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The study investigated the moderating role of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) on Epidoxorubicin (EPI)-induced testicular injury. Thirty rats weighing 200-250 g were divided into three treatment groups A, B and C. Group A (Control) received a single dose intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL physiological saline following treatment with 0.5 mL peanut oil (vehicle) for 2 weeks. Groups B and C each received a single dose intraperitoneally of 10 mg kg-1 body weight EPI following 2 weeks gavage administration of 10 mg kg-1 body weight ethanol extract of grapefruit seed and 0.5 mL peanut oil respectively. All animals were sacrificed 4 days after EPI or physiological saline injections by decapitation. Results showed that GSE attenuated testicular weight loss resulting from EPI treatment. EPI-induced reduction in sperm motility and epididymal sperm concentration as well as increase in total abnormal sperm rates were all normalized in the group pretreated with GSE. Similarly histopathological changes in the testis following EPI administration were effectively reverted by GSE pretreatment. Testicular lipid peroxidation as reflected by malondialdehyde level was significantly more in group C than group B (p< 0.05). Lipid peroxidation in Group B was higher but not significantly different from the control. There was however no significant difference in the plasma testosterone levels in all the groups. We conclude that pretreatment with grapefruit seed extract may attenuate epidoxorubicin-induced testicular toxicity.
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The principle of clinical cancer chemotherapy is based on the necessity to achieve a balance between maximal destruction of the neoplastic cells and an acceptable burden of toxic effects. The strategy is usually not only to tailor the drug doses to the physical state of the individual but also to ameliorate the toxic effects with other compounds (Mycet et al., 1997).
EPI is a cytotoxic (anthracycline) antibiotic used for leukemias, lymphomas, breast cancer and other malignancies. It is a 4 demethoxy analog of daunorubicin. It is cell cycle specific with its maximal effects in the S and G2 phases. The Biochemical mechanism by which EPI causes cytotoxicity is currently unknown. However inhibition of DNA Synthesis and the formation of oxygen radicals following lipid peroxidation in the tissues have been implicated ( Kirsi and Timo, 2001). The therapeutic usage of EPI in long term treatment is however limited due to its toxicity to various organs. In particular the occurrence of infertility in treatment with anticancer drugs is a serious concern (Sikka, 1996; Kalender and Yel, 2005). In order to protect the testis from oxidative damage during anthracycline antibiotic chemotherapy, many antioxidants such as carotenoids, selenium, melatonin and lipoic acid have been attempted (Atessahin et al., 2006; Prahalaathan et al., 2005; Kalender and Yel, 2005; Teicher et al., 1994).
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) from grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) contains high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E and bioflanoids (naringenin). These compounds are powerful antioxidants individually and collectively. GSE is therefore now regarded as the most powerful natural antioxidant available (Sachs, 1997). The aims of the present study were to study the effect of short term administration of EPI on the testicular function and histochemistry and to investigate the attenuating effects of GSE on these parameters.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Chemicals: Ellence RPfizer (Epidoxorubicin) was obtained from Juli pharmacy Ikeja Lagos.
Plant materials: The ripe grapefruits were obtained at Bariga Market Lagos. The plant material was identified and authenticated at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria where a voucher specimen with herbarium number F.H.I 106998 was deposited. The air dried seeds were reduced to a powdered substance by grinding. The sample was exhaustively extracted with ethanol by means of a soxlet apparatus and the extract was evaporated in vacuo. The residue was processed to give 10 g (7.5% yield) of dark yellowish solid crude mass, which was stored at 4°C for the study. Fresh solution of the extract was prepared in peanut oil when required.
Animals and interventions: In this study, 30 healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-250 g were used. They were obtained from LASUCOM Animal House and were kept in the Animal House of Department of Anatomy, LASUCOM, Ikeja under standard laboratory conditions (12 h light and 12 h dark). They were allowed unrestricted access to water and food. They were randomly divided into 3 groups of 10 each. Group A (control) where given Intraperitoneal (Ip) physiological saline 1 mL (single dose) following gavage administration of peanut oil (vehicle) 0.5 mL daily for 2 weeks. Group B had Ip EPI 10 mg kg-1 b.w. (single dose) following gavage administration of ethanol extract of Grapefruit Seed (GSE) 10 mg kg-1 b.w. daily for 2 weeks. Group C also had single dose Ip EPI 10 mg kg-1 b.w but following administration of peanut oil 0.5 mL by gavage daily for 2 weeks. The dosage of EPI given is well documented to induce testicular damage in rats (Howell and Shalet, 2001).
Sampling: All animals were sacrificed by decapitation on the fourth day after EPI or saline injections. Blood samples were collected into tubes containing 2% sodium oxalate and centrifuged. The testes weights of each animal were estimated along with the sperm characteristics. One of the testes was fixed in 10% formal aldehyde for histological examination. Plasma and the other testes were stored at -25°C for biochemical assay.
Sperm characteristics: The testes from each rat were carefully exposed and removed. They were trimmed free of the epididymides and adjoining tissues. From each separated epididymis, the cauda part was removed and placed in a beaker containing 1 cc physiological saline solution. Each section was quickly macerated with a pair of sharp scissors and left for a few minutes to liberate its spermatozoa into the saline solution. Sperm motility, concentration and progressive motility were determined as earlier described (Saalu et al., 2006). Semen drops were placed on the slide and two drops of warm 2.9% sodium citrate were added. The slide was covered with a cover slip and examined under the microscope using X40 objective for sperm motility. Sperm count was done under the microscope using improved Neubauer haemocytometer.
Morphological abnormal sperm rate was determined using the method described by Atessahin et al. (2006). Briefly, slides were prepared with Indian ink. A total of 300 sperm cells were counted on each slide under light microscope at 400x magnification.
Estimation of plasma levels of testosterone: Plasma testosterone concentrations were estimated using the Enzyme Immunology Assay (EIA). The EIA kits used were obtained from Immunometrics (London U.K.) and contained testosterone EIA substrate reagents and EIA quality control samples. A quality control sample was run for the hormone at the beginning and at the end of the assay to ascertain acceptability with respect to bias and within assay variation. The EIA kit used had a sensitivity level of 0.3 nmol L-1 (0.1 ng mL-1). The intra and inter assay variations were 11.00 and 10.10%, respectively.
Histological investigations: Fixed testes tissue samples on 10% formal aldehyde were embedded in paraffin sectioned at 5 μm and were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H and E). Evaluations were done using light microscope.
Malondialdehyde (MDA) assay: Testis tissue homogenates was first prepared with a buffer containing 1.5% potassium chloride to obtain 1:10 w/v whole homogenate. The assay was then done using NWLSSTM Malondialdehyde Assay Kit which is based on the reaction of MDA (a product of lipid peroxidation) with thiobarbituric acid (TBA); forming a MDA-TBA adduct that absorbs strongly at 532 nm (Ohkawa et al., 1979).
Statistical analyses: Data are expressed as mean±SEM. One-way Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were performed to determine the differences among all groups in the parameters. p<0.05 was accepted as significant.
Testicular weight: There was a statistically significant decrease (p<0.05) in the weight of the testis of EPI alone group compared to the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed in the GSE pretreated group as compared to the control group (Table 1).
MDA in testis tissue: EPI alone group had statistically significant higher MDA levels compared with control group (p<0.05). The group pretreated with GSE however had significantly lower levels of MDA that EPI alone group (p<0.05) (Table 1).
Epididymal sperm characteristics: The group treated with EPI alone had significantly lower sperm concentration (p<0.05) and % sperm motility (p<0.01) than the control group. The sperm count and % sperm motility in the group pretreated with GSE even though lower but not significantly lower than the control.
EPI alone animals had significantly higher (p<0.01) % of abnormal sperm forms compared to the control. Pretreatment with GSE was seen to have an ameliorating effect on EPI-induced increase in sperm abnormalities (Table 2).
Testosterone levels in plasma: There was no significant (p>0.05) difference between the control rats and other groups, which also did not significantly (p>0.05) differ from each other (Table 3).
Testis histology: Light microscopy evaluation showed severe generation of the germinal epithelium and widening of the lumen due to hypospermatozoa formation in the EPI-alone group compared with the controls (Fig. 1 and 2).
However in the group pretreated with GSE, there were only minimal degenerative changes in the seminiferous tubules (Fig. 3).
|Table 1:||Testis weight and MDA concentration|
|Note: Values are mean±S.E.M. ap<0.05 control vs EPZ alone|
|Table 2:||Sperm characteristics in all groups|
|ΨIn this study a spermatozoon has considered abnormal morphologically if it had one or more of the following features: Rudimentary tail, round head and detached head, a1 = rapid linear progressive motility, b1 = Show sluggish linear or non-linear motility, abmeans along each row with same superscript are not significantly different, *significantly lower than control value (p<0.05), **significantly lower than control value (p<0.01)|
|Table 3:||Mean ±SE of testosterone levels in all groups (ng mL-1)|
|Fig. 1:||Section through testis of rats of control|
|Fig. 2:||Section through testis of rats treated with EPI only|
|Fig. 3:||Section through testis of rats treated with EPI and GSE|
In this study the magnitude of Epidoxorubicin- induced testicular injury in the rats was assessed with the estimation of testicular weight, epididymal sperm characteristics, plasma testosterone, histopathology and testicular MDA. Our results demonstrated a disruption of the seminiferous epithelium and testicular interstitial of rats administered EPI only. This agrees with findings of many investigators (Endo et al., 2003; Kato et al., 2001; Atessahin et al., 2006) who provide well documented evidence of anthracycline antibiotics-induced testicular toxicity in animal models. Atessahin et al. (2006), reported that administration of EPI can decrease testicular weights of rats. Endo et al. (2003), did not report any significant weight changes with EPI administration. However in this study testis weights of EPI alone group were significantly lower than control group. This could be due to severe parenchyma atrophy in the seminiferous tubules after EPI administration. The group pretreated with GSE however showed remarkably normal testis weights.
Male infertility associated with EPI chemotherapy has been shown to be as a result of alterations in sperm characteristics (Howell and Shalet, 2001). EPI exerts its antitumor effects as well as other organ toxicity by generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. This increased oxidative stress damages the sperm membranes, proteins and DNA (Kalender and Yel, 2005; Sikka, 1996). This explains the reduced sperm concentration and sperm motility with accompanying increase in abnormal sperm rates as seen in EPI alone rats. Pretreatment with GSE, powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenging agent resulted in a remarkable normalization of these parameters. Our findings in this regard are in consonant with an earlier result obtained by Dembinski and Konturek (2004), using an ischaemic/reperfusion experimental model in rats.
Studies by Quiles et al. (2002), Suominen et al. (2003) and Sikka (1996), have shown that anthracycline antibiotics administration resulted in direct oxidative injury to DNA and generates lipid peroxidation. Our study showed a statistically significantly increase in levels of MDA (a product of lipid peroxidation) in 4 days following EPI alone treatment. Administration of GSE prior to EPI helps to overcome the oxidative stress as shown by the normalized MDA concentration.
The non-significant difference between the groups in plasma testosterone suggests that although all cell types of the testes may be affected by EPI toxicity, the most prominent damage occurred in the seminiferous epithelium. Thus the Leydig cells, which secrete testosterone may have been only minimally affected EPI-induced toxicity. This agrees with earlier findings which indicate that the germinal epithelium is far more sensitive to the effects of cytotoxic drugs and oxidative stress than the Leydig cells (Sonmez et al., 2005; Saalu et al., 2006).
In conclusion, the present study demonstrated clearly that EPI treatment resulted in testicular oxidative stress and morphological impairment. It also showed that pretreatment with GSE might attenuate this injury in rats. GSE may therefore have a potential for clinical application as a testiculo-protectant during cancer chemotherapy with anthracycline antibiotics.
- Dembinski, A. and T. Konturek, 2004. Extract of grape fruit seed reduces acute pancreatitis induced by ischaemic/reperfusion in rats: Possible implication of tissue antioxidants. J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 55: 811-821.
- Endo, F., F. Manabe, H. Takeshima and H. Akaza, 2003. Protecting spermatogonia from apoptosis induced by doxorubicine using the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog leuprorelin. Int. J. Urol., 10: 72-77.
- Howell, S.J. and S.M. Shalet, 2001. Testicular function following chemotherapy. Hum. Reprod. Update, 7: 363-369.
- Prahalaathan, C., E. Selvekuman and P. Varalakshmi, 2005. Lipoic acid ametiolates adriamycin induced testicular mitochondriopathy. Reprod. Tooxicol., 20: 111-116.
- Sikka, S.C., 1996. Oxidative stress and role of antioxidants in normal and abnormal sperm function. Frontiers Biosci., 1: 78-86.
- Suominen, J.S., J. Linderborg, H. Nikula, H. Hakovirta and M. Parvinen, 2003. The effects of mono-2-ethexyphathalate, adriamycin and N-ethyl-N-Nitrosourea on stage specific apoptosis and DNA synthesis in the mouse spermatogenesis. Toxicol. Lett., 143: 163-173.
- Teicher, B.A., J.L. Schwartz and S.A. Holden, 1994. In vivo modulation of several anticancer agents by β-carotone. Cancer Chemother. Phamacol., 34: 235-241.


