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Play super smash flash 2 v0 8 VideoSuper Smash Flash 2 v0.8 - Intro Help Megaman clear every level and obliterate the enemies he finds on his way. This game starts with Gohan, who must train hard in order to achieve this transformation. The main character will have to fight dangerous enemies in order to clear the area. The Scratch Team will review the project based on the Scratch community guidelines. Siege of Troy 2. Enjoy the upgraded fights! KBH games allow you to experience PC gaming right in your web browser. Jogos de LutaJogos do MarioJogos do SonicJogos PopularesKBH Games. What about L-Cancelling or insert some complicated Smash Bros-related acronym here? Kill Time in the Office. Confirm your email to enable sharing. Visit this page to update Flash.
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domain: game


Italians distribute free cheese to ease dioxin fears
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Visitors to the Colosseum in Rome have been treated to one of Italy’s most famous delicacies – mozzarella cheese.
The Italian makers of buffalo mozzarella have been trying to put the recent recall of their product behind them by giving tourists free samples.
Italy’s Health Ministry withdrew products from 25 companies in the Campania region, where Italy’s buffalo mozzarella is produced, following fears the cheese was contaminated with a cancer-causing dioxin.
The health scare has put the Italian mozzarella industry – worth some 300 million euros a year – in jeopardy.
But the historic backdrop of the Colosseum proved a prime location for a steady stream of tourists who were only too happy to sample the cheese.
The plan certainly seems to have worked in Italy, but exports to Japan and South Korea are still banned.


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/ Mumbai / Places to Visit / Bombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society is a great source of information for those interested in flora and fauna.
The Bombay Natural History Society is a great source of information for those interested in flora and fauna. It houses collections of beetles, butterflies, embalmed reptiles, birds, and animal pelts. It organises bird-watching programs and nature walks.
Hornbill House, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Mumbai
Housed in a Grade I Heritage Building of Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly Prince of Wales Museum, was established in 1905
Authentic Indian handicrafts and furnishing
The Kenesseth Ellyahoo Synagogue was built in 1884 by Jacob Elias Sassoon and his brother Albert in memory of their father Eliyahoo Sassoon
The Jehangir Art Gallery is Mumbai's premier art destination, displaying modern and contemporary Indian art, as well as temporary exhibitions from all over the world
Previously known as the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall, this art gallery displays creations by Indian and international artists, including M
The Bombay Stock Exchange is housed in the Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers on Dalal Street
Esplanade Mansion, previously known as Watson's hotel, was one of the most posh hotels in the area until Jehangir Tata was refused entry and he went on to build the Taj Mahal Hotel which went on to become the most popular hotel in Mumbai
The Taj Mahal Palace is one of the finest grand old hotels in the world, favored by visiting presidents and premiers since it's opening in 1903
The Gateway of India is an iconic monumental arch on the promenade overlooking the Arabian Sea in South Mumbai

domain: artistic


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Look out for Dannii Minogues top tips throughout the site
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Produced in association with Harpers Bazaar and Esquire, and brought to you by Etihad Airways, Queensland and Sydney and New South Wales, this one-stop-shop website will provide you with all you need to know to start planning your trip Down Under! Throughout you will find destination features and suggestions about where to eat, where to stay and where to go out, as well as top tips for making the most of your Australian trip from Dannii Minogue. Additionally you will find the latest fashion tips from aussieBum and my-wardrobe.com to get you styled up and looking good! Plus, dont forget to check out our fantastic holiday offers and ideas. Etihad Airways, with 3 flights daily from London Heathrow, 1 each day from Manchester and 10 weekly flights from Dublin to Abu Dhabi, offers onward flights to Australias most famous destinations - Sydney, New South Wales, and Brisbane, Queensland. Sydney and New South Wales offers the very best in beautiful surroundings and stunning scenery, food and things to do; while Queensland offers that ideal Australian lifestyle - beaches, islands, rainforest, not to mention the Great Barrier Reef.
Five nights 4* Sebel Surrey Hills Sydney & Five nights 4* The Lakes Cairns from £1,499 per person including hotels, internal flights & return international flights with Etihad.Call 0800 2989 822

domain: geography


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Local artist finishes Fall City sculpture
FALL CITY - There's a new sculpture in place in Fall City's Totem Pole Garden. "Precious Moments," a poignant piece of public artwork, was revealed during the recent Fall City Days on June 18. It was crafted by local Valley artist Victor White.
White, who donated hundreds of hours of his own time, was inspired to work on the sculpture two years ago when he saw Vanessa Allen, a Fall City business owner and president of the Fall City Community Association (FCCA), at work on a new garden at the site.
The garden, located in downtown Fall City across from the library, replaced a once bare patch of unsightly and miscellaneous groundcover at the base of the town's historic totem pole.
"There used to be a big patch of weeds here," said Allen, "and I said 'that's horrible.' That's just too prime of [a piece] of property to have a big patch of weeds here. So I started two years ago and actually finished in that year," said Allen.
That's when she met White. "Victor came over one day while I was working in the garden and said, 'I would like to do a sculpture' and I said, 'I just happen to have a little round area here that has nothing to go in it.' So then we just started talking about it and he agreed to donate his time, which was a huge donation," said Allen.
"When I first moved to this community ... I noticed that there wasn't much of an art-based community, the 'walkability' wasn't really there, and I wanted to contribute somehow," said White. "I met Vanessa when she was at the beginning stages of this garden, which I thought was phenomenal, [an] all-volunteer effort, and that shows that people in the community are willing to bring about a walkability. So I wanted to be involved in placing a sculpture here, but ... my initial intention was to provide a participatory experience for the community to contribute in the creation of my vision of the 'Precious Moments' public artworks. It's a series I have been working on for about 10 years."
Initially the sculpture was intended as a silhouette, but it grew into a three-dimensional depiction of a male (buck) and female (hen) salmon as they near the spawning grounds of the Snoqualmie River, White explained.
"The way the salmon have evolved to this position is it all has meaning. Salmon, by the time they get to this point in the river, they have one goal in mind and one purpose. Along the river's edge and along the flow, in the journey of the salmon, they are tattered and battered. They have struggled to get to this point and they are beat up and bruised but by no means is their spirit diminished because they get to a certain point," White said.
"It's through that point, there's a unity, there's a transformation that takes place and they work together. They sweep the riverbed's ground and prepare for a new beginning, a new life and that's where the idea, the theme of the T-shirts for Fall City Days, 'Spawning the Arts in Fall City' came about.
"So this is evolving into not just this one location or sculpture, but at large in the community spawning the arts in Fall City. Even in history, art has been a big part of the building of communities. The building of America is based on creative art. I want to continue and touch one student, one community at a time," he said.
The sculpture also serves another purpose. Although not intended as a memorial per se, the name of a beloved local Girl Scout leader, June Starkie (who passed away two years ago), has been engraved on the hen salmon as a unique way of remembering a Fall City hero.
"Her philosophies and my philosophies tie in," said White. She really felt that ... through teaching and through learning you can bring a community together, and what she did for the girls was phenomenal," said White.
"She was just an amazing [woman] ... gave all of her life to Fall City," said Allen. The Girls Scouts raised $175 to help defray the cost of some of White's materials.
Allen said that signage will be installed this summer to help explain the significance of the totem pole and the accompanying sculpture, as well as their connections to the local Snoqualmie Tribe. Both White and Allen look forward to continued community interest in the Totem Pole Garden and invite people to come down and view the totem pole and the sculpture.
"This is my first install for public community," said White, whose Web site is www.natureslivinggallery.com.
"It's an honor to be part of the beginnings of a community that is heading toward walkability and art in public places," he said. "My hope is to inspire one student and one community at a time. Public art is a necessity [and] it's something that can bring a community together."


