It's a pretty cool little 'short', the first in a series. The animation is done like a motion comic. Check it out and you'll see what I mean.
Crackdown was such a great game- never should have been written off as a way to get into the Halo 3 beta. Great, great, stuff- can't wait for July!
The press release is after the break if you should so desire-
“Crackdown 2” Animated Miniseries Unravels the Thrilling Tale of Pacific City
The harsh days and volatile nights in Pacific City come to life in a riveting five-part animated miniseries chronicling the events that have transpired between the Xbox 360 smash hit “Crackdown” and the highly anticipated sequel, “Crackdown 2.” Starting today, fans can tune into Youtube.com/machinima for a look down the back alleys and behind the locked doors of Pacific City with an exclusive premiere of the series with episode 1, titled “Home Truths.”
The first “Crackdown” took place in the fictional metropolis of Pacific City, where the Agency – an organization using genetically enhanced soldiers known as Agents – was contracted to rid the city of three powerful crime syndicates. The saga continues 10 years later in “Crackdown 2,” with new enemies (the Cell and the Freaks) that stand in the way of the Agency’s goal to bring Pacific City back under control. After the events in the first “Crackdown,” a dangerous virus was released and those who were infected – the Freaks – began ravaging the city. A civilian resistance, called the Cell, also formed to take the fight into their own hands by mounting offenses against the Agency. Players return as Agents in “Crackdown 2” to once again bring peace to Pacific City – by any means possible.
Written by Ruffian Games Senior Designer Ed Campbell, the events that lead into “Crackdown 2” unfold to answer your most pressing questions: Why is Pacific City in turmoil? What happened to the Agency? Who is the Cell? Where did the Freaks come from? And, most importantly, who is Catalina Thorne?
Animated by seasoned comic artist and illustrator Alex Ronald, you’ll see the vibrant world of “Crackdown 2” like never before, as the Agency, Cell and Freaks bring Pacific City to the brink of destruction. With the Voice of the Agency returning to narrate the way, you’ll go deep behind enemy lines, scour the underground and experience more of the explosive action leading up to the Xbox 360 exclusive’s launch in July.
The miniseries will be viewable in five parts, with the conclusion of the series airing on June 21, 2010. Stay tuned for each episode of the “Crackdown 2” miniseries at Youtube.com/machinima:
Episode Airing Date
Episode 1 May 21, 2010
Episode 2 May 28, 2010
Episode 3 June 4, 2010
Episode 4 June 11, 2010
Episode 5 June 21, 2010
“Crackdown 2” is available exclusively on Xbox 360 this July, but fans can prepare for the action early by pre-ordering now. At participating retailers, fans who pre-order will receive exclusive, in-game bonus armor in four new shades: Gold, Gun Metal, Black and Green.


text:
No workshops are currently planned but our lovely friends at Singfest are very busy, have a look at their website.
Sunday 6th December 2015 Upstairs at The Elephant and Castle
Contact Katie or Helen for a place
Past workshop feedback and recordings
Thanks for coming to our Thank Folk It’s Springtime workshop on April 19th 2015. Click the links below to hear what we got up to and read feedback from our attendees!
‘I have had a lovely day, great song, easy to pick up and lovely people!’
‘Excellent day, lovely song choices, very relaxing and enjoyable. Full of laughter!’
‘Great songs, great teaching, great fun!’

domain: artistic


The Hundred Year Home
C.F. Møller Architects
Responding to the brief requirements for a density of 40 dwellings per hectare, we achieve living spaces that are through-lit and exploit corner conditions by the simple device of slanting the plots and shifting the mass of the houses. The stepped massing gives an identity and attractive appearance to each home regardless of its configuration as terrace, semi-detached or detached typology.
Taking inspiration from Victorian and Edwardian terraces, the construction allows for flexible adaptation to the needs of the home in the distant future. We remain mindful of the needs of the present with a home where the latest technology is seamlessly integrated so the timeless qualities of proportion and light prevail and the open, adaptable and flexible plan minimizes circulation space whilst being accessible for all.
At the forefront of our considerations are the daily lives and wellbeing of owners, residents and neighbours by creating homes and a neighbourhood that is flexible and adaptable to help foster a less transient and settled community that is friendly and sociable.
We place a strong emphasis on creating a beautiful and delightful place to live that resonates with the historic craft tradition of the location. Materials are selected to be robust and matures gracefully with minimal maintenance over an extended design life all realised through a timeless architectural expression.


