to pile on the pressure.
Christopher Howarth: The flurry of Withdrawal Bill amendments range from pointless to legally illiterate
Parliament authorised Brexit through Article 50, but now risks refusing the Government the chance to guarantee legal continuity.
We must follow the example of Beveridge, Butler and Willink.
Many Labour councillors are still backing the Maduro dictatorship. This is something we need to challenge.
The Defence Secretary calls on the Labour leader to reject his youth wing’s position.
The centenary of the Co-operative Party challenges us to re-assert the link between conservatism and the mutual economic model.
The future leaders of the Left either don’t know their history, or prefer a made-up version of it.
Provision for No Deal is in the Conservative manifesto. A vote against it would thus be one of confidence.
It follows that any Tory MP voting with Corbyn would thus be deprived of the whip, and ineligible to stand as a Party candidate in any election that followed.
The President himself hasn’t set out what he would like to happen next, and has provided no detailed plan for what would replace the current agreement.
Party members should elect our next Chairman and other key figures. Through this process, we will be able to identify talented candidates and platforms.
Developers and planners will also have to accept difficult changes if the aspirations of the young are to be fulfilled.
The Shadow Chancellor believes that the House of Commons will force the Government to secure a deal.
Pride in British history and institutions is an essential source of social cohesion in an increasingly diverse society.
“It’s a very simple thing: if economically it’s better to have to have an arrangement that works for our business and our economy then we’ll do it.”
The Transport Secretary assures viewers that “people will be able to carry on booking their holidays” after Brexit.
The former education secretary claims a “very senior Cabinet minister” has told her how appalled ‘she’ is at the infighting.
She claims that the Leave campaign exported its fake news style to support Donald Trump’s presidential run.
Though if May moves Philip Hammond, or seeks to, she is also likely to move Boris Johnson, or try to.
Brexit negotiations 1) May and Juncker met last night to attempt to break deadlock…
“…The Prime Minister flew out to dinner with Mr Juncker, the President of the European Commission, after a Brexit charm offensive with other EU leaders ahead of a summit on Thursday. On Monday she spoke to Emmanuel Macron, the French President and Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach. She called Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor at the weekend. In an apparent sign of more cordial relations Mr Juncker gave David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, a “bear hug” after the meeting.” – Daily Telegraph
- Downing Street says meeting was “in the diary for weeks”. But was it? – Herald
- She talked to Macron and Varadkar first – FT
- She had an evening to save the day – Tom Peck, Independent
Brexit negotiations 2) ….But was there a breakthrough?…
“Theresa May won a commitment to ‘accelerate’ Brexit talks at a crucial dinner with top Eurocrats tonight. The Prime Minister has engaged in a high stakes diplomatic push to try and break the deadlock at this week EU’s summit. Mrs May and her Brexit Secretary David Davis dined with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels on Monday evening. If she had walked away empty handed the dinner would have been seen as another failed gamble by the embattled PM. But a joint statement between Mrs May and Mr Juncker raised hopes of a new breakthrough in the talks.” – Daily Mail
- Joint statement says meeting was “constructive” – Daily Express
- May had “sympathetic” hosts – James Crisp, Daily Telegraph
- Brussels should listen to Kurz – Asa Bennett, Daily Telegraph
Brexit negotiations 3) … Or a stalemate?…
“Theresa May’s last-ditch attempt to persuade European leaders to open talks on a transition period look doomed to fail as Downing Street appeared to rule out fresh concessions on the UK’s divorce bill and Brussels hardened its approach days away from a crunch summit. Calls to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, along with a 90-minute dinner in Brussels with the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, and his chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, failed to move the dial in the prime minister’s favour, with senior diplomats insisting the UK had not done enough. A joint statement from Juncker and the prime minister following their dinner gave no indication of any movement in the British government’s favour, but instead included reference to the sequenced approach to the talks insisted upon by Brussels.” – Guardian
- Juncker had said earlier there would be need for “autopsy” after – Daily Telegraph
- May said she “wouldn’t give another inch” – The Sun
- Cummings says she and Davis are “case study of grotesque uselessness” – Independent
- Meanwhile, France and Germany push for post-Brexit ECJ jurisdiction for EU citizens in Britain – Daily Telegraph
- It’s all a fantasy – Aditya Chakrabortty, Guardian