Though some debate the effectiveness of .380 ACP, enough rounds of just about any caliber are sure to get the job done right. With that in mind, many shooters keep a few extra magazines on hand, an extra level of protection to ensure they stay safe. Regardless of what weapon you carry, this is a great way to give yourself that additional peace of mind. If you own a Sig P250, then you will want to pick up an extra Sig Sauer P250 380 ACP 12 Round Magazine.
Offering you 12 rounds of .380 ACP, this magazine was built to factory specifications to ensure it could live up to your regular use. Designed using the same quality materials as the P250 itself, this magazine can take a beating. It uses a tough interior construction and a rigid spring that will last a lifetime. Since it was designed exclusively for the P250, it provides the best cycling rate and consistent reliability in the field.
When it comes time to grab a few extra magazines for your P250, remember that there is no better alternative than getting the official mags from the manufacturer.


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Seattle indie-rock band Moon Palace – led by twin sisters Cat & Carrie Biell – just released a dreamy video for “Bold” with Get In Her Ears ahead of a west coast tour. Featuring mesmerizing movements by dancers Loren Othón & Georgia Maxine, KEXP previously premiered this single that guitarist/vocalist Cat Biell says harkens back to that “nostalgic feeling to a time when you felt more care free.” It’s off the band’s psych-inspired album Shadowcast out now, also featuring the contemplative “Who You Are” premiered with Medium. Watch the video below:
Shadowcast is a balance between light and dark, as the band elaborates:
“Shadow self and trying to be positive through interactions with people you love. Outer world to the innermost personal world. Balancing the sun sign and moon sign. Knowing your inner personal self within the context of the universe.”
Throughout recording, the band members would text each other songs from Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, Duran Duran and Big Thief, shaping the sound of what was to come.
Twins Cat (guitar, vocals) and Carrie (bass, vocals) began writing songs together as teenagers, cultivating a musical bond made particularly significant as children of two Deaf parents. Joined by Jude Miqueli (drums) and Darcey Zoller (cello, synth), the band’s hook-driven yet at times discordant guitars and gripping sibling harmonies akin to Beach House and Warpaint are the perfect soundtrack for late-night desert drives. Their 2017 self-titled debut album garnered accolades from the likes of KEXP (“heavenly…haunting…mesmerizing”), City Arts Magazine and more – they’ve shared stages with beloved Pacific Northwest artists like Thunderpussy, Y La Bamba, and Sera Cahoone.
When they’re not making music, Carrie works with the blind and deaf to secure employment (as well as taking care of her 5-year-old son), Jude is an elementary school teacher & drum instructor at Queer & Trans Youth Music Program, Cat is a graphic designer and Darcey also works in art direction and film production. Catch Moon Palace on tour and stay tuned!

domain: artistic


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What are the causes of late-life depression?
Although depression in old age is less common than depression in younger populations, it still affects more than 1 million community-living older adults. Depression in late life has been associated with reduced quality of life and increased mortality from both suicide and illness. Its causes are multifactorial but are prominently related to both biologic and social factors. Psychological factors, although less studied in elders, are also important in understanding its cause. In this article, multiple facets of late-life depression are reviewed, including its clinical presentation, epidemiology, and biopsychosocial causes.
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domain: literature


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The D-Day (as in “Defining-Day”) for health care reform in
Even among his die-hard supporters are those who feel that the president’s “obsession” with health care has diverted attention from the foremost problem facing
Yet there is also no denying that universal health care coverage is a right, not a privilege. Sure, the cost to the economy will be in hundreds of billions of dollars but can we, as a civilized and humane society, allow money and politics to trump what is fundamentally an ethical and moral issue? What kind of society will ours be if insurance companies continue to deny or revoke with impunity (the case of Jerome Mitchell, a 17-year old college freshman from rural
The idea underlying insurance companies is: Grab as much premium as possible from the healthy but exclude those who are sick. This macabre 'survival of the fittest' business model is unacceptable in any civilized society.
Obama’s administration has to bear responsibility for the cliffhanger that the health care bill has become. We Americans abhor serpentine language. We believe that if anything is worth fighting or dying for, we should be able to understand it without having to master the language of lawyers. Yet there has been no coherent explanation by the president or the democrats about why and how the heath care bill makes sense economically, socially and politically. Simply evoking the moral principle has played into the hands of Republicans. Their shrill warning that American capitalism, as we have known it for two hundred years, will die if the health care bill were to pass, has resonated with many fence-sitters simply because Democrats have not matched them in the “easy-to-understand” department. This is particularly ironic given the president’s reputation as a wordsmith and his facility in distilling an issue to its essence in words that can capture the imagination of Americans, as we saw repeatedly during his presidential campaign.
The American most passionate about health care reform was the “Liberal Lion of the Senate,” the late Ted Kennedy of
Yet I believe that tomorrow House Democratic leaders will find 216 votes to make the health care bill the law of the land. Like most Americans, I am a prisoner of hope (especially today, the first day of spring!) and I cannot accept the fact that 216 of our representatives will miss out on this historic milestone that will affirm the right of every American access to health care. It is almost as historic a milestone as the election of an African-American to the highest office in the land, and there will be enough, just enough, votes to see the bill through.