text:
Which state has the highest level of poverty in the United States? Not Mississippi or West Virginia, but... drumroll please.... it's California. Yeah, really!
It’s not as though California policymakers have neglected to wage war on poverty. Sacramento and local governments have spent massive amounts in the cause. Several state and municipal benefit programs overlap with one another; in some cases, individuals with incomes 200% above the poverty line receive benefits. California state and local governments spent nearly $958 billion from 1992 through 2015 on public welfare programs, including cash-assistance payments, vendor payments and “other public welfare,” according to the Census Bureau. California, with 12% of the American population, is home today to about one in three of the nation’s welfare recipients.That's what happens when liberalism runs wild. They throw money at a problem, and make it worse. We could draw numerous parallels to the War On Poverty from LBJ during the '60s. It's the same thing that my economics professor told us when we were studying macroeconomics. "If you want more of something, subsidize it."
The generous spending, then, has not only failed to decrease poverty; it actually seems to have made it worse.
We've been subsidizing poverty for a long time. That's why we have so much of it.

domain: economics


Revenue at Largo's city-owned golf course has sagged over the past year, with the number of players hitting the links reduced because of the cold winter and withered economy.
But Tuesday night, city commissioners were presented with a marketing plan to get more spikes on the fairways, and the bottom line out of the red.
"We've obviously made a huge investment in our golf course, and all of us have the same goal: to make that golf course successful," said Joan Byrne, Largo's parks director.
City marketing specialist Kristen Proach said some of the advertisements residents might see in the near future include buying billboard space, offering free club rentals to hotel guests in the area, and discounts like ladies nights, summer specials and a golf tips segment on Largo's public access channel.
Some of the promotions, such as targeting female golfers, was a result of a demographic survey conducted by the golf course.
Golf course manager Don Brannon said 69 percent of golfers were male, and the median age was between 60 and 71.
The executive golf course — larger than a par-3, but not quite championship-size — has come under criticism lately for being a drain on an already reduced city budget.
"I have heard some negative rumbling about the golf course from some people," Commissioner Harriet Crozier said. "What I've been hearing has not been positive from people — that their tax dollars are keeping the golf course running."
The planned advertising push, Byrne said, would, hopefully, rectify that.
"Our goal, very simply, is to convince our target market to spend more of their leisure dollars at our golf course," she said.
Also at the work session Tuesday, commissioners gave feedback about possibly offering fine amnesty for code enforcement violations.
Carol Stricklin, Largo's community development director, said there are about $1.5 million worth of fines the city is still waiting to collect on, and the numbers have grown recently.
"Due to foreclosures and abandoned properties, we've seen an increase in code enforcement liens," Stricklin said.
Under the proposed plan, which could still be tweaked by the time it goes to vote in September, violators' fines would be reduced to 20 percent. The amnesty period would be between Oct. 1 and the end of March 2011.
Most of the commissioners, minus the mayor, who was absent, seemed keen on the idea.
"I support this program," Commissioner Mary Gray Black said.


text:
Our intrepid music editor Jillian Mapes has decamped to Montreal for the weekend, so this week you get weird bedroom noodlings, instrumental pseudo-jazz, and the hitherto untapped genre of Grindr techno. Rejoice! But seriously, it’s been a strange week for new music releases — not a great deal of note from prominent/”famous” artists, but plenty of interesting shit to be found if you poke around in the crevices of the internet. Have at it!
Alex G — “Hollow”
Alex G is 21 years old. Alex G is still in college. Alex G has recorded and released five albums. Alex G’s albums are great, and so is this song. What are you doing with your life?
Mogwai — “Teen Exorcists”
Christ, what’s happened to Mogwai? This sounds like My Bloody Valentine covering the Pet Shop Boys, and it’s a long, long way from “Mogwai Fear Satan.” That’s not to say it’s not good — it’s rather catchy, and the guitars sound pleasantly like being directly under a flight path — but wow, how times have changed.
Jonny Telafone — “The Prayer”
Forgive us for tooting our own horn, as it were, but we premiered this video earlier this week, and it’s still ace, canine nipple-licking and all.
Mattson 2 — “Peaks of Yew”
This week’s discovery, courtesy of the excellent Aquarium Drunkard: twin brothers from Southern California who describe themselves as a jazz duo but — on the strength of this track, anyway — make music that’s a lot more far-reaching and interesting than anything Howard Moon might enjoy. This is apparently the opening track to their newest EP, entitled Agar, which your correspondent will be endeavoring to track down immediately. You can listen here.
Perc — “Grindr”
And finally, a dark, intoxicated, and frankly somewhat terrifying techno stomp named after, yes, Grindr. Happy Friday!