- It just can’t be done – Alastair Campbell, Guardian
- Read about our court case against Davis – Molly Scott Cato, Independent
- May should listen to Clegg – Andrew Grice, Independent
Brexit negotiations 4) … Money remains the issue
“European leaders are deliberately stalling on a deal that would protect the rights of EU and British citizens after Brexit to wring further financial concessions from Theresa May, government sources claimed last night. Senior figures close to negotiations said that an agreement to safeguard the rights of three million EU citizens living in the UK was “almost done”. In a sign of growing frustration in Whitehall, sources claimed that there was unwillingness on the EU side to finalise the deal. The aim was to maximise pressure on Mrs May over money while not being seen to put the EU’s financial interests over the rights of its citizens, the sources said.” – The Times
- Merkel tells May no transition talk before financial commitment – FT
- Don’t pay up before we know what we’ll get – The Sun
Growing cross-bench collaboration calling for final Withdrawal Bill vote
“Theresa May could face significant defeats over Brexit as Tory rebels agree to coalesce around amendments to give MPs a binding vote on the final deal and to delay Britain’s exit from the EU if a transition period is not agreed. The government is urgently trying to quell a potential rebellion after the scale of cross-bench cooperation over the EU withdrawal bill intensified, with newer MPs called in for meetings with chief whip Gavin Williamson. Those involved said that the government’s decision to delay the next stage of the bill by at least a week had simply provided more time for their operation, with discussions across parties intensifying on Monday.” – Guardian
>Today: Christopher Howarth’s column: The flurry of Withdrawal Bill amendments range from pointless to legally illiterate
“Short-lived” claim that SNP “power grab” accusations were over
“A claim by Theresa May’s deputy that successful Brexit talks on the repatriation of EU powers had ended SNP accusations of a “power grab” by the UK Government has proved short lived. Both sides admitted progress had been made after they agreed a set of principles to underpin the transfer of powers back from Europe. The agreement is the first between Whitehall and the devolved administrations since the UK voted to leave the EU last year. Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, who met the devolved administrations with David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, claimed afterwards that concerns that Westminster was seizing powers that should go straight to Edinburgh were now “behind us”.” – Daily Telegraph
Hammond signals stamp duty cut for first-time buyers…
“A stamp duty cut for first-time buyers could form part of Tory efforts to win young voters back from Labour in next month’s budget, it emerged yesterday. Philip Hammond, the chancellor, has signalled that at the core of next month’s budget will be measures to reduce inter-generational unfairness after an election in which people under 47 were more likely to vote Labour than Tory.” – The Times
…As Lamont warns him against starting “generational tax war”
“Philip Hammond has been warned by a former Tory Chancellor not to start a “generational war in the tax system” by giving tax breaks to young workers paid for by older people. Lord Lamont, who as Norman Lamont ran the Treasury from 1990 to 1993, said it was wrong to blame elderly people for soaring house prices that stop young people buying new homes. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is understood to be examining ways to link tax to age for the first time to promote “intergenerational fairness” in next month’s Budget.” – Daily Telegraph
- MPs say there’d be a backlash over Hammond’s strategy – Daily Mail
- And his adviser quits – The Sun
- Altmann says proposals are “fraught with anger” – Daily Express
- But Willetts supports them – The Sun
- Care homes say they won’t be able to pay “dementia tax” extras – Guardian
- And Field says DWP is “withholding bad news” on Universal Credit – Guardian
- Hammond’s plans are mad – Ross Clark, Daily Express
- He should end the benefit freeze – Campbell Robb, The Times
- It’d be wrong for May to sack him – Janan Ganesh, FT
Clark: The government is right to tighten rules on inward investment
“The government is to tighten its rules on inward investment into the UK making it harder for foreign buyers of companies that design and manufacture military products and other key technologies. Greg Clark, the business and energy secretary, said while the UK remained a “vociferous advocate” of free trade “it is right that every so often the government reviews its mergers regime to close loopholes where they arise and this is what these proposals do in the area of national security”. Under the proposals, to be put out for consultation later today, the government will be able to intervene in mergers that “raise national security concerns even when they involve smaller businesses”.” – FT
- New barriers for energy, telecoms, and tech companies – Daily Express
- Protectionism doesn’t help anyone – Jim Nicholson, Belfast News Letter
