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Research has been designated as one the four pillars in the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and our Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is at the heart of the national effort to develop diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19.
We’re publishing regular infographic updates giving an overview of the COVID-19 research taking place at Guy’s and St Thomas’. The infographics also include a focus on particular areas of activity.
The August 2020 infographic includes a focus on how our BRC’s platforms are supporting COVID-19 studies across the Trust.
- Our Flow Cytometry Platform has processed:
- 62 samples for the COVID-IP study
- 16 samples for the IMMERSE study.
- Our Advanced Therapies Manufactuing Platform starting engineering runs of treatment for
pulmonary fibrosis in COVID-19 patients.
- Our Translational Bioinformatics Platform is supporting biomarker identification in COVID-19
patients in a BRC-supported study.
- Our Clinical Research Facility is providing clinical and operational infrastructure to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine study
- Our Biostatistics and Data Management Platform has helped develop the PsoProtect database collecting data on COVID-19 and psoriasis.
The August edition also features key funding awards received by the Trust:
- £8.2m awarded by UKRI and NIHR to PHOSP-COVID consortium including our Trust, looking at long term health impacts of COVID-19.
- £320,000 awarded by our NIHR BRC to eight translational COVID-19 research studies.
- £1,000,000 donated by a philanthropic funder to King’s with our Trust for an immune monitoring programme.
- £320,000 awarded by King’s Together’s Rapid COVID-19 call for 19 projects conducted in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’.
The infographic includes our regular updates about overall research performance:
- 22 staff recruited to a dedicated COVID-19 research team
- 17 COVID-19 research studies badged nationally as Urgent Public Health Studies.
- 2,148 participants have been recruited into Urgent Public Health studies.
- 31 other local COVID-19 research studies are underway.
- 3,312 participants have been recruited into other local COVID-19 studies.
- 99 academic publications from COVID-19 studies at the Trust.
You can also find out about highlights from particular studies taking place at the Trust:
- Our research has identified loss of smell and taste as a key symptom of COVID-19, which is now recognised in the World Health Organisation list of symptoms of the disease.
- Over 1,300 patient samples included in the clinical characterisation study ISARIC.
- 379 participants vaccinated in four weeks for the Oxford vaccine study at our NIHR Clinical Research Facility.
- 108 participants recruited to the GenOMICC study looking at how patients’ genes affect their outcomes.
- 60 participants recruited to the paediatric DIAMONDS study, which aims to design new diagnostic tests.
- Our Data Lake has linked 1,520 COVID-19 positive datasets. This information is supporting 15 studies at the Trust.
- 512 participants recruited to our TwinsUK COVID-19 serology study.


By: Awantika Poddar
Microsoft Corporation MSFT is a dominant name in the software industry. Its Windows operating system is installed in the majority of computers globally. Through Azure cloud services the company is also one of the leading providers of cloud infrastructure and service
The rapid evolution of technology over the years has radically changed the way organizations conduct their businesses and people connect with each other, leading to a tectonic shift in the dynamics of the software industry.
Software has become the focal point of technological innovation. The last few years have witnessed a series of breakthroughs in cloud computing, predictive analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), self-driving vehicles, digital personal assistants and Internet of Things (IoT), consequently setting the stage for strong growth in the software industry.
Moreover, continued enterprise investment in big data and analytics along with the ongoing adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) presents significant growth opportunity for industry players.
IDC estimates that the market for big data and business analytics will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7% from $130.1 billion in 2016 to more than $203 billion in 2020.Microsoft, based on its portfolio strength, is well-poised to grab this growth opportunity. With its sustained focus on innovation, the world’s largest software company now has a market capitalization of over $839.28 billion.
Office 365, Azure Driving Microsoft
Notably, Microsoft shares have outperformed the industry in a year’s time. The stock has returned 47.8%, outperforming the industry’s growth of 35.5%.
Azure’s expanding clientele, strong adoption of Office 365 along with Microsoft’s unique position as a hybrid cloud solution provider have been the key catalysts.
Microsoft’s strategic growth investments in cloud business and AI are likely to help the company become a dominant hybrid cloud provider, going forward.Further, the company’s strategic initiatives to enter the augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) market are other positives.
Microsoft has a dominant position in the desktop PC market, with its operating systems being used in the majority of PCs worldwide. Windows 10 is now active on more than 700 million devices, with continued deployments across enterprises.
Preliminary data released by Gartner displayed that PC shipments in the second quarter were up 1.4% year over year to 62.1 million units. The IDC report stated that PC shipments increased 2.7% from the year-ago period to approximately 62.3 million units, surpassing its expectation of 0.3% increase.
Moreover, continuing consumer shift to Windows-as-a-serviceis a strong growth driver.
Further, acquisitions like PlayFab and GitHub expand Microsoft’s total addressable market (TAM) and penetration.
Microsoft has also been consistently surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 11.4%. In the last reported quarter, the company’s top and bottom lines surpassed the respective estimates.
We believe that this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock has huge growth potential,especially considering the positive earnings outlook and strong fundamentals of the Azure and Windows operating system which appear assertive enough to drive its stock higher in the near term.
3 Other Software Stocks with Solid Potential
However, Microsoft is not the only stock in the software industry that has attractive growth prospects. We use the Zacks Growth Style Score to identify these stocks.
Our Growth Style Score condenses all the essential metrics from the company’s financial statements to achieve a true sense of quality and sustainability of its growth. Our research shows that stocks with Growth Style Scores of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy) offer the best investment opportunities in the growth investing space.
Apart from this, all the stocks listed below have delivered positive average earnings surprises over the preceding four quarters.
CommVault Systems, Inc. CVLT
CommVault provides Unified Data Management solutions for high-performance data protection, universal availability and simplified management of data on complex storage networks. As of Mar 31, 2018, the company provided data and information management software service to more than 26,000 registered customers.
This company has delivered positive earnings surprise in one of the four trailing quarters, recording an average surprise of 1.3%. It also has a Growth Style Score of A. Apart from this, CommVault has a long-term EPS growth rate of 15.8% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. CDNS
Based in San Jose, CA, Cadence Design offers products and tools that help customers to design electronic products. Through System Design Enablement (“SDE”) strategy the company offers software, hardware, services and reusable IC design blocks (IPs) to electronic systems and semiconductor customers.
With a Growth Style Score of A and a Zacks Rank #2, Cadence Design has reported positive earnings surprises in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 5.2%. Moreover, the stock has long-term earnings EPS growth rate of 12%.
Progress Software Corporation PRGS
Progress Software offers the leading platform for developing and deploying mission-critical business applications. It provides leading data connectivity to all sources, and award-winning predictive analytics that brings the power of machine learning to any organization. Headquartered in Ireland, the company sells products primarily in North America and Europe, as well as in other markets, including Australia, Israel and China
Not only does this stock carry a Zacks Rank #2, it also has an attractive Growth Style Score of A. Further, the company has a trailing four-quarter positive average earnings surprise of 7.9%.
Today’s Stocks from Zacks’ Hottest Strategies
It’s hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%.
And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 – 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we’re willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation.


Your Penis Is Not Welcome Here
David and Jason talk about the most expensive house in LA, David's trip to Fashion Week, and why Jason hates Valentine's Day. Jason confesses how being away from David is and the guys get rejected from a Hollywood party. Plus, David's plan for love, streaking, and you won't believe the celeb who DM'd Jason.
Missing Out On $5 Million
About The Show
In this weekly podcast, David Dobrik, a 24-year-old, sexy, millionaire YouTuber and Jason Nash, a 40-something single dad with a vlog of his own, take you behind-the-scenes of their vlogs and show you what living the “YouTube life” is really like. Join these two as they confess their most intimate thoughts, discuss pop-culture, and dissect their own contentious relationship. New episodes drop every Tuesday!