domain: news


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Many seniors who are too sick or frail to live in their homes often think that the nursing homes are their only option either as their permanent residence or as a temporary facility during their recovery. However, many seniors who need nursing care would rather receive it in their own home while enjoying a familiar environment with their family and friends. Good thing there are community services and health care professionals who can provide him the home nursing care he needs. These professionals can come right to a senior’s home in Ramsey to deliver responsible care.
Home care generally refers to health care or support provided in the patient’s home, but this term is usually applied to non-medical care or custodian care provided by persons who are not licensed medical personnel. Family and friends, who are referred to as caregivers, primary caregiver or voluntary caregiver in this context, can also provide home care in Ramsey. Mostly, however, services are provided by agencies or independent providers.
Best Ways to Find Personal Home Health Care in Ramsey
What Can Home Care Services Do For You?
A wide-range of services are available for seniors choosing to receive rehabilitative home care. Senior home care is the preferred option for medical services following a lengthy hospital stay. This option helps the family care for aging loved ones, while also helping the patient remain comfortable and independent.
Many patients and the family are opting to utilize the services of home care professionals as opposed to long- term residential facilities. Although nursing or assistant living facilities offer round-the-clock care, they are generally considered for emergency and unplanned situations. Long-term care does not offer the comforts of senior home services in relation to individualized attention and treatment options. More so, residential facilities are less affordable or fail to implement patient-focused principles.
Senior home healthcare has reached growing public demands, which suggest that patients are more comfortable in their own homes. Successful home healthcare not only provides ongoing security for the patient, it guarantees support and peace of mind for the caregivers. The prospective in-home provider empowers the patient and family to be involved in the initiating of customized goals as well as in the quality of care.
The skilled nurses conduct and coordinate the direct medical care of patients. They perform services, such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, applying wound dressings, diet management, IV infusions and injections. The health aides assist with daily living activities, to include personal hygiene, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and companionship.
Disabled and chronically ill seniors prefer to receive health care in the home because of its distinguished benefits. While long- term care offers the same services, they are often costly and suffocating. Senior home care is reliable and compassionate; thereby offering a variety of services at an affordable price.
Senior Home Care Services: Weighing The Decision
The desire to lead a full, independent, and dignified life is no less important when a person transitions into the older adult stage. With this in mind, the senior home care services industry has expanded in order to offer services that will enrich a person's life with personalized in-home care. These services may fall into several categories: personal care, companion, and home maker services. Selecting an in-home care provider requires investigating the credentials of the agency. Make sure that each service provider is screened, trained and insured to provide responsible care that your loved one needs. You may find that many of these providers work in this industry as a result of having a loved one in need of this type of service.
The one drawback to a person receiving in-home care is the financial hurdles that still exist. Most insurance plans do not cover the costs of home based services if no medical condition has been diagnosed.

domain: medical


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Is Matsuhisa owned by Nobu?
Along with his co-founders — celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa and film producer and entrepreneur Meir Teper — the actor owns 46 restaurants and 13 luxury hotels across the world. Nobu Hospitality, the name of their lifestyle brand, was founded in 2009.
Is Nobu the same as Matsuhisa?
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa (松久 信幸 Matsuhisa Nobuyuki; born March 10, 1949) is a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur known for his fusion cuisine blending traditional Japanese dishes with Peruvian ingredients. His signature dish is black cod in miso.
Who owns Nobu restaurant in LA?
Today, De Niro and his co-founders – celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa and film producer and entrepreneur Meir Teper – own 39 restaurants and eight luxury hotels across five continents. Their lifestyle brand Nobu Hospitality was founded in 2009.
What do they yell at Nobu?
1. A warm welcome has the power of 1,000 icebreakers. You don’t have to know how to pronounce “irasshaimase” (E-RAH-SHY-MA-SEH) or what the Japanese greeting translates to (“Welcome,” roughly) to feel noticed when a chorus of chefs yells it in your direction.
Does Nobu have Michelin stars?
London’s famous celebrity hangout Nobu has been stripped of its Michelin star in the latest UK guide. Nobu opened in London’s Metropolitan Hotel in 1997 and was awarded a Michelin star the same year for the 1998 Guide.
Does Nobu have Michelin star?
Nobu opened his first restaurant in the United States, Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills, California, in January 1987. awarded One Michelin Star (2005); Matsuhisa Beverly Hills and Nobu Las Vegas awarded One Michelin Stars (2007); Nobu San Diego awarded One Michelin Star (2008).
What does Nobu say when you walk in?
Within minutes of entering Japan, virtually all tourists encounter the phrase “Irasshaimase!” (いらっしゃいませ！), meaning “Welcome to the store!” or “Come on in!.”
Do celebrities go to Nobu?
Among the celebrities who have dined at Nobu include Drake, Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, Justin Bieber, Mary J.
What is so special about Nobu?
Nobu is known for serving fancy feasts to A-listers around the globe.
When did Nobu Matsuhisa open his first restaurant?
For Nobu, it all began here. In 1987, the ambitious sushi chef opened his first restaurant in sunny Beverly Hills, bringing his inspired blend of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine to the public. When Matsuhisa’s doors first opened, a silhouette of Nobu was painted behind the sushi bar.
How old is the Nobu Restaurant in Athens?
The smoky grey profile of a 38 year old Nobu is still there 30 years later, and has become the logo to his ever expanding legacy. Although his flagship still retains the low key décor from day one, it is distinguished by its skilled staff and an enormous menu packed with peerless dishes.
What makes Matsuhisa a great place to eat?
Although his flagship still retains the low key décor from day one, it is distinguished by its skilled staff and an enormous menu packed with peerless dishes. Matsuhisa not only represents dining at its finest, it is the foundation of a culinary empire that is still growing today.

domain: food


Permeance is developing a product manufacturing system with 3D printers.We are engaged in planning and production related business of products for consumers.We are continuing to develop production methods, aiming to be able to produce innovative new products at reasonable prices even in small quantities.
In product development, designing with 3DCAD and prototyping with a 3D printer became standard. Creators around the world are trying to produce a lot of new products.
However, “cost” is the biggest issue in commercialization.In order to lower manufacturing costs, there is a financial risk.For this reason, capital strength is necessary to develop highly novel products that are difficult to predict market demand.
Permeance strives to realize a manufacturing system that makes it easy to make such new ideas.


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The following is a guest post written by Kacie Candela, an undergraduate student at Fordham University and U.N. beat reporter for WFUV News.
In an increasingly globalized and digitized world, it seems incongruous that the United Nations doesn’t receive more mainstream media coverage. The play-by-play in the Security Council chamber and updates on U.N. peacekeeping missions are hardly ever headline news. But there are places — intelligent, ethical places — that are covering the United Nations. You just need to know where to look.
PassBlue is, quite frankly, the best source of original reporting on the United Nations. Their diverse and interesting articles arrive in my inbox about every other day. Some recent articles cover modern day slavery, why women aren’t at the Syrian peace talks, and ancient manuscripts in Timbuktu. They have a sustained record of breaking news, so if you want to be the first to know, subscribe to PassBlue’s emails and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
NewsDeeply doesn’t explicitly cover the United Nations, but their noise-free, single-issue reporting is a breath of fresh air. Their coverage currently focuses on 5 topics: Syria, the Arctic, water, refugees, and women and girls. NewsDeeply respects that complex global issues deserve in-depth reporting, and it shows. Check out founder and CEO Lara Setrakian’s recent TedTalk on how to fix the news industry.
The New York Times Interpreter Column/Newsletter
Every Wednesday, Max Fisher and Amanda Taub take a deep dive into a compelling international politics story in their email newsletter. My personal favorite was a discussion of Netflix’s “The Crown” in relation to Trump’s early days in office. The newsletter also includes what stories they’re reading, typically by experts and scholars on international affairs. Or if you prefer to just peruse the New York Times, they publish column articles about bi-weekly.
The Council on Foreign Relations’ World Next Week Podcast
The World Next Week has been a staple in my podcast lineup for years. Robert McMahon and James Lindsay give a preview of what to expect in international developments. The episodes can be a little slow, but this is a great resource to help identify upcoming events and think critically about how they might unfold.
Best Delegate’s Bi-Weekly UN Recap Series
Best Delegate has recently started a bi-weekly UN recap series to help its readers stay up-to-date with UN news to conduct better research for Model UN. The recent segment discusses the new transitions in the UN and the conflicts in Ukraine and South Sudan.
Resources from the UN:
UN Web TV
The UN Web TV archives are a gold mine of videos from every important conference, meeting, and event that happens at the United Nations. Security Council proceedings, speeches by Secretary-General António Guterres, and even panel discussions can be found here. Everything is broadcast live, then some things are cut into segments and uploaded later (usually with about a 12-hour delay). The Noon Briefing by the Spokesperson to the Secretary-General happens almost daily, but be careful – if you don’t catch it live, they’re hardly ever uploaded later. Media stakeouts and Press Conferences are also sometimes logged, and are oftentimes more interesting and lively than general proceedings.
UN News Centre
The UN News Centre covers all aspects of the organization’s work, including regional developments, new reports, and memorable speeches by U.N. officials. However, because the News Centre is internal, they’re usually limited to neutral and favorable reporting of the U.N. Still, they have an unmatched level of access to U.N. officials and peacekeeping missions. To stay up-to-date, I’ve arranged for their Facebook posts to always appear first on my Newsfeed.
If you’re an avid podcaster and can’t get your fill on The World Next Week, UN Radio offers a variety of audio news. Their Daily News Programme is a 10-minute news rundown. And The Lid is On is an award-winning (albeit irregular) podcast telling personal stories within the context of wider global issues.
Follow the acronyms! Most U.N. organizations have twitter accounts, and tweet information, studies, and news articles relevant to their focus.
About the Author:
Kacie Candela is an International Political Economy major at Fordham University. She currently serves on the e-board of Fordham’s Model United Nations Club, and is the U.N. beat reporter for WFUV News.