Badenoch: The right has a language problem
“We don’t have a youth problem on the Right. We have a language problem. No one understands what we’re talking about anymore. If you’re 47 or under, you’re more likely to vote Labour than Conservative. I hate to break it to you Telegraph readers, but the generation born in the 70s and 80s are now comfortably middle-aged. We aren’t young anymore. It’s time to stop waiting for us abandon the folly of youth and come to our senses; we’re not going to. It dawned on me recently, when I was preparing a speech making the case for free markets and conservatism to young people, that those of us on the Right don’t even understand each other anymore.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: Sam Gyimah in comment: The time to develop a bright vision for post-Brexit social reform is right now
Boundary Commission review suggests Tories “unfairly” treated
“The Conservatives are being denied a House of Commons majority under an “unfair” constituency system, the official review of MPs seats suggests today. Changes proposed by the Boundary Commission to make the current system fairer would give the Tories a small outright majority in the Commons. The review of boundaries, which was proposed under the Coalition but blocked by the Liberal Democrats, would deliver on a Government pledge to cut the number of MPs by 50 to 600.” – Daily Telegraph
- There would’ve been a majority – Daily Mail
- Proposals threaten Johnson’s and Davis’s seats – The Times
- And Corbyn’s – FT
- Labour and LibDems say there’s “no parliamentary support” for changes – Guardian
Lords Committee to propose that new peerages should have 15-year limit
“New peerages will have a 15-year time limit under a plan to shrink the House of Lords, The Times has learnt. The Lords has almost 800 members, making it the second largest legislative chamber in the world after the National People’s Congress of China, but pressure has grown on the government to reduce its size. There is no retirement age or limit on how long peers can serve. The Lords committee tasked this year with cutting membership of the house will propose the time limits in its report this month.” – The Times
It’s the “wrong remedy for a real problem” – The Times
News in Brief
Brexit negotiations 1) May and Juncker met last night to attempt to break deadlock… “…The Prime Minister flew out to… Read more »
Brexit 1) May makes surprise visit to Brussels ‘Theresa May will fly to Brussels today for emergency talks with EU… Read more »
Hammond warned that Budget must be ‘perfect’… “Philip Hammond has been warned by No 10 Downing Street that next month’s Budget… Read more »
Hammond criticised for calling the EU the “enemy”…. “Philip Hammond’s political fightback unravelled today after he was forced to apologise… Read more »
Rebellion 1) Ministers pause Withdrawal Bill in the face of blizzard of amendments “The flagship EU Withdrawal Bill has been taken out… Read more »


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SCRUBS FOR EPSOM & ST. HELIER
Hearing about sewing scrubs on the BBC’s Country File made me want to sew again.
I used to be a costume maker for the English National Opera and hadn’t sewn anything for 20 years. Furloughed from my job as B.A. cabin crew, I thought it was a great idea and loved the idea of volunteering.
I think I am the Group’s only male sewer.

domain: artistic


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Recent data from mainstream mining indices are showing a rapid decline in value, in some cases not seen since early 2016. The S&P TSX Metals & Mining Index has plummeted almost 19% from July this year, and the Global Index dropping almost 12% in the same period (July to October 2018).
As a reference, these indices provide investors with a benchmark for global mining portfolios and include securities in sub-industries: Aluminum, Diversified Metals & Mining, Gold, Precious Metals & Minerals, and Coal & Consumable Fuels.
Mining companies are facing a range of issues today, from digital effectiveness, cyber security and social license to operate (SLTO), to competitive shareholder returns, cash optimization and resource replacement. These are mostly well known issues and companies have been investing in improvements for some time. All the while indices fall, investment and consolidation grow as demonstrated in the strongest quarterly results for Canadian mining mergers and acquisitions since 2011 (Q3 2018).
From a recruiter’s perspective, the mining industry is still strong
As recruiters, we’re seeing a similarly contradicting story tell out. As a specialist in sales and sales management roles in the mining sector, I’m seeing lots of hiring in a strong business environment. Our clients are usually product and service providers to the mining industry which are sensitive to changing demand from mining customers. One of our top clients is a company selling physical ground-breaking equipment, who are having a banner year. Another recently hired a full-time in-house recruiter to prospect for talent specifically for the mining industry. When it comes to industrial sales, including products like pumps, compressors or valves for example, we’re sourcing talent on a very regular basis.
