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|Destination||Jedediah Island via Texada Island|
|Date||7 to 11 Sept 2021, Tuesday to Saturday|
|Trip Coordinator||Vic Gladish|
|Contact email@example.com; 250-285-2111|
|Description||Three days on the water; one travel day to get there and one to get home; Camp on Texada on day 1 with the crossing to Jedediah early on day 2. Return to Texada on day 5 and on to ferries and home. Details will be posted soon.|
|Meeting Place||Quathiaski Cove ferry lineup at 0630|
|Departure Time||0705 ferry Quathiaski Cove|
||A 2km crossing from Texada to Jedediah makes this, depending on weather, a more difficult trip.|
|Cost||About $200 for ferries and camping fees|
Sept 7 – Travel day; Meet at Q-Cove Ferry by 6:30 AM; to Little River to board 0955 ferry to Powell River; hopefully onto the next ferry to Texada Island; Drive to Shingle Beach Campsite
Sept 8 – Paddle to Jedediah Is
Sept 9/10 – hiking/paddling Jedediah/Lasqueti/ etc
Sept 11 – Paddle back to Shingle Beach; ferries to Powell River (330 pm)/ Comox (510 pm)/ Quadra (??)
This itinerary could easily be shortened by a day for whatever reason. However, it does not allow any time to visit the Townsite Brew Pub .
Please take the time to read the club’s paddling guidelines – https://qioutdoorclub.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/paddling-guidelines-aug2018.pdf
If the weather forecast for the week looks windy/wet on Sunday, Sept 5 we will communicate re cancellation.
Plan to be self-sufficient for camping. NOTE: there is no drinking water on Jedediah so bring enough water for 4 days.
Feel free to email, text (250-287-0459), or call Vic Gladish
Category Archives: BC Mainland
Trip Report – Sunshine Coast Trail – 15-19 Sept 2020
In order to encourage more participants and because of the dates of the club’s kayak trip, this trip’s goal was changed, to focus on the Malaspina Peninsula, and was delayed by one week. Being well into September there was some concern about the good weather holding. Although we did leave with this year’s southern fire smoke in the air, the timing regarding weather was perfect, as the first daytime rain followed immediately after reaching the end of our trek. It turned out to also be auspicious timing regarding dates, as we only encountered 4 other back packers, and only shared a campsite on the first night.
Day 1 – Tuesday: Leaving the ferry behind at 10:15, we left one vehicle at a friend’s house near Mowat Bay, near the end of our walk, and drove on to Lund with our other vehicle, catching the Lund water taxi at 2 pm, destination: Sarah Point. The taxi dropped us off in hazy conditions on a dry rock shelf, from which, after the “before” photos, we donned our lightweight backpacks and started the walk through arbutus and manzanita groves to Feather Cove, our first campsite. We shared this site, looking east towards Malaspina Inlet, with a young kayaking couple, and were visited frequently by a curious sea lion as we set up camp. At this point, one is in Malaspina Provincial Park, and the campsite is outfitted with an outhouse, food cache and picnic table. This was truly roughing it. This is where one of our group revealed their secret weapon, a backpacking chair, and quest for seating began!
(click to enlarge photos)
Day 2 – Wednesday: Wanting to gradually add to each day’s mileage considering the placement of campsites along the route, we rose around 7 am, stretched as all conscientious aged packers do, and were on the trail by 9. Our goal was a 9.2 km hike to Wednesday Lake. At Hinder Lake outflow we were able to fill up with water.
The route took us through a green mossy forested landscape, with the first two thirds including some pleasant forested walking trail. This disappeared the last kilometer and a half before Wednesday Lake, as we had 2 successive uphill grunts up root filled inclines, until finally gaining site of Wednesday Lake. The old, non-parks standard outhouse was in stark contrast to our cushy appointment at Feather Cove, and the first camp clearing was rudimentary and a poor prospect for clean drinking water. Luckily, a short distance around the lake shore brought us to the real campsite, with adequate flat space for our 3 tents on a rock bluff, and good access to water and a swim! We walked about 6 hours that day, and being our first day of real backpacking, we were very ready to lose our loads here. We were humbled later in the early evening when a young speed backpacker dropped in, after leaving Sarah Point only 3½ hours earlier that day. Her plan was to hike the entire Sunshine Coast Trail, some 150 km, in 4½ days. We gave her all the experienced hiking tips we could offer in about 10 seconds, and bid her good evening.
Entertainment that evening was shared between stealing a backpacking chair, and watching three seasoned backpackers comically hone their technique of launching a rock-weighted line over a tree limb, to provide a food cache; entitled: Quest for Rocks. Nominations for the Darwin Awards have been submitted!
Day 3 – Thursday: Again we were back on our route by 9 am. We had to climb out of Wednesday Lake but the trail had some pleasant forested walking before our accent to the Gwendoline Hills. The walk along this ridge was fairly flat, but again we climbed as we neared McPherson Hill, after leaving Malaspina Park behind. After a walk through lovely old growth, we reached Manzanita Bluff, where a beautiful mountain hut awaited, and an expansive view of the Salish Sea would have been our reward, if it hadn’t been obscured by alternating smoke and fog. Unfortunately, we could barely see the darker mass of Hernando Island in the distance. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful lunch spot with picnic tales. We now descended through commercial forest lands, containing some lovely old trees, where the forest companies have allowed a right of way for the trail. Later, we came to Emil’s Bench, dedicated to Emil Kormpocker, a veteran logging contractor who had the foresight to save a stand of old growth trees in this area. Unfortunately, the younger forest around us obscured views of the saved old growth. Here you also have a view of Okeover Inlet below. Eventually, through some older forest, we crossed over Malaspina Road, and continued on to our next campsite, Fern Gully Creek. Here we had one of our darkest campsites, thanks to some old growth giants, There was adequate space for tents here and a rustic table. Although we had water, the pools may be drier at the end of a hotter summer. And we could find no outhouse.
Day 4 – Friday: We were back on the trial this day around 9 am knowing that we would add the first real increase to our daily distance, covering 13 km. The first part of this day had us climbing up the Thunder Ridge Trail.. After the Plummer Creek Road we were treated to an old forested rail grade, which lead us to a rest spot at Plummer Creek Bridge. Below, a 5 minute walk leads to the Plummer Creek campsite, near the bottom of Toquenatch Creek. After our break, about an hour later, we arrived at Toquenatch Falls, where water still cascaded over rocks, although nowhere the force that would exist after a rainy fall. The trail continued up the creek valley, sometimes using old rail grade, and eventually comes to a newer logging area where we had another reminder that we were out of the park, as we could hear a logging truck close by, lumbering up a grade. Eventually, the trail took us to a road system, and the Homestead Forest Recreation site. This was accessible by vehicle, and after a quick lunch held no real interest for us. Here, we met, Nick, a young fellow from Victoria, who had passed us the previous evening at Fern Gully, but was now lying on the ground, in some obvious discomfort, nursing a nerve injury from long bouts of car driving. We could only offer ibuprofen and encouragement, but Nick seemed to be familiar with the condition and was weighing his options. The afternoon then brought us up a climb to Rievely Pond with its lovely hut in an open spot above the pond. Water was not the best here, but we enjoyed a rest and continued to our intended goal, the Appleton Creek Bridge Campsite, a lovely open site amongst several old growth giants, next to a very good running water source. Above the campsite is a trail leading up to a bathing pool in the creek. We had benches at camp for cooking and sitting, and an outhouse, although its location was hidden to us until the next morning.
Because of the weather forecast, we set up two tarps to be prepared for the next morning. Two trail walker/runners passed by, who were doing the peninsula trail in one day, They were only carrying fanny packs and intended to continue through to Powell River with just 2 hours left. We did celebrate our last camp on this Friday evening by sharing some extra food and having a small campfire.
Day 5 – Saturday: This morning, the darkness of the forest and the night’s rain had us up a little later, but we were on the trail a little after 9. We had another 15 km to reach the end of our route. The descent down Appleton Creek was a mossy forest trail with several stops for small cascades and the larger Gorge Falls. Further along we entered lands given by the Sliammon people to allow the trail to continue to Sliammon Lake and Little Sliammon Lake, with its picnic pavilion, boat wharf and road access. The trail around the lakes is an up and down workout around bluffs and roots, but only for a portion of the days hike. From Little Sliammon we mostly followed old forest roads down to Sunset Park, and increasingly saw bear scat, and many friendly day hikers as we approached the suburb of Wildwood. At Sunset Park, we dropped our packs and congratulated ourselves. Two of us continued along streets to the bridge at Powell Lake outlet, and then again picked up the Sunshine Coast Trail to Mowat Bay, just down the road from where we had left our parked car. The timing was perfect, as we encountered our first daytime rain just before we reached Mowat Bay.
This trail is obviously not a walk in the park, carrying loaded packs for 5 days. But, after our plan to gradually build up each days distance, we not only found it manageable, but enjoyable and well worth the effort. It offered a great deal of variety within the coastal forest setting, including views, water courses, a variety of forests, and some excellent camping. This part of September proved to be a good choice, as there was little traffic on the trail, and offered many opportunities for solitude. The group turned to have excellent dynamics and the common love of the outdoors, plus an ample dose of good humour, allowed us to get beyond familiarity. A very positive journey!
Thanks to Brent, Norris, and Diana for the photos
Trip Report – Desolation Sound – 8-13 Sept 2020
This trip was rescheduled from August in hopes that Desolation Sound would be less busy in September. It probably is, but still busy enough in this exceptional pandemic summer, especially at the Curme Islets campsites. Compared with our usual paddling destinations, there were a large number of young people (well, young being anyone under 40…), many of them in rental kayaks, and some in more unusual craft. Notable sightings (of creatures human and otherwise) are described below.
Day 1 – Tuesday: Four of us launched from Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island about 11 a.m. on Sunday, having lined up around 8 a.m. to catch the 9:05 ferry from Heriot Bay. The weather was calm and sunny for our crossing to the Martin Islands where we stopped for lunch. From the Martins, we headed to the north end of Mink Island and around the top to the Curmes. We had a little wind and chop on the crossing. We were somewhat taken aback to find two of the three campsite locations full by early afternoon. Fortunately, we were able to nab three of four remaining tent pads on East Curme. All the sites in Desolation Sound Marine Park have designated tent pads, an outhouse, picnic tables and/or benches, and (on the mainland sites, bear caches). Access in the Curmes is awkward in most spots on most tides. After setting up camp, some of us went swimming in the warm – slightly soupy – water, and all made an early night. One of the consequences of the younger demographic was a certain amount of partying, although with darkness by 8:30 and no campfires, things settled down about 9:30 or 10 (which is quite late on kayaking days!). The stars were absolutely dazzling. 13.7 km; 4 hours.
Notable sighting: A group consisting of two senior lady paddlers and two couples in doubles came looking for a tentpad about 5 p.m. and spent some time paddling about before the two singles took the last site on East Curme and the others disappeared to seek their fortune elsewhere. Like us, they hadn’t expected the crowds….
(click to enlarge photos)
Day 2 – Wednesday: We headed out about 9:30 for a day trip to Prideaux Haven and beyond. Exceptionally calm, almost glassy conditions, and hot (although not the hottest yet). Very pleasant paddling through the islets, with a break at Laura Cove (where we were serenaded by a boat owner playing his violin). Then on to a rocky outcropping just beyond Price Point for lunch, and back home (taking the route outside Eveleigh Island and back though the gap between Otter Island and the mainland). More swimming, dinner, and planning for the next few days. By this point we had decided to order a water taxi to return us from the north tip of Malaspina Peninsula to Squirrel Cove, as three of us needed to be back fairly early, and it looked like a longish slog through open water. This later proved to be an inspired decision. 20.0 km; 6 hours.
Notable sighting: Half an hour before dark, a young couple paddled up in an inflatable double (about as wide as it was long), accompanied by their cat. Fortunately, some parties had moved off West Curme, and they were able to find a tent pad.
Day 3 – Thursday: Off about 9:00 a.m. to Hare Point on the northeast shore of Malaspina Inlet, about 2 kilometres from Zephine Head. Another hot still day. Quite a bit of room at the campsite, with a fairly decent beach, although the canoe/kayak run is only wide enough for one boat at low tide. The tent pads are located on either side of the cove, with outhouse/bear cache/picnic table for each group. The westerly, more scenic area is up a fairly steep trail – we defaulted to the lower group of tent pads – still a bit of a scramble up the rocks. The afternoon was very hot – we spent much of it looking for shade. Two of us practised self-rescue (and have the bruises to show for it). This activity generated quite a bit of amusement for other kayakers: “Oh gosh, there she goes, right over the other side.” Much quieter location than the Curmes. Early night. 9.6 km; 2 hours.
Notable sighting: Ultra light aircraft on pontoons flew over us en route to Hare Point. Took a while to figure out what it was.
Day 4 – Friday: Off about 9:30 toward Grace Harbour for a day trip. Not such a warm day, with the smoke beginning to move in. Grace Harbour is a popular anchorage, although not very busy when we were there. Only 2 or 3 tent pads; probably not too much privacy in summer with boaters marching through toward Black Lake. There is a creek at the head of the bay, east of the campsite. We walked up to the lake through a pleasant cedar forest, with the remnants of logging operations in a few places. About 15 minutes walk each way. There is a small cleared area for swimming access but slippery on the rocks. After lunch, we paddled back to the campsite and passed on the way a colony of Steller (and possibly also California) sea lions. We had seen Stellers fishing in the cove, and occasionally popping up rather close to our kayaks. Back about 4 p.m. More rescue practice – more bruises…. 16.0 km; 5¼ hours.
Notable sighting: A young couple on standup paddleboards with gear strapped fore and aft arrived at the campsite about 5:30. The operation looked slow and a bit hazardous, but they apparently like it.
Day 5 – Saturday: Away at 9 a.m. In order to have time to visit the Copeland Islands and still be picked up Sunday morning by the water taxi, we upped stakes at Hare Point, and nabbed tent platforms at Feather Cove (about 45 minutes paddle). Feather Cove has a decent landing beach, although exposed to waves and wash. Another 2-part campsite, with tent pads on the hill, and back among the trees down by the beach. This site is on the Sunshine Coast trail, so is used by both hikers and paddlers. In very thick smoke, we paddled to Sarah Point, down the peninsula toward Bliss Landing, and across to the most northerly of the Copeland Islands. For the first time on the trip, we had some significant wind (in our face, of course). There are at least two and possibly three campsites in the Islands. We entered North Copeland Island through a small gap into a shallow bay with easy landing. At this large site, there are three sets of tent pads; the most westerly grouping is very scenic but with what looks like trickier access. Quite a few empty pads. After lunch, we paddled by the next island with tent pads, and around a larger island with several small notches and coves for anchorage. After darting across Thulin Passage between cruising and fishing boats, we headed north again, with a stop at a lovely sandy beach just north of Bliss Landing. An old homestead with some remnants of buildings, the site has a very productive collection of old fruit trees. Some of the apple trees were about 40 feet high. Unfortunately, it was very obvious that this is a place beloved by bears, whose reach is about the same as ours. Back to camp about 5:30, having enjoyed the following wind and a bit of a favourable current. 22.9 km ; 7¼ hours.
Notable sighting: A young couple in rented kayaks showed up about 6 p.m. with an astonishing amount of gear tied to the decks of their boats, including a five gallon water container (full). As they were leaving to find a campsite at Hare Point, one of us was unable to resist suggesting to them that the location of the water container was not the best of ideas…. Not sure how this advice was received, but one has to try. Notable non-sighting: About 2 o’clock in the morning, distant shouting and banging were followed by splashing and loud snorting. The bear (as we assume it was…) did not arrive in our locale. Judging by the trail of water leading from the beach up the hill behind our tents, we concluded that the bear had been chased off the hillside tent area, ran down to the water, splashed across, and took off heading south.
Day 6 – Sunday: Up early to be ready for the water taxi to arrive at 9. Very, very smoky. We were relieved not to have to make a 3+ hour trip in near zero visibility. Duncan Pollen from Lund delivered us safely to Squirrel Cove, and helped carry the kayaks up a very steep ramp. We reached Whaletown shortly after 11, and one of us was lucky enough to be shoehorned aboard the 11:50 ferry. The others left on the 1:50 sailing. Everyone home by mid-afternoon. Notable sighting: While we were waiting on the beach, a Steller sea lion showed us how to catch fish. Grab the salmon, shake it violently, and gulp it down head first. Worked for him (or her).
As mentioned above, this trip was quite different from our more usual paddles to less accessible and popular locations. It was mostly more relaxed, with shorter distances. The scenery is lovely, of course, the water is warm and having some basic services at the campsites is convenient. Almost certainly, COVID is responsible for the large number of paddlers, some of whom appeared to be out for the first time. Fortunately, the weather was very calm, and presumably there were no problems with overloaded boats or less-than-seaworthy conveyances encountering challenging conditions. We did hear from the skipper of the water taxi that there had been more than the usual number of kayakers in trouble this summer. We enjoyed our time together as always.
A couple of useful links for trip planning:
Thanks to Norris and Val for the photos!
Multi-day Kayaking – Desolation Sound – 8-13 Sept 2020
|Date||8 to 13 Sept 2020; Tuesday to Saturday|
|Trip Coordinator||Darcy Mitchell|
|Contact firstname.lastname@example.org; 250 923 5540|
|Description||Multi-day paddle to Desolation Sound, launching from Squirrel Cove. Itinerary dependent on participant interests and weather. Here is the link to kayak campsite information: http://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/desolation/camping.html|
|Meeting Place||Cortes ferry line-up, Heriot Bay|
|Departure Time||8:00 to catch 9:05 Cortes Ferry|
||Moderate to challenging|
|Cost||Ferry costs and nightly costs for camping within the Desolation Sound Marine Park|
|Trip limits||Minimum 4 – maximum 6 to 8 depending on number of tents|
|Notes:||All participants must observe club paddling guidelines including demonstrated ability to perform assisted and self-rescue. If you are interested in this trip, please contact the coordinator no later than September 1. Pandemic protocols will be observed.|
Multi-day hiking – Sunshine Coast Trail – 15-20 Sept 2020
|Destination||Sunshine Coast Trail|
|Date||15-20 Sept, Tuesday to Sunday (date could still vary by a day)|
|Trip Coordinator||Brent Henry|
|Contact email@example.com or 250-205-1106 (phone or text). Contact the coordinator in by the end of August|
|Description||A 4-5 day trip. Participants would take two cars on the ferry to Powell River. We would park one vehicle at Lund and water taxi to Sarah Pt, hiking the Malaspina Peninsula portion of the trail back to Powell River. We would hike roughly 10+ kilometers per day. Due to covid-19, the cabins are off bounds, and small tents /shelters must be carried. Coordinator has an extra 1 person tent and bivy that could be loaned out. A water treatment method should be carried, and at least 2 liters must be carried, possibly a third bottle.|
|Meeting Place||Little River ferry terminal|
|Departure Time||9:30 at the ferry terminal. We would catch the 9:55 ferry.|
|Difficulty||Moderate up and down mixed terrain.|
|Costs||Ferry, parking and water taxi costs.|
|Notes:||All participants should be self sufficient and willing to practice safe pandemic protocols, as well as having a mask available for the ferry and public transit. Exact route, kitchen requirements, food, first aid will be agreed upon by participants.
Coordinator will carry an Inreach satellite texter and a vhf radio. If you are interested, please contact the coordinator by the end of August.
Trip Report – Cathedral Lakes Prov Park – 6-10 Sept 2018
Five of us went to Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park in early September, in spite of two evacuations in August due to wildfires. When we arrived in Keremeos the back burn, right at the edge of town and close to the Cathedral Lakes access road, was very dramatic. Les went up a day early, checked into the Lodge, explored the four nearby lakes, and enjoyed the hot tub. The rest of us were driven up the steep, rough road to about 2,000m on Thursday morning. No one traveled in the famed unimog. Each day dawned fairly clear and then summer clouds developed around noon, which was consistently better than the forecast. The campground was nearly empty of people, but we saw Mountain Goats wandering through almost every morning.
After the four of us set up camp on Thursday on the edge of Quiniscoe Lake, we hiked around Scott Mountain on the Diamond Trail. This was a great introduction to the beautiful alpine meadows, the larch groves and open alpine ridges, on a relatively easy trail. Although the vast majority of the flowers were past, there were a few persisting into September. This was our smokiest afternoon. We had close encounters with Pica and Marmot on this hike. 8.9 km; 3½ hours; 300m total elevation gain.
The following day, Friday, was our most ambitious hike, starting out to the beautiful, alpine Glacier Lake and then hiking up steeply to the rim. Once on the rim there are great views, although it wasn’t completely clear, and the hiking is quite easy. We could see that there were forest fires everywhere around us, but not immediately threatening. There are great geological features along the rim: the Devil’s Wood Pile of columnar lava, the Stone City with weathered and decomposing granite, and the Giant Cleft, a narrow, vertical gap in the cliff face. After visiting these, we returned to the Stone City and descended to Ladyslipper Lake. The trail down is steep, and in some places unconsolidated. Nearer to the Lake the trail passes through great boulders and larches. Ladyslipper Lake is lovely and the visitors who were fishing found it easy to catch trout there. 14.6 km; 8¼ hours; 500m elevation gain (to 2,600m), but more much total gain with undulations on the rim.
On Saturday, we had a more gentle, but extremely beautiful hike to Goat Lake. We hiked down the switchbacks to Goat Creek and then followed the trail up to the Lake. The creek and the lush vegetation along it were lovely. Goat Lake is a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by larches, with a small beach fed by a gully of decomposed granite, and backed by the cliff wall of Grimface Mountain and the rim. We all had dinner in the Lodge Saturday evening. The food, company, and fire in the fireplace were all very congenial. 12.3 km; 5 hours; 450m total elevation gain.
On Sunday, Les and Diana paddled on Quiniscoe Lake in the morning and hiked the lake tour to Lake of the Woods, Pyramid Lake and Glacier Lake in the afternoon. The rest of us hiked up above the waterfalls which flows into Quiniscoe Lake and up the steep, unconsolidated route to the rim. From there it was an easy hike up to Quiniscoe Mountain (2551m). It was cool and breezy, but we were entertained by a Mountain Goat wandering by. We descended to Glacier Lake, where there were some photogenic deer, before continuing on and exploring Lake of the Woods. 11.2 km; 5¼ hours; 600m total elevation gain.
The weather became very cool and rainy toward evening and we once again retreated to the Lodge for Les’ excellent fire in the fireplace. It rained quite a bit overnight, but the forecast snow didn’t materialize (just a few flakes). In the morning, the sun came out, we broke camp with wet tents, and made the trip back down the rough road to Keremeos.
This is a spectacular area, with exceptional access to alpine scenery provided by the shuttle up the hill. It’s sad to see the devastation that the Spruce Bark Beetle has caused in this forest, but the biodiversity in the alpine meadows is wonderful. It would be lovely at a variety of seasons: earlier the flowers would be out and latter the larches would be golden.
Thanks to Norris, Les and Diana for the photos.
(click on photos to view larger)
Multi-day Hiking – Cathedral Lakes Prov Park – 6-10 Sept 2018