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h2: One of the Most Powerful Images I’ve Ever Seen
In this blog post, we will be discussing one of the most powerful images I’ve ever seen. Sometimes, a single photograph can capture the essence of a moment or convey a powerful message that words alone cannot. This image, which I recently came across, has left a lasting impact on me, and I believe it will do the same for you.
h3: The Image
The image in question depicts a solitary figure standing amidst a crowd of protestors. The person’s face is obscured, making it impossible to discern their gender, age, or identity. What captivates me about this image is the sheer bravery and defiance displayed by this individual, standing tall in the face of adversity.
h4: Capturing the Essence of Protest
Protests are a powerful tool for individuals to express their dissatisfaction and demand change. They serve as a visual representation of the collective voices of the people, urging authorities and society to address pressing issues. This image encapsulates the courage and determination of those who take to the streets, united in their cause.
h4: A Symbol of Resistance
The solitary figure in the image serves as a symbol of resistance. They represent the countless individuals who refuse to be silenced and are willing to stand up for what they believe in, even when faced with overwhelming opposition. The power of this image lies in its ability to evoke emotions and inspire action.
h3: The Message
While the image itself may not have a specific message, it opens up a world of interpretation and contemplation. It prompts us to reflect on our own beliefs, values, and the causes we hold dear. It asks us to consider the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it seems difficult or unpopular.
h3: Tips for Effective Protest
If you are inspired by this image and feel compelled to become involved in activism or protest movements, it is essential to do so effectively and safely. Here are a few tips to consider:
1. Research and educate yourself: Before participating in a protest, familiarize yourself with the cause, its goals, and the organizers. Understanding the issue at hand and the tactics being employed will help you be more effective in your actions.
2. Respect local laws and regulations: While protests aim to challenge the status quo, it is crucial to respect the laws and regulations of the area in which you are demonstrating. This includes obtaining any necessary permits and adhering to guidelines set by organizers and authorities.
3. Stay informed: Keep yourself updated on the latest developments surrounding the cause you are supporting. Stay informed through reliable news sources and follow social media accounts of relevant organizations and activists.
4. Plan for contingencies: Protests can sometimes become unpredictable, and it is important to plan for contingencies. This may include having a designated meeting point for your group, carrying identification and emergency contact information, and being aware of potential risks such as tear gas or crowd control measures.
5. Document and report: In the age of social media, documenting and reporting on protests is now easier than ever. Capture relevant footage and images responsibly, respecting the privacy and safety of fellow protestors. Share stories and experiences to raise awareness and spark conversations.
h2: My 2 Cents
The power of a single image to evoke emotions and inspire action is truly remarkable. This particular image serves as a symbol of resistance and defiance, reminding us of the importance of standing up for what we believe in. Whether you choose to get involved in protests or support causes in other ways, remember that your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference. Stay informed, be safe, and never be afraid to make your voice heard.


* FY sales down 2 pct to 20.9 bln stg
* Adjusted EBITDA up 6 pct to 5.78 bln stg
* Final dividend 4.6 pence, FY dividend 6.9 pence
* 2010-11 sales seen at around 20 bln stg
* 2010-11 adjusted EBITDA seen in line with 2009-10
(Adds new analyst comment, details on free cash flow, dividend)
By Georgina Prodhan
LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - British telecoms provider BT Group Plc BT.L showed evidence of a long-awaited turnaround as cost cuts and service improvements began to bite, slowing its full-year revenue decline to 2 percent and lifting its shares 11 percent.
Britain’s biggest fixed-line telecoms provider said it was now in a position to increase investments in high-speed fibre and TV, and would spend an extra 1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) to extend its fibre rollout to two-thirds of Britain.
BT predicted it would return to growth in 2012-13, helped by new consumer offerings and growth in corporate services in Asia. Its troubled Global Services IT services division should turn cashflow positive in 2011-12, it said on Thursday.
“We are investing in the future of our business,” Chief Executive Ian Livingston said ahead of an investor day, adding there was still a lot of work to do.
BT beat consensus estimates on all its key sales, profit and cash flow figures and outlined a three-year plan to return to growth. It said it would pursue a “progressive” dividend policy, keeping the payout in line with profits and cash flow.
BT shares had risen 11 percent to 133 pence by 1156 GMT, by far the top gainer in a flat European telecoms index .SXKP.
“The turnaround is definitely in full gear now,” said analyst Mike Kovacocy of Daiwa Securities. “They’re getting very close to actually growing the business again.”
BT has been plagued by underperformance at Global Services, which has caused two recent profit warnings at the group. In the year to the end of March, Global Services sales declined in line with the group and core profit grew for a fifth consecutive quarter.
“The revenue beat was driven by Global Services, which beat consensus by 164 million pounds (7.7 percent), of which 100 million was due to early delivery of revenue due to the delivery of significant contract milestones,” Citi analysts wrote.
BT is also operating under the cloud of a huge pension deficit, which stood at 5.7 billion pounds at March 31. BT is awaiting results of a review by Britain’s pension regulator of its proposed 17-year plan to fund the deficit.
Before Thursday's news, BT shares had fallen about 10 percent this year so far, underperforming a 7 percent decline in the European telecoms sector .SXKP.
They now trade at about 7.6 times expected 2010-11 earnings, according to Reuters data, below the European average of 10.6 for fixed-line providers.
Livingston said the Asia-Pacific region would drive growth at Global Services, helped by increased investments in networks and staff.
“This will be the decade of the Asian multinational,” he told journalists on a conference call.
He declined to comment on overall headcount targets. BT plans to cut another 900 million pounds in costs this year, after 1.75 billion worth of cuts last year, but said on Thursday the extended fibre-rollout would employ more people.
BT now plans to cover two-thirds of Britain with high-speed fibre by 2015, instead of the 40 percent it had previously targeted, making it one of the world’s biggest privately funded network buildouts.
Faster Internet delivery will also help BT’s efforts to develop its consumer IPTV business, BT Vision.
A court recently ruled that pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB BSY.L, which dominates sports coverage in Britain, must wholesale its premier sports offerings to competitors, including BT, at more favourable rates.
But implementation of the price cuts has been delayed pending a final appeal, making it difficult for BT and others to pass on those savings to customers.
Livingstone said BT would offer Sky Sports 1 and 2 in time for the soccer season starting later this year, and would offer lower entry prices for consumers by unbundling it from other offerings, but would hold off on passing on price cuts.
“We will be working on the basis that the current prices hold,” he said.
Livingston said he had nothing to announce on a possible disposal of BT's 31 percent in Indian IT services firm Tech Mahindra TEML.BO -- worth about $630 million at current market value -- following media speculation it might sell the stake.
“We’ve got a very long-term relationship with Tech Mahindra. We’ll look at that over time and consider the options,” he said. BT is also Tech Mahindra’s largest customer, accounting for about 40 percent of its revenues. (Editing by Hans Peters, Simon Jessop and Karen Foster) ($1=0.6722 pound)
Reuters Breakingviews is the world's leading source of agenda-setting financial insight. As the Reuters brand for financial commentary, we dissect the big business and economic stories as they break around the world every day. A global team of about 30 correspondents in New York, London, Hong Kong and other major cities provides expert analysis in real time.
Sign up for a free trial of our full service at https://www.breakingviews.com/trial and follow us on Twitter @Breakingviews and at www.breakingviews.com. All opinions expressed are those of the authors.


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A little boy in London put millions of men to shame on Thursday night when he planted a kiss on Kim Kardashian’s cheek.
The hip looking kid put the moves on Kim at her clothing line launch in Central London. Kim and her sister Kourtney went to greet fans outside when a little boy leaned in and planted a big kiss on Kim.
That kid has game. We hope Kanye didn’t see that.

domain: celebrity


Houllier was previously in charge of Owen during his successful spell at Liverpool. But the Frenchman confirmed he will not attempt to be reunited with the former England player during the next transfer window.
Houllier expects to have Emile Heskey and John Carew available after injury lay-offs within the next month.
Gabriel Agbonlahor has already returned to action after six weeks on the sidelines following groin surgery.
When asked if he would try to sign Owen in January, Houllier said: "No, no. In terms of some strikers Emile and John will come back. There is no point."
But Houllier did confirm: "We definitely need to sign one or two players in January."


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So many informative and or heartwarming (or both) articles.
The cover mural art is fascinating, and the accompanying article about Babini, the artist, and his vision, so true. Planet change. We are all in this together.
Your story about your family history gave me chills. Thank you for sharing.
I spent two hours this Sunday morning (7 to 9 a.m.) in Trash Warrior gear, cleaning part of our beautiful canyon. I was smiling as I read about young Tycho Hendry‚Äôs honorary inclusion in the team. More power to him and perhaps an incentive for other parents and kids to be part of the solution.
Coming up for me: a workshop at Kidiwische Corner, thanks to your news.
Most impressed with the great photography throughout.
Thank you again!
Topanga resident since 1986


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Football is the most popular sport in the world. Globalisation and commercialisation of the game, however, have created new conflicts and challenges. This book explores the role of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) within the rising significance of football in Asia, drawing on three key theoretical perspectives: globalisation, neo-institutionalism and governance, as well as comprehensive data from interviews and archive material. It explores the organisational structure of AFC, its decision-making processes, relations with other actors, and policies put forward. To understand the specificities AFC has faced in its 60-year history, the broader historical, political, economic, socio-cultural and geographic contexts of football in Asia are taken into account.
Table of Contents
1. Asia and the Future of Football: Introduction and Contextualisation 2. Analysing the Asian Football Confederation: Theoretical Perspectives and Approaches 3. Football in Asia: Developments and Challenges 4. AFC’s History and Origins 5. AFC’s Relations and Constellations 6. AFC’s Framework and Decision-Making 7. AFC’s Policies, Strategies and Activities 8. Understanding the Politics of Football: Discussion and Conclusions
Ben Weinberg is an independent scholar and writer based in Cologne, Germany. His areas of interest include political, historical and cultural aspects of sport with a focus on good governance, inclusion and sustainability.