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Snapchat Lens Studio is an AR development platform for anybody to build magical Augmented Reality experiences. Make your own dancing hot dog 🌭🕺
Enjoy Twitter with an Augmented Reality experience!
* Search tweets
* Write tweets
* Reply to tweets
* Like and Retweet
* 3D Experience - requires a VR headset
* Mute, Block, Report Integrated
Snap Camera lets you apply Lenses to your face while using your computer's webcam. Utilize Snap Camera in your favorite third party live streaming or video chat applications by selecting Snap Camera as your webcam device. .
Figment AR is an app for creating imaginative scenes in your world. Users can place emoji, animals and other playful objects around them, create “portals” to step into other dimensions, and add effects like snow, fireworks and more. Share these moments with friends to bring these figments of your imagination to life.
FlatPyramid is your crowd sourced marketplace for the buying and selling of 3d model files that are used in several 3D applications across a wide range of industries. Such as; Gaming, Advertising and Marketing, Film, TV and Media, Architecture and Design, Product Development, AR & VR, 3D Printing, etc.
Stock and Custom 3D models are available.
Amazon Sumerian lets you create and run virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D applications quickly and easily without requiring any specialized programming or 3D graphics expertise.
By popular request, you can now use MeasureKit’s Face Mesh tool to scan and export your face into a 3D model on the iPhone X�. For example, so you can make a physical mask of your face using a 3D printer.
Huge Collection of Free To Use Low Poly Backgrounds
Google Art Palette uses computer vision algorithms to match color palettes with artwork from around the world.
Holo with ARKit is the first AR app that lets you place 3D holograms of real people and animals in your world, move around and interact with them as if truly there in real life, and create videos & photos to share with friends. Holograms include Spider-Man, Jhene Aiko, Jon Hamm, Jerome Boateng, Buzz Aldrin, Nyjah Huston, loads of animals, and more.
Snap Store is a mobile-first ecommerce store directly inside Snapchat, with new Snap merchandise dropping every few weeks. 🔥
HTML/CSS drawing in the style of an 18th-century oil painting. Hand-coded entirely in HTML & CSS. Part of an ongoing series where the maker creates art using only CSS and HT
Now, anyone can design projected AR experiences. The creation system consists of Lightform LF1, a powerful computer and scanning device, and Lightform creator, a simple, yet powerful design software for projected AR. Lightform Creator’s suite of smart mapping tools, instant effects, and stock videos make it easy to create epic visuals in seconds.
PictureThat makes decorating your home easier, using augmented reality you can choose the best locations to place your art work and photographs before you put them up.
Always wanted to swim with sharks but worried about getting wet or even worse, eaten? Worry no more with shARk, the app that lets sharks enter your world and swim with you 💦
Membit Geo-Locative Photosharing with a new, patented form of Augmented reality that lets anyone create very precisely placed placed AR without a marker. Share the past with the present, and share the present with the future.
Hologo is for students, teachers, schools and lifelong learners. The app brings immersive experiences to the education system, for students to learn better and for teachers to better teach concepts visually like never before using Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality Technology.
Canvia uses proprietary image processing and built-in sensors that adapt curated art to your room’s ambient visual conditions and décor

domain: artistic


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23rd February 2012
This piece from Associated Press shows the budget cuts demanded in full.
The big numbers are the €537 million cut to health and pension funds, €200 million cut to operating costs for ministries, €400 million cut in defence spending, €386 million cut in main and supplementary pensions, €576 million cut in pharmaceutical spending, €205 million cut to state salary costs and €400 million cut to public investment budget.
In practice, there is no one issue that has proved particularly thorny for policymakers. The protestors that took to the streets of Athens in mid-February were focused more on a dislike of austerity measures as a whole; they were anti-business, anti-banks and anti-Eurozone. "Bosses are killers of the people" reads the graffiti.
Mindful Money economist Shaun Richards believes that this is Greece's central problem: "There is an immediate glaring flaw which has run right through the whole Greek "rescue" episode and it is highlighted by the fact that wages will be cut but banks will be recapitalized! Sound familiar? It should as this drumbeat has been going all the way through and is a major reason contributing to the failures so far. Karl Marx would have had some thoughts on the relative treatment of labour and capital that is happening here. Also exactly how do you "promote public interest and business autonomy?" Aren't they contradictory aims?"
No-one really seems to believe that Greece will succeed in implementing these measures. For example, Azad Zangana, European economist at Schroders, says: "According to the Greek Statistics Office, the primary deficit stood at €5.3bn, or 2.4% of GDP. While that sounds achievable over a two-year period, the problem is the ongoing recession in Greece. The economy contracted by 5.3% in nominal terms last year (7% in real terms), which means if the same decline were to happen again this year, then achieving that target by the end of 2014 will be even more painful.
"In our view, the level of austerity required by the plan would plunge Greece into an economic depression. Another risk will be the upcoming elections currently scheduled for April. The incumbent centre-left PASOK party and the centre-right New Democracy party now receive less than 50% of the popular votes in Greek media polls. The move away from the centre and towards extreme left and right wing parties is a concern. Given the awful implementation record of the current government, who enjoys a solid majority, what hope does Greece have if a grand coalition takes over?"
It seems that even Eurozone policymakers are not convinced. A document leaked to the Financial Times, contained a ‘tailored downside scenario', which appeared to recognise that the Greek authorities may not be able to deliver structural reforms and policy adjustments at the pace envisioned in the baseline. It warned: "Greater wage flexibility may in practice be resisted by economic agents; product and service market liberalisation may continue to be plagued by strong opposition from vested interests; and business environment reforms may also remain bogged down in bureaucratic delays."
And the price for failing to meet these targets? Clive Crook at Bloomberg suggests that there is, in fact, little pressure on Greece to hit these targets. He says: "In this projection, Greece postpones the structural changes — such as a lowering of wages — needed to make its economy competitive. Fiscal adjustment and privatization are delayed. The government's dependence on official loans grows, and its debt burden surges higher. The debt trajectory would be "extremely sensitive to program delays," the officials conclude, "suggesting that the program could be accident prone, and calling into question sustainability." Sounds like business as usual."
He adds: "If there is some intelligent principle behind this approach, rather than mere flailing incompetence, it would sound like this: "Let's build this manageable problem up into a crisis capable of vast destruction that we might be unable to control. That will create the fear needed to force some real improvements in economic policy." He concludes that Greek's debts – public and private should be written off.
There seems little chance that Greece will meet its austerity targets. Countries have dealt with debt burdens as big as this in the past, but they have generally been isolated cases. Greece's position as part of a wider debt crisis stalls its recovery further. Eurozone policymakers may believe that £130bn is a price worth paying for pushing an ultimate resolution out further down the road.

domain: news


To bounce back from the current crisis, organisations must have a closer look at their set-up priorities by distinguishing between must-have and what is nice to have. They need to streamline processes that deal with remote work, new technology and the shift from an on-prem to a cloud infrastructure. The faster companies solve their IT challenges, the more they can focus on the human factor of our new way of working. However, managing these technological environments with native solutions is not as easy as it looks.
There is nothing simple about building, managing and auditing technological environments anymore. Technology has always been challenging, but over the previous decade even more layers have been added: on-premise, cloud and hybrid. Not that long ago, platforms like Windows NT did not exist unless installed on physical servers. Networks were straight-forward. Firewalls and other devices only had so many capabilities and were physical.
Virtual technology was just a dream back then, but has now become reality. And we have cloud environments now. Cloud technology virtualizes nearly every aspect: applications, storage, devices, platforms and networks. For most companies, their cloud infrastructure is an addition to an already complex on-premise infrastructure. Although most organisations know the benefits of a cloud strategy, the crisis has accelerated their need to transform.
Suddenly people had no choice but to work remotely and businesses needed to implement solutions fast. This creates a whole bunch of new challenges on top of an on-premise infrastructure. Streamlining essential processes will be crucial to build resilience now and for the future. Anyone who architects, engineers or supports a hybrid environment knows how difficult it is to intelligently audit, monitor, expand, maintain and recover these massively complex environments that have organically formed over decades.
A lot of companies wonder why they should even consider third party solutions because their native tools are free after all. Microsoft platforms, for example, have everything you need to create really amazing performances. These platforms are reliable and provide a solid foundation from which to launch. However, there is one problem: the tools that come with this platform are minimally adequate.
Imagine you have one hammer to both build and maintain things. While you are building these new things, you increase the complexity of what you need to maintain. Soon, you can only maintain and do not have time to build anymore. Even teaching others has become almost impossible as things have become too complicated. This is where you end up with native tools. They offer a great platform to start from, but it is really hard to build on it, grow it, or even integrate with other technology.
This is where third party solutions come in. They give organisations technology that allows to intelligently use their platform. Each third party has its own specialities. Quest, for example, is really good at helping to navigate and simplify those layers of technology that have been piled on over the decades. We enable you to know, audit, monitor, secure, maintain, recover and migrate your complex Microsoft hybrid environments.
One of our solutions is Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory Disaster Recovery Edition. This software helps organisations to be prepared to perform a phased recovery in case of a complete Active Directory disaster. By ensuring you can quickly restore at least one domain controller (DC) in each domain (phase 1), you can get your business back on its feet as soon as possible and turn your attention to the remaining DCs (phase 2).
While there are several methods to go about promoting the rest of your DCs, the best option is to install from media (IFM). Microsoft recommends IFM because it is an efficient way to reinstall AD on a Microsoft domain controller. In fact, it speeds the process considerably by cutting traffic across your network in half. Still, using native tools, IFM is a tedious manual process. You have to perform it on all DCs, one by one, by going to each DC and executing the PowerShell commands to install from media in order to promote the domain controller.
Quest’s solution takes IFM a critical step further. It automates the IFM process, delivering bulk IFM to dramatically accelerate the second phase of your disaster recovery. You simply set up a project, select all DCs you want to promote, and then click a button to execute the IFM process on all of the DCs you specified. So, no error-prone manual processes, no time-consuming visits to each DC, and no constant barrage of messages from management asking about your progress.
To conclude: third party solutions can provide the insight and support that are invaluable to automating maintenance and lighting a path to growth. So in the end, native is not always cheaper. It costs money in time, late deliverables and lack of knowledge that can lead to infiltration and costly mistakes.
Building resilience by preparing for a remote workforce is not just about the people involved, but also about the IT that needs to support them. The more you can streamline and automate processes by having solutions in place, the faster you can focus on that human aspect of remote work. You will have less IT tickets, less dissatisfied users and you can even reduce the cost of making that transition happen.
This is why each organisation should now first identify which platforms are critical to ensure business continuity. Understanding license assets helps to mitigate costs by eliminating spending on platforms we are not leveraging. Postpone everything that is nice to have and focus on those priorities that will help your organisation to get used to the new normal.
Find out what the future holds for your enterprise by subscribing to a free event organised by Insight. Hear from economist Ivan Van de Cloot about the economic and societal background that will impact innovation and change. Subscribe & discover the agenda.