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Yep!! WE ARE EXPECTING our first baby later this year!!
Baby Carr is due in November 2015 and we are so thrilled to know all the new things that are waiting ahead for us!
This is part of the reason why I've been taking things at a slower pace these past few months. I'm really grateful for the community of photographers and readers who support my business everyday and continue to be part of my daily inspiration. I'm on the track again, filled with energy, lots of motivation and inspiration coming from this new stage on my life! I can't wait to be sharing all of it with you!

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Here in Minnesota, we care about the future of our environment. Passing 100% Clean Energy by 2040 will help migrate the impacts of climate change and create a safe climate for generations to come. Today, Policy Director Nels Paulsen presented the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee with the following letter of support for the passing of HF 7. This bill would get us on the path to 100% and keep Minnesota leading in clean energy.
January 18, 2023
Chair Acomb and Members of the Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee,
We write today to ask for your support for HF 7 (Long), establishing utility standards that put Minnesota on a path to 100% clean electricity by 2040.
At Conservation Minnesota, we’re dedicated to protecting the people and the places that Minnesotans love. We believe that the fight against climate change is central to this mission. By transitioning to 100% clean electricity, Minnesota can take responsibility in this global effort and mitigate climate impacts that harm local communities and their residents.
Globally, human-induced climate change has directly contributed to well-documented and worsening consequences for nature and people. Since the industrial revolution, the rise of high-emissions fossil fuels in energy production and transportation has led to irreversible climate impacts that are pushing environmental and human systems beyond their capacity to adapt. And while this crisis is global in scale, its impacts are also undeniably local. Right here in our state, Minnesotans are already seeing the impacts of a changing climate, such as historic drought, diminishing winter recreation seasons, poor air quality caused by severe wildfires, and much more.
It's time for our state to recognize and act upon the realities of climate change, if not to safeguard our world from a global crisis, then simply to protect the everyday Minnesotans who are suffering or will suffer from the consequences of apathy. In doing so, it’s time for solutions that take us forward, beyond fossil fuels and toward a more sustainable, affordable, and equitable future.
The transition to renewable energy is not a sacrifice, but rather an opportunity. Innovative clean energy technologies don’t just reduce statewide emissions; they present a pathway to electricity generation that delivers tangible benefits to community health, reduces energy cost burdens, and creates new, long-term job markets for Minnesotans. Alongside improvements to energy infrastructure, energy sources like wind and solar become more efficient, more affordable, and more reliable every year.
Already, some Minnesota’s largest utilities have recognized the potential of clean energy and have committed to 100% clean energy by mid-century. But to help prevent the worst impacts of climate change, we can’t rely on these commitments alone. Minnesota needs to create robust utility standards to effectively guide the state toward carbon-free electricity generation, and HF 7 does exactly that. We’re proud to support an affordable and just transition to clean energy by 2040, and we hope that you’ll join us by advancing HF 7 and protecting Minnesotans from the consequences of climate change.
Nels Paulsen, Policy Director
David Pelikan, Policy Associate