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Mr. Vittakarn Chandavimol, Chief Corporate Strategy and Creation, AP Thailand Public Company Limited (SET: AP), said that the company has continued to enjoy a solid growth as evidenced in continuously increasing numeric growth rates for total revenues, profit, presales and number of new projects launched – all recording significant increases. In the first half of the year, the company recorded sizable total revenues of Bht 25,276 million from low-rise products, condominiums (100% JV) and other businesses. This is an increase of 23% on the first half of 2021 when total revenues of Bht 20,506 million were booked. Net profit was as high as Bht 3,304 million, up 31% on the same period of last year when it recorded a net profit of Bht 2,518 million. Net Debt-to-equity ratio was at a strong of 0.51 for the period and the company is poised to move on smoothly with Bht 13,607 million in available credit line. These achievements are a result of preparing the organisation to stay resilient.
On track to reach annual revenue target of Bht 47,000 million
Low-rise products including single detached homes and townhomes continue to be the key drivers generating revenues for the company coupled with a recovery of the condominium market which has continued to be a contributor. In the third quarter, the company will have its revenues realised from ownership transfer in two newly-completed condominium developments, namely RHYTHM Ekkamai Estate and LIFE Sathorn Sierra. As at 31 July, the company had a backlog of Bht 33,637 million, so it is confident of achieving the target.
Over half of Bht 50,000 million presales target achieved
Despite having to operate under uncertainties with inflation, rising fuel prices and other costs, the company continued to enjoy new records. At the end of July, AP Thailand recorded presales of Bht 29,960 million, which was 60% of the Bht 50,000 million annual target. The presales grew by over 45% on the first half of last year with superstars like single detached homes and townhomes driving the jump in growth. Condominium sales also improved reflecting a recent recovery of demand for the product – a positive sign for the overall condominium market.
On track to roll out 160 projects across Thailand
The company remains on track to break through all limitations. In the second half of the year, it has a total of 160 ready-to-sell projects worth Bht 122,350 million in Bangkok and the provinces to offer homebuyers Cheevit Dee Dee Tee Lueak Eng Dai. In the provinces, AP Thailand will continue to rely on low-rise products including single detached homes and townhomes under the brand Apitown. Over the last two years, the company has rolled out Apitown projects in five provinces i.e. Khon Kaen, Rayong, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chiang Rai and Ayutthaya. In the second half of 2022, it will have Apitown projects rolled out in three more provinces: Apitown Udon Thani, Apitown Chachoengsao and Apitown Ubon Ratchathani, together with multiple new projects in Bangkok, including 16 townhome projects worth Bht 16,440 million, 18 single detached home projects worth Bht 24,030 million and 3 condominium projects worth Bht 10,400 million.


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Within the framework of the Fifth Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and held in Costa Rica on 7-9 March 2022, Jairon Merchán Haz, the Ecuadorian National Secretary of Planning, and Pilar Garrido Gonzalo, the Costa Rican Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy, met to exchange information on the strengthening of National Evaluation Systems in both countries, with the aim of sharing good practice and establishing points of interest regarding inclusive governance for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The meeting addressed key issues intended to enhance the function of evaluation, such as the development of normative frameworks that enable its institutionalisation, the implementation of instruments for selecting strategic evaluations within the National Development Plans, the role of international cooperation (Focelac+), the building of partnerships to strengthen national priorities and the need for a decisive political impetus to expand accountability mechanisms and increase the transparency of government management.
The two parties agreed to continue with learning exchanges and the exploration of shared work themes, for example, the development of SDG evaluations. They also agreed to begin institutional arrangements for the signing of a Letter of Understanding that declares the shared interest of both institutions to advance together in terms of evaluation and areas connected to planning.
The meeting also benefited from the participation of the Ecuadorian Ambassador to Costa Rica, Bolívar Torres Cevallos; the Second Secretary of the Ecuadorian Embassy in Costa Rica, Ana Victoria Rosero; the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for the Costa Rican Ministry of Planning and Economic Policy (Mideplan), Florita Azofeifa Monge; and the Head of the Evaluation Unit at Mideplan, Eddy García Serrano.
Prior to this significant event, technical precision was ensured through a series of preparatory meetings which were held between the Mideplan evaluation department, the Ecuadorian Undersecretariat of Evaluation, and Focelac+, the German cooperation project to develop evaluation capacity.

domain: politics


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Sunday, April 15, 2007
Why Don't You Love Bread Like Bread Loves You?
Why are the diet "experts" so hard on bread? What did bread ever do to them? All bread has ever wanted to do is sit warm and crusty in its little basket waiting to be dipped in olive oil. It wants you to toast it and slather it with butter. Bread wants to be peanut buttered and jellied. Bread just wants to be loved. Well, good news, bread. I love you.
I know that with all the low-carb hype in the news today, it's really hard to just give in and love bread. I know; I spent two years on the Atkins Diet. Having a sandwich became this nefarious act of endulgence. I was only allowed "low-carb" bread that was full of wheat gluten, flaxseed meal, and soy flour. I told myself I was happier not eating bread, that I really did like to eat hamburgers with a knife and fork. Bread just got in the way! Now, I could take this time to go off on how much I hate diets, but I won't. This isn't about diet hate; it's about loving bread. So, all I'm going to say is that you can have a healthy relationship with bread. And the best way to do that is to learn how to bake it. Because, that way, you can control exactly what goes into it. And homemade bread is the best bread there is. Here is a simple and delicious recipe to get you started.
Whole Wheat Bread
3 to 3-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 package yeast
1-3/4 c. water
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1-1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. whole wheat flour
Okay, now the actual mixing of these ingredients is where it can get a bit tricky. Making bread takes some practice. Mostly because yeast is a living thing and if you kill it, your bread will not rise. So, some important things to remember about yeast:
1. Keep it refrigerated.
2. Replace it when it expires.
3. Don't overheat the liquid mixture.
4. Yeast eats sugar, so you have to use a real sugar, not a sugar substitute.
Before you mix any ingredients, turn on your oven to about 200 degrees. Bread dough needs a nice, warm environment in which to grow, so your kitchen needs to be warm. Mix your flours, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Heat your water, oil, and sugar to between 120 and 130 degrees. You can use a baking thermometer OR just dip your (very clean) finger into it. If it burns you, it's too hot. But if you think, "Hmmm, I could take a bath in this," it's just right--I never use a thermometer. Now, I use a bread machine to do all my kneading. If you have one then all you have to do is follow the directions. If not, that's totally fine. Kneading by hand is good for your arm muscles and is quite therapeutic. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Mix it up as well as you can with a wooden spoon. Then, turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, and with very, very, very clean hands, dig in. Kneading of dough is just folding it into itself again and again until the ingredients are completely mixed. This should take about 8 minutes. When the dough is thoroughly kneaded, put it into a larged, greased bowl, cover it, and put it in a warm place to rise. (My mom would always set the bowl on top of the dryer while it was running or in the microwave while it was off. You can also put it on top of the stove, but set it toward the front, away from the oven vent.) Let the dough rise until it doubles in size (usually about an hour). Then, (FUN!) punch the dough down. See? Totally therapeutic. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into loaves. Put each half in two lightly greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. You can use foil pans if you don't own bread pans. Cover and put them back in the warm place and let them rise again. When the dough has nearly doubled in size, bake for 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees. Immediately remove the bread from the pans and let cool on a wire rack or waxed paper surface.
Don't cut these until they are completely cooled, or the bread will collapse! When the loaves cool, eat with much haste. See below for the alternative outcome...
To be used in case of yeast failure:
Okay, so you tried it, and the dough rose a little bit and then sort of flopped to one side, whimpered, and died. Yep, bread is a big, whiny baby. When this happens, I divide the dough into twelve or so "rolls" and put it on a greased cookie sheet. Give it another 45 minutes to rise and then bake at 375 degrees until the tops are nice and brown. Let these cool and then taste one. Does it taste somewhat like bread? Excellent! Use that bread pudding recipe I gave you in an earlier post. Never waste your bread dough!
Good luck, and remember that bread takes a bit of practice. Sometimes you surprise even yourself with how perfectly it comes out, sometimes it flops. Just keep trying. Experiment with some different recipes until you find one that works for you. Look for a recipe that uses molasses or honey for a different flavor. Bread just requires a bit of patience and some care. Once you master one loaf, your bread baking instincts will take over and all breads will become a cinch. Once that happens, you can invest in a bread machine and let it do all the work. ;-)