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Our 1st book is out now • Find out more & order a copy »
Start with two pieces of red felt, slightly larger than your iPad.
Sandwich the iPad between the two sheets of felt and pin around the edges.
Sew around the outline of the iPad leaving the top edge unstitched.
Make sure you can slip the iPad in and out of the felt sleeve with a nice snug fit.
Trim off excess felt from the outside edges.
Trace around the felt sleeve onto paper to make a template for your envelope.
Cut two rectangles and two flap shapes from the white leather.
Pin the two flaps onto one of the rectangles so that they overlap in the middle.
If you have a pencil or stylus for your iPad, you can make a little pocket for it by cutting a square of leather with pinking scissors.
If not, just cut out some stamp shaped rectangles.
Cut out a heart shape from the leather. Colour with a red fabric pen.
Use a ruler and pencil to sketch out 1/2" diagonal lines around the outer edge of one of the rectangles.
Colour these in in red or blue, leaving a white gap between each to recreate the airmail envelope pattern.
Set to one side to dry.
Repeat the pattern on the flaps on the back of the envelope. I recommend leaving the ink to dry for a full 48 hours before starting the next step.
Place the stamp shapes, heart and pen pocket in place.
Sew the stamp, and pocket in place on the front of the case.
Sew the flaps and and heart on the back.
Sandwich the felt sleeve in between the two leather rectangles. Sew the top edges to the top edges of the felt, making sure not to sew the two felt edges together.
Sew around the remaining edges of the envelope.
Trim off any excess leather, pop your iPad and pencil in and you're all done!


The story was ready-made for an Army public affairs splash – “hero soldier uses ingenuity, hoodie, and an ink pen to save man’s life.” The story demonstrated a willingness to act, selfless service and quick thinking, everything one expects from a non-commissioned officer in the military. Army officials called it a “good news story.”
Until it was revealed as a lie.
After extensive research by U.S. Army WTF Moments! and WTF Nation Radio, the Army confirmed today that the story published Jan. 9, detailing the heroic post-accident exploits of Sgt. Trey Troney, of Fort Bliss, TX, was a falsehood.
After providing this information to Fort bliss officials, public affairs officers quickly pulled the story from their website and Army.mil in an official statement.
“Due to factual inaccuracies, we retract “Iron Soldier saves man’s life with hoodie, ink pen” story, published Jan 9,” the statement read.
“The entire 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss team sincerely apologize to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Highway Patrol, the city of Sweetwater, Texas, the city of El Paso, the University of Texas at El Paso, the New Orleans Saints, the local and national media and the American people.”
Troney, assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, was making his way home to Mississippi from Fort Bliss, Texas for a holiday break when he happened upon a crashed truck on the side of the highway in Sweetwater, Texas according to the Army’s release last week. Troney supposedly wrapped his Saints hoodie around the victim’s head to control the bleeding and relieve a collapsed lung with an empty ball-point pen.
The story really took off when “Jeff Udger,” the victim in the story, wrote an email to Troney’s chain of command and local media, describing his deeds and asking he be recognized for his life-saving measures. The story took off, appearing on Army Times and Military.com, even making its way up to the national spotlight in the New York Post and on Fox News. The New Orleans Saints featured the story on their website, since one of their hoodies served as the co-star.
Here’s where things don’t add up. After talking with the local police department, two traffic accidents occurred at the location and date in question. Only one of those accidents had reported injuries.
Of those accidents, one injury was a head trauma victim named Jeff Hayes, not Jeff Udger.
After speaking with Mr. Hayes, he was able to confirm that while he doesn’t remember the accident, he knows he did not receive a chest decompression needle.
“I am a nurse of 28 years, and I have dealt with trauma. I was not decompressed, no chest tubes, no pen decompression,” Hayes said during a phone interview. “A field decompression would have placed me in the ICU and high-end monitoring, and there are no related scars or wound. I am lucky to be alive, and I am lucky to be talking.”
The police report obtained by WTF Nation Radio also confirms that no chest decompression occurred. After an interview with the local fire department., we again confirmed the facts of the police report.
The investigative team brought the findings of the investigation to the 1st Armored Division’s Public Affairs Office. Officials there attempted to contact Udger, the alleged victim, to get additional information. After a few location changes, debunked by the U.S. Army WTF Moments’ team, Udger wrote back to the unit’s public affairs team.
“My name has been plastered everywhere for the past week,” Udger said in an email. “Not once did anyone ask for my permission or my thoughts. I will not give out my phone number nor will I speak to anyone anymore. I do not want to be known on this level. Sorry for all the miscommunication through the newspaper but I am no longer entertaining the media.”
1st AD officials continued their investigation, and after speaking with the highway patrolman from the scene as well as an officer from the Sweetwater Fire Department, both confirmed they could identify Troney from the accident scene in Sweetwater – but his recollection of the actions on the scene were untrue.
Certain parts of the story are real, officials say. A bloodied hoodie seemingly belonging to Troney was at the scene covered in Hayes’ blood and tissue.
There are still some questions unresolved. Who is the person claiming to be Jeff Udger?
After exhaustive search using both public records and investigative databases “Jeff Udger” does not seem to exist anywhere in the US. Wendy Brown, a reporter for the Fort Bliss Monitor, supposedly interviewed Udger over the phone, but who did she really speak to if Udger doesn’t exist?
Why would Sgt. Troney, exaggerate actions that were already above and beyond expectations? He was interviewed about the events and gave several quotes, including a conversation with the victim while supposedly treating him.
Only an investigation will likely answer those questions. Fort Bliss officials did not make any reference to ongoing or future investigations in their statement.