text:
“I dream while I am painting. Once the dream is over, I can’t remember what I have dreamt. But the picture remains.
The picture is the harvest of the dream.”
“I believe, and I am absolutely certain, and therefore
I believe, that painting is a religious occupation,
that the actual impulse comes from without, from
something else that we do not know, an indefinable
power which comes or does not come and which guides
“I do not paint expressive or imitative as has become fashionable today — still fashionable, but vegetative —
a way of expression of the future ecological (sic!) age, which is beginning now.This will be understood only in ten years or after one generation.
For now, one judges my paintings according to their optical appearance as though they were expressive-imitative,
and not according their actual content, which has emerged authentically, creatively, organically, vegetatively, magically.“


text:
Anthony Mojica has been taking advantage of all that the Orfalea College of Business has to offer since his first day. Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, Mojica — a business administration student concentrating in both accounting and finance — joined the Cal Poly Accounting Club (CPAC) during his first week at Cal Poly. There he found both a mentor and a friend, and his college experience grew on that strong foundation.
Jon Prince, a senior in CPAC, helped Mojica and his fellow freshman, Chris Childers, gain the confidence to pursue leadership opportunities.
Mojica went on to become a peer advisor and an Orfalea Student Ambassador during his years at Cal Poly, branching out and overcoming his previous aversion to public speaking.
Despite aligning himself with the accounting side of the college early on, Mojica will be going on to a finance position after graduation.
“I found that my professional interest was aligned better with finance positions rather than in public accounting. I think this is due to the nature of finance being utilized in industry as a forward-looking arm of companies, where employees are focused for the most part on the strategy of how to manage money going forward.”
Mojica will be joining Apple, Inc. as a Finance Development Program Associate. He interned this past summer in Cupertino with Apple, Inc. which lead to his full-time offer.
While his ultimate dream job is to become the front man of a successful rock band, Mojica also dreams of becoming the head of a finance sports franchise.
“Basketball and football are some of my biggest passions in life and I feel like I could become very invested in a job like that.”
To the freshmen entering this fall, Mojica advises them to set goals, work hard to achieve those goals and find people at Cal Poly who will help them become the best version of themselves.

domain: finance


text: Ranch home on ranch sized lot. Cozy ranch with endless potential. Home is designed with entertainment sized living room with replacement picture window and hardwood flooring,dining room can handle any special holiday celebrations and those special formal family meals. Kitchen is eat-in with halogen cook top self cleaning range, caste iron sink and wainscotting with chair rail. Kitchen also has outside entrance to side yard. Main bedroom has closet and hardwood floors, bedroom #2 has closet and hardwood floors and bedroom #3 has hardwood flooring and closet. All bedrooms are ample in size. Hall bathroom has ceramic tile walls and floors along with vanity. An attached screened in rear porch has been added for the those beautiful spring and summer evenings along with outside family gatherings. This creates bug free comfort. Also added is a enormous detached (24'x24') garage with side door and opener. Basement is unfinished. Laundry room and heater are located in the basement. The property also boast a 150' driveway. Inspect to and make this house your home.

domain: design


text:
Eglash Creative is a Syracuse, New York based web and graphic design firm working closely with independent businesses and individuals to create logo, print, and web designs in a personal and affordable way.
Eglash Creative also is known worldwide for our music arranging and songbook / music development and editing services.
Hi. I'm Joe Eglash.
As director of Transcontinental Music Publications and JLicense, I'm much too busy and am not currently accepting jobs.
But, if you want to know more about me and my work, here are some tidbits:


text:
The popularity of Smilegate and Amazon Game’s MMO never ceases to amaze, with the game now claiming second place on Steam’s most-played games list based on concurrent players. Lost Ark is so popular, in fact, that Smilegate and Amazon have had to create new European servers to help ease the maddening queue times in the region.
After breaking the one million concurrent players milestone on Steam on Saturday, February 12, 2022, Lost Ark has continued its dominance and has become the second most-played game ever on Steam. As of February 14, 2022, Lost Ark has reached an all-time peak of 1,325,305 concurrent players on Steam according to SteamDB. Is there no end to this game’s popularity?
Lost Ark is proving so in-demand with players that Amazon and Smilegate are creating “an entirely new region of servers in Europe.” This will be separate from the Central Europe region of servers already in-game. As soon as the new region of servers is up in Europe, waiting times should reduce in the continent. There is currently no exact timing for the release of the new European region, although it should be out soon with the team “working 24/7 until it’s live” before March 1, 2022, to coincide with the free launch celebration gift being given to all players.
The new European region servers will not have “cross-region play availability.” No region-wide features will be accessible in the new European region, unfortunately. The new region is being created with new players in mind and those that haven’t managed to properly start the game yet due to the lengthy queues. We’d wait until creating a new character for the new region of servers in Europe to claim that free Founder’s Pack if you haven’t already done so.