What is the major focus in the evolving mining industry?
When it comes to changes in the market, a lot of attention is being focused on who is being hired instead. Traditionally, the industry has rather old-school expectations of the sales and purchasing managers relationships. However, due to the demands put on the industry I mentioned earlier, a new type of sales operative has emerged. Stakeholders are demanding data driven decision making across the board, and in order to meet those demands the sales industry is answering with representatives that are ready to provide that. Where once a sales person could build a relationship with face to face interaction and entertainment, you now have an MBA armed with verifiable proof-points on their products.
With that being said, we are seeing some industrial equipment providers seeking to diversify their own client base in a bid to protect their long-term success against the corrections of a particular market. These companies are seeking flexible and talented team members that are able to represent them across industrial market lines as they find new uses for existing products. Here in British Columbia, economic diversification is a huge strength, and where a business might have become established servicing the pulp and paper industry, other industries like oil and gas, manufacturing and petrochemical are now supplementing their sales more predictably.
How do you perceive the resource industry right now? To talk more about the market and the types and calibre of candidates available to you, get in touch.


سال انتشار: ۱۳۸۵
محل انتشار: پنجمین همایش بین المللی بهینه سازی مصرف سوخت در ساختمان
تعداد صفحات: ۱۵
Eleftheria Alexandri – Welsh School of Architecture, Bute Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, Wales, United Kingdom
Phil Jones –
In this paper the effect of vegetation, water and high albedo of materials is examined in the built environment. The high capacity and low albedo urban building materials are mostly responsible for the formation of raised urban temperatures. If these materials are covered with materials of low heat capacity and high albedo, this phenomenon of excessive heat gains in the built environment could be moderated. The necessity of covering existing or new urban structures with high albedo materials, with plants or water is investigated. With the use of dynamic, heat and mass transfer algorithms these techniques are investigated for three cities in hot climates; Athens (hot and dry), Mumbai (hot and humid) and Riyadh (hot and arid). A comparison is done between the techniques and the different climates and conclusions are drawn, regarding whichtechnique could prove more beneficial for mitigating raised urban temperatures for each climate.


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Thank you all for the lovely comments on my sewing room! I am very blessed to have the space that I do. However, I should have shown BEFORE photos. It became a big of a dumping ground in December. On to the topic for today!
Throw quilts are the perfect gift for graduations, housewarming’s, birthdays, just because…. here are the throw quilts I made this past year.
Have a great day!


Axiom Space has big plans for low Earth orbit.
The Houston-based company, founded in 2016, was the first to ferry a flight of all private citizens to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Ax-1 mission, which launched in April 2021. The company's second flight (Ax-2) to the ISS wrapped up an eight-day mission in late May with the splashdown and safe return of the contracted SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and a privately funded crew of four. A third flight, Ax-3, is currently scheduled for this November. Each mission has included a host of science experiments for its crews to conduct, and Axiom is using some of those investigations to inform the design and use of the company's own space station.
In January 2020, Axiom won NASA's contract to construct the first commercially manufactured module for the ISS. "Our first module is going to be in 2026," David Zuniga, senior director of in-space solutions at Axiom, told Space.com. This is an update to the company's previously stated target of 2024.
Axiom's first station component will attach to the forward port of the ISS' Harmony module and serve as the springboard for the remaining pieces of the company's planned space station architecture. Axiom is planning to attach a second module in 2027 and a third module a year later. Finally, a thermal power module, scheduled for sometime before 2030, will allow Axiom's space station to detach from the ISS and become a free-flying, commercially run low Earth orbit (LEO) destination.
In the meantime, Axiom is using data provided by its crewed missions to the ISS to guide the form and function of the space station modules the company is building. "Each of these precursor missions for us is a learning opportunity on how we become a better human spaceflight company," said Tejpaul Bhatia, Axiom's chief revenue officer.
These first missions are also helping to lay the foundations for Axiom's training programs going forward. "We are using these first missions as a way to understand how to train astronauts, train crew, and really have the operational expertise that we need as an entire company, but also to kind of fine-tune the things that we want to fly from a low-Earth-orbit economy perspective," Zuniga told Space.com.