domain: library


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Master your fear of multi-legged arthropods and start fun conversations with strangers when you wear these long-sleeved shirts!
Centipede AND/OR Millipede designs now available in classic white, or sexy black.
- Squiggly single-colour design on a long-sleeved t-shirt, with sleeve print
- 100% cotton shirt, printed locally in Canada
- Water based ink
- Sizes are unisex (see sizing guide here) and LIMITED
- NOTE: The white ink colour for the black Millipede shirts is a warmer tone than the black centipede shirts
Please check the SIZING GUIDE prior to ordering, because sizes are very limited so we can’t exchange them.

domain: design


M. Sinangil, N. Verma and A. P. Chandrakasan, “A Reconfigurable 8T Ultra-Dynamic Voltage Scalable (U-DVS) SRAM in 65 nm CMOS,” IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 44, No. 11, 2009, pp. 3163-3173.
 S. Lin, Y.-B. Kim and F. Lombardi, “Design and Analysis of a 32 nm PVT Tolerant CMOS SRAM Cell for Low Leakage and High Stability,” Integration the VLSI Journal, Vol. 43, No. 2, 2010, pp. 176-187. doi:10.1016/j.vlsi.2010.01.003
 A. J. Bhavnagarwala, X. Tang and J. D. Meindl, “The Impact of Intrinsic Device Fluctuations on CMOS SRAM Cell Stability,” IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2001, pp. 658-665. doi:10.1109/4.913744
 Z. Guo, A. Carlson, L.-T. Pang, K. Duong, T.-J. K. Liu and B. Nikolic, “Large-Scale Read/Write Margin Measurement in 45 nm CMOS SRAM Arrays,” IEEE Symposium on VLSI Circuits Digest of Technical Papers, Honolulu, 18-20 June 2008, pp. 42-43.
 R. K. Singh, S. Birla and M. Pattanaik, “Characterization of PNN Stack SRAM Cell at Deep Sub-Micron Technology with High Stability and Low Leakage for Multimedia Applications,” International Journal of Computer Applications, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2011, pp. 13-17. doi:10.5120/3409-4756
 J. J. Wang, S. Nalam and B. H. Calhoun, “Analyzing Static and Dynamic Write Margin for Nanometer SRAMs,” International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design, Bangalore, 11-13 August 2008, pp. 129-134.


Yibo Longhegu Residential Complex
Yibo Longhegu is located in Hunnan District of Shenyang City in Liaoning Province. It is a large waterside complex integrating villas, western-style multi-storey living buildings, high-rise living buildings and commercial areas. It is near the Shenyang Free Trade Zone, next to Shenyang Municipal Government and in the core area around the Shenyang New South Railway Station. The project covers an area of 280 000m2, with a construction area of 500 000m2 and a plot ratio of 1.6. It reaches Shenying Road in the east, the Gaotie Erjie Street in the south, Junhailangjun residential complex in the west and Guihua Road in the north. The whole project, divided into four phases, will accommodate about 3200 households.
Yibo Longhegu is located in the core area of the new center of Shenyang City, next to Shenying Road, 3 km or 5 minutes drive from Shenyang Free Trade Zone, 4 km or 10 minutes drive from Shenyang New South Railway Station, and 15-20 minutes drive from the Exhibition Center and Taoxian Airport. Besides it is adjacent to Baita River and separated by only one street from Baita Park. One axis with several attractions is designed in the courtyard, forming a five level landscape with flowers in three seasons, beautiful scenery in four seasons, and changing landscapes. Besides, there are also three themed squares and many delicate landscape embellishments. Especially the low residence density and high afforestation rate will assure you a quality and comfortable life here.
The Phase I of Yibo Longhegu is Tuscany style villas, the Phase II includes ArtDeco high-rise, new classic western-style living buildings and french villas with yards, Phase III is planned for high-rises, western-style living buildings and commercial buildings, and the Phase IV is planned for western style living building and townhouses. The overall layout of the complex is designed as semi-enclosed, making the villa area more tranquil, and there is a panoramic view of the entire villa area and the Baita Park for high-rises. Meanwhile, Yibo focuses on the harmony of landscape, culture, and urban life, avoids destroying the natural ecology at all possible, and preserves the original landscape. Based on the landform and planning of the road network, a perfect and spacious outdoor space is created so that the central plantation area can be shared to the maximum. In addition, the excellent fitness facilities and beautiful courtyard provide the owners an ideal place for physical exercises.
Xiaoyelu International Kindergarten is settled in the community. There are also several famous schools around the complex, such as the Hunnan No. 3 Primary School, Liaoning Provincial Experiment Hunnan No. 1 Middle School and Benxi No. 1 High School, so there are sufficient education resources can be used. The project is surrounded by Shangyi Square, Wanda Plaza, Longhu Tianjie Commercial Street, Baita Market and Shenyang Free Trade Zone, which provides one-stop services of shopping, entertainment and sports for the owners. With the rapid accumulation of various commercial forms, a new business circle of Shenyang will be formed around the project.
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The controversy over Don Imus’ offensive remarks about the Rutgers Univ. women’s basketball team has exploded in the cultural landscape and sparked a lot of discussion. On today’s program, Dr. Mohler explores the implications of a Christian worldview for the controversy and what it says not only about Imus, but also about us.
- The Briefing 05-22-15
- The Gathering Storm: The Eclipse of Religious Liberty and the Threat of a New Dark Age
- The Briefing 05-20-15
- The Briefing 05-21-15
- The Briefing 05-19-15
- Evangelical Titan: A Conversation about Billy Graham with historian Grant Wacker
- Hijacking the Brain -- How Pornography Works

domain: news


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The lights won’t go out if we don’t frack
Once again we have the usual propaganda in favour of fracking, promoted by and on behalf of big business.
The lights will not go out if we don’t frack. Less than three per cent of our gas comes from Russia. So President Putin can’t turn the supply off. Leaving the EU will not stop supplies from Norway, Holland and Belgium.
In October 2017, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published the report with the title ‘Gas Security of Supply’.
Looking ahead over the next 20 years, it says (Page 14): “Whilst the government is optimistic about the potential for shale gas in the UK, given the industry is currently in an exploratory stage, it is not yet known how much of the UK shale gas resource will ultimately be recoverable. In order to provide a conservative estimate of supply, supply forecasts used in CEPA (2017), assume no shale contributions in the forecast period.”
The document goes on to say that there will be security of gas supply without shale gas during the forecast period – i.e. up until 2035.
Energy produced by non-fossil fuels already exceeds the energy produced by fossil fuels and is increasing, so that by 2035, the UK’s requirement for gas will be considerably less than it is now.
Fracking requires a grid of well pads, each comprising two hectares, at a density of 10 to every 100 sq.km (38sq.miles) – i.e. one two-hectare drill pad every one and a half to two miles in every direction. It will completely industrialise the countryside and ruin our agricultural and tourist industries – industries which will have to play a key part in our economy post-Brexit.
And as for hydrogen? I was taught that hydrogen can be and is produced by electrolysis of water. Fracked gas is not essential for this.
Why are seagulls singled out for hate?
I read in The Gazette (July 22) about pet shootings. It seems 258 pet cats and 73 dogs were deliberately injured or killed with air rifles by humans.
Also the newspaper told how seagulls/gulls are also killed by rifles.
I did read in three newspapers I bought that same day of the story about the ‘dog snatched by seagull’. The incident happened in Devon.
I also looked through The Gazette to find out if people were up in arms about all these pets shot by air rifles.
On the Gazette’s Facebook section, people’s comments were about seagulls and how they hated them here.
So it seems people here only hate seagulls as there was no mention of all the suffering of pet cats and dogs, injured and killed with air rifles by humans. There were no letters in Your Say.
Why should humans get away with such cruelty to the pets and birds?
People using air guns represent a devastated family when pets are injured or killed.
If a seagull/gull steps out of line it makes headline news and people take to social media to write how they hate seagulls/gulls.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Antisemitism is well documented
Royston Jones believes antisemitism is miniscule (Your Say, July 26). Tell this to a Jew who has suffered years of threats, foul abuse and shameful criticism from antisemites in the Labour Party, particularly since Corbyn became leader.
Labour would not be being currently investigated if allegations of antisemitism were not well founded. Neither would whistle blowers have revealed the extent of this foul behaviour among Corbyn and his close colleagues.
Presumably Jones, Labour’s Deputy Leader, Tom Watson, is inventing stories of female Labour, Jewish MPs being abused.
Corbyn’s antisemitism is well documented. Corbyn is unelectable. He hangs around because his Marxist puppeteers need him in order to exist. Come an election, Labour led by an incompetent Marxist will suffer heavily.
Dr Barry Clayton
No wonder we only get day visitors...
Blackpool Council keep telling us that the regeneration will attract more tourism.
In the 1960s Blackpool had two main railway stations (Central and North), two bus stations (Talbot Road and The Coliseum) and an airport and visitors arrived in droves. Nearly 60 years on there is one main railway station, no bus station and no airport.
Blackpool Council is proud of the wonderful tramway system, so much so they do not accept senior passes. The car parking charges are astronomical, so it’s no wonder visitors opt to only come for the day. Is that progress?!