GIGABYTE announces today the latest AORUS Gen5 10000 NVMe SSD, teasing impressive speeds of more than 10,000MB/s write and 12,000MB/s read. The AORUS Gen5 10000 NVMe SSD is fitted with a new generation Phison PCIe 5.0 controller and ultra-fast 3D-TLC NAND flash memory. The AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD is offered in capacities 1TB to 4TB with an optional heatsink which is yet to be revealed by GIGABYTE but would likely be a similar heatsink design to the AORUS Gen4 7000 NVMe SSD and AORUS Gen4 SSD.
Claimed speeds provided by GIGABYTE
GIGABYTE’s take on the AORUS Gen5 10000 SSDAORUS Gen5 10000 SSD equips the latest Phison PS5026-E26 8-channel controller, providing users with the ultimate control of random read speed. Along with an over 200-layer stack structure, maximum 2400MT/s bandwidth 3D-TLC NAND Flash, and LPDDR4 cache design, AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD unleashes the full potential of PCIe® 5.0 performance with 10 GB/s ultra-fast access speed, which is a 40% increase over the last generation. Enhanced by the multi-core architecture PS5026-E26 controller, AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD not only improves AI multitasking operations, but takes content creators, gamers, and users eager for extreme performance to the next level.
At the same time, the GIGABYTE R&D team continues to verify next-generation NAND Flash and components, which can further boost performance and access speed to more than 12 GB/s. This prepares GIGABYTE to be the first-mover in the market while bringing users the premium performance of PCIe® 5.0 SSD with the distinguished power of GIGABYTE engineering.
Normally, high-speed SSDs generate massive amounts of heat during full-speed operation, and thermal throttling is activated as a protection to prevent data loss and wear on the memory chips and controllers, however, it slows down the transfer rate and performance. As many of the new generation of motherboards already incorporate a built-in M.2 heatsink, the AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD is specially designed to with an easily removable full-covered copper heatsink. Users can flexibly choose to use the built-in heatsink on their motherboards or the enclosed heatsink with AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD according to their needs.
The AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD features an NVMe M.2 interface design. To release the breakthrough performance of 10GB/s read speed, PCIe® 5.0 supported motherboards, GIGABYTE new generation motherboards, Z690 and above, are highly recommended to take advantage of this new technology. Enhanced by R&D’s professional adjustment, comprehensive verification and monitoring software, GIGABYTE motherboards with more stability and optimized performance are definitely the best choice for users.
GIGABYTE did not reveal pricing for the AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD as of this writing.