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These turned out super-spicy, so I would advise to adjust the green chillies to your taste and also be recognisant of how hot the green chillies are. The fresh fragrant and tiny ones are the super-spicy ones as opposed to the ones that just look dangerously hot.
Filling for the parantha – everything needs to be chopped finely so they don’t make holes but just delicately seep through the dough, which gives beautifully caramalised onion bits ands.
1 small red onion
2 green chillies (adjust to taste)
5 spring onions (whites only) I had some leftover from another meal
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves I used frozen
Leftover chana dal makes delicious missi rotis the next day, for breakfast or for lunch. Serve them with a knob of butter on top, some creamy natural yogurt and a spicy mango pickle, with a cup of chai to wash it all down with. A traditional and easy breakfast.
The concept of this is, to knead the dough using the dal without having to add any additional water. However, if the dal is too thick, then you would need to add some water or some yogurt if you want to make it softer. I added water in this one.
Approximately a cup and half of leftover chana dal from the night before – start with us in the mixing bowl and add the following –
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp grated ginger
handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 tbsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp garam masala
salt, red chilli powder to taste
1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 – 1.5 cup wholewheat flour (atta)
Knead into a tight dough using the dal and if necessary add a couple of tbsp of natural yogurt or water to get the dough together. Since there are raw onions in the dough and salt, it will start releasing water, so a tight dough helps. I didn’t add any salt and was able to save the dough overnight in the fridge. With the salt, you should just let it rest for 20 minutes before making the rotis. Use 1 tbsp cooking oil on the dough when it is ready and set aside until ready to use.
To make the missi roti – roll out a parantha size dough ball into a thicker chapatti and cook like a parantha. The dough is too thick to do folds like a parantha, so a flat roti and use a little oil on the tawa to make it. The dough will be dry and will absorb oil and butter like a sponge!
These rotis freeze well – just parcook them (without the oil) and separate them using parchment paper in a freezer bag. Take out a missi roti whenever you want and just heat on the tawa using some oil or ghee. They really are a meal by themselves, and you definitely need the tea to wash them down.
Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. As soon as they start sizzling, stir in the onions, ginger garlic and green chillies, Cook till the onions are soft and translucent. Don’t let the onions brown – add the tomatoes and a little water. Bhun on medium heat till the oil separates, and if need be, add a little bit more water and cook it down. The tomatoes have to cook till very very soft, so much that they mush with the back of your spoon and disintegrate in the sauce.
At this point, stir in the masalas and the courgettes. Combine well, making sure the masala coats the courgettes well and cover the pot, reduce the heat. The courgettes don’t need stirring much, or they will turn to mush. Let them cook on low heat, stirring gently once or maybe twice just to mix the masala gravy on them. They will be cooked in 10 minutes. Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves and some kasoori methi for some fragrance and serve hot.
Heat oil in a pot, add the cumin seeds. As soon as they start to sizzle, stir in the onions and green chillies. Saute until the onions are soft, translucent and golden in colour. Add the ginger and garlic paste, and continue to saute for a minute before stirring in the chopped tomatoes. Cover the pot and let the tomatoes soften and cook down until the oil separates. You should be able to mash them with the back of your spoon kind of soft.
I use a hand blender and blitz it to a smooth gravy at this point, but that’s optional.
Stir in the spices and cook them for a few seconds before adding the tomato paste. Add the peas and 3-4 cups of water, along with the potatoes. Stir well, cover the pot and let it cook on medium heat until potatoes have cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). Sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves and the kasoori methi. Season with salt and black pepper. Adjust the thickness of gravy to your taste by adding water. If you want it thicker, remove the lid and let the water bubble away.
Let it bubble away for a few more minutes before serving with rice or freshly made chapattis. The leftovers are fabulous the next day for breakfast with fresh paranthas.
This recipe does not follow normal ‘traditional’ cooking methods. I make it this way often, as its easy, convenient and its the way I like it. I don’t add many spices/masalas, and the ones I do add are already roasted so I just sprinkle them on instead of cooking them or roasting them in oil. The heat is from the green chillies, which works well for me.
1 medium size aubergine/eggplant;
2 medium sized onions (preferably red ones);
1 inch piece of ginger, grated;
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced;
2 green chillies, chopped;
2 tbsp cooking oil (I like grapeseed)
1 cup passata sauce or 4/5 medium size tomatoes, finely chopped;
1/4 cup base gravy (optional)
Heat the oil in a wok, add roughly chopped pieces of aubergine and start to stir fry on medium heat. Same time, start slicing the red onions and drop them in with the aubergine. Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies to this. Sprinkle a little salt and cover the wok. Let this cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or so. I have an induction stove, so you may need to adjust the heat levels but idea is that the steam buildup inside cooks it through slowly. I like some of the edges caramelising a little, as it gives it a nice flavour.
Stir and add the tomatoes. Salt, black pepper to taste and I also sprinkle some garam masala, roasted cumin powder, roasted coriander powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder to taste. Once it is combined well, cover and let it cook on low/medium heat for about an hour. Stir from time to time.
Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves and serve. I always have frozen coriander leaves, so I stir them in before serving. They don’t look so good all wilted on top, as a garnish 😉
To garnish – Heat some ghee and fry some thinly sliced garlic. Add on top before serving.
SLOWCOOKER METHOD: Just put everything all together in the slow cooker and let it cook for 4 hours on high heat. May need to stir it once/twice. Depending on the quantity/size of cooker, I have left it on for 8 hours overnight when making a large batch on low heat, and it was beautiful the next morning. The constant cooking was a bit too aromatic for me and I found it hard to sleep though!
My recipe for this is a little unconventional, but it turns out stupendously amazing every time! So, grab two plump aubergines – secret is to not buy the heavy ones, as they are just full of heavy seeds. The lighter in weight, the better it is.
Depending on the size of the aubergines, you will need equal parts (in volume) of onions and tomatoes. Yes, that sounds a lot, but it works. Slice the onions and the tomatoes thinly, and set them aside.
Preheat oven to 175C (fan oven). Halve the aubergines lengthwise, make a few slits as you don’t want it to burst in the oven. In these slits, push through some cloves of garlic and halved green chillies. Drizzle a bit of oil and roast these for about 30-40 mins in the oven, turning over once. Purpose is to soften the aubergine through.
Remove from oven and put it into a large bowl, and cover the bowl or cling film it for half an hour as it cools down. The steam from this makes it easier to peel the skin off the aubergine. I like to keep some skin on, as I love the texture and flavour in my bhartha, but that’s totally optional.
In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and add 2 tsp of cumin seeds. As soon as they start sizzling, stir in the sliced onions.
Add 2 inch grated fresh ginger
roasted garlic cloves rescued from the aubergine
the roasted aubergine and green chillies
a heaped tbsp coriander powder
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
As soon as the onions start softening a little, stir in the tomatoes as well.
Cover the pot (or use the slow cooker) and let it cook for as long as you can on medium/low heat. In the slow cooker, I usually leave on low all night long. Using a potato masher, mash the bhartha and adjust the seasoning as it would vary based on the sweetness of the tomatoes, the aubergine and the onions. Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves before serving and a little sprinkling of mango powder (amchoor powder).
This can be made and frozen in small containers for upto 3 months.

domain: food


- After doing media appearances for WWE in Abu Dhabi this week, The Miz is now in London for more media. He will be doing a photoshoot with Men’s Fitness this morning.
– While The Miz is in London, The Rock arrived in Mexico today to do media appearances for “Journey 2.”
– Matches for tonight’s WWE SmackDown include Justin Gabriel vs. Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus, Epico & Primo vs. Santino Marella & Yoshi Tatsu in a non-title match, Ted DiBiase vs. Hunico, Alex Riley vs. Brodus Clay, Aksana vs. Natalya and Big Show vs. Mark Henry in the main event.
– A WWE film crew will be present for the “DiBiase Posse” party in St. Louis this Sunday before the Royal Rumble. Ted DiBiase, who is injured, will also be present.
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Fluorescent Microscope uses an imaging technique that allows the excitation of fluorophores and subsequent detection of the fluorescence signal. Fluorescence microscopes require a powerful light source (100W Mercury or 5W LED) and a filter cubes to dichroic mirror to reflect light at the desired excitation/emission wavelength. Fluorescence is produced when light excites or moves an electron to a higher energy state, immediately generating light of a longer wavelength, lower energy and different color to the original light absorbed. The filtered excitation light then passes through the objective to be focused onto the sample and the emitted light is filtered back onto the detector for image digitalization. It is widely used in biology and medicine, as well as in other fields.
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Internal Transport and Logistic Systems
VDL Systems designs and manufactures several types of conveyor systems. These conveyors find their way to the end market through several OEM’s of food processing equipment and in the market for internal logistics. Mainly, our client orders begin with our client’s layout and after which VDL Systems is responsible for the complete engineering and manufacturing of the project.
Our product range consists of a wide variety of conveyors:
- Synthetic chain belting solutions
- PVC belt conveyors
- Mesh wire belt conveyors
- Nylon chain belting solutions
- Roller conveyors
Complementary to conveyor systems with belts and chains, VDL Systems is also experienced in engineering and building ascending, descending or horizontal conveyors based on screw conveyor technology. The screws and troughs are engineered at VDL Systems after which part production, welding and assembling will be performed within the walls of our own organization. In developing screw conveyor technology for the food processing industry, our engineers pay a lot of attention to a number of principles regarding product safety and hygiene. That is, we take good care of this not only in the designing phase, but also during production of the screw conveyors.
Our conveyors will be designed in 3D according to our hygienic concept and they will be manufactured and tested in-house and if desirable, they can be installed at the end customer’s plant. Additionally, these conveyors can be extended with a wide variety of functional modules like transfer devices, lifting solutions, (de-)stackers, stoppers, rotating tables and hopper solutions. These modules are also designed and built in-house.
We execute the entire process – from engineering, sheet metal processing, machining, welding, sandblasting to assembly and installation – at our own workshop. Therefore, we have excellent control over the lead time of our production process, resulting in a significant contribution to the time-to-market. Moreover, the service engineers in our service department are ready for installation and maintenance of any of our equipment worldwide.