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Early life stress is one of the risk factors for psychiatric disorders 1. Growing evidence shows that stress during early life not only leads to lasting structure brain changes and functional deficits but also increases the risk of mental disorders in youth and adulthood 2.
Early social and environmental deprivation includes early handling (EH) and maternal separation (MS) 3. EH is defined as the separation of rat pups from their mother for 3–15 min each day. This short-time separation between mothers and pups simulated mothers leaving to find food, not wanting to deprive her pups 4. MS indicates that mothers and their pups need to be separated for long time periods (≥1 h), which leads to separation anxiety and anxiety-like behaviours 5.
MS is often used to model early life stress in rats 6 and has led to abnormal behaviours, such as increase in locomotor activity in an open-field test (OFT) 7, anxiety-related behaviours in an elevated plus-maze (EPM), prepulse inhibition deficits and impaired spatial learning in the Morris water-maze test 8–12. Similarly, stress responses related to the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis were reported in previous studies 13. Nevertheless, MS anxiety-like behaviours were inconsistent in previous studies examining separation frequency and duration tests, where further research is needed.
The key stage of the HPA axis was found to be 3−14 days postpartum, which was also shown to be the stress hyporesponsive period 14. Numerous studies have focused on abnormal structural brain abilities, associated with MS, which include the amygdala, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. The hippocampus is believed to play a central role in learning and memorizing 15, similar to its regulation of the HPA axis 16. The decreased number of neuronal dendritic branches in the hippocampus was related to an increase in glucocorticoid levels and morphological changes in hippocampal neurons that could affect synaptic inputs and anxiety pathways 17,18. Studies have confirmed that MS caused the release of glucocorticoids, an end product of the HPA axis, which affects the behaviour of rats 19. Thus, these studies provide a certain basis for separation frequency.
The repeated effects of MS on the anxiety level of rodents were explored in a dynamic and developmental view. An EH procedure was implemented to contrast to an MS procedure. We investigated behavioural changes in adolescent rats after performing repeated MS [3 h/day from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 21] and EH (15 min/day from PND 1 to 21) studies to clarify the influence of different duration and separation frequencies. In a previous study, frequent separation led to aberrant individual behaviour and neural development 9. This study also proved that long separation could lead to significantly abnormal behaviour 20. These studies indicated that the duration and frequency of separation are a matter of concern. The current study was designed to evaluate the varying degrees of anxiety caused by MS or EH.
Materials and methods
Experimental animals and maternal separation
Male and female adult Wistar rats were bred by the Animal breeding centre of the Weifang Medical University and were treated under controlled environmental conditions (ambient temperature 22°C, 12 h light/dark cycles, lights on at 8:00 a.m.). The rats received food and water ad libitum, and experiments followed the guidelines of the Beijing laboratory animal centre and the national institutes of health guide for the care and use of laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 80-23).
The rats were mated and gave birth to an average of 8–12 pups in one nest. Both dams and pups were used in the experiment. The date of the pups’ births was designated as PND 1. On PND 1, all pups in one nest were assigned randomly to the MS group (n=22, eight males and 14 females), the EH group (n=14, six males and eight females) and the control (Con) group (n=22, eight males, and 14 females). According to the previous methods, in the MS group, the dams were separated from the pups for three consecutive hours (from 8:00 to 11:00) every day. The EH group was similar to the MS group, but the separation was only for 15 min (from 8:00 to 08:15) every day. These experiments were conducted from PND 1 to 21. The experimental manipulation of the EH group is associated with increased maternal care 21, and reduced behavioural and endocrine stress reactivity in the pups 16. On PND 21, pups were weaned, and after PND 42, behavioural tests in pubescent rats were performed in the following order: light–dark box (LDB), OFT and EPM.
The light–dark box
The LDB test started on PND 42. Pups were placed in a dark compartment (25 cm×25 cm×25 cm) of a dual chamber apparatus and were allowed to freely explore both compartments for 5 min as described previously 22. The time that rats spent in the light compartment (25 cm×25 cm×25 cm) and the rate at which they entered the light compartment were analysed using SPSS (version 18.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). The apparatus was cleaned with 90% ethanol between each test.
The open-field test
On PND 45, the OFT evaluated movements and anxiety-related behaviours of the rats to assess response to separation anxiety 23. The open-field apparatus (80 cm×80 cm×50 cm) was illuminated by an intensity of 80 lx. Every pup was placed in the centre of the open field, and the number of lines crossed (all four limbs) and the number of times the central zone of the apparatus was entered were recorded for 5 min. Between each test, the field was cleaned with 90% ethanol to remove olfactory cues. The field was divided into 25 equal-sized squares including one central zone and 24 squares corresponding to the peripheral zones using maze software (SMART; Panlab, SL, Barcelona, Spain).
The elevated plus-maze
On PND 49, all pups were evaluated using the EPM test, which was illuminated using 80 lx illumination. The following parameters were obtained from each pup: the number of times that they entered the open arm of the maze, the number of times that they entered the closed arm of the maze and the time that they spent in the open arm of the maze. Two anxiety indices were determined in the experiments: (i) the number of times the rats entered the open arm of the maze expressed as a percentage of the total number of entries and (ii) the amount of time spent in the open arm of the maze expressed as a percentage of the total time 24. The maze was cleaned with 90% ethanol after each test to ensure that the environment was free of olfactory cues. The basic design (time course) of this experiment is shown in Fig. 1.
All data were shown as ±SD of the mean. The analyses were carried out using SPSS 18 software. All behaviour test data were analysed using univariate analysis of variance. We compared two and three data groups and analysed the data using one-way analysis of variance, followed by least significant difference post-hoc tests. Significance was defined as P less than 0.05.
Anxiety-like behaviours in the light–dark box
In the LDB, the time that rats spent in the light box is shown in Fig. 2a. A significant effect because of early life conditions [F (2, 58)=120.204; P<0.01] was found, but the sex of the rats did not affect the test results significantly [F (1, 58)=1.972; P=0.166]. No significant interactions were also found between early life conditions and the sex of the rats [F (2, 58)=0.497; P=0.611]. Post-hoc analysis showed that the MS and EH group rats spent much less time in the light box than the Con group rats. In addition, a significant difference was found between male and female rats in the MS group [F (1, 21)=4.643; P<0.05].
The number of rats that entered into the light box is summarized in Fig. 2b. These results indicate that a significant effect was found in the early life condition [F (2, 58)=52.793; P<0.01], but no significant difference was found between male and female rats [F (1, 58)=1.156; P=0.287]. Similarly, no significant interaction was found between the early life condition and the sex of the rats [F (2, 58)=0.062; P=0.940]. In the same group, the sex of the rats did not affect the times that the rats entered the light compartment in LDB and the post-hoc analysis showed that the number of entries into the light box of the Con rats was more significant than both the MS and EH group rats.
Locomotor activity in the open-field test
The number of lines crossed in the open field is summarized in Fig. 3a. The OFT data found significant results in the early life condition [F (2, 58)=34.607; P<0.01] and the sex of rats also significantly affected the results [F (1, 58)=5.792; P<0.05]. A significant interaction between the early life condition and the sex of the rats was found in the number of lines crossed [F (2, 58)=3.195; P<0.05]. In terms of data of each group, post-hoc (least significant difference) comparisons showed that the number of lines that the MS rats crossed was significantly larger than that of the Con and the EH rats. At the same time, significant differences were observed between male and female MS rats [F (1, 21)=9.302; P<0.01].
The number of entries into the central zone in the open field is summarized in Fig. 3b. A significant effect was induced by the early life condition [F (2, 58)=20.112, P<0.01], but the sex of the rats did not affect the results [F (1, 58)=0.992, P=0.324]. Therefore, the interactions between the groups and the sexes within the groups were not significant [F (2, 58)=0.050, P=0.951].
Fear behaviour in the elevated plus-maze test
For the EPM test, the time that the rats spent in the open arm of the maze is summarized in Fig. 4a. A significant effect of the early life condition was found [F (2, 58)=24.667; P<0.01], but no differences were found between male and female rats [F (1, 58)=1.972; P=0.166]. The interaction between the early life condition and the sex of the rats was also not significant [F (2, 58)=0.122, P=0.885]. Post-hoc analysis showed that the rats in both the MS and EH groups spent significantly less time in the open arm of the maze.