|Publication number||US6301528 B1|
|Application number||US 09/622,281|
|Publication date||9 Oct 2001|
|Filing date||25 Sep 1999|
|Priority date||15 Dec 1998|
|Also published as||DE19857916A1, EP1053129A1, EP1053129B1, WO2000035714A1|
|Publication number||09622281, 622281, PCT/1999/3100, PCT/DE/1999/003100, PCT/DE/1999/03100, PCT/DE/99/003100, PCT/DE/99/03100, PCT/DE1999/003100, PCT/DE1999/03100, PCT/DE1999003100, PCT/DE199903100, PCT/DE99/003100, PCT/DE99/03100, PCT/DE99003100, PCT/DE9903100, US 6301528 B1, US 6301528B1, US-B1-6301528, US6301528 B1, US6301528B1|
|Inventors||Torsten Bertram, Clemens Schmucker, Rolf Maier-Landgrebe, Torsten Baumann|
|Original Assignee||Robert Bosch Gmbh|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (60), Classifications (13), Legal Events (6)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The invention relates to a method and arrangement for controlling electrical consumers in a vehicle.
For example, methods and arrangements are known from DE-C 39 36 638 wherein, depending upon the on-board voltage, electrical consumers are switched off in groups with a view to the charge balance of the battery. One group is always completely switched off. The arrangement of the groups is static, that is, a specific consumer always belongs to the same group. Furthermore, the reverse case is not covered, namely, that electrical consumers are switched on, for example, because of drive train requirements.
Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a consumer control wherein the switching on and switching off of electrical consumers is coordinated via a higher-ranking consumer management in the context of: a total vehicle control, a vehicle electrical system or an energy management.
A total vehicle control is, for example, described in DE-A 41 11 023 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,776), which exhibits a hierarchical command structure for the control tasks. The control structure described there Includes coordination elements which convert a command, which originates from a higher hierarchical level, into commands for elements of a subordinated hierarchical level. The contents of the commands, which are transmitted from above downwardly into the hierarchical structure, define physical quantities which determine the interfaces between the individual hierarchical levels. The described interfaces orientate themselves to the physical conditions of the movement of the motor vehicle and especially of the drive train and of the brakes. A view of a vehicle control which goes beyond the latter while considering the control of the consumers or the energy distribution in the vehicle electrical system is not described.
The principle of a hierarchical base structure of a vehicle total system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,669. There, a vehicle coordinator is the command giver for the components “drive” (source of mechanical power), “vehicle motion”, “chassis and interior space” and “vehicle electrical system” (source of electrical power). The communication between the individual components of this structure takes place only between the higher-ranking component and the components, which are assigned thereto, in the context of fixed pregiven communication relationships. These relationships are the following: the order which is basically given by a component in a higher hierarchical level to a component in a lower hierarchical level and which must be executed by the ordered component; the request which also is given by a component in a lower hierarchical level to a component in a higher hierarchical level and which should be executed by the requested component; and, the inquiry for which an answer is expected from the questioned component to the questioning component. The control of the vehicle takes place in the context of these pregiven communication relationships between the components. For the control of the vehicle, fixed pregiven physical quantities are transmitted which constitute defined interfaces between the individual components. A configuration of the coordinator of the electrical vehicle system or information as to the involvement of the control of electrical consumers is not shown.
In the context of a higher-ranking vehicle electrical system management or energy management, the consumer management has the task to request the electrical consumer power and to distribute the allocated electrical power to the individual electrical consumers. With the consumer management, a coordination, as optimal as possible, of the drive train, power generation, power storage and power consumption is achieved.
By tying the consumer management into a hierarchical total vehicle structure, a greater overview of the total system and of the consumer control system is achieved and a modular development of software is made possible.
It is especially advantageous that the structure of the consumer management is especially simple. The interfaces between the individual components and the exchanged quantities are strictly of a logical nature, that is, they are independent of hardware and independent of realization. In this way, the following advantages are provided: the reusability of software, an easy expansion, an excellent overview and an easy applicability.
It is further advantageous that the interrelationship of generator, voltage controller, electrical consumers, batteries and possibly present DC/DC converters is coordinated as well as, as required, a coordination with the drive train can be made available.
In the context of the higher-ranking electrical vehicle system management, the consumer management has the task to request electrical power, distribute allocated electrical power and to coordinate the switching time points of the consumers in order to prevent impermissible switching peaks (for example, by simultaneous switching of consumers with start-up current (electric motors, lamps . . . )). In this way, a coordination of all consumers is achieved which is optimized with a view to consumption and comfort depending upon request.
It is advantageous to realize the power allocation via software-triggered actuator interventions at the consumers. This can be the hard switch-on and switch-off of consumers or, for example, a drive of the electrical consumers by means of pulsewidth modulation.
Data as to the consumers are necessary for the allocation of the electrical power and the coordination of the consumers. For this reason, priorities for classification are assigned to all electrical consumers. Here, at least three priority steps are to be distinguished (a finer subdivision is conceivable): safety-relevant consumers and consumers which cannot be acted upon by actuating elements have the highest priority. Switched in consumers having the highest priority define the basic load, that is, the minimum necessary electrical power for the operation of the vehicle which is to be made available under all circumstances. These consumers are, in part, not controllable via the vehicle power system management (power distribution not via vehicle electrical system management); instead, the consumers are directly hard wired. The powers of these consumers are, however, to be considered in the power balance of the vehicle electrical system management. Consumers which are controllable to a limited extent have mid priorities, that is, consumers having low time constants such as, for example, interior blower and radio. A control intervention is here rapidly realizable via the operator. The controllable consumers having large time constants, such as heaters, have the lowest priority. These consumers are suitable for a comfort-neutral control because interventions are not immediately perceivable to the user. The priorities change dynamically depending upon the state of the consumer. Thus, a consumer, which had been reduced in power by the consumer management, changes over into a higher priority stage as soon as a function change is perceivable. In an advantageous manner, a variable control of the consumers on the basis of the pregiven priority distribution is possible by means of the consumer management.
Embodiments of the invention are shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and are explained in greater detail in the following description. If power is discussed in the description of the embodiments, it is understood, as a rule, to be the electrical power.
The structure of the consumer management is dependent upon the structure of the total vehicle electrical system management. In the following, two embodiments are described (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a total vehicle control. This embodiment is known essentially from the state of the art mentioned initially herein. FIG. 1 shows a total vehicle coordinator which includes the vehicle electrical system manager for controlling the generation of energy and the distribution thereof. FIG. 1 also shows the following: the control components for the drive, for the vehicle movement, for the chassis and the interior space as well as for the vehicle electrical system which are all assigned to the total vehicle coordinator. The communication relationships known from the state of the art are present between the coordinator and the components. Electrical consumers are contained in all of the components. For this reason, the consumer management is distributed to all components in this embodiment including the vehicle coordinator.
In the following, the power request: of the consumers is described with respect to FIG. 3. Under rated power, the electrical power is understood in the following which an electrical consumer requires in the desired steady-state operating condition. The rated power can be dependent upon the selected stage (for example, blower stages 1 to 3, desired windshield wiper speed, et cetera).
The individual electrical consumers (V1 to Vn (for example, electrical water pump, electrical motor cooling blower), V1 to Vm (for example, electrical hydraulic brake, electrical power steering), V1 to Vy (for example, seat heater, interior space blower), V1 to Vx (electrical consumers in the vehicle electrical system are not known at the present time but were provided for the sake of completeness) of the vehicle components request electrical power at the consumer coordinator VK of the particular component (symbolized by the communication relationship 1!). For each vehicle electrical system voltage which is available, this power request includes the rated power of the consumer, its lowest power which is required for the operation (for example, electrical power to overcome static friction in electric motors) and its peak power (for example, starting current) when switching including the dynamic performance (characteristic values). These three values characterize the electrical consumers installed in the vehicle and are pregiven for each consumer, for example, as a table.
The consumer coordinator VK sets priorities for the consumers and summarizes the power requirements in dependence upon the priorities. These priorities are in accordance with a pregiven allocation which can be changed depending upon the application. The peak powers are additionally classified in order to simplify their allocation by the vehicle coordinator to the components. In the allocation, it must be known how the requested peak power is made up, that is, whether, for example, the power request originates from one or several consumers of a component and how the request is apportioned to the individual consumers. The classification is possible, for example, with reference to the difference power ΔP (ΔP=Pmax−Pdes, wherein: Pmax is the absolute value of the power peak, Pdes is the requested rated power). The number and width of the classes are fixed in dependence upon the application and corresponding to the consumers utilized. As an additional distinguishing feature, the indication of the number of peak power zonsumers per class is conceivable.
In this way, the following quantities result for each priority: requested summation power (rated power and the portion of the peak power with time constants greater than the cycle time of the vehicle electrical system management), summed peak power (peak power with a time constant less than the vehicle electrical system management cycle time) and the lowest power which the component can process as the smallest unit (allocated power is either zero or equal to or greater than this lowest power).
The consumer coordinators VK (see FIG. 3) request the determined peak power from the vehicle coordinator (request relationship 2!). The vehicle coordinator sums the requests of the individual components and evaluates the peak power requests with respect to their realizability. A realization example is presented below. The vehicle coordinator allocates the realizable peak power to the individual components (order relationship 3). The components compute the rated power (see below) in dependence upon the allocated peak power and request this rated power together with the corresponding lowest power from the vehicle coordinator (request relationship 4!). The vehicle coordinator compares the request to the power potential, which can be made available, of the vehicle electrical system (for this purpose, the electrical total power is requested by the consumer manager VM from the vehicle electrical system manager KBM (request relationship 5!). The vehicle coordinator inquires at the coordinator “vehicle electrical system” as to the power potential of the vehicle electrical system (inquiry relationship 6?). The electrical power available of the vehicle electrical system is determined by the following: the power generation by the generator, the potential of the battery or batteries and, in multi-voltage vehicle electrical systems, additionally from the configuration of the available DC/DC converters. The vehicle electrical system manager compares request and potential and determines the allocation of the electrical power therefrom.
Depending upon the comparison result, the vehicle electrical system manager gives orders for the generation of power to the vehicle electrical system (order relationship 7!) and for the taking of power to the consumer management which, in turn, outputs orders corresponding to the individual requests to the vehicle components (order relationships 8) and there, to the consumer coordinators VK. The consumer coordinators VK of the individual components then give the orders for the power takeoff 9 to the individual consumers (for example, switching the consumers).
In the following, the comparison of power request to power offered is described in greater detail. First, the peak power comparison is shown. A requested peak power can be realized when the voltage change, which is caused thereby in the vehicle electrical system, remains within specified limits. The check is possible via input of experience values (application quantities, for example, peak power sum <1 kw is basically permissible) or by online simulation of the effect with the aid of a vehicle electrical system model.
If the requested peak power can be realized, the vehicle coordinator allocates the corresponding power to the components (for example, switch-on permission). If the peak power cannot be realized, a maximum permissible peak power is allocated to the individual vehicle components in dependence upon the priority and the adjustability of the peak power. The adjustability of the allocated peak power in the vehicle component can be determined in advance by the vehicle coordinator via the mentioned classification (arranging the peak power requirements into different power classes). The vehicle manager knows the dynamic characteristic quantities of the peak power request. For this reason, a peak power trace can be pregiven, that is, the vehicle electrical system manager allocates a time-dependent trace of the peak power switch-in for a computation cycle of the vehicle electrical system manager. A precondition is that the time interval for the switch-in or switchoff of individual consumers is shorter than the time interval for a cycle of the vehicle electrical system management.
The rated power comparison is carried out as follows. The consumer coordinators of the components determine the needed rated power in dependence upon the allocated peak power. If the allocated peak power corresponds to the requested peak power, then the rated power to be requested is equal to the sum of rated power (the summed rated power request of the consumers corresponding to the components) which is requested by the individual consumers. If the allocated peak power is less than the requested peak power, the power takeoff by the individual consumers is to be so delayed in time that the switching time falls, at the earliest, in the next computation interval of the consumer manager. The consumer coordinator of the component decides as to the peak power allocation to the consumers and computes the consumers, which are not considered, out of the rated power request. The consumer coordinator requests this new rated power sum from the vehicle coordinator.
If the vehicle electrical system can supply the requested rated power, then the vehicle coordinator orders the vehicle electrical system to make the power available and simultaneously orders the components to take the supplied power, that is, to switch the corresponding consumers. The consumer coordinators of the components order the consumers to tare the power.
If the requested consumer power is greater than the power which is available, the vehicle coordinator allocates the power to the components in accordance with a priority list. Here, the minimum power per component is to be considered, that is, the allocated power is either zero or equal to or greater than the minimum power which can still be purposefully utilized by the component. The order flow runs then in the same manner as in the previous case. The distribution of the power, which is allocated to a component, to the individual consumers of the component takes place in the consumer coordinator VK of the component.
The communication sequence for an oversupply of electric power is shown in FIG. 4. First, the oversupply is determined. For this purpose, the component “drive” and/or “vehicle motion” transmits to the vehicle coordinator (there, the vehicle electrical system manager KBM) a request with respect to a mechanical power (request relationship 1!—in the FIG., only the mechanical request from the drive is shown because of reasons of clarity. For a request by the vehicle movement, the scenario runs the same way) which, for example, can be realized by the generator of the component “vehicle electrical system” (for example, request of greater drive load for the warm-running support or request “brake energy replenishment”). Via an inquiry relationship 2?, the vehicle electrical system manager KBM asks the mechanical power potential of the vehicle electrical system, that is, how much mechanical load the generator can take up in the actual operating point (the mechanical take-up power is equal to the electrical output power divided by the efficiency, that is, the inquiry means the same as the inquiry as to the electrical power potential when the efficiency is known which is here assumed. The efficiency can, for example, be stored as a characteristic field eta=f(n,P,temperature)). via the request relationship 3!, the vehicle coordinator (there, the consumer manager) receives the electrical power requested by the consumers of the individual components via the assigned consumer coordinators VK. If this is less than the electrical power, which is available based on the requested mechanical power, the vehicle coordinator (there, the vehicle electrical system manager or the consumer manager) determines an electrical power excess.
In this case, the electrical power potential of the consuerets is inquired in the vehicle coordinator by the vehicle electrical system manager from the consumer manager via the inquiry relationship 4?. The consumer manager, in turn, asks the electrical potential of the individual consumer via the inquiry relationship 5? from the individual components, there, from the consumer coordinators. The electric potential corresponds to the sum of the available peak power and/or rated power (the electric potential indicates how much electrical power in addition can be taken by switching in or higher switching of consumers while considering a maximum permissible peak power). This electrical power is then requested by the consumer manager from the vehicle electrical system manager (request relationship 5!). The vehicle electrical system manager allocates the electrical power in correspondence to the priorities in that this manager gives orders 6 via the consumer manager to the consumer coordinators for taking the power and to the vehicle electrical system coordinator to generate the electrical power (the electric power which s available with the realization of the mechanical request). The consumer coordinators of the components then order the individual consumers to take the corresponding powers (order 7).
Alternative to the above communication sequence, the possibility is present to request peak power and rated power together, that is, the consumer coordinators of the individual vehicle components request, in one step, the three characteristic consumer quantities (rated power, minimum power and peak power) from the vehicle coordinator. The vehicle coordinator then evaluates the peak power request. If this peak power can be realized, the rated power request is processed. If the peak power cannot be realized, then the realizable power is allocated to the individual components. These individual components correct their rated power request in that they compute the consumers, which are not permitted because of their peak power request, from the rated power request. The corrected rated power is then requested from the vehicle coordinator. The evaluation of the rated power request, the allocation, et cetera, then runs in the same manner as in the scenario already presented.
In FIG. 2, a further embodiment for a consumer management is shown. In this structure, it is not the entire vehicle which is viewed but only the part of the vehicle relevant to the vehicle electrical system. The vehicle electrical system manager has or receives knowledge as to the requests of the power generation (communication with the generator management), the requests of the memories (communication with the battery management), the requests of the drive train, the request of the DC/DC converters in the multi-voltage vehicle electrical systems and the requests of the electrical consumers as described below. The individual requests are evaluated and the vehicle electrical system management determines a strategy based on the priority with the target to control as optimally as possible the power generation, power storage, power consumption and the vehicle drive. That is, the vehicle electrical system management fixes which requests are satisfied to what extent. For this decision, the vehicle electrical system manager needs additional information as to the potential of the individual components (drive train, generator, battery, electrical consumers and DC/DC converters). These potentials are inquired, as required, from the vehicle electrical system manager.
All electrical consumers including drive are taken together in a block, the consumer management, and are no longer distributed to different structural blocks. The functionality is identical to the functionality of the consumer management in the first embodiment. The consumers request electrical power from the coordinator of the consumer management. The power request likewise contains the components rated power, lowest power, which is required for the operation (for example, power for overcoming the static friction in electric motors) and peak power (for example, starting current) when switching (inclusive of the dynamic performance (characteristic values)). Likewise, the indication of the voltage level of the consumer is additionally required (for example, 12 volt or 42 volt consumers).
A realization example for the values of the power request is, for example, a table, which is stored in a control apparatus, with all electrical consumers available in the vehicle. For each consumer, this table includes the rated power, the required minimum power, the peak power when switching including dynamic characteristic values and the vehicle electrical system rated voltage to which the consumer is connected (for example, 12 volts or 42 volts). For consumers, which are switchable in steps (for example, the interior blower), each stage is evaluated as an individual consumer. If a consumer is requested, for example by actuating a switch, the values for the consumer management are read out of this table. These power requests are prioritized. The priority is dependent upon the type of consumer and its history.
Thereafter, the peak power requests are summed and separated in accordance with priorities and voltage level. The coordinator of the consumer management requests this peak power sum from the vehicle electrical system management. The vehicle electrical system management evaluates the peak poser request (for example, via online simulation based on a vehicle electrical system model or by evaluating experience values) and allocates the permissible peak voltage separated according to voltage level to the consumer management.
The consumer management distributes the allocated peak power to the requesting consumers. If the permissible peak power is less than the requested peak power, then no allocation to the electrical consumers, which request the peak power and have the lowest priority, takes place.
In the next step, the sum of the rated power requests is formed. This is the sum of the electrical consumers which request power but have no peak power request and simultaneously the rated power of the consumers which had been considered in the peak power allocation. This rated power sum is requested by the consumer management from the vehicle electrical system management.
Depending upon the higher-ranking strategy, the vehicle electrical system management allocates the electrical power to be consumed to the consumer management (each being separated in accordance with voltage level). If it results that more electrical power is to be generated to satisfy the requests than which had been requested by the consumers and the battery (for example, requests of the drive train in accordance with higher load because of the generator), the potential of the electrical consumers must be inquired. This means that the vehicle electrical system management asks the consumer management how much electric power can additionally be taken with switching in or switching up of consumers while considering a maximum permissible peak power. The answer to this inquiry contains the additional electrical power distributed in accordance with priorities and voltage level (for example, 12 volts, 42 volts). The Priorities must not be identical with the priorities of the power request of the consumer. With this information, the vehicle electrical system management is in the position to evaluate the fulfillment of the request and to allocate the electrical power to the consumer management.
If the allocated power is less than or equal to the requested rated power, the coordinator of the consumer management distributes the available power to the requesting consumers having the highest priorities. Requesting consumers having low priorities receive no or a reduced allocation in the event the power, which is available, is not adequate for all consumers. That is, these consumers are not switched in or operate at reduced operation if this is possible because of suitable actuator elements.
If the power, which is to be consumed, is greater than the requested rated power, the consumer management switches on the consumer with the lowest priority, that is, consumers whose switch-in is not realized by the user of the vehicle (for example, the rear window heater) until the allocated power is consumed. As a peripheral condition, it applies that the permissible maximum peak power may not be exceeded.
FIG. 5 shows the structure of a two-voltage vehicle electrical system. For example, there are two voltages 14 volts or 42 volts which are given here. The high voltage battery has the task to supply the start power. For the case that the charging state of this battery is not sufficient in order to make possible a vehicle start, the bidirectional DC/DC converter permits the recharge of this battery from the low voltage end. In this case, the vehicle electric system management provides the charging voltage of the high voltage battery as the output voltage for the DC/DC converter. Since the converter is current limited, the charging voltage can only be maintained when the power capability of the converter is large enough. This, as a rule, is not the case. That is, the output voltage of the converter lies below the desired output voltage but still above the actual battery voltage; that is, the total current, which is transmitted by the converter, flows into the battery. A precondition is, however, that no electrical consumers are switched in on the high voltage end during the charging phase. That is, the consumer management must ensure that all consumers on the high voltage end are switched off, at least so many that the voltage, which is applied to the battery, is sufficient for an adequately rapid charge.
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|U.S. Classification||701/1, 307/9.1, 180/65.1, 701/36, 700/286|
|International Classification||F02D45/00, B60R16/03, B60R16/02|
|Cooperative Classification||B60T2260/09, B60R16/03, H02J1/08, B60T2260/08|
|15 Aug 2000||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, GERMANY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BERTRAM, TORSTEN;SCHMUCKER, CLEMENS;MAIER-LANDGREBE, ROLF;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:011046/0493;SIGNING DATES FROM 20000512 TO 20000531
|24 Mar 2005||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|1 Apr 2009||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|17 May 2013||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|9 Oct 2013||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|26 Nov 2013||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20131009