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Green Room Door Podcast
We give you special access to some of today’s most gifted songwriters and performers so you can learn about the heart behind the music – hosted by Dave Trout.
We’re excited to share a new interview with the articulate & talented Audrey Assad… plus the subject of the new major motion picture “I Can Only Imagine,” Bart Millard.
We have an in-depth conversation with Andrew Osenga about his songwriting process of late, navigating the rapidly changing music biz, and the heart & soul behind his new album “The Painted Desert.”
Jon Troast opens up about his recent battle with depression and the beautiful music that was birthed in his recovery. Plus veteran singer-songwriter Lisa Weyerhaeuser shares about the inspiration behind “Growing Light,” her first solo album in over 12 years.
It’s our Christmas episode! We’ll talk to Randall Goodgame about “Sing The Bible Family Christmas.” Plus we’ll welcome back Eric Peters to find out if he loves or loathes the holidays.
We talk with Dove Award-nominated artist John Tibbs about his journey from indie artist to a record label and back to the indies. Plus we get to know Atlanta-based roots-soul artist Micah Dalton.
This is an extended interview with veteran singer-songwriter Christopher Williams about travels, songwriting, and the making of his new album “Gather.”
We talk to Andrew Greer about his new Rich Mullins-themed book “Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth.” Plus we share a never-before-heard interview with Jessi McNeal, recorded at ETTL 2015.
We chat with veteran songwriter Fernando Ortega about his new album, his early career, and Stryper. Plus we interview relative newcomers Chris & Jenna about their band name, learning the ropes, and defining dreams.


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New British research suggests that sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts, could help fight osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.
Fights are an inevitable part of every relationship. But, you must know where to draw a line. When fights start overtaking the relationship the repercussions may turn ugly. Follow these tips to turn ugly arguments into healthy discussions.
When we think of obesity triggers, booze, laziness, overeating, and lack of exercise are the culprits that come to our mind. But, did you know skim milk could be a cause for obesity too? Find out what else contributes to your paunch.
Our routine patterns, behaviours and habits have a big impact on our mood. Take a look at the habits and behaviours that undermine mental health.
The basic bench press is a very common exercise for the upper body, but it is essential to know how to do it right. Watch this video and learn.
Big Toe arthritis is caused by inflammation of the toe joint. The main causes of big toe arthritis are Inflammation due to uric acid and damage to articular surface.
It is after any major medical condition that you will have to make a few lifestyle changes, heart attack being no different. The lifestyle changes are made to keep medical complications to a minimum.
Detecting your blood-glucose levels can be a painful task. The prick can be painful and can lead to sores on your fingers. Follow these tips and experience much lesser pain the next time you test your blood-glucose levels.
Flu can have serious complications and can even be fatal. You might have heard many things about the flu vaccine, some of which you are not sure of. Take a look at some basic facts about flu vaccines.
No relationship is perfect and every relationship needs compromises to be made by both the partners. However, there are some relationships that need a little extra effort to keep it going and people who back out always find their relationship in deep trouble.
There are many habits of your child that can bring your passive-aggressive side out making you end up yelling your lungs out at them. But, you must know that this behaviour can be counter-productive. Here is how you can stop it.
You must consider making broccoli a part of your diet as the crucifer can make your health soar. It renders several benefits, from boosting immunity to strengthening bones and muscles.
Snoring is a common problem and it is more of a problem for the one sleeping next to the snorer. They are the ones losing their sleep. Here are ways to have a sound sleep next to a snorer.
Haematuria is the medical term for the occurrence of the blood in urine. People who experience this condition become anxious about it although it is now always a serious condition. Learn the causes and facts about haematuria.
Self-loathing wreaks havoc in everyone's life. Stop fretting over things and getting depressed over your way of life.
An unexpected loss of someone you love or losing out on something you desire the most can give you a heartache. But, this pain in the chest or heart can take a serious shape. Read on to discover more.
Chemical Peels Advise video: The treatment is more effective in teenagers and younger people than older people.
We expose these six-pack myths so that you can separate fact from fantasy and work on overall health. Watch this video to find out more.
One can keep looking younger by letting go of bad habits for skin and taking care of the skin. Here are few skin bad habits that should be avoided to have good skin.
Salt is an important component and is required for life. If salt is consumed more than the required amount then it tends to increase the risk of high blood pressure.
Plank pose is a very basic pose used both in the yoga world and in the sports world. Although this pose looks to be an insignificant transition move, it is critical to assess your body.

domain: health


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Colossal has a bunch of pictures of these incredibly cool looking manhole covers found all over Japan. What a beautiful way to brighten up the streets.
Japan is a country full of amazing art. Some of it is housed within museums and galleries while others are right underneath our feet. I’m talking, of course, about Japan’s peculiar obsession with manhole covers. Just about anywhere in the country you can find stylized manhole covers, each more beautiful and intricate than the next. For the past several years photographer S. Morita has traveled around Japan photographing artistic manhole covers.
As to why this phenomenon developed, signs point to a high-ranking bureaucrat in the construction ministry who, in 1985, came up with the idea of allowing municipalities to design their own manhole covers. His objective was to raise awareness for costly sewage projects and make them more palatable for taxpayers.
Thanks to a few design contests and subsequent publications, the manhole craze took off and municipalities were soon competing with each other to see who could come up with the best designs. According to the Japan Society of Manhole Covers (yes, that’s a thing) today there are almost 6000 artistic manhole covers throughout Japan. And according to their latest findings, the largest single category are trees, followed by landscapes, floral designs and birds – all symbols that could, and surely did, boost local appeal.
Have an amazing project to share? Join the SHOW-AND-TELL every Wednesday night at 7:30pm ET on Google+ Hangouts.
Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!
Learn resistor values with Mho’s Resistance or get the best electronics calculator for engineers “Circuit Playground” – Adafruit’s Apps!
Maker Business — Limor Fried featured in NYC’s HER BIG IDEA!
Wearables — Get concrete solutions
Electronics — Probe Compensation
Biohacking — Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini was a Centenarian Gonzo Biohacker
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domain: hobby


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Dr. Conrad Murray Wants To Be Released From Prison During Appeals Process
According to TMZ reports:
Dr. Conrad Murray wants out of the pokey immediately while he appeals his conviction … this according to court docs obtained by TMZ.
Murray — who was found guilty of killing Michael Jackson — has been in jail since he was convicted 13 months ago.
The Doc claims in the docs that he’s not a flight risk … partly because he has a small child who lives in L.A. Murray also says he doesn’t pose a danger to the community, and believes he was wrongly convicted.
Dr. Murray has tried this before and was shut down, but he’s entitled to make his case for freedom once again.
Man listen, you were convicted of killing the King of Pop. You’re probably safer in the whoscow as opposed to the street where a crazy Stan can get their hands on you.
But hey, go ‘head and take your chances…
R.I.P. Michael Jackson
Image via WENN