In Fig. 4b, the number of entries into the open arm of the elevated plus-maze is similar to the time spent in the open arm of the maze. A significant effect of the early life condition [F (2, 58)=13.535; *P<0.01] was found, whereas no significance was associated with the sex of the rats [F (2, 58)=0.004; P=0.952] or in the interaction between early life condition and the sex of the rats [F (2, 58)=0.459; P=0.634]. However, post-hoc analysis showed that the number of entries into the open arm of the maze by the Con rats was significantly greater than that of both the MS and the EH group rats.
For early life stress, MS plays an important role in physiological and psychological development during individual ontogeny, which increases the risk of mental disorders in each life stage 3,6. Adolescence is the last stage of mature brain development. Thus, this study chose to examine adolescent rats to determine the different effects of early life on EH and MS in rats. Periodic MS had a clear impact on abnormal behaviour in adolescence pups. At the same time, pups that suffered from EH deficits also showed a disparate adolescence behavioural expression in the behaviour tests.
In the LDB test, both the MS and EH group rats spent less time and entered the light compartment of the LDB fewer times than the Con group rats, which indicated that both the EH and MS group rats had enhanced anxiety-like behaviours and decreased exploratory behaviour on the LDB test, which was consistent with several previous studies documenting adverse effects 12,24. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between the EH and MS group rats, although the EH group rats spent more time in the light compartment compared with the MS group rats. The lack of changes present in the LDB test creates uncertainty about what impact the difference in exploratory behaviour has between the EH and the MS. However, in the MS group, female rats spent significantly less time in the light compartment, which suggests that periodic long MS might affect females more than males, but because of the lower anxiety level in the EH group compared with the MS group, the difference in behaviour between male and female rats was not significant.
The OFT data indicate that repeated MS (one daily period of 3 h from PND 1 to 21) increased spontaneous locomotor activity in pubescent rats. At the same time, female rats showed significantly higher movement compared with male rats in the MS group. However, there was no significant difference in locomotor activity in the OFT between the EH group compared with the Con group. Together, these results suggest that female rats are more susceptible to MS than male rats, but that neither female nor male rats were significantly impacted by EH. Similarly, Qiong et al.25 reported that MS in rats (4 h from PND 1 to 21) resulted in a significant increase in locomotor activity in the OFT. Anderson and Teicher 26 also found that MS (3 h from PND 1 to 14) significantly increased locomotor activity in adult rats. However, Rana et al. 27 indicated that after repeated MS (3 h from PND 1 to 14), the Wister adult rats had significantly lower locomotor activity compared with rats presented with decreased MS (15 min from PND 1 to 14). Chang et al.28 reported a similar conclusion to that of the study by Rana. We previously suggested that because individuals express anxiety through behaviour differently, any abnormal behaviour, whether expressed through increased or decreased locomotor activity, signifies increased anxiety 29.
Although there was no significant difference in locomotor activity, Markostamou et al. 30 showed that the EH group (15 min from PND 1 to 6) spent less time in the centre of the open field compared with the NMS or MS (3 h from PND 1 to 6) group. Also, in the study by Qiong et al.25, the MS group pups spent them the most time in the central area during puberty, but did not as adult rats. However, in our present study, the results showed that there was no significant difference between the EH and the Con group and that the number of times that the MS group rats entered into the central zone was less than that in the other two groups. Different behavioural phenotypes have been reported depending on the various MS protocols used. Thus, in the OFT, we suggested that EH enhances the anxiety-like behaviour of pubescent rats, but does not increase locomotor behaviour. High anxiety levels caused by MS increased the locomotor activity in rats in the open-field region and avoidance behaviour in the central region. In addition, the negative effect of MS on female rats was more evident than that in male rats.
In the present study, anxiety-like behavioural data in the EPM test showed that both the EH group and the MS group showed enhanced anxiety-like behaviour compared with the Con group, especially in pubescent rats in the MS group. Although the MS group rats spent less time in the open arm of the maze, no significant differences were found between the MS group and the EH group. Also, the sex of the rats did not affect the result. In previous studies, the influence of MS on rats was similar. Shreya et al.31 reported that early MS (3 h from PND 2 to 14) enhanced the fear behaviour of adult rats in the EPM test. Similarly, Markostamou et al.30 found that MS for 3 h each day from PND 1 to 6 enhanced fear behaviour in adult rats. Trujillo reported a similar result that MS (4.5 h from PND 1 to 21) produced a greater fear level during the EPM test in juvenile rats 32.
However, similar to the separation of dams and pups for 15 min/day from PND 1 to 21 in this study, the influences of EH separation were different from that of other types of separation. No fear was observed in adult rats 20. Furthermore, the research of Oines et al.32 (EH 10 min from PND 2 to 14) reported results similar to those of Markostamou and colleagues. In this study, we found that the reason for the differences in the test results was because adolescence is a critical interval in life. Adolescence is particularly susceptible to the onset of specific neuropsychiatric diseases 26. Repeated EH throughout lactation affected the anxiety-like behaviour of adolescence rats. Nevertheless, when the rats entered the juvenile stages of development and because of differences in individual development, this impact disappeared. This phenomenon may possibly be associated with the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after stress. BDNF, upon release into the brain, is distributed widely throughout the central nervous and peripheral nervous systems 30,33. BDNF can adjust the division, differentiation and maturity of nervous system growth 34. After suffering chronic stress, BDNF levels in different brain regions can change to offset the impact of neurons 35. Future studies will explore changes in the brain that are associated with BDNF after stressful events occur and with the developmental stages, and will focus on changes in brain processing in all areas of the brain.
It is interesting that after comparing the results of each behaviour test, we found that the impact from EH on individual behaviour was specific. The results in both the LDB and the EPM tests reported that EH has a significant impact on rats. This situation was similar to that of the MS group rats. Therefore, we suggested that in both the LDB and the EPM tests, young rats in the EH and MS groups responded robustly to new environments, indicating an increase in anxiety levels. However, in the OFT, because of the anxiety-level differences, the MS group rats showed significant abnormal behaviour, but the EH group rats did not 36,37. Thus, during puberty, repeated EH deficits caused the rats to respond robustly in the LDB and EPM tests, which indicated that EH deficits could increase anxiety levels in a short period, which was not as severe as that observed in the MS group.
To summarize, the different effects of MS and EH on anxiety in the present study could be induced by differences in the duration and frequency of separation. However, it is certain that high-frequency EH has a negative influence on pubescent rats. In addition, across laboratories, not only do the frequency and duration of MS periods vary considerably but also the time points at which the manipulation is performed during the preweaning period 4. Therefore, on the one hand, we can further refine the experimental design. The interaction between the duration, frequency and time point of separation at different ages is interesting, and clearly worthy of further investigation to discover more specific explanations. However, MS, as an animal model that induces anxiogenic state, is used in combination with other models to simulate multiple stressful life events. On the basis of these approaches, the effects of these multiple stressors on behaviours, HPA-axis activity and biochemical changes in the central nervous system can be investigated, which could provide more insight into the relevant mechanisms underlying the effects of early adversity on subsequent vulnerability to stressors.
This study found that repeated MS induced enhanced locomotor activity in the OFT and abated exploratory behaviour of pubescent rats in both the LDB and EPM tests. EH abated the exploratory behaviour of pubescent rats in the EPM test. These results indicated that MS significantly increased anxiety levels in individuals and that EH enhanced anxiety levels slightly, which was expressed by the abnormal behaviour of fear memory. At the same time, female rats were more prone to showing anxiety-like behaviour compared with male rats in the presence of high-intensity stimulation. Further research is needed to study the interaction between the duration and the frequency of separation at different ages.
This work was supported by the Research Award Foundation Programme for Outstanding Young Scientists in the Shandong Province (BS2014YY043), the Education teaching reform and research foundation of Weifang Medical University (2015Y024), the Science and Technology Foundation Programme of colleges and universities of the Shandong Province (J17KB096). The content of the article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the funding agencies and institutes.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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domain: biology