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If people are willing to drive long bolts, huge amount of bolts & need perfection drilling than Milwaukee 2453-22 impact driver can get the project or job completed with less amount of energy & faster as compare to standard drill.
This impact driver is perfect when it comes to building the tree house, dock & deck or even installing the fence, backer board and subfloors. Any project, which needs the huge range of bolts, can benefit from Milwaukee impact driver due to its efficiency and speed. This makes the impact driver an ideal tool for construction workers, auto mechanics and carpenters.
Now days, cordless impact driver is gaining in popularity of the drills as people with the power devices are constantly looking for additional strength and power in order to get their job done quickly & this impact driver does only that.
Repairperson, construction workers and homeowners are beginning to pay much attention as modern technology is offering the best impact drivers the brand new look along with additional power & adaptability than ever previously. Now, it is time to have the second expression at this affordable option while considering building and construction works along with fastening bolts and screws.
Beside this, faster speeds & lack of shrinking have offered them the torque required for the very tough projects in home improvement industry. It is worth sharing with Milwaukee impact driver, it is all about the torque and power. This is the leading benefit over the standard drill. Power or torque is always measured at pounds/ inch.
Beside this, almost closely linked with power is the impact driver’s speed. Here, I would like to mention that speed of the impact driver is measured in RPMs. If people are working with numerous kinds of the material that variable speed driver is best for them for completing the job.