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Completed, Jan 17-19, 2020
Welcome to the 2020 NDA All-Star Nationals event hub! Click 'Read More' below to find the very best coverage of the competition including a live stream, the performance order, results, photos, articles, news, and more!
Backstage Huddle: Pivot Performance Arts Legacy
Jan 19, 2020
Before taking the stage for Finals at the 2020 NDA All-Star National Championship, Pivot Performance Arts Legacy huddled up backstage for some final words of motivation.
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text:
To the list of obstacles impeding D.C. United's push for the playoffs can be added injuries to midfielder Fred
, who is out for the season.
Fred has aggravated a strained hamstring, and
like midfielder Marcelo Gallardo
, won't return to action this year.
In 21 league games (19 starts), he scored two goals and was credited with four assists. Last year, he scored
seven goals and picked up eight assists while playing 26 games in his debut MLS season.
He scored the winning goal for D.C. in the U.S. Open Cup final, a 2-1 victory against Charleston
Sept. 3, and in four Concacaf Champions' Cup games early in the season he scored one goal and registered three assists.
In the Open Cup final, already bothered by a sore hamstring, he
replaced midfielder Joe Vide
five minutes before halftime, and five minutes into the second half ran onto a dummied Clyde Simms
long ball to smack home the decisive goal.
D.C. plays the fourth of its six Concacaf Champions League matches Thursday in San Jose, Costa Rica, against Deportivo Saprissa. It has named a 16-man roster* devoid of several regulars for the
match. They will be rested for a crucial league match Sunday at Houston.
Zach Wells, James Thorpe; Defenders
: Marc Burch, Greg Janicki, Gonzalo Martinez,
Devon McTavish, Mike Zaher; Midfielders:
Pat Carroll, Rod Dyachenko, Ryan Miller, Joe Vide, Ryan Cordeiro, Craig Thompson; Forwards:
Thabiso Khumalo, Francis Doe, Quevas Kirk.


Downing Street computer systems are suspected to have been infected by powerful hacking spyware linked to spies in the United...
Researchers say they warned UK officials about being targeted, but the software's makers deny the claims. Source link
Apple sues Israeli spyware firm NSO as it seeks to block ‘hacker-for-hire' firm from breaking into iPhones and other gadgetsBy...
Apple is the latest in a string of firms and governments to go after the hacking tool firm. Source link
NSO Group, which makes the Pegasus spyware, acted against US interests, officials say. Source link
The flaw allows hackers to access devices even if users do not click on a link or file. Source link
NSO Group tells BBC News: "The finger-pointing should be at the customer." Source link
The president's phone number was found on a list of numbers that were potential phone hacking targets. Source link
BBC’s cyber reporter, Joe Tidy, agreed to be spied on to understand the spyware experience further. Source link
While Apple touts the security and privacy of its iPhones, shocking new evidence indicates malware deployed by authoritarian regimes around...


text:
If you are at risk for developing diabetes, you may be interested in pursuing some lifestyle changes and a diet to prevent diabetes. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases across the globe and consequently, a diet to prevent it is in great demand. However, a special diet is not needed. Eating a healthy diet and getting some exercise every day is all you need to improve your health.
Diabetes is a debilitating disease that affects your life adversely and puts you at risk for the following conditions:
Depression and Tensions
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The complications from diabetes all add up to a shorter life expectancy.
If you don?t want to go through these medical complications follow these simple tips to help prevent diabetes:
Control your blood sugar
Eat a healthy diet
Just doing these three simple steps can help prevent diabetes.