Environmental Pollution Prevention Office — Items filtered by date: May 2012
Monday, 28 May 2012 05:04
At present environmental geoportal developed on web-based platform that is based mapping geospatial open source is a real potential for improving decision making in planning waste management system. This site will soon host other spatial data sets relevant for the Environmental Protection of the Republic Moldova, developed under technical assistance projects. The application is designed to facilitate resource discovery and sharing of geospatial data for a large community of users, providing the means to search and discovery data sets. In perspective, spatial data infrastructure can support policy development in other areas, particularly planning activities that have a direct or indirect impact on the environment.
Published in Eppo tools


Long time ago somebody made a DEMA (Double smoothed EMA) indicator and called it a zero lag EMA. Since then the zero lag name is used sometimes for that type of adjusting the average to have a lesser lag.
This indicator :
This indicator is using the DEMA method to produce a "zero lag" super smoother. Since super smoother already produces smooth results, the "zero lag" super smoother is smooth too, and as such, is having already quite a few signals filtered out
You can use the color change as signals


text:
Medicinal Uses of Ageratum conyzoides
The plant has been used in traditional folk medicine in Africa and South America to treat a variety of ailments. A common custom is to treat burns and wounds. Laboratory studies have verified the antibacterial activity of Ageratum conyzoides extracts against the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. Studies have been conducted on the efficacy of this plant in treating human systemic illnesses; however, the plants contain toxic pyr- rolizidine alkaloids that can cause liver damage in humans.
Effects of Ageratum on Agriculture
The breadth of secondary metabolites found in this plant causes it to affect a number of other species, both invertebrate and botanical. Ageratum conyzoides produces the compound ageratochromene, which inhibits the growth of insects by interfering with their juvenile growth hormone. The leaves of this species of ageratum have been used as moth repellants, and extracts of the leaves have been shown to interfere with the development of a number of types of insects, including the domestic fly, a type of moth, and several types of mosquitoes. It is considered a promising candidate for the development of natural insecticides.
Another class of invertebrates affected by ageratum is nematodes. In this case, Ageratum houstonianum was found to suppress the growth of nematodes just by using the plants as a mulch. The research was inspired by the knowledge that Crotalaria species were used to inhibit nematodes because of their production of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The production of these toxic compounds is a common trait of ageratum.
Ageratum conyzoides is one of three species of plants listed as the most economically destructive weeds in the world. It is able to invade cultivated fields and is extremely difficult to eradicate. Part of the reason is that it spreads by stolons and has wind-borne seeds, but the major factor is that the plant is allelopathic. It produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of plants around it, including crops. One strategy of weed control is to identify the chemicals responsible for this effect and incorporate them into herbicides. Another is to utilize the plant as a mulch, or even a counter crop, to help control other weeds. Such approaches fit nicely into sustainable agricultural programs. For instance, Ageratum conyzoides has been grown on the floor of citrus orchards in southern China for a long period. It crowds out other weeds and inhibits the growth of pathogenic fungi. Unexpectedly, there was also an increase in predatory mites when ageratum was planted. These mites cause a decrease in the levels of parasitic citrus red mites in the orchards. This effect was found to be due to volatile chemicals released from the essential oil of Ageratum conyzoides.
The data so far suggest that the prolific production of secondary metabolites by ageratum species will facilitate their incorporation into new and alternative methods of pest, pathogen, and weed control.
Kong, C. H. “Ecological Pest Management and Control by Using Allelopathic Weeds (Ageratum conyzoides, Ambrosia trifida, and Lantana camara) and Their Allelochemicals in China.” Weed Biology and Management 10 (2010): 73-80.
Mahr, S. 2009. “Ageratum.” University of Wisconsin Extension. http://pddc.wisc.edu/ factsheets/Low%20Color%20PDF%20Format/Ageratum.pdf (accessed 13 September 2011).
Ming, L. C. “Ageratum conyzoides: A Tropical Source of Medicinal and Agricultural Products.” In Perspectives on New Crops and New Uses, edited by Jules Janick, 469-73. Alexandria, VA: ASHS Press, 1999.
Thoden, T. C., and M. Boppre. “Plants Producing Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: Sustainable Tools for Nematode Management?” Nematology 12 (2010): 1-24.

domain: chemistry


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A:At present, we mainly produce brushless DC motors, brush DC motors, AC motors, Universal Motors; the power of the motor is less than 5000W, and the diameter of the motor is not more than 200mm;
Q:2.Can you send me a price list?
A:For all of our motors, they are customized based on different requirements like lifetime, noise,voltage,and shaft etc. The price also varies according to annual quantity. So it’s really difficult for us to provide a price list. If you can share your detailed requirements and annual quantity, we’ll see what offer we can provide.
Q:3.Can l get some samples?
A:It depends. If only a few samples for personal use or replacement, I am afraid it’ll be difficult for us to provide because all of our motors are custom made and no stock available if there are no further needs. If just sample testing before the official order and our MOQ,price and other terms are acceptable,we’d love to provide samples.
Q4:Can you provide OEM or ODM service?
A:Yes,OEM and ODM are both available, we have the professional R&D dept which can provide professional solutions for you.
Q5:Can l visit your factory before we place an order?
A:welcome to visit our factory,we are very pleased if we have the chance to know each other more.
Q:6.What’s the lead time for a regular order?
A:For orders, the standard lead time is 15-20 days and this time can be shorter or longer based on the different model,period and quantity.
|Universal, Industrial, Household Appliances, Car, Power Tools, Robot Arm
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Can spur gears be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations?
Yes, spur gears can be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Here’s a detailed explanation:
Spur gears are one of the most common types of gears used in various applications. They have straight teeth that are parallel to the gear axis and are designed to transmit power and torque between parallel shafts. The versatility of spur gears allows them to be used in different orientations, including horizontal and vertical configurations.
In horizontal applications, where the gear shafts are positioned parallel to the ground, spur gears are widely utilized. Horizontal orientations are commonly found in machinery such as conveyor systems, automobiles, industrial equipment, and many other applications. Spur gears in horizontal configurations can efficiently transmit power and torque between shafts, providing reliable operation and smooth gear engagement.
Spur gears can also be used in vertical orientations, where the gear shafts are positioned perpendicular to the ground. Vertical gear arrangements are often encountered in applications such as wind turbines, elevators, vertical conveyor systems, and various industrial machinery. In these cases, the weight of the gears and any additional loads acting on them must be considered to ensure proper load distribution and support. Adequate lubrication and proper gear design, including tooth profile and material selection, are important factors to ensure reliable and efficient operation in vertical orientations.
When using spur gears in vertical orientations, some additional considerations may be necessary due to the effects of gravity and potential oil leakage. In vertical applications, gravity can affect the distribution of lubricant, potentially leading to inadequate lubrication of gear teeth. Proper lubrication techniques and lubricant selection should be employed to ensure sufficient film thickness and minimize wear. Additionally, seals or other measures may be required to prevent oil leakage, especially in applications where high-speed rotation or high loads are involved.
It’s important to note that while spur gears can be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations, the specific design and configuration of the gear system should be evaluated to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Factors such as load distribution, gear alignment, lubrication, and material selection should be carefully considered based on the intended orientation and operating conditions of the gear system.
Consulting with gear manufacturers, engineers, or industry experts can provide further guidance on the suitability and design considerations when using spur gears in horizontal or vertical orientations.
Can you provide examples of machinery that use spur gears?
Spur gears are widely used in various machinery and mechanical systems due to their simplicity, efficiency, and versatility. Here are some examples of machinery and equipment that commonly utilize spur gears:
- Automotive Industry: Spur gears are found in various automotive applications, including manual transmissions, differential gears, and starter motors. They are used to transmit power and torque efficiently in these systems.
- Mechanical Clocks and Watches: Traditional mechanical clocks and watches often utilize spur gears to transfer rotational motion from the mainspring to the hour, minute, and second hands. These gears play a crucial role in accurate timekeeping.
- Printing Presses: Spur gears are employed in printing presses to synchronize the movement of different components, such as rollers and paper feed mechanisms. They ensure precise and coordinated operation during the printing process.
- Industrial Machinery: Many types of industrial machinery rely on spur gears, including conveyors, packaging equipment, textile machinery, and machine tools. Spur gears help transmit power and control the movement of various components in these machines.
- Power Plants: Spur gears can be found in power generation facilities, such as steam turbines and gas turbines. They help transfer rotational motion from the turbine shaft to the generator shaft, enabling the production of electrical power.
- Agricultural Equipment: Agricultural machinery, such as tractors, combines, and harvesters, often utilize spur gears in their drive systems. These gears help transmit power from the engine to the wheels or other operational components.
- Robotics and Automation Systems: Spur gears are commonly used in robotics and automation systems to transmit power and control the movement of robotic arms, conveyor systems, and other mechanical components.
- Power Tools: Many power tools, including drills, saws, and grinders, incorporate spur gears in their gearboxes. These gears help increase torque and provide the necessary speed reduction for efficient tool operation.
These examples represent just a few of the many applications where spur gears are utilized. Spur gears’ simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and ability to handle high load capacities make them suitable for a wide range of machinery and mechanical systems in various industries.
It’s important to note that different gear types, such as helical gears, bevel gears, or planetary gears, may also be used in conjunction with spur gears or in different applications depending on specific requirements and design considerations.
How do you choose the right size spur gear for your application?
Choosing the right size spur gear for your application requires careful consideration of various factors. Here’s a detailed explanation of the steps involved in selecting the appropriate size spur gear:
- Determine the Required Torque: Start by determining the torque requirements of your application. Calculate or estimate the maximum torque that the gear will need to transmit. Consider factors such as the power input, speed, and load conditions to determine the required torque.
- Identify the Speed Requirements: Determine the desired rotational speed or RPM (revolutions per minute) for your application. This will help in selecting a gear with the appropriate pitch diameter and tooth configuration to achieve the desired speed.
- Consider the Load Conditions: Evaluate the expected load conditions, including the magnitude and direction of the load. Determine if the load is constant or variable, and if it involves shock loads or cyclic loading. This will impact the gear’s durability and load-carrying capacity.
- Calculate the Pitch Diameter: Based on the torque and speed requirements, calculate the pitch diameter of the spur gear. The pitch diameter is determined by the formula: Pitch Diameter = (2 x Torque) / (Pressure Angle x Allowable Tooth Shear Stress).
- Select the Module Size: Choose an appropriate module size based on the gear size and application requirements. The module size determines the tooth size and spacing. Smaller module sizes are used for fine tooth profiles and higher precision, while larger module sizes are suitable for heavier loads and higher torque applications.
- Determine the Number of Teeth: Based on the pitch diameter and module size, calculate the number of teeth required for the gear. Ensure that the gear has an adequate number of teeth for smooth operation, load distribution, and sufficient contact ratio.
- Consider Space Constraints: Evaluate the available space and mounting requirements in your application. Ensure that the selected gear size can fit within the available space and can be properly mounted on the shaft or gearbox.
- Choose the Material: Consider the operating conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and presence of corrosive substances, to select the appropriate material for the spur gear. Common materials include steel, cast iron, brass, and plastic. Choose a material that offers the necessary strength, wear resistance, and durability for your specific application.
- Consider Additional Design Features: Depending on your application requirements, you may need to consider additional design features such as profile shift, hub configuration, and surface treatments. Profile shift can optimize gear performance, while specific hub configurations and surface treatments may be necessary for proper mounting and enhanced durability.
It’s important to note that gear selection is a complex process, and it may require consultation with gear manufacturers or experts in the field. They can provide guidance based on their expertise and assist in selecting the most suitable spur gear for your specific application.
By thoroughly considering factors such as torque requirements, speed, load conditions, pitch diameter, module size, number of teeth, space constraints, material selection, and additional design features, you can choose the right size spur gear that meets the demands of your application in terms of performance, durability, and efficiency.
editor by CX 2023-09-04