domain: celebrity


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If you play a lot of video games via Steam on a daily basis, it’s easy to run the client automatically at Windows or macOS startup. However, if you don’t need Steam autorun anymore, you can always disable it.
What do you need to prevent Steam to open on startup
The Steam gaming client is a great way to buy, download, and play your favorite PC games. The Steam video game library is very diverse. That’s why you will definitely be able to find a game you like. Moreover, the Steam platform constantly holds different raffles, where you can buy a game for a very low price or even get it for free. However, if you’re new to Steam, you may be annoyed by some features of the platform.
One of the features of the Steam service is its autorun. This means that programs are launched without the user’s intervention (automatically). In general, for many people, this is very convenient. After all, the software itself turns on with the PC and runs in the background. When you download something there, the download starts automatically, and you don’t have to waste precious time running the program. Other platforms of this type work on the same principle, for example (Epic Games or Origin).
In spite of this, sometimes users can get annoyed by the constant launching of Steam. Especially in those moments when you need to work and not be distracted by unnecessary things. Fortunately, there are several ways to help you deal with this problem.
So, here’s how to prevent Steam to open on startup.
What are the disadvantages of Steam autorun
When you install Steam on Windows, the client will be set to open automatically after you boot your PC or laptop and log in. The first sign that will help you notice a problem might be your friends’ list or the main client window that opens after logging in. However, not everything is as good in such an option as it seems at first glance.
Here are the main disadvantages of Steam autorun on your PC or laptop:
- Extra load on your PC.
- If your PC or laptop is slowing down, programs that are turned on automatically weaken it even more. After all, they also load the CPU and RAM.
- Unnecessary notifications and messages.
- If you don’t play games 24/7 and work at your PC or laptop more often, you also don’t need Steam to turn on by itself at all. Messages from friends and constantly popping up notifications only distract you from your business.
- Network load.
- Running Steam consumes valuable traffic and slows down your Internet speed. Downloading or updating games can even slow down the network very much.
How to disable Steam autorun using the Steam app itself
If you want to reduce the load on your PC (and speed up the download process as a result), you can make Steam stop opening automatically. After disabling this setting, the time Steam opens will be determined by you when you launch the app manually.
So, if you want to disable Steam autorun using the Steam app settings on your PC or laptop, you have to follow these steps:
- First of all, you have to be sure that the Steam client is running in order to do that.
- Now, open the Steam app on your PC or laptop and sign in to your Steam account.
- Then, click on the “Steam” tab in the top left corner of the window and select “Settings” (for Windows) or “Preferences” (for macOS).
- After that, click on the “Interface” menu which is located in the left side of the Steam settings menu.
- From there, uncheck the “Run Steam when my computer starts” setting checkbox, then click “OK” to save.
After disabling this setting, the Steam client should only open when you launch it yourself to play a video game, for example. Updating or reinstalling the client can reset these settings, causing Steam to start up again when your PC or Mac boots.
If the problem occurs again, you’ll need to repeat the steps above to stop it or perform the following steps to make sure Steam cannot open automatically, even if the Steam client has the appropriate setting enabled.
How to stop Steam from opening on startup using the Task Manager on Windows
The above steps should help most users stop Steam from automatically opening on startup. However, there’s an alternative way. You can prevent Steam from starting using the Task Manager if you’re using Steam on Windows.
If your Steam settings have been reset, for example by upgrading or reinstalling the client, disabling the client in Task Manager should ensure that it won’t open automatically when you boot your PC again.
So, if you want to stop Steam from opening on startup using the Task Manager on your Windows PC or laptop, you have to follow these steps:
- At first, right-click on the “Start” menu icon or the taskbar and select the “Task Manager” option. Alternatively, you can just simply press “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” on your keyboard.
- Then, tap on the “Startup” tab.
- After that, locate Steam in the list, right-click the entry and select the “Disable” option. This will prevent Steam from opening, overriding any settings in the Steam client itself.
In general, the above information will help you troubleshoot the problem if you encounter your Steam opening on its own. Once Steam opens under your conditions, you can enjoy games on that platform, but be sure to speed up your Steam download if it seemed a little slow at first.
How to stop Steam from opening on startup on a Mac
If you want to stop Steam from opening on startup on a Mac, you have to follow these steps:
- Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen and select “System Preferences…”
- Next, choose “Users and Groups”.
- After that, click on the lock at the bottom left of the menu and enter your password to make changes.
- Then, select “Login Items” at the top.
- Finally, highlight Steam by clicking on it and click on the “-“ symbol.
Once you have completed these steps, you’ll be able to prevent Steam to open on startup on your Mac.

domain: game


Oman firm to set up waste management projects in India
28 February 2017
Oman-based Muscat Project and Environmental Service Company is in discussions with the South Indian state of Kerala to set up its state-of-the-art waste management projects in that state, said a report.
The eco-friendly project which has been successfully implemented in Oman is the ideal one for Kerala which is grappling with issues like pollution, usage of an overdose of pesticides in agricultural farms and water pollution, reported Times of Oman, citing a top-level Kerala official.
The prevailing waste disposal method in the sultanate is really impressive and can easily be replicated in Kerala, remarked Niyas Pulikkalakath, the chairman of Kerala’s State Industrial Development Corporation (Sidco) after a meeting with EM Badruddeen, the managing director of the Muscat Project and Environmental Service Company.
Pulikkalakathu will submit a report to the Kerala government for replicating similar projects aimed at protecting the environment, which is a major concern in Kerala, the report added.


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domain: entertainment


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Is this nutrition system healthy for kids?
A sustainable diet for children
Let's start right away with an assurance: if you are looking for a balanced, safe, and healthy nutritional system for your children, the Mediterranean diet is unquestionably one of the most excellent options. In the last few years, the Mediterranean diet has been a phenomenal health trend. But can this diet offer benefits for kids, too? According to scientists, the Mediterranean diet is perfect for the whole family, therefore also for children. Recent research found that children who follow a Mediterranean diet are 15 percent less likely to be overweight. Also, some reports advise that the Mediterranean diet in children might be associated with a reduced risk for obesity, asthma, and allergies. The truth is that this is a very sustainable approach to eating healthy because this diet encourages positive habits like including more vegetables and fruits in your family's routine. What is this if not a perfect way to help our children grow, meeting their balanced nutritional needs?
The best overall diet
As the name suggests, this diet is centered on people who live in nations bordering the Mediterranean. This year (the fourth in a row), U.S. News & World Report designated it "the best overall diet." Over the years, scientists found that these populations live longer and healthier. Also, they are less likely to be diagnosed with some illnesses like cancer or heart diseases. Indeed, a Mediterranean-style diet may prevent heart disease, lower the risk of a heart attack, prevent type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. It also might help prevent stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and dementia.
Don't call it "diet," call it "lifestyle"
If you are a Mediterranean diet enthusiast, are not following a classic diet with imposed food. This diet will just encourage you to consume healthy food instead of preserved or very refined foods. You will eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, whole grains, fish, healthy (unsaturated) fats, such as nuts, olive oil. Incorporating the Mediterranean diet into your daily life can be a sage choice, especially if you consider it a permanent lifestyle.
How to encourage your kids to eat a Mediterranean diet?
For parents who would like to introduce a Mediterranean diet into their children's daily eating routine, here a few tips from Dr. Carolina Vidal (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) as reported by CNN: "Slowly introduce fruits and vegetables, and present them consistently with the other foods they eat. Cutting out sugars and fast food meals and make those sporadic as opposed to a regular meal or snack is very helpful". Dr. Vidal also added an essential suggestion for parents: "Sitting to eat with them and serving as a role model is the best way to introduce a Mediterranean diet."