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One research project included on Ax-2 was the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) Essential Measures investigation, which involved a checklist of tests for the Ax-2 crewmembers to perform on themselves upon reaching orbit. Physical evaluations, biological sampling and wearable devices were used to evaluate the crew's reaction and adaptation to microgravity.
Most Axiom crewmembers lack the multiple years of extensive training that NASA astronauts receive in preparation for their time in space. (Notable exceptions include former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who commanded Ax-2 and has spent more hours in space than any other American or woman, and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, who commanded Ax-1 and holds the record for the most spacewalks ever performed.) The TRISH investigation is one way Axiom is learning how to acclimate crews to their new microgravity environment and creating strategies to mitigate the time it takes them to adapt.
Axiom wants its space station to provide maximum value to its passengers, and one main goal of these initial crewed missions to the ISS is to determine where that value will be.
"It's more about making sure that we understand the needs of our future crews so that we're tailoring our space station to do those things," Zuniga said. "Is it going to be the microgravity research? Or is it going to be in space manufacturing, etc.? Those are the primary goals for flying these precursor missions.
"In doing that, it gets all our people exposed to how we actually operate and build a station that will be operable in the future," he added. "Thinking about the amount of crew activity that goes on, thinking about the amount of operational space that a crewmember has to apply to a space station so that they can keep it up and flying and maintaining it — all those things are really important in understanding how we design our future space station."
Axiom is also taking notes directly from NASA on how to build space stations. "Our team is well versed in human spaceflight," Zuniga said. "We've just been able to kind of pull the talent that we needed from folks who have built and designed space stations."
In doing so, the company has kept an eye toward the future. "We're working with NASA to make sure that we follow all the requirements that the ISS has today, so that we can build our models for the future to those requirements," Zuniga said. "All of that is also giving us exposure to make sure that we design our space station so that it's compatible to today's standards, but also has a vision to the future and how we want to use space stations for people that will fly privately."
Axiom isn't the only company interested in the LEO economy. Nearly two years after NASA selected Axiom to dock its space station module to the ISS, the space agency awarded development contracts to three more companies — Blue Origin, Nanoracks and Northrop Grumman — to support the creation of additional commercial LEO destinations.
NASA is committed to maintaining the ISS through 2030 but expects the emerging market of private space stations to fulfill the agency's continued presence in LEO. That aligns with Axiom's timeline to launch its station's own power module and undock from the ISS before its retirement.
Josh Dinner is Space.com's Content Manager. He is a writer and photographer with a passion for science and space exploration, and has been working the space beat since 2016. Josh has covered the evolution of NASA's commercial spaceflight partnerships, from early Dragon and Cygnus cargo missions to the ongoing development and launches of crewed missions from the Space Coast, as well as NASA science missions and more. He also enjoys building 1:144 scale models of rockets and human-flown spacecraft. Find some of Josh's launch photography on Instagram and his website, and follow him on Twitter, where he mostly posts in haiku.


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Royal Blue High Neck Crochet Midi Dress
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domain: design


text:
DJ Koze has dropped a new two-sided single in the lead up to his forthcoming album, Knock Knock, which was also announced today.
“Seeing Aliens” and “Nein Konig Nein” are both warm, weird and fresh sounding house excursions and carry the typical charm we’ve come to know and love from the German, while also remaining functional and effective for the dance floor. The two-sided 12” has been given the ambiguous release date of soon but expect to see it out in the wild within the next month.
As regards the album; it is set for a release on his own Pampa Records imprint on May 4th and it features a list of well-known and eclectic guest stars, such as Bon Iver, José Gonzalez, Roisín Murphy and label affiliates Mano Le Tough and Sophia Kennedy.
This will be Stefan Kozella’s first LP outing since his 2013 outing Amygdala, an album which has certainly set the bar high for the now veteran producer to follow up to.
Since then, his various solo releases such as the XTC have found their way into the sets of the world’s finest DJs, and his DJ Kicks mix and Pampa Records compilation, where he collaborated with Jamie xx, have pleased fans and press alike.


3rd February 2021
One response to the news that former chancellor Philip Hammond has given a candid and critical interview about the Brexit policy (or lack of policy) of the Theresa May administration is to sneer and jeer, announce that he should have resigned rather than be party to it, and to ‘like” and RT some tweet saying so.