- A cushion made from pure British wool with an organic cotton lining, filled with organic buckwheat.
- The organic buckwheat filling supports a comfortable posture; moulding and adapting to you without losing its shape.
- The large woollen stitching design is both beautiful and practical to allow access for refilling or washing the outer cover.
- 100% British manufactured.
- There is an art to felting that can lead to slight variations to the finished size. Each individual piece has its own charm!
At soul nature we make pure wool designs that support intentional rest, whether you’re a person or a pet!
Wool is a naturally repellant fibre. Just like your favourite wool blanket, refilling or washing your cushion shouldn’t be necessary. If it needs a refresh, simply give it a good shake, a soft brush. Your soul nature products will benefit greatly from being outside on a sunny day, as UV light is a natural cleaner. We recommend you try to air them at least once a year.
If you do need to wash your cushion:
- Loosen the outer stitching.
- Open the drawstring bag and pour the buckwheat filling into a clean container for reusing.
- Hand wash the cover in warm water with a mild detergent.
- Lay flat, pat into shape and air dry. Do not wring or tumble dry.
- Insert the cotton lining into the wool cushion aligning both openings.
- Using a funnel, refill the lining with buckwheat and secure by pulling the drawstring tight. Make sure the opening is fully closed and no buckwheat can spill out.
- Pull the outer stitching back into position to cover the hole.
dimensions and weight
- weight approx 800g
- dimensions approx 28cm x 10cm
- weight approx 1.8k
- dimensions approx 35cm x 14cm
There is an art to felting that can lead to slight variations to the finished size. Each individual piece has its own charm!


A CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter hovers above the ground near a Soviet ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon prior to picking it up during Operation URGENT FURY.
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Apart from the name, what really set me against twitching as a hobby was the thought of standing all day in a field with a bush on my head and only seeing a magpie for my troubles. All that effort and embarrassment for what exactly? Call me cynical, but it never seemed to offer the casual enthusiast proper guarantees of reward because you can never ensure that the birds will agree to the deal. No, what I needed to really share the passion was to find a place where the birds packed the skies with their presence, demanding to be noticed, and where I didn't need to wear a puff-sleeved anorak.
So it is with a degree of triumph and embarrassment that I can report that this unlikely synthesis was achieved while lounging in a hot tub, gin and tonic in hand, on the top deck of a cruise ship somewhere in the Pacific. We were still several miles off the Galapagos Islands and yet there they were, a dozen strange-winged creatures soaring and swooping in silhouette against the early-morning sky. As a taster of one of the most unsullied bird havens in the world, it was remarkable; and I began to understand what all the fuss is about. This was Luxury Twitching, and it has a charm all of its own.
To see this sight, it took Charles Darwin, with whom the archipelago will always be associated, four years on The Beagle, frequent bouts of sea-sickness and endless disputes with a quarrelsome captain. It took me a couple of days out of London, a form of evolution for which I am eternally grateful. The islands are now a fully-accessible tourist destination, offering a five-star entry ticket into Birdville.
A few more minutes and the skies were alive with crackling energy as blue-footed boobies dive-bombed for fish from 50 m, disappearing into the turquoise sea with pinpoint precision before emerging seconds later like underwater missiles bursting through the air. Once on land, an unofficial greeting party of mocking birds, curious and welcoming, hopped and skipped among us while multi-coloured finches hovered over the burnt-brown bushes.
Darwin, who identified 13 different types of finch on the islands, is never far away from the thoughts of modern visitors, who in a weird way recreate their own updated version of The Origin of Species. These are the most highly-developed tourists around, completely unafraid to set foot on their new surroundings and beautifully adapted to the rigours of luxury travel. Within minutes of stretching out on the bleached white sand of San Cristobal, we resembled the big barrels of blubbery sea lions who sprawl around the place like they own it.
Each year, around 60,000 people travel to the islands, drawn by their mix of isolation and abundant wildlife. Situated 600 miles west of Ecuador, they have become one of the most tightly controlled tourist zones in the world, and the talk is of cutting numbers rather than increasing them, an interesting reversal of every known travel trend.
For understandable conservation reasons, independent travel is frowned upon so tourists are bundled up on boats and carefully shepherded around the 13 islands which are strung out over 60,000 square miles of the Pacific. Although settlement has never been encouraged, the larger islands are now inhabited in a reasonably unobtrusive sort of way. The smaller ones, no more than strands of volcanic rock jutting out of the water, have been left to the wildlife. There is nothing else to see, but it is enough. Imagine going on safari by cruise ship and you'll get the general idea. Companies offer three-, four- or seven-day island-hopping trips which, if booked via British operators, are combined with further time spent on the mainland.
Almost everyone onboard is transformed into a wildlife enthusiast, thumbing through guidebooks as if they are pot-boiler novels. There is no escaping this process because almost every species on the islands demands attention. I found myself arriving with a headful of thoughts and leaving with a headful of knowledge, dumbstruck by the details of everyday bird life.
While the onboard regime tends towards the militaristic with early-morning wake-ups, group check-ins and lectures of variable quality, you are offered a reasonable degree of freedom to mooch around on shore. However, failure to stick to the routes, marked out with black-and-white posts, does not go down well with the guides, who regard it as an offence akin to seal-culling.
The age-span on our ship ranged from seven to 65, although this kind of holiday tends to attract more elderly tourists. Hikes on shore are gentle affairs, with little climbing and much meandering. Groups tend to be limited to 20-30 at a time, which felt about right, with three-hour trips on land morning and afternoon. They are interspersed with copious amounts of food - good rather than excellent - onboard, where downtime was spent relaxing rather than partying.
Each island has its own charm and distinctive wildlife variations. My favourite was Tower, a horseshoe-shaped outcrop to the north of the chain. It is a fantastically bleak place, built from jet-black boulders and covered with sparse vegetation. In summer, the many-tentacled incense trees perfume the air with the richest aroma. Here, red-footed boobies with bright-blue beaks cling to the trees like bolt-on extras and albatrosses circle overhead in a scene straight out of Hitchcock. These birds are not tame, but as they have no predators as adults they harbour no fear, inspecting intruders with regal disdain.
Equally lofty are the marine iguanas, which are unique to the islands. Originally land reptiles, they evolved over a couple of million years into creatures able to stay underwater for up to an hour. Scour the sea and you will spot them bobbing up and down like pieces of darkest driftwood waiting to be tossed on to the rocks for a breather. On land, they spit the salt from their nostrils while perching unnoticed on the rocks, moving their exquisitely webbed feet with tiny steady-as-you-go steps.
For history, Floreana has the edge, largely because of its reputation as a lost paradise. A group of Europeans, including a disciple of Nietzsche and a sex-mad baroness with three lovers, made this their home in the 1930s, becoming a cause célèbre when murder and shipwreck destroyed their tiny colony. The inhabited islands hold other bizarre tales of humanity's misguided attempts to settle, including a spectacularly unsuccessful foray by a group of 2,000 Norwegians who turned up thinking this was the new Tahiti. Floreana also boasted one of the most brutal penal colonies known to man. All in all, you get the sense that this really is a place best left to the boobies.
Just to the north is Santa Cruz, an inhabited island where the giant tortoises roam. You'd think it would be easy to spot such a ponderous mover, but they tend to lurk behind dense vegetation and are not easily spotted in the wild. We saw three in the Highlands above Puerto Ayora, a long drive for limited reward. An alternative is to view them on the island's Darwin Center, where they are bred in captivity and come in all shapes and sizes.
Tortoises hatch their eggs in April, but there is never a right or wrong time to visit the islands because the shifting seasons bring their own rewards. The busiest months are December and January, when you will also spot whales swimming alongside the ship. While the islands are lusher at the start of the year, temperatures can reach 40C and many prefer to travel, as I did, after the rainy season ends in June. One guidebook plumped for November as the ideal visiting time, neither too hot nor cold, with a minimum of tourists. Certainly one attraction of going later in the year is the number of baby sea lions and birds, all learning the rudiments of island life.
There is something truly astonishing about sea lions. One minute they are gliding through the water with complete aplomb and the next they are lumbering around on land looking like they've had some vital part lopped off. Most of the day is spent lolling, an art they have refined to perfection. They are the animal equivalent of the idle rich, but for me the undoubted stars of the islands.
Darwin required the best part of 15 years to fully evaluate what he had seen here, and it is hard to think of anywhere likely to leave a more indelible impression on the modern traveller. The islands are intoxicating, a natural high that leaves the senses giddy with excitement.
Cox & Kings (020-7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk) has a 10-day package for £2,395pp (based on two sharing) including return American Airlines flights via Miami, three nights in Quito at the Colon Hilton (B&B), with excursions in a private car with guide, the three-night Galapagos Explorer II cruise (full board), internal flights, one night at Hosteria San Luis hacienda (B&B), and the last night back at the Colon.
The famous five . . .
Thousands of them. Blue-footed, red-footed or masked. The red-foots, which have blue beaks and brown feathers, spend much of the time perched on bushes, a skill the blue-foots have not yet mastered. Of course, that might change in a couple of million years.
With their huge wingspans, they look like pterodactyls, a throwback to another age. They have been called the "bad boys" of the Galapagos, and make a living from stealing food from their country cousins. Their best trick is to attack a booby just as it has emerged from catching fish underwater. If all goes to plan, the booby will regurgitate the fish in mid-air, allowing the frigate bird to catch it before it hits the water. Amazing.
Only found in the Galapagos and the Seychelles. The Galapagos species can grow to up to 250kg and live for more than 100 years. Of course, their numbers have been much reduced over the years, largely due to the discovery by sailors that they could survive on board without food and water for six months, at which point they would be eaten.
Unique to the islands. Up to 300,000 are thought to hang out there, soaking up the sun and diving to prodigious depths. Although they look ferocious, often hanging out in groups, they are actually harmless vegetarians who like nothing more than a spot of coastal seaweed. Their numbers have been affected by the 1982/83 El Niño, which warmed the waters and killed algae, a prime food source.
Fancy a plastic tortoise or a bronzed booby? Well this is the place. Exhaustive research showed that there is absolutely nothing of value to bring back from the islands, but that doesn't mean the vendors won't try to sell you the usual rubbish.