domain: medical


text:
Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a novel parvovirus associated with respiratory tract diseases and gastrointestinal illness in adult and pediatric patients throughout the world. To investigate the epidemiological and genetic variation of HBoV in Guangzhou, South China, we screened 3460 throat swab samples from 1686 children and 1774 adults with acute respiratory infection symptoms for HBoV between March 2010 and February 2011, and analyzed the complete genome sequence of 2 HBoV strains. Specimens were screened for HBoV by real-time PCR and other 6 common respiratory viruses by RT-PCR or PCR. HBoV was detected in 58 (1.68%) out of 3460 samples, mostly from pediatric patients (52/58) and inpatient children (47/58). Six adult patients were detected as HBoV positive and 5 were emergency cases. Of these HBoV positive cases, 19 (32.76%) had co-pathogens including influenza virus (n = 5), RSV (n = 5), parainfluenza (n = 4), adenovirus (n = 1), coronavirus (n = 7). The complete genome sequences of 2 HBoVs strains (Genbank no. JN794565 and JN794566) were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 2 HBoV strains were HBoV1, and were most genetically close to ST2 (GenBank accession number DQ0000496). Recombination analysis confirmed that HBoV strain GZ9081 was an intra–genotype recombinant strain among HBoV1 variants.
Citation: Xu L, He X, Zhang D-m, Feng F-s, Wang Z, Guan L-l, et al. (2012) Surveillance and Genome Analysis of Human Bocavirus in Patients with Respiratory Infection in Guangzhou, China. PLoS ONE 7(9): e44876. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044876
Editor: Dhanasekaran Vijaykrishna, Duke-NUS Gradute Medical School, Singapore
Received: March 18, 2012; Accepted: August 9, 2012; Published: September 11, 2012
Copyright: © Xu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This research was supported by National Major Projects of Major Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (grant numbers 2009ZX10004-213 and 2012ZX10004213-001). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Human bocavirus (HBoV), recently identified as a new member of the Parvoviridae family from the respiratory secretions of children suffering from lower respiratory tract infection , has a single-stranded DNA genome of ∼5.2kb, which contains three open reading frames (ORFs), encoding two non-structural proteins (NS1 and NP1) and two viral capsid proteins (VPs) . The nucleotide sequences are highly conserved among HBoVs circulating in different geographic regions , with the VP1/VP2 gene displaying relatively commonly found nucleotide polymorphisms .
Since its first identification, HBoV has been detected in 1.5%–19% of respiratory tract secretions – and 0.8%–9.1% of fecal samples , –, respectively, from patients with acute respiratory tract illnesses or gastroenteritis worldwide, It is of note that most of these reports were mainly derived from young children and infants, with only a few exceptions testing adult patients. More recently, three more genotypes of HBoV (HBoV2–4) were found, , , , and reports have shown that inter-genotype and intra-genotype recombinations are present among bocavirus . All 4 genotypes of HBoV have been identified in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE), whereas only HBoV1 and HBoV2 were reported in respiratory tract samples. Due to the higher rates of co-infections with other pathogens, it remains to be clarified whether in these diseases HBoVs are the key etiologic agent or just a concomitant virus bystander.
To better understand the epidemiology of the HBoV infection, in conjunction of a viral surveillance program, we investigated the presence of HBoV in patients with acute respiratory infection in Guangzhou, a city located in south China. Geographically, the city is characteristics of a tropical-subtropical climate, with the average annual temperature of 20–22°C and average relative humidity of 77%. The city is also highly populated, with a resident population of 12.70 million, plus a non-residential population of 4.76 million. These socio-natural factors make the region generally vulnerable to air-borne as well as food-borne viral infection. The epidemiological status and genomic characteristics of HBoV prevailing in pediatric and adult patients with respiratory infection in the region, however, remains unknown. In our current study, we screened throat swab specimens from patients with acute respiratory tract infection symptoms for HBoV and other common respiratory viruses over a 12-month period using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, and in addition, the molecular phylogeny and complete genome sequences of 2 HBoV strains were also analyzed.
Materials and Methods
All research involving human participants was approved by the Medical Ethics Review Board of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, in accordance with the guidelines for the protection of human subjects. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant/guardian.
Patients and specimens
From March 2010 to February 2011, 3460 throat swabs were obtained from 1686 children and 1774 adult patients who had been admitted to five hospitals in Guangzhou, China. They were only taken from individuals with ≤ 3 days of fever (temperature ≥37.5°C), and with cough, sputum, throat sore or other respiratory tract infection symptoms. There were 2009 male and 1451 female patients with age ranging from 1 day to 95 years. Demographic, epidemiology and clinical information including case history, symptoms, physical signs and examination results etc. were collected using a standardized questionnaire. All specimens were added to 2 ml VTM (consists of Earle's Balanced Salt Solution (BioSource International, USA), 4.4% bicarbonate, 5% bovine serum albumin, 100 µg/mL vancomycin, 30 µg/mL amikacin, and 40 U/mL nystatin) according to a standard protocol and transported within 8 hr at 4°C to Biosafety Laboratory of Sun Yat-Sen university, where they were divided into aliquots, and stored at −80°C until processing further.
All specimens were tested for 7 common respiratory viruses, including influenza virus types A, B and C (Inf-A, Inf-B and Inf-C), parainfluenza (PIV) types 1–4, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human coronavirus (HCoV), adenovirus (AdV) and HBoV using PCR, RT-PCR or real-time PCR methods as described below. Information of patients whose throat swabs were found positive for HBoV was analyzed retrospectively.
Nucleic Acid Extraction
DNA and RNA were simultaneously extracted from 200 μl of throat swab specimen using QIAamp MiniElute Virus Spin (QIAGEN, Germany). Reverse transcription of virus RNA was conducted by Superscript III transcriptase and random hexamer primers (Invitrogen, Life Technology, USA), both kits were used according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Inf-A, -B and -C, PIV -1, -2, -3 and -4, RSV-A and -B, HMPV, HCoV, and AdV were detected by a standard reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) or PCR techniques as previously described using specific primers listed in Table S1 , –, and amplified products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Screening of HBoV used real-time PCR. The full sequence of HBoV was referred from the ST2 strain (GenBank accession number DQ000496, or NC_007455). TaqMan real-time PCR primers (NP1-F and NP1-R) and probe (synthesized by Invitrogen, Life Technology, USA) were designed to bind the NP1 highly conserved region of different HBoV strains and analyzed by Primer Express software (Version 3.0, Applied Biosystems, USA) (for primer and probe sequences, see Table 1), with regard to optimal G–C content (55%, 44% and 60% for NP1-F, NP1-R and probe, respectively), melting temperature (58.4°C, 59.3°C and 70.0°C for NP1-F, NP1-R and probe, respectively), and amplicon length (88bp). Each reaction mixture consisted of 10 μl 2× iQ Supermix reaction mixture (Bio-Rad, USA), 2 µL of viral DNA, 0.5 µM each of the forward and reverse primers, and 0.3 µM of the probe, and nuclease-free water to a final volume of 20 μl. Real-time PCR was conducted for 95°C for 15 min, followed by 45 cycles of 95°C for 15 s, 60°C for 1 min on the ABI7500 Real-time PCR system.
Complete Genome Sequencing for HBoV
The complete genomes of HBoV strains were amplified using primers designed for complete genome by the Primer Premier 5.0 software to bind relatively conserved regions of HBoV as available in the GenBank database (primer sequences shown in Table 1). The PCR was carried out using the Platinum pfx Taq polymerase (Invitrogen, USA) in a prepared reaction mix according to the following condition: 95°C for 5 min, followed by 40 cycles of 94°C for 15 s, 53°C to 58°C (see Table 1 for melting temperature of different primers) for 45 s, and 68°C for 2 min, and a final extension at 72°C for 7 min. PCR products for genome analysis was purified by agarose gel DNA purification kit (Takara, China), and the PCR products of terminal sequences were cloned into PCR-blunt 4-Topo vector (Zero Blunt Topo PCR cloning kit for sequencing, Invitrogen, USA). All PCR products used for cloning and sequencing were from three independent PCR reactions. Sequencing was performed by a commercial service of Invitrogen Co. according to the method described in ref.  (Guangzhou, China) and submitted to the GenBank database.
Phylogenetic Analysis and Recombination Detection
The genomic sequences and ORFs of HBoV were comparatively analyzed with complete genome sequences of other HBoV strains in the GenBank (including HBoV reference strains ST1, ST2, parvovirus B19, bovine parvovirus, canine minute virus, and virus strains obtained from several countries). These sequences were aligned by the Clustal X program, and a neighbor-joining tree was constructed using the MEGA 4.0 software. Potential recombinant sequences and parental sequences were analyzed using the Recombination Detection Program (RDP) . RDP scanning was performed by GENECONV, BOOTSCAN, MaxChi, Chimaera, and SISCAN methods. A Multiple comparison corrected P-value cutoff of 0.001 was used throughout. Simplot checking was used to confirm and evaluate localization of possible recombination break points by BOOTSCAN program . Recombinant validation was done by checking the bilateral gene sequences of the recombinant site using phylogenetic trees.
Of the 3460 samples collected from patients with respiratory tract infection symptoms and signs enrolled in the study during the period between March 2010 and February 2011, detection for 7 viruses, namely, Influenza, PIV, RSV, HMPV, HCoV, AdV and HBoV, showed that 1275 (36.8%) were found positive for one single virus and 112 (3.2%) were infected by more than one virus. As shown in Table 2, 21.1% of patients tested were found positive for Inf- A, -B, or -C (median age 25 years), 7.7% for RSV (median age 0.91 years), 4.2% for AdV (median age 5 years), 3.5% for PIV (median age 1.2 years), 2.7% for HMPV (median age 2 years), and 2.6% for HCoV (median age 3 years). HBoV DNA was detected in 58 samples (1.68%) (median age 1.5 years) by real-time PCR, including 52 pediatric (47 inpatient, 4 outpatient and 1 emergency patient) and 6 adult (1 inpatient and 5 emergency patients) cases.
The monthly distribution of 7 respiratory viruses tested in patients with indications for respiratory infection from March, 2010 to February, 2011 showed biannual peaks. The highest peak of total positive rate of HBoV and other 6 common respiratory viruses appeared in August (56.2%, chi-square test, P<0.05 compared with other months), and another lower peak appeared in winter to spring (January to March). Interestingly, influenza virus was prevalent throughout the year, and peaked in August (Fig. S1). It is also of note that HBoV was detected in nearly all months except January during the study year, and the peak was present in May and June (5.4% and 6.3% respectively, Fig. 1).
Human bocavirus (HBoV)-positive case number of each month from March 2010 to February 2011 and the monthly detection rate (% of monthly detected cases) were shown.
Patients enrolled in this study aged from 1 day to 95 years, including 1686 children (≤15 years old) and 1774 adults (>15 years old) with a median age of 16 years. The total infection rate of common respiratory virus in children is 41.6% (701 positive out of 1686 pediatric subjects), as compared to that of 38.7% (686 positive out of 1774 adult subjects) in adults, For most of the screened respiratory viruses, the infection rate of pediatric patients was higher than adult patients (P<0.05) except influenza virus, which tended to infect adults (see Fig. S2 for the age distribution of common respiratory viruses). In contrast to influenza virus, which displayed a higher infection rate (540 out of 731 influenza-infected individuals) in adult patients aged from 15 to 64 years old (Fig. S2), HBoV tended to mostly infect infants younger than 2 years of age (41 out of 58 all HBoV-positive subjects) with a few adult infection (6 in age >15 years old group amongst 58 all HBoV-positive subjects). (Fig. 2).
The number of HBoV-positive patients in different age groups and the corresponding detection rate (% of detected cases in corresponding age group) were shown.
Clinical characteristics of HBoV positive cases
In this study, the common symptoms of patients detected as HBoV positive included cough (91.4%), fever (100%),rhinorrhea (36.2%), sputum (36.2%). It is noteworthy that while 43 (74.1%) out of the 58 HBoV-positive patients were clinically diagnosed as lower respiratory tract infection including bronchopneumonia, acute asthmatic bronchopneumonia, and severe pneumonia, only 15 (25.9%) patients met the criteria of severe respiratory infection as featured by dyspnoea. In addition, 9 (15.5%) of the HBoV-positive patients were clinically presented as acute upper respiratory tract infection, and 3 were diagnosed, respectively, as bronchial asthma, herpangina and infectious mononucleosis. Of note, a 77-year-old patient with acute exacerbation of COPD was found infected by HBoV without the presence of any of other 6 respiratory viruses tested in this study. This patient displayed a normal hemogram but a chest radiograph of coarse lung marking.
To better understand the HBoV pathogenicity, clinical characteristics of HBoV-positive outpatients/emergency cases were compared with those of HBoV-positive inpatients (Table 3). The HBoV positive rate in outpatients/emergency was 0.56% (10 out of 1800 outpatients/emergency cases), significantly lower than that of 2.89% in inpatients (48 out of 1660 inpatients) (chi-square test, P<0.01). The odds of infection with HBoV resulting in severe disease (or admission) were 5.21 (95% CI 2.64–10.25). HBoV positive pediatric patients were more diagnosed as lower respiratory tract illness than adults in both outpatients and inpatients (3 out of 5 pediatric vs 0 out of 5 adults in outpatient/emergency HBoV-positive patients and 40 out of 47 pediatric vs 0 out of 1 adult in inpatients), especially in infants under 2 years old (35 out of 52 HBoV-positive pediatric patients) (Table 3). In contrast, HBoV positive adults were mainly diagnosed as acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURI) (Table 3). HBoV-positive pediatric inpatients were more likely to be co-infected with other viruses than adult inpatients. However, HBoV-positive adult outpatients were more frequently co-infected with influenza than pediatric outpatients, and the reason may lie in the high influenza infection rate in adults (Table 2 and Table 3).