And then to not give it a further thought.
Another, more worthwhile reaction is to look out the interview, and to read and consider it carefully.
And in doing so, you should compare what Hammond says now with your recollection of what Brexit seemed like at the time, from the outside.
What emerges is a picture that many of us onlookers – conscious of the issues at stake but unimpressed by the government’s shallow public messaging – suspected was true all along.
The interview – which is part of an impressive series of interviews with ‘witnesses’ of Brexit by UK in a Changing Europe – should be read in full by anyone wanting a real understanding of what happened within government on Brexit.
But below are some examples which, at least for me and my commentary, substantiated what some of us believed to be the case at the time – including about the casual nature of the huge decision to leave the single market and the customs union.
The transcript of the interview is here.
On the creation of the pop-up government departments, the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for International Trade, Hammond says:
‘Creating a new Government department, frankly, is a pretty cost-free signalling mechanism for an incoming Prime Minister. So, the Department for Exiting the European Union – a ludicrous notion, absolutely ludicrous; a rookie civil service trainee could tell you that that was a stupid idea – and the Department for International Trade, were both gestures.
‘They were ways of bringing in clear, committed Brexiteers to the Government, and plonking them in a place where they could assert their views, rally their troops, and, she hoped, provide a focal point for the hard-line Brexiteers in the parliamentary party. As well as finding out the hard way how difficult this was all going to be in practice.’
On the botched re-negotiation that preceded the referendum (which was so limited because it misunderstood what the European Union could offer without a treaty change):
‘We all interpreted German pragmatism as support for a more British view of the future of Europe. That was clearly not correct, so we definitely overestimated the flexibility of the Europeans.’
And perhaps most significantly, on the run-up to the fateful October 2016 conservative party speech in Birmingham – and its aftermath:
‘I was completely stunned by the speech that she made at the Conservative Party Conference in October 2016. I hadn’t seen the relevant part of it in advance. I’d had no input to the speech. Nick Timothy kept me completely away from it. […]
‘I was completely and utterly horrified by what I felt was almost a coup: a definition of Brexit without any proper Cabinet consultation at all.
‘My assessment of Theresa May’s Prime Ministership, in terms of Brexit, is that she dug a 20-foot-deep hole in October 2016 in making that speech and, from that moment onwards, cupful by cupful of earth at a time, was trying to fill it in a bit so that she wasn’t in such a deep mess. […]
‘It was a disaster on all fronts, a total unmitigated disaster that scarred her Prime Ministership and should have sealed Nick Timothy’s fate, but I think she only realised later how badly that had constrained her ability to deliver any kind of practical Brexit at all.’
What this interview indicates – if not demonstrates – is how crucial those first few months were after the referendum were to the shape of Brexit, from June to October 2016.
That was when, in my view, the battle for Brexit was won and lost.
Until the conference speech it was possible to conceive of a number of different possible Brexits that could follow the referendum result.
(Or in my (incorrect) view at the time, that it was possible that the thing would just be delayed and delayed, as the sheer magnitude of the task became scarily apparent.)
But after the October speech, the only Brexit which was politically likely would be the absolute version with the United Kingdom leaving the single market and the customs union.
And the only way that such a Brexit could have been stopped, again in my view, would have been if the respective leaders of the labour, liberal democrat and other opposition parties had handled the prospect of a general election differently in late 2019.
In essence: in the whole of the story of Brexit so far, only (a) June to October 2016 and (b) November/December 2019 were the real turning points where Brexit could have turned out substantially different after the referendum.
The interview with Hammond, in particular, reminds us that there were non-Brexiter ‘pragmatists’ as well as (in his word) ‘refuseniks’ in those first few months after the referendum.
And notwithstanding the ‘Brexit means Brexit’ slogan of May in her party leadership bid of that summer, it was still possible to conceive of different outcomes.
The pragmatists could have prevailed.
But something happened – a decision was casually made that will turn out to be as consequential for the United Kingdom as any other immensely important decision in our history.
And that decision was made by a prime minister who, on Hammond’s account, did not understand the import of her decision, and without reference to either cabinet or parliament.
An extraordinary moment, and one which is becoming more extraordinary over time.
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