Port of Long Beach Pier B Rail Yard
By 2020, the Port of Long Beach expects its share of container traffic to increase 500 percent over 2004. The Pier B Rail Yard has been identified as the most critical facility in the port's rail master plan, serving as its primary railcar storage and staging facility. We are providing engineering services for the $250 million Pier B Rail Yard infrastructure program.
Key project components include realigning B Street to accommodate new yard tracks; constructing approximately 80,000 feet of track; designing classification yard facilities and/or a potential Near Dock ICTF Facility; and conducting feasibility studies, alternative analysis and preliminary engineering for potential grade separations.
In support of the port's Green Port Policy, we are also performing design and technology studies. Sustainable design will be an integral part of overall facility planning, design, operation and maintenance, with focus on key areas such as air quality, energy efficiency and conservation, materials and water conservation, and waste handling. The technology study will investigate alternative technologies for container movement using advanced non-polluting technologies. It also will assess technologies related to improving rail service operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems and Advanced Transportation Management Information and Security.


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Dominican Republic or Mexico(4 Posts)
StarDustMonkey Sat 17-Feb-18 18:34:41
StarDustMonkey Sat 17-Feb-18 18:46:30
StarDustMonkey Sun 18-Feb-18 11:31:51
ladyirish Sat 24-Feb-18 15:18:23
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We are planning our family holiday and are struggling to decide between Mexico and the Dominican republic.
We're are going to be going AI and have a 7 and 4 year old. While Mexico looks fabulous, we are worried that the youngest will be that bit too young to do excursions (we've seen several that say minimum age 5). On top of that, as we're going November time I'm worried that Mexico will be too cold compared to the Dominican republic.
We like doing trips to see historical sights, actually seeing the local area, and don't just want to spend our days by the pool or in the resort.
We've been to Rhodes holiday village with first choice and loved it, however last year we went to Tenerife and we very disappointed. We found it to be very loud, obnoxious and chavy (sorry can't think of another word to describe it!) With heavy smoking/e cigarette use.
We do not want a repeat experience, and so were looking to see what people experiences of both the Dominican Republic and Mexico are?
Should add for Mexico we would be looking at staying in the Riviera Maya area, for the Dominican Republic it would be the Punta Cana/Bavaro area.
We have been to both we all insluive in Dominican stayed at dreams La Roma we like it didnt like hotel but them we find all insluive a waste of money for us we don't have kids.
We live live Mexico going again this year it will be our 5 th time can't help on hotel as we don't do all insluive there.loads to do people are great food gergous and so cheep.
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Ian Ziering, who rose to fame on Beverly Hills, 90210, discusses skin care at Jon Lori Salon in Fair Haven Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
Last month, the Hollywood muckrakers over at TMZ.com asked a question about Ian Ziering, famously known for playing Steve Sanders on Beverly Hills, 90210. The website posted photos of the actor from 1992 and 2010, noting he hasn’t aged much, and asked: good genes or good docs?
How about good skin care?
redbankgreen bumped into the acting star Tuesday afternoon, in all places, at a Fair Haven coffee shop. And as he sipped on a cup of coffee at Gourmet Picnic, he was not an ounce reluctant to talk about why he was in town: to show off a new venture of his, an anti-aging line of products at Jon Lori Salon on River Road.
It’s a signifier of summer on the Jersey Shore the annual Fourth of July concert by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony, a tradition as crucial to local life as, well, the New Year’s Jukes shows at the Count Basie.
In todays edition of Red Bank oRBit , we talk to Southside Johnny Lyon for a preview of what audiences can expect at this year’s show, which kicks off a season of larger-scale entertainments at the Pony’s SummerStage this Thursday.
We also get on the phone with Jukes guitarist Bobby Bandiera, who, as the Hardest Working Man in Shore Business, just got off the road with Bon Jovi and will do the Jukes thing following a special concert tonight at theAxelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal, even as he prepares his next Rock ‘N Soul Revue extravaganza in Red Bank.
It’s all there in oRBit, the local entertainment website that gets the interview, grabs the story, and gets there first!


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Artist Dimitri Hadzi presented his small bronze entitled “Thermopylae” to the Gropiuses as a gift. The sculpture is a small prototype/study for a large public work of the same name sited at Boston’s JFK Federal Building.
The Architects Collaborative designed the federal building. Hadzi was well known for his monumental public sculptures and collaborated with The Architects Collaborative (TAC) on several projects in addition to holding a teaching position at Harvard.
Photograph by Eric Roth.