The surveillance data of 7 common respiratory viruses showed that among the 3460 samples, 112 were tested as more than one virus positive. Although influenza was the most common co-infecting virus, the highest co-infection rate occurred in HCoV and HBoV (Table 4). In 19 of 58 HBoV positive specimens (32.76%), other virus can be found, and HCoV was the most commonly co-detected virus with HBoV, accounting for 7 out of 19 (36.84%) HBoV co-infection cases. There were totally 8 triple virus co-infection cases (Table 4). It is noteworthy that despite of the high co-infection rate, in as high as 67.24% HBoV-positive patients, no other screened common respiratory virus was found, especially in pediatric patients (36/52, 69.2%), and most of them (23/36, 63.89%) were diagnosed as bronchopneumonia. No correlation was found between co-infection and clinical symptoms, and among the 19 HBoV co-infection cases, 14 was diagnosed as lower respiratory tract illness, not statistically higher than that of HBoV single positive patients (14/19 vs 29/39, P>0.05).
Sequences and phylogenetic analysis
The complete genomes of two HBoV strains GZ4785 (Genbank no. JN794565) and GZ9081 (Genbank no. JN794566) obtained in this study were highly conserved with 98.8% identity to each other, and showed more than 99% nucleotide identity to ST2 strain of HBoV1 (GenBank accession no. DQ0000496). HBoV strains used in the phylogenetic analysis included the strains obtained in this study in Guangzhou (GZ4785 and GZ9081), representative strains of HBoV1-4, human parvovirus B19, bovine, and canine minute virus. Based on complete genome, the phylogenetic analysis results showed that the two Guangzhou strains GZ4785 and GZ9081 were genetically close to HBoV1 (Fig. 3), consistent with the sequence comparison analysis results. From the phylogenetic tree based on complete genome, different strains of HBoV1 were clearly divided into three groups (Fig. 4A), and the representative strain of group I and group II was the prototype strains ST1 and ST2, respectively. Group III included 4 strains which came from Taiwan, Thailand, and Guangzhou. Most Chinese strains obtained from respiratory specimens belonged to group I, but it is noteworthy that GZ9081 strain obtained in this study belonged to group III. No apparently genotypic differences existed between the phylogenetic trees based on the 3 HBoV ORFs (NS1, NP1 and VP1/VP2) and the complete genome of 23 HBoV1 strains (Fig. 4B–D). Similar to previous studies , , NS1 appeared to be the most conserved gene, whereas VP1/VP2 had the most nucleotide polymorphisms. The phylogenetic trees were almost identical between VP1/VP2 gene and complete genome, which indicated that VP1/VP2 can be used instead of complete genome to analyze the genetical relationship of HBoVs.
Phylogenetic tree with 1,000 bootstrap replicates was generated using the neighbor-joining method with Mega 4 software. Parvovirus B19, bovine parvovirus, canine minute virus, and representative strains of HBoV1-4 were used as reference strains for genotype analysis of GZ4785 (labeled with red triangle) and GZ9081 (labeled with blue diamond). The HBoV strains obtained in this study GZ4785 and GZ9081 were identified as HBoV1.
Phylogenetic trees (1,000 bootstrap replicates, Kimura two-parameter model) based on GZ4785 (labeled with red triangle), GZ9081 (labeled with blue diamond), and other HBoV1 reference strains. Swedish prototype strains ST1 and ST2, American strain CRD2, Japanese strain JPOC07–511, Thai strains CU6 and CU74, Taiwanese strains TW925_07, TW2715_06 and TW2717_06, Chinese strains HK1, HK19, WLL–1, WLL–2, CZ643, FZ1, FZ40, BJ3064, BJ3722, GD-HBoV-571, GD-HBoV-594, GD-HBoV-621 were used (GenBank accession no. DQ000495, DQ000496, DQ340570, AB481080, EF203920, EF203922, EU984245, EU984232, EU984233, EF450717, EF450735, DQ778300, EF441262, DQ457413, GQ455988, GQ455987, DQ988933, DQ988934, GQ926981, GQ926982, GQ926982).
In phylogenetic analysis, we found that HBoV strain GZ9081 belonged to a group different from most of Chinese strains obtained from respiratory specimens. Interestingly, full-length genome analysis showed that GZ9081 strain contained an NS1 gene closely homologous to that of the ST1 group, and that the rest of its genome (NP1 and VP1/VP2 genes) resembled the CU74 group, suggesting that GZ9081 might represent a hybrid virus, prompting us to conduct the recombinant analysis on this strain. Therefore, RDP was further carried out. The BootScan plot of the recombination event was showed in Fig. 5, which confirmed the daughter linage GZ9081 was a recombinant of parental strains ST1 and CU74. Two trees of the relevant strain were constructed respectively on the recombinant region (position: 1–1272+4385-end) and non- recombinant region (position: 1272–4385), which further confirmed that GZ9081 was closely related with ST1 on the recombinant region (Fig. 5). It was very probable that GZ9081 was an HBoV1 intra-genotypic recombinant.
BOOTSCAN evidence for the recombination origin on the basis of pair-wise distance, modeled with a window size 1000, step size 10, and 100 Bootstrap replicates; The right part of the panel were phylogenetic trees constructed based on recombination regions (1–1272+4385-end) and non-recombination regions (1272–4385) using Mega 4 software.
Human bocavirus (HBoV) was a newly discovered Parvoviridae virus. By now, little is known about its epidemiology and genetic characteristics in Guangzhou, China. The pathogenicity of HBoV is still in uncertain because of its high co-infection rate with other pathogens, and it remains unclear whether HBoVs are sole etiologic agent or just a concomitant virus bystander. Therefore, to understand the prevailing status and pathogenicity of HBoV, other pathogens needed to be simultaneously examined. So in this study, a surveillance of 12 months period during 2010–2011 in Guangzhou was established to understand the prevalence and pathogenicity of HBoV in patients with acute respiratory infection symptoms. Other 6 common respiratory viruses (influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, coronavirus, RSV, metapneumovirus) were screened at the same time to understand their co-infection status with HBoV. The results revealed that the overall monthly distribution of HBoV and other 6 common respiratory viruses were typical, in accordance with the epidemics of respiratory viruses in tropical/subtropical areas like Guangzhou, which demonstrated that the surveillance data in this study were highly reliable. It is notable that HBoV, like RSV, tended to mainly infect ≤2 year old infants, with only a few adult infections, and the majority of the HBoV positive patients (67.24% of all HBoV positive patients and 69.23% of HBoV positive children) were HBoV single positive, indicating it may have potential pathogenicity, especially in infants. Therefore, to better elucidate its pathogenic roles, the clinical characteristics of HBoV-positive outpatients/emergency cases were analyzed for comparison with HBoV-positive inpatients (Table 3). The results showed that the HBoV positive rate in outpatients/emergency was statistically lower than inpatients, and the odds of infection with HBoV resulting in severe disease (or admission) were as high as 5.21. HBoV positive pediatric patients were more diagnosed as lower respiratory tract illness than adults in both inpatients and outpatients, and pediatric inpatients were more likely coinfected with other viruses. Although there was possibility that other co-pathogens not be screened in this study may exist, these results showed that HBoV may have pathogenic role in causing severe disease/admission or lower respiratory tract illness of children. In addition, our results showed that HBoV was related to asthma or its exacerbation, which occurred in 10 pediatric patients.
Previously, only limited data in adults were available for the study of HBoV, especially in large samples. Many reports of adult HBoV infection enrolled no more than 100 samples , , , , . The prevalence and associated illness of HBoV in adults have not been well characterized in Guangzhou. In our study, we found 6 HBoV-positive adult cases in 1774 adult patients with upper respiratory tract infection, and the 3.4‰ prevalence rate was in accordance with those previously reported for adults , , , , . Although HBoV infection was rare in adults with respiratory infection in our study population, it was still notable that HBoV may cause exacerbation in adults with basic or primary pulmonary disease like COPD. We found 52 HBoV-positive pediatric patients, which represented 3.1% positive rate in pediatric patients with respiratory infection. This is similar to other reports of 1.5%–19%. Consistent with other studies , , , the prevalence rates were higher in children under 2 years of age, but generally decrease with the increase of age (Fig. 2), which implied that antibodies against HBoV acquired during early life may provide protection.
In our study, up to 32.76% co-infection rate of HBoV was observed from throat samples, and the rate may be higher if more viruses were screened. The most frequently detected co-pathogen was HCoV, different from previous reports in China , , and the reason may lie in different climate/geography conditions and virus distribution. There was no obvious evidence that co-infection of HBoV and other common respiratory viruses can increase the disease severity, since no correlation was found between co-infection and clinical symptoms, and the rate of lower respiratory tract illness did not increase in co-infection cases.
In order to improve the diagnostic sensitivity, our present study employed real-time PCR to screen HBoV with the primers and probes binding the NP1 conserved region. To exclude PCR contamination and prevent false positive and false negative results in HBoV and other 6 common respiratory viruses screening, the following strategies were used. Firstly, all PCR was strictly carried out in 4 separate rooms, namely, reagent preparation, sample preparation, PCR and PCR-product rooms. Secondly, each PCR/real-time PCR assay was performed in duplicates and repeated three times. Thirdly, positive samples were further confirmed by PCR using another set of primers, and for some of the 6 common respiratory viruses positive samples, viral isolation and determination was performed to further confirm the PCR positive results.
Complete genome sequence of 2 HBoV strains were obtained in our study. Gene analysis showed high identity (98.8%) between each other, and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that they belonged to HBoV1, which was more frequently detected in respiratory tract illness than other genotypes. Phylogenetic tree of complete genome showed that different strains of HBoV1 can be divided into three groups. It is noteworthy that the two strains identified in this study (GZ4785 and GZ9081), which were circulating at the same time during the 1 year study period, belonged to different groups. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analysis results showed that most Chinese HBoV1 strains obtained from respiratory samples belonged to group I which was genetically closely to ST2, but GZ9081 was different, which belonged to group III. Phylogenetic trees based on different HBoV ORFs showed that its NS1 gene was closely homologous to the ST1 group, whereas its NP1 and VP1/VP2 genes resembled the CU74 group, suggesting it may be a recombinant. Although generally HBoV1 sequences were highly conserved, there were still evidences that the recombination existed among HBoVs , and co-infection of HBoVs  might increase the chance of recombination between HBoVs. Therefore, we suspect that GZ9081 may be a hybrid virus. So a recombinant detection program was performed to analyze GZ9081. The result confirmed that GZ9081 was an intra-genotype of HBoV1 recombinant, originated from the parental strains ST1 and CU74 (Fig. 5). As far as we know, this is the first time that recombination between HBoV1 is reported and this is the first recombinant strain of HBoV1 reported in China. Since recombination could change virulence or antigenicity of viruses, we believe that the finding of HBoV recombination might have significance on the epidemiology, seroprotection and pathogenicity study of HBoV. Further studies are needed to examine the virulence and antigenic changes of GZ9081 strain. Continuous surveillance and genome sequence analysis are needed to obtain more information on the genotypic variation and molecular evolution of HBoV in China.
Monthly distribution of 6 common respiratory viruses from 3460 patients with acute respiratory infection symptoms from March 2010 to February 2011. Virus-positive case number of each month and the monthly detection rate (% of monthly detected cases) were shown. (A) inﬂuenza virus (Inf); (B) parainﬂuenza virus (PIV); (C) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); (D) adenovirus (AdV); (E) human metapneumovirus (HMPV); (F) human coronavirus (HCoV).
Age distribution of 6 common respiratory viruses from 3460 patients with acute respiratory infection symptoms from March 2010 to February 2011. The number of virus-positive patients of different age groups, and the corresponding detection rate (% of detected cases in corresponding age group) were shown. (A) inﬂuenza virus (Inf); (B) parainﬂuenza virus (PIV); (C) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); (D) adenovirus (AdV); (E) human metapneumovirus (HMPV); (F) human coronavirus (HCoV).
The primers used for Inf, PIV, RSV, HMPV, HCoV and AdV screening. Inf: Influenza, PIV: parainfluenza, RSV: respiratory syncytial virus, HMPV: human metapneumovirus, HCoV: human coronavirus, AdV: adenovirus.
All enrollees participating in the surveillance project are appreciated. We owe our special thanks to the participated doctors and nurses of the 5 hospitals (Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, The First affiliated hospital of JiNan University, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University) for their help in collecting samples.
Conceived and designed the experiments: K-yC LX. Performed the experiments: LX XH D-mZ F-sF ZW L-lG. Analyzed the data: LX XH K-yY M-fL. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: RZ B-jZ J-hW M-fL. Wrote the paper: LX XH M-fL K-yY.
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domain: literature