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Well, it’s love and steel guitar music in this Technicolor short film designed to show off the latest and greatest in the world of natural color cinema.
Home Media Availability: Released on DVD.
Wishing for a Shipwreck
People tend to think just of talkies when the subject of movie technology of the 1920s comes up but there was so much more going on. Natural color (that is, film that captures color as the eye sees it) had been experimented with for years but with the success of The Black Pirate and the color sequences in hit films like The Ten Commandments, it looked like the process was finally catching on.
(There were actual concerns that color film would overstimulate the audience and cause eye fatigue. If that shocks you, you should read what people write about video games.)
The Technicolor company had been working to make their film less unwieldy and generally easier to work with and the budget studio Tiffany-Stahl signed on to create a series of short films that would showcase the colorful wonders of this film. At this point, color film could not yet capture the full spectrum and instead displayed a combination of reds and greens, giving the film a dreamy, watercolor effect.
The series included titles like The Cossack’s Bride, A Festival of Bagdad, Pharaoh’s Daughter and Viennese Melody (all promising colorful costumes, probably with dancing in the bargain) and had synchronized sound in addition to the color cinematography. The Love Charm was one of many silent era film based on an eroticized view of the indigenous inhabitants of South Sea islands. (See also The Idol Dancer.) In short, this was about color film AND showing ladies’ legs through grass skirts.
The plot is… Well, the less said about it the better. Basically, the idea is that a boat filled with well-heeled tourists ends up on an unnamed island. The men immediately salivate over the local women while the women on the boat are annoyed that their (checks notes) husbands and fiancés are ogling. Meanwhile, a white trader’s daughter (Ann Christy) is thrilled that there’s finally a white guy (Lucio E. Flama) for her to romance and the ship’s captain vows to return without his fiancée. Yipes.
But the main purpose of this film was to showcase the newly-upgraded Technicolor technology in a tiny, tidy package and so we’re going to look at the film from that perspective and a good thing too. Otherwise, my review would basically consist of “EW!” over and over and over again and while I would be amused, you would probably get bored pretty quickly. But let my displeasure be registered and my objection noted.
The Love Charm was a short film released with a sound-on-disc score that also included sound effects but no voices. During the talkie transition, it was common for studios to exaggerate the amount of sound in their pictures (claiming a film with just talking sequences was a full talkie, for example) and there were dueling technologies (sound on separate discs or records and sound on film).
To combat confusion, Motion Picture News had a handy legend to differentiate between sound-on-disc, sound-on-film, as well as what combination of music, sound effects, vocal music and dialogue was included in the individual film’s soundtrack. The disc with The Love Charm’s score seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle, not an unusual occurrence. (I reviewed the 1928 version of Alias Jimmy Valentine, which has also been divorced from its discs, among other titles in the same boat.)
Tiffany-Stahl went in heavily for color and continued to distribute its color shorts—dubbed the Color Symphony or Color Classic series—for quite some time after the end of the silent era. It is notable that The Love Charm was not one of the pictures that stayed in circulation. Perhaps its plot was too thin even with the novelty of color factored in. Perhaps it was because it was one of the few true silents of the lot, with most of the other titles featuring at least some vocal music or talking sequences, per Motion Picture News.
The real star of the film never appears onscreen. Cinematographer Ray Rennahan can rightly be called one of the fathers of Technicolor and his ability to capture stunning images with the famously fussy film probably saved many a motion picture. In this case, the camera captures light on the water, musicians and dancers, a fluttering American flag… nothing you could call deeply symbolic or elaborate but it’s all very pretty and I think that’s probably what everyone was aiming for in any case.
Other than the esteemed cinematographer, nobody involved in The Love Charm seems to have set Hollywood on fire. Ann Christy is probably the most famous—she was the leading lady of Speedy—but her career was over within just a few short years.
Leading man Lucio E. Flama, on the other hand, found success as a restauranteur under his real name, Niccolo de Quattrociocchi. This may come as a shock but he was Italian (I KNOW!!!) but his restaurant El Borracho apparently served French food. The restaurant reached its height of popularity under the management of Harvey Rosen but I am not sure whose idea the “Kiss Room” was. It featured an extensive collection of signed index cards bearing lipstick kisses from famous ladies of the mid-century era. Well, I suppose we can guess that Quattrociocchi as Flama was not really acting that much in The Love Charm.
In fact, Quattrociocchi proved notable enough to warrant a memoir entitled Love and Dishes, that apparently includes both memories and recipes. Obviously, it’s a must-read for me. (My copy didn’t arrive before this review was published, alas.)
So, I must conclude that The Love Charm succeeds as a showcase for Technicolor in general and the talents of Ray Rennahan in particular. And Quattrociocchi is absolutely screaming for a witty biopic but as an actor, well, he certainly did not have a high opinion of his own skills and while he is easy on the eyes, I have to concur that he is not much of a thespian. (He humorously stated that with the help of his directors, he “soon became a remarkably mediocre actor.”)
Still, the film is an interesting little curio that shows us the various technological branches of the movies in the late 1920s and how sound was not necessarily the only game on town. Plus, it’s a lost film that has been found (recovered in New Zealand, as it happens), always a welcome thing.
Where can I see it?
Released on DVD as part of the now out-of-print Lost and Found: American Treasures from the New Zealand Film Archive collection. You can watch a clip and read the Scott Simmon essay from the DVD booklet here. As the sound discs are long gone, the film has a fine new score by Michael D. Mortilla.
You can look up lots of swell clippings like these at the Media History Digital Library.
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My favorite feature-length Technicolor silent is “The Viking” (1928). For some reason I prefer it to “The Black Pirate,” possibly because the original Movietone sound track is still in pretty good shape & very exciting in its own right. No, the plot won’t hold up under hostile scrutiny, but it’s fine if you are looking for a rollicking, colorful adventure.
Shown occasionally on TCM & available on disc if you look for it.
It seems that nautical fare was favored for this all-Technicolor business. Odd considering that there’s no real blue.
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Monday, December 04, 2006
BFL Ultra! in Intermezzo Gloves
Here is a picture of BFL Ultra! knit up into Karen Alfke's pattern, Intermezzo Gloves. I took the liberty of adding two stitches on either side of the thumb to accommodate my square palm, and did a single crochet around the thumb opening. Great pattern for fingerless gloves!
As I was knitting this hand painted skein (shown earlier in November in comparison to the merino-tencel blend), I was struck by the luster of the yarn fibers. There is a silkiness to the look, a subtle visual enhancement -- for lack of a better word -- to this fiber. I know that I do need to come up with a clearer description of how truly lovely the BFL is to get the idea across. Words are just not adequate for this yarn.


So I think I stuck a chunk of incompatible RAM on my mobo, smelled a burning smell and after switching out the RAM my machine wouldn't boot. Assumed mobo was fried and got a new one.
I also recently got a stronger PSU.
Fitting them all back together and on start up the fans whir briefly before coming to a stop. No warning/check beeps from the mobo, but the green status light is on when the power is running. Maybe I need to install some firmware somehow to properly install the mobo?
Disconnected my GFX card, wifi adapter and SSD drives. Still same result.
At this stage the only things I haven't replaced are the CPU and the previously working RAM. How likely is it that this is the problem or some short somewhere on the remaining wiring or something else I haven't thought about?
Update: RAM is 2gb ddr3 from Crucial memory and new mobo is Asus P8Z68-V LX
Also the machine doesn't stay booted long enough for me to open the DVD tray.


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Earlier this week, Nigeria ascended to the position of Africa’s largest economy following a recalculation of its GDP by the country’s National Bureau of Statistics. The long overdue exercise (the last one was in 1990) nearly doubled the country’s economy pushing GDP up to $510bn from $270bn. There is a general consensus among economic analysts and commentators that the changes are merely cosmetic — they certainly do not affect the daily lives of most average Nigerians, and their timing might be politically motivated given the upcoming 2015 elections which are expected to be highly contested. However, from the perspective of managers and CEOs operating in Nigeria, there are some important implications.
First, there will be some changes in the competitive landscape. Nigeria’s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala mentioned the “psychological impact” of the announcement on foreign investors. Before the announcement, the stock market capitalization to GDP ratio for Nigeria was 33%, compared to 270% for South Africa. Post announcement, the ratio is 18%. Emerging market investors looking for upside potential in Africa will look at those numbers with interest. At the same time, inbound foreign direct investment into Africa may become more comfortable with basing operations in Nigeria or using the country as an entry point into Africa. The result for managers presently in Nigeria is that they will likely face more competition for assets and human capital. To succeed, they will increasingly need to craft a differentiated strategy based on superior knowledge of the Nigerian market.
In providing a better picture of the Nigerian economy’s constitution, the rebasing calculations also highlight the growing importance the Nigerian (and African) consumer. Before the rebase, oil and gas represented 32% of the economy; under the new set of data it contributed 14%. Much of the balance comes from previously unreported, consumer-driven sectors. For example Nigeria’s Nollywood film, music, and mobile phone industries have experienced rapid growth over the past decade. Managers that can develop disruptive strategies to tap into this booming consumer market will place themselves in a good position for success in Nigeria. They will need to innovate on platforms for marketing and distribution in order to overcome the persistent infrastructural challenges that the country faces.
Finally, Nigeria’s rise to the position of Africa’s largest economy provides the perfect sales pitch for raising foreign capital and recruiting foreign talent. Managers and CEOs launching new ventures should exploit the opportunity market to attract new investors with relatively low familiarity to the Nigerian market. They should also take measures to build their talent pipeline by marketing aggressively to well-educated diaspora members and foreign talent abroad.
Nigeria’s GDP rebasing can indeed be considered an exercise in window dressing. But it also provides the perfect opportunity for companies already operating in the country to pause and rethink their strategy for long-term success in what will be a very important market for Africa and the world.
Bryan Chidubem Mezue is a member of the Forum for Growth and Innovation, a Harvard Business School think tank developing and refining theory around disruptive innovation. Follow him on Twitter at @bcmezue.