domain: geography


Key Excerpts from Debate on the Address: Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Defence (Monday 23 November 2009)
Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington & Chelsea, Conservative): Will the Foreign Secretary say explicitly that the United Kingdom would oppose any new proposal for Iran that did not involve its allowing its uranium to be transferred overseas for enrichment?
David Miliband (Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; South Shields, Labour): ….We support director general el-Baradei’s proposal, which he has developed with us, the Americans and the French. The argument is actually not about whether the LEU eventually goes out of Iran-some of Tehran’s counter-proposals involve it doing so, although at a tempo and a stage not in accord with what director general el-Baradei has said.
The year 2010 will also provide the opportunity for a reinvigoration of key elements of international security. President Obama’s personal engagement and the prospect of an historic agreement between Russia and the US to cut nuclear warheads put us in a much stronger position to strengthen the non-proliferation and disarmament regime as we look towards the global nuclear security summit in April and the non-proliferation treaty review conference in May.
On weapons proliferation more generally, the brokering of a global arms trade treaty is progressing well. The US has for the first time committed to supporting such a treaty and there is a clear timetable leading to a diplomatic conference to finalise a treaty in 2012. That comes on top of last year’s convention on cluster munitions and the cluster munitions (prohibitions) Bill will implement in UK law the convention that bans the use, development, production, stockpiling, retention or transfer of cluster munitions.
In advance of the Lisbon Summit at the end of 2010, NATO will review its strategic concept. NATO needs to build strong ties with other organisations, particularly the EU, to modernise its structures so it has the right tools and capabilities to tackle the threats of today and tomorrow, and to build a frank and constructive relationship with Russia, not shying away from relaying tough messages on difficult issues.
William Hague (Shadow Foreign Secretary, Foreign Affairs; Richmond (Yorks), Conservative): The sentences on foreign and defence policy in the Gracious Speech were relatively without controversy and expressed sentiments that unite the House: the seeking of effective international co-operation, the combating of climate change, the objective of working for security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the middle east, and the essential work towards preventing nuclear proliferation are important British national objectives, and everyone should be clear that they will remain so if there is a change of Government in Britain in the coming months.
Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton, Liberal Democrat): …One of the main reasons why our party supported the mission in Afghanistan but opposed the attack on Iraq is our commitment to multilateralism and international law, and that is why we welcome the support in the Queen’s Speech for the Government’s efforts on nuclear non-proliferation. The all-important non-proliferation treaty review conference will take place next year, and I have been impressed by the FCO’s efforts to prepare for it.
Not all the keys to the success of the conference lie in the Government’s hands. Two critical questions will be whether the United States and Russia can ratify the successor to the strategic arms reduction treaty-which will include substantial reductions in missiles-and, of course, whether the United States Senate is of a mind to pass the treaty for a comprehensive nuclear test ban. Given the multiple pressures on Obama, I am not sure whether he will be able to pull that off, but he has shown a lead that I only wish others, including Britain, could emulate. In his willingness to drop President Bush’s idea of a ballistic missile defence system based in Poland and the Czech Republic, he has not only helped the thawing of relations with Russia but shown an ability to reassess accepted wisdom on nuclear strategy.
We believe that it is time for the Government to reassess their approach to the replacement of Trident, and to do so ahead of the NPT review conference. The stakes are high, and not just in regard to reform of the NPT or the next stages of multilateral nuclear disarmament. The signal that such moves and progress would send to Iran and North Korea, among others, would be extremely strong-perhaps not strong enough to resolve the specific nuclear confrontations, but perhaps strong enough to address the current impasse in both cases.
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North) (Lab): …I conclude with this point: Israel is the only country in the Middle East that possesses nuclear weapons. It has more than 200 warheads. It is not a signatory to a nuclear non-proliferation treaty or any other nuclear treaties, except that it did sign the Mediterranean convention two years ago, which at least appeared to be recognition on its part that it had weapons of mass destruction. Surely, in advance of the non-proliferation treaty review next year, we could encourage Israel to be part of a nuclear weapons convention and help to bring about a nuclear-free middle east, which would reduce the pressure by some reactionary forces in Iran for Iran to develop its own nuclear weapons.


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She became addicted to painkillers over a decade ago, when a car wreck left her with a broken back and doctors prescribed OxyContin during her recovery. Then came a new prescription opiate, Opana, easily obtained on the street and more potent when crushed, dissolved in water and injected. She did just that, many times a day, sometimes sharing needles with other addicts.This is a white, church-going community, in an overwhelmingly Republican county. But poverty and opiate addiction are both rife; when HIV somehow entered the community it spread quickly. I was interested to see that Republican officials, including governor Mike Pence, have changed their tune about needle exchange programs in the face of the AIDS crisis in Austin:
Last month, the thin, 45-year-old woman learned the unforgiving consequences. She tested positive for H.I.V., one of more than 140 cases in this socially conservative, largely rural region just north of the Kentucky border. Now a life long hobbled by addiction is, like so many others here, consumed by fear.
“If you would have asked me last year if I was for a needle exchange program, I would have said you’re nuts,” Ms. Combs said. “I thought, just like a lot of people do, that it’s enabling — that you’re just giving needles out and assisting them in their drug habit. But then I did the research on it, and there’s 28 years of research to prove that it actually works.”It's easy to take absolute stands back in the capital where everything seems black and white, but in the face of real people's lives rigid principles need to bend.

domain: sociology


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By Matt Bronfman, Federation Board Chair
Part of the premise of the Federation is to have an organization that is ready to step in when emergencies arise. Federation has the infrastructure, the relationships, and the know-how to make a difference quickly. That is what the Federation did during Covid when we raised over $4 million in a few weeks and distributed it right away to those in need. That is what we are doing right now with the Ukraine Emergency Fund which has already raised more than $1.1 million in humanitarian aid for the Jews of Ukraine.
As the situation in Ukraine deteriorates, the 200,000+ Jews across Ukraine are truly in peril. Our campaign directs %100 of funds to our on-the-ground partners, JDC, World ORT, and the Jewish Agency for Israel. It’s gratifying to see Federation play such a crucial role in marshalling significant resources. As we said when we launched the 2022 Community Campaign, Federation is built for this!


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- Gift Guide
Herbal Tea Gardens contains everything you need to know to grow, blend and brew healthful and delicious herbal teas. You'll find more than 100 tea recipes, as well as 22 illustrated garden plans to help you customize your tea garden.
Author: Marietta Marcin
Author Cassie Liversidge lays out when and how to harvest your plants, as well as information on how to prepare the plant, including how to dry it to make tea you can store to last you throughout the year. Sample drinks include well-known plants such as rose hips, mint, sage, hibiscus and lavender, as well as more obscure ones like chicory, angelica, apple geranium and lemon verbena.
Author: Cassie Liversidge

domain: agronomy