Dr Julian Lewis: I entirely endorse what the right hon. Gentleman [David Lammy] has said. Does he agree that the BBC did a very good job during the referendum campaign in holding a fair balance of both sides of the argument? Irrespective of the fact that he is on one side and I am on the other, does he share my slight concern that the BBC has not held that balance quite so well since the referendum came and went?
* * *
Dr Lewis: One of the more worrying raids, or trades, involving the BBC taking on funding in return for having the licence fee involved the decision that it should no longer receive direct Government funding for that prized open-source intelligence asset, BBC Monitoring at Caversham. May I appeal, through my right hon. Friend, to the Secretary of State in her absence that no decision is taken to implement the current recommendation to close Caversham Park and radically reduce the funding for BBC Monitoring until the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees have taken the opportunity to visit Caversham Park, which we have been invited to do by the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading East (Rob Wilson)? This is a matter of the greatest concern. The reduction in funding was entirely to be anticipated, but it should not have occurred.
[Mr Edward Vaizey: I have just been indulgent to my right hon. Friend because quite a few of my constituents work at Caversham and have been in touch with me to express their concerns. I thank him for his very welcome intervention and I echo his call. I hope that the Minister will pass on to his colleagues in the Foreign Office the need to note the sagacious views of my right hon. Friend and his colleagues on the Select Committee on the future of monitoring at Caversham and how it should be funded and analysed. ...]
* * *
[Mr Vaizey: ... Returning to the other raids on the BBC, the digital infrastructure raid was perhaps appropriate. We then took the underspend and spent it on broadband. If the Minister is clever enough, as I know he is, not to proceed with the competitive content fund, we could put more of that money into broadband. I know that he has made incredibly rapid progress on the roll-out of broadband since he took up his present ministerial position, and I know that he will want to reach the new target of 100% by the end of next year. I thought I would just throw that in, because everyone said I was so useless at the job –
Hon. Members: “Aah!”
Mr Vaizey: Thank you. This is turning into a pantomime, Madam Deputy Speaker – ]
Dr Lewis: Oh no it isn’t!