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In Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, author Lisa See reimagines the life of Tan Yunxian, who became a doctor in China, a rare profession for a female during her lifetime. At the age of 51, during the Ming dynasty, Tan published a book of her medical cases titled Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor. The book is still available today in Chinese and English.
Yunxian spent her early years following the death of her mother with her paternal grandparents, both doctors, who set her on the path of studying medicine. During those years, Yunxian meets Meiling, the daughter of Midwife Shi. Grandmother Ru understands Yunxian’s weaknesses and Meiling’s strengths, and proposes to Midwife Shi that the 8-year-old girls be allowed to form a friendship despite the cultural prohibitions. After all, Yunxian is from a privileged family, evidenced by her bound feet, and Meiling is from the lower class, a big-footed girl.
Grandmother Ru, ever mindful of obstacles that might surface in Yunxian’s future, wants to ensure that her granddaughter will have someone she can trust and who will stand by her after she is married, no matter how her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law or other women in her new household might treat her.
Grandmother Ru’s plan becomes part of a “circle of good” that surrounds Yunxian as a child and “a circle of women” who surround her when she becomes Lady Tan. As such, her main duty is to bear a son who will care for her husband’s ancestors through offerings and prayers. As Lady Tan and Meiling enter their child-bearing years, their friendship endures conflicts, separations, intrigue, a search for justice and unexpected journeys. Through it all, each woman grows in her skills and each draws strength from the other in times of weakness and despair.
After one such time, Lady Tan thinks, “I’ve been lucky to have been cared for and loved since childhood by a circle of women. Now it’s time for me to create a wider circle, so I can do for my daughters and other women in the household what Grandmother, Miss Zhao, Meiling, and even Poppy have done for me.”
Rich with historical details, descriptions of religious practices, insights into the emotional lives of women and accounts of medical methods in China in the mid-1400s and early 1500s, this novel for adults offers an in-depth exploration of the power of friendship, as well as a satisfying plot replete with suspense and intrigue. (Scribner)


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On November 11, 2023, the people of Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states will go to the polls to elect their governors. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is making all the necessary arrangements to ensure a free, fair and credible election.
According to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the commission will deploy 46,084 staff, both regular and ad hoc, to conduct the election. He also said that 18 political parties will field candidates for the election, and they will have 137,934 agents to monitor the process.
The INEC Chairman revealed these details at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja on Friday. He also said that 126 national and international organizations have been accredited to observe the election, and they will send 11,000 observers. In addition, 80 media organizations have applied to cover the election, and they will have 1,203 personnel, including journalists and technical staff.
Prof Yakubu assured that the commission is leaving no stone unturned in other areas of preparations for the election. He said that the commission has distributed sensitive and non-sensitive materials to the states, and has trained the staff and security personnel for the election.
He also said that the commission has facilitated the collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) by registered voters in the three states. He said that as of October 9, 2023, which was the deadline for PVC collection, 29,000 PVCs had been collected in Kogi and Bayelsa states. However, he did not have the figure for Imo state, as it was still being compiled.
The INEC Chairman urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the commission to ensure a peaceful and successful election. He also appealed to the voters to come out en masse and exercise their franchise on November 11, 2023.
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The U.S. FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation for Hagar’s GWave, a noninvasive continuous glucose monitoring system that uses radiofrequency waves to measure glucose levels in the blood.
GWave First Generation is a third of the size of a smartphone and involves less radiofrequency exposure than a smartphone. The device measures blood glucose levels without requiring blood from pricking the skin. Measuring blood glucose frequently is essential for people with diabetes on insulin treatment and helpful for most other people with diabetes and prediabetes.
The device can enable early detection of glucose elevations and encouragement of good dietary and exercise practices. Earlier application of these lifestyle changes can help to prevent development of type 2 diabetes.
GWave received the Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA following a $11.7 million Series B funding round earlier this year led by a returning investor, Columbia Pacific, that saw HAGAR’s total funds raised increase to $17.1 million.
“The GWave technology is impressive. I believe it has the potential to significantly improve the management of diabetes,” says Roy Beck, MD, PhD, a physician and epidemiologist who is the medical director of the JAEB Center for Health Research in Tampa, Fla.
In a completed pilot study, blood glucose levels assessed by GWave were compared to measurements performed by a hexokinase core laboratory assay during an oral glucose tolerance test and found to be accurate in detecting real-time blood glucose. Additional studies are scheduled to be published in coming months.
“Receiving FDA Breakthrough Designation reflects our commitment to deliver innovative technology targeting one of the world’s most significant chronic diseases, one which affects more than 422 million people, 8.5% of the world’s population. Our mission at HAGAR is to materially improve the health and quality of life of people impacted by diabetes,” says Gerry Waintraub, PhD, CTO and co-founder of HAGAR.
Receipt of this designation coincides with HAGAR’s preparation to commence a study before the end of the year at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Israel on adults with diabetes.
“The study will involve 250 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and will test the accuracy of GWave on a diverse group of individuals across a range of demographic criteria. We also have a second study due to start this winter, which will test the device’s accuracy during conditions of rapidly changing glucose levels,” says Irl Hirsch, MD, medical advisor to HAGAR and Professor of Medicine and the Diabetes Treatment and Teaching Chair in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition at the University of Washington.
HAGAR is also developing a second-generation sensor device that can easily be integrated into common smartwatches currently available on the market.


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Over the past 10 years, Clark County youth culture has changed. Alcohol use has decreased from 30% to 20% and cigarette use has gone from 14% to 8%.
The Prevent Coalition, until recently known as PREVENT!, is proud to be part of this effort. This group of diverse community members has spent the past decade working closely with local youth, advocating for healthy communities, collecting over 13,250 pounds of pills at Drug Take Back events and mentoring four other prevention coalitions.
“Community prevention strategies take time and participation by the entire community,” said Joy Lyons, Prevention Intervention Coordinator. “We are excited to see the impact we’ve had and are energized to continue making our community a healthier place for youth.”
In addition to the decline in alcohol and cigarette use, the recently released Washington State Healthy Youth Survey found that, among 10th graders, the use of prescription pain killers to get high went down from 9% to 5% and marijuana use remained relatively flat at 16% between 2006 and 2016.
Prevent has recently updated its branding, logo, and changed its name from PREVENT! to Prevent Coalition. Housed within Educational Service District (ESD) 112, Prevent Coalition’s mission remains supporting and connecting communities to build resilience and prevent youth substance use.
Currently, Prevent Coalition is rolling out the ground-breaking Making the Connection Toolkit designed to teach the connection between substance abuse, toxic stress and encouraging youth to build resilience. The coalition is also working with Strong Teens Against Substance Hazards and Abuse (STASHA) to create a social media campaign focused on alcohol use prevention.
Its new website, preventcoalition.org, includes toolkits and resources for adults and youth supporting healthy conversations and data-driven information about addiction, prevention and resilience.
The public is invited to the Spring Coalition Meeting on Thursday, April 27 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at ESD 112 (2500 NE 65th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98661).


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Record crowds at last weekend's ANZ Championship games show just how much elite netball has been accepted across the country as a genuine spectator sport. Over 10,000 fans screamed the NSW Swifts to a thrilling three-goal win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds on Sunday, and in the process wrote themselves into the record books as the largest regular-season crowd in the seven years of the competition.
A quick comparison to Sydney’s main football code, rugby league, shows how impressive this crowd was. At the only two NRL games played in Australia on the weekend, 8892 attended the Canberra Raiders' home game on Sunday, and 8655 fans turned up for the Manly-Newcastle game on Monday night.
Impressive indeed for netball that the weekend crowds eclipsed those of a top-tier sport with a huge marketing budget and plenty of media presence.
The numbers keep getting better for the Swifts. Sunday’s blockbuster was played at the massive Allphones Arena. Their remaining regular-season games are played at the smaller Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, which has a capacity of just under 5000 people. Happily, the Swifts regularly sell out the smaller venue, with only standing-room tickets remaining for Sunday’s must-win game against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.
Seventeen years ago, when I first played for the Swifts in the opening season of the newly formed National League, we played at the Anne Clarke Centre in Lidcombe, in front of 300 people on temporary seating. The ''blockbuster'' games were played at the sports centre and, when the move was made permanently, there were some nerves about the ability to fill it week in, week out. Now that is happening, the next logical move is for Allphones to become their new home venue. Crowds of 10,000 will soon become the norm, rather than the exception.
These crowds are not just a Sydney phenomenon. On Sunday over 8000 fans cheered the Melbourne Vixens against West Coast Fever in their last home game before the finals. This crowd comes hard on the heels of the almost 7000 who packed in the game before to see their beloved Vixens take on the Swifts. Both clubs have membership bases in excess of 2000 apiece, and crowd numbers are increasing by about 14 per cent year on year.
All of this is great news for a sport in which its strength has traditionally been its huge grassroots numbers. Netball boasts almost half a million registered participants, and is one of only a couple of sports which are increasing membership year on year. This grassroots strength is rightly celebrated, with National Netball Day on May 31 being the first formal day set aside to celebrate netball in the community.
Historically, though, the challenge for netball has been to turn these huge numbers at grassroots level into bums on seats and eyes on screen for the premium product. The first part of that challenge is now being met. That club games are starting to eclipse attendance figures for the NRL and nipping at the heels of the lower end of the AFL is something worth getting excited about.
The next part of the challenge is to get eyeballs on TV screens. While ratings for the 2014 season are strong, they must get better if netball is to challenge the supremacy of the football codes. To do that, the sport needs to offer something more. The product is great – now it's time to push the personalities.
It needs to make the public, especially those who aren’t familiar with the sport, fall in love with the women who play. It is the personalities who draw people to football, and the spectacle that keeps them there. Netball must accept this and, in doing so, needs to promote the players and, crucially, embrace controversy. For a sport that for so long has traded on its cleanskin reputation, this is a huge departure, but a necessary one if it is to take the next step.