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By Lian Degui
The Japanese government has recently made constant moves on the Taiwan question. Not only were Taiwan region related contents written into the joint declarations of the Japan-US leaders’ meeting and of the Japan-EU summit, but several China-related topics, including the Taiwan Straits, were also involved in the joint statement of Japan and Australia’s “two plus two” meeting on June 9. Japan’s persistent and excessive interest in Taiwan region appears to reflect the country’s security concern, but it is actually driven by Japan’s deep-down, unspeakable colonial complex.
According to the series of political and legal arrangements after WWII, Japan was forced to give up its rule in Taiwan region and admit that the island is part of China, but its ambition for Taiwan region never died. When Kishi Nobusuke visited Taiwan as then Japan’s prime minister, he publicly supported Chiang Kai-shek in fighting back against the mainland. While he, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP), was known for his pro-Taiwanese stance, his little brother Satō Eisaku refused to admit Taiwan region as part of China before the China-Japan relations were normalized and was eventually abandoned by LDP’s mainstream force. Bilateral ties were not normalized until Kakuei Tanaka took office.
But Kishi Nobusuke’s supporters in LDP have continued to maintain ties with Taiwan region, sabotage the One China policy, and undermine China-Japan relations. In 2007, Taro Aso, a top official of LDP, visited Taiwan and met with Chen Shui-bian.
Now, Shinzo Abe’s little brother Nobuo Kishi is the key figure of LDP’s pro-Taiwanese forces. He is the defense minister of the Yoshihide Suga administration, and Katsunobu Kato, also a staunch supporter of Abe, is the Chief Cabinet Secretary, making the Suga administration actually the “Abe-Suga administration”. Yoshihide Suga isn’t pro-Taiwanese, but he became prime minister because of Abe’s support and is naturally influenced by Abe’s stance, so it’s hard for him to blaze a new foreign policy. Apart from the American factor, the Japanese pro-Taiwanese forces also play a significant role in Tokyo’s interference in China’s internal affairs. In February this year, the pro-Taiwanese forces set up an interagency Taiwan policy taskforce to plan future policies toward Taiwan.
The joint statement with the US and EU with the attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs reveal Japan’s attempt to turn the Taiwan question into an international issue and use it as a way to curb China’s rise.
However， Japan’s national strength is nevertheless unable to sustain its pro-Taiwanese ambition. The latest statistics show that Japan registered negative economic growth as its GDP fell 1.3% in the first quarter. Its efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have proved ineffective with the fourth surge underway, while vaccines are still in shortage, which leads to another dilemma – should it hold the Olympic Games as scheduled or not? At this point, Japan stands to suffer an enormous amount of losses, whatever its decision is.
Severe pandemic, economic decline, falling national strength, and escalating population aging – these realities make it impossible for Japan to interfere in its neighbor’s internal affairs. But the Japanese government sees China’s rise as a “threat”. It seems to believe that concocting an “Indo-Pacific strategy” and a so-called quadrilateral mechanism, and issuing some statements will block China’s way to reunification and curb its developing momentum. Tokyo should be aware that the EU is not on the same page with it regarding its interests in the Asia Pacific, and Japan’s attempt to get the West’s backing will turn out to be a pipe dream.
The US used to view Taiwan as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”. At the same time, Japan still harbors smoldering colonial sentiments toward the island, so it’s no surprise that the two countries would act in collusion with each other over this issue. Past powers are over the hill, but they are still clinging to their old imperial and colonial dreams and straining themselves in the hopeless pursuit for global domination. But it’s a brave new world now!
The author is a professor with the School of Japanese Studies at the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).


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Directed by: Marc Webb
Written by: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz
After creating two of the greatest superhero films in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Sony executives meddled too much and it resulted in a disappointing third installment. After rebooting the character once again and creating a good first story, it looks like Sony did not learn its lesson considering the end product of this lackluster film. Through its lack of ambition and yet another mishmash of villains, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 shows once again that these creatives cannot get out of their own way with this franchise.
Following the events of The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter (Andrew Garfield) tries to navigate his feelings for Gwen (Emma Stone) after promising her father that she would not be involved in his vigilante life. Now, Peter must contend with more enemies that have their hatred for him for arbitrary reasons but there needs to be villains in the film.
Everything about this film just causes me to be frustrated with the end result and it shows that the creators behind it had no real imagination as to how they would build upon their previous film. They take the idea of Pete’s parents having any real importance to this whole conspiracy that ends up being so underwhelming on so many disappointing levels. The cracks in this foundation became evident very quickly through its promotional material. Not only did it reveal who the villains would be with at least one of them meaning to be a surprise, but it plainly shows the vast amount of villains in the story. Adding too many villains became the downfall of Spider-Man 3 and Sony inexplicably once again fell for the same trap. Having that many villains forced the screen time to be split amongst them, thus eliminating valuable time necessary to build someone from scratch. Instead, Spider-Man has to take on these villains with such razor-thin motivations that it snaps under any amount of pressure.
It becomes even more shameful when considering the talented cast of actors they brought on to serve as the villains. That includes Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, and Paul Giamatti. Three actors that obviously got a nice check out of it but did not get the characters to display their actual acting ability. Instead, they had to make do with being generic villains with lackluster motivations that Spider-Man gets to punch throughout the story.
Fortunately for the film, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone work incredibly well together once again and continue the relationship of Peter and Gwen. They ultimately try their best even if the storytellers did not know what they wanted after what happened in the previous film. Peter seemingly cannot make up his mind on what he wants their relationship to be and it shows that the creatives had no idea what they wanted out of it. Garfield and Stone provided the electricity that one of the villains failed to produce and their relationship becomes one worth rooting for.
Studio meddling one again negatively impacted a film that could have been much better if only it were much more focused. Everything built up in the previous film fell completely flat in the follow up. Instead of taking those pieces and advancing them, the creatives were more interested in establishing enough villains to create a Sinister Six that would appear in a sequel that fortunately never arrived.
I feel the most for Andrew Garfield, who grew up loving Spider-Man and when given the opportunity to do so, he receives this subpar mess of a story. He brought his best two each of the films, but his character arc did not receive the conclusion that he deserved. That’s how it goes in show business. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ends a disappointing run of films only to be rebooted once again in a few years with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
3 Replies to “Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2”

domain: entertainment


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Free Shipping on orders of $75 or more! Code: SHIPMAGIC
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Hakuna Matata. Your bag is empty!
As long as you believe it strongly enough then, with a simple touch of this Tinker Bell MagicBand 2, you will be able to redeem FastPass+, enter parks, charge purchases, and more! The colorful design features the pouting pixie from Peter Pan.
A coy Tinker Bell takes the weight off her wings as she rests up on a decorative heart-shaped ''Love Seat'' in this charming figurine. Crafted in Jim Shore's distinctive folk art style, it's beautifully hand-painted and sculpted from high-quality stone resin.
This classic button-front, short sleeve pajama top and coordinating shorts set features a chest pocket, pink piping, and an allover pattern of Tinker Bell, Pocahontas, Moana, and Aurora. The loose fit of this lightweight sleepwear makes for a comfy way to dream the night away.
She can dress to match Tink for their next pas de deux in this pixie-dusted pair of leotards with glittering tutus. There's one for your little fairy and one for her Disney Animators' Collection Tinker Bell doll (sold separately).


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Cases of rare vulvar ulcers have been diagnosed in adolescent girls after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer messenger RNA (mRNA) shot, according to the April edition of the Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology.
Six cases of adolescent girls ages 12 to 16 developing painful genital ulcers within four days of their second vaccine dose were reported in the medical journal, including two cases occurring after infection with COVID-19.
This is the first time that cases of vulvar ulcers in adolescents and young women are being addressed and discussed in the medical literature.
Doctors of these cases say that it is “important to identify and explain possible adverse effects to help dispel the hesitancy some patients might feel about receiving a novel vaccine.”
The vulvar ulcers—known as vulvar aphthous ulcers, lipschütz ulcers, or acute genital ulcerations—are non-sexually acquired painful lesions formed on the external structures of the female genitalia, or the vulva. The condition mainly affects adolescents and young women, but cases of older women have also been reported.
Unlike mouth sores which are an established adverse reaction of certain vaccines, including the COVID-19 injections administered in the United States, vulvar ulcers are not.
A simple search on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for aphthous ulcer, vaginal ulceration, vulval ulceration, and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, resulted in 282 total events as of April 14.
Of those, over 40 reports were related to genital ulcers in adolescents and young women several days after the second Pfizer shot, while the rest were reports of mouth ulcers. Several cases have also occurred following the first and third dose.
The youngest to experience the vulvar ulcers was a 10-year-old girl from North Carolina, who developed several painful lesions 24 hours after her second Pfizer injection on Jan. 29, 2022, [VAERS ID number: 2087752-1]. She tested negative for the herpes simplex virus. The report did not mention whether a COVID-19 test was administered.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions that reports made to VAERS do not necessarily prove causation.
“While very important in monitoring vaccine safety, VAERS reports alone cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event or illness,” the CDC wrote.
By Meiling Lee


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Hong Kong’s top leader has told pro-democracy protesters they must clear the city by Monday. CY Leung’s warning follows fears that the worst unrest in decades could turn more violent.
On Friday night before around 20 people were arrested during clashes in one working class suburb.
At least 12 people and six police officers were injured during running brawls.
Police in riot gear tired to keep order as angry residents and pro-Beijing supporters demanded the activists leave.
Many locals are angry at a drop in business during the protests.
Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung went on TV to tell residents that: “The most urgent matter is to restore accessibility to the government headquarters on Monday to allow 3,000 workers to do their jobs in serving the public; also for the roads in Central and Wanchai to be unblocked so all schools can resume classes.”
Hong Kong, a former British colony, is run under a separate system of government than mainland China.
Despite plans for universal suffrage, protests escalated earlier this week over Beijing’s decision to veto candidates for the next leadership election in 2017.
While largely peaceful, student leaders claim triads or organised crime gangs may have infiltrated the ‘Occupy’ sites to incite violence.

domain: sociology