David Munger and David Morgan spent the last few weeks attempting to complete the first ever sea kayak circumnavigation of Jamaica. Here’s the final post from their CanoeKayak.com series about the trip.
The last full day of paddling…
To land, we had to bail through the dumping surf onto a beach again today. As per usual, the landing was kind of sketchy but we made it to shore safely enough. We were five miles short of our goal for the day; the building ocean swells started breaking with the wind and it made those final miles too risky. We were on our way to the quiet town of Oracabessa–120 miles into our circumnavigation attempt–and the trade winds were killing us.
It wasn't just the conditions of the ocean that stopped us though. David's wrist was squeaking and painful. He said he couldn’t really feel his thumb. He could barely paddle by the time we got to the beach, and yesterday he couldn't brush his teeth without wincing.
Shore-bound, Day 1
We need a rest. We found shelter in Domenica's house, which rises four stories above the town looking out of place yet perfectly in character. Without other guests Dave and I have free run of the second floor of the hostel. It’s a good base to wait out the weather for the next two, maybe three, days. With a wholesale across the street, we make full use of our kitchen. It's nice to cook our own meals again. Also—they have peanut butter. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. No maps to fold, no decisions to make, only time and a good book.
The next three days…
Cereal and coffee for breakfast. Mixed nuts and dried fruit on top. (In the cereal, you weirdo, not the coffee.) At the beginning, it was nice to rest and relax. But now the days seem to drag and speed by simultaneously. Days pass in minutes but hours take decades. At least we had Clive Cussler and cards to entertain us… Our rate is up to about a book a day each. We grow tired of resting. We go on long walks despite the searing heat and cacophonous traffic. Bored? Yes. We do squats just to move and constantly discuss the possible ways the rest of the trip could go. We need around ten, maybe thirteen, days to finish, depending on our mileage. We want to be back on the water.
We don't know how David's wrist will do. He is keeping it immobilized and icing it often. Even rubbing some homeopathic ointment on it that Domenica gave us. But it is also painful to wait and do nothing.
The final attempt
The forecast is calmer today. Not calm, just calmer than yesterday. But it's not hard to beat last week’s thirty-knot winds and three-meter swells. So we try to paddle out of the mouth of the harbor. Our goal is to make it fifteen cliffed-out miles to Ocho Rios. Conditions are borderline, but after only an hour David's wrist is acting up. He won't be able to paddle anymore. Despite five days of rest it's clear the wrist is down for the count. Suddenly, we aren't on the water. We are stepping out of our boats onto a Jamaican beach knowing it's the last time.
Where do we go from here? There isn't a manual for what happens when the trip you've been obsessing over for months is derailed by an invisible injury. What do you do the morning after and the next and the next knowing that you're done and there's no going back? I guess there's no sense dwelling on the thing you can't do—you need a thing you can do. So, now we are going to share our stories. We saw beyond the stereotypes of Jamaica. There is so much more than all-inclusive resorts and cannabis smoking Rastas. We set out to meet the Jamaican people and their culture, unfiltered. That's what the trip became about. When you strip away the miles and maps, that might be what the trip was always about.
So really, we succeeded. There's no pain in that.
More from this series


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domain: sociology


EZ Blockchain Introduces Its Immersion Cooling Crypto Mining Container to the Market
Houston, TX: Although EZ Blockchain started as a provider of data center hosting solutions, it is now on a mission to solve the global waste energy problem by providing scalable solutions to the energy sector.
The company aims to save the environment using sustainable energy alternatives without compromising on benefits for all partners.
To further this mission, EZ Blockchain invested extensively in engineering research and development to create its liquid cooling mobile data center.
Although there were supply chain issues and delays in the production of the components, the company is proud to announce that the unit has gone through a testing stage and the product is ready for mass production.
In addition, EZ Blockchain is ready to open its doors to outside customers by introducing its recent product – SmartBox 1500i. This engineering breakthrough has a 20ft container footprint while being a lightweight data center capable of operating up to 288 of the newest generation cryptocurrency miners with the electrical infrastructure that gives hash rate increase up to 40%.
This scalable solution has numerous benefits like significant noise reduction, lower operational costs, longer equipment lifespan, and 10x the heat rejection capacity compared to air cooling crypto-mining containers.
When talking about the new product, Sergii Gerasymovych, the CEO and Co-Founder of EZ Blockchain is enthusiastic about the product. He said:
” Our team of engineers has spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out how to make this immersion cooling mobile data center efficient, affordable, operationally seamless, and scalable. Finally, we can not only grow our operations in hot climates such as Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma but also provide a viable solution to other market participants”.
The company plans to release 10-15 MW worth of mobile data centers to the market monthly. The pre-orders are already open, and the team is excited to serve clients.
ABOUT EZ BLOCKCHAIN
The company’s mission is to breach the gap between the energy sector and the blockchain ecosystem by innovative solutions to the global waste energy problems. At EZ Blockchain, crypto mining is transformed through the introduction of immersion cooling containers as well as solar and wind crypto mining services.


It’s been just over a year since we first heard that Green Hell would be receiving the VR treatment and would be coming to the Quest platform. Well, it looks like we have a release date along with information about the upcoming release. In the game, you follow the story of Jake Higgins, a famous anthropologist, who is thrown deep into the emerald and impenetrable Amazonian rain forest called the green hell. But it’s what you discover that will be worse than what you fought so hard against to survive.
- Setting: deadly yet beautiful Amazonian rainforest
- Body inspection mode
- A multitude of fauna and flora and the dangers awaiting the player
- Environment and situation impact the player’s psychology
- Impact of environmental changes on the ecosystem
- An addictive story
- Dynamically changing environment
- Realistic survival sim
- Psychological thriller
But those wondering if the game would have Co-op, in a tweet from the official account, it looks like it is coming as a patch, but not on the release date…
But with the upcoming release, it looks like you can save 10% by preordering when Green Hell VR releases for the Quest 2 on the Oculus Store on April 7, 2022, and will be coming to Steam VR at a later date.
Until then…please enjoy…