domain: news


text:
Since it was established in 2015, the UEFA Foundation for Children has made a considerable difference to the lives of thousands of children in Europe and beyond, bringing smiles to their faces, creating opportunities for them to realise their dreams and giving them hope for the future.
The foundation’s most recent efforts to improve children’s well-being and protect their rights, primarily through football and other sports, are reviewed in detail in the organisation’s activity report for 2016/17.
The report uses facts, figures, photos and graphics to show how more than 700,000 children benefitted from activities supported by the foundation in the period under review – through 82 projects in 66 countries. It also reveals how support for refugee children in Europe and the Middle East was increased, with a particular emphasis on using football as a source of fun and motivation.
A total of 12 new projects have been launched to support disadvantaged children, reinforcing the foundation’s work in Europe and around the world.
Ties with UEFA’s 55 member associations were also strengthened, with the foundation inviting them to select the nominees for the 2017 UEFA Foundation for Children Award, as a result of which 20 charitable bodies working together with national football associations received dedicated funding.
“We owe our success to the unwavering support of our partners,” said José Manuel Barroso, who recently retired as chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees. “First and foremost UEFA, but also our private partners.
“I would like to thank all of our volunteers, partners and everyone else who has helped us to further develop our activities,” he added.
“The UEFA Foundation for Children is fully committed to improving the lives of children living in difficult circumstances and will continue to pursue and promote even greater solidarity, and endeavour to support even more projects in 2018.”
The UEFA Foundation for Children’s activity report for 2016/17 is available via the following link: interactive activity report 2016/17

domain: sociology


There is a lot of positive momentum among Litecoin community members right now. A lot of people remain hopeful the LTC value will shoot up over the coming months. Given Litecoin’s trading volume, something is about to give sooner or later. Whether or not Litecoin will overtake Bitcoin if the UASF activation fails, remains to […]
The post What is Litecoin’s Role if the Bitcoin UASF Fails? appeared first on The Bitcoin News – Decentralised Bitcoin and Crypto News.


text:
VRBO is part of the HomeAway family, the world leader in vacation rentals with over 1 million listings. We offer the largest selection of properties for any travel occasion and every budget. We’re committed to helping families and friends find a perfect vacation rental to create unforgettable travel experiences together. Learn More
This property allows you to book online with a credit card. After submitting a reservation request, the owner or manager has 24 hours to accept, at which time your card will be charged and you will receive an email confirmation
"My college friends (We are now 62 year old retired teachers) and I stayed at this beautiful little cottage for our annual getaway. We have finally found a place where we are all happy and we will return every year from now on. The cottage was immaculate and comfortably furnished. The pictures do not capture the charm and all the special little touches that make it very special. We loved the outdoor shower and claw foot tub. Awesome!!! There were gorgeous views out of every window. We enjoyed kayaking and looking at all of the other homes along the lake. We truly loved Sue's location and this cottage the best!!! Many thanks to Sue for being so hospitable and friendly."
Guest: Elizabeth P.Date of Stay: June 2015Review Submitted: July 9, 2015
"To celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary, we decided to invite our children and grandchildren up to the lake for a week's vacation. The house was so reminiscent of long past summers spent at the lake with our children (now grown) and delighted the grandchildren. There are so many places for everyone to spread out, it never seemed crowded. The waterfront was great and renting a boat so the children could water ski and tube was perfect. The kayaks were in constant use as was the raft. Wolfeboro is just up the road. The view is so peaceful and beautiful. The house had everything you needed and the fireplace and Mr. Moose were an added extra! Our family really got a chance to relax and reconnect. It was a vacation to treasure and remember. We hope to do it again! We highly recommend it."
Guest: Gil and LindaDate of Stay: June 2015Review Submitted: July 6, 2015
"We had a lovely time staying at the cottage and viewing the fall leaves! My mom, sister and little nieces came to visit and we decided to go to the Lakes region to see the beautiful fall colors. Our group consisted of 3 adults (1 senior) and two children (3 years and 1.5 years) The cottage suited us very well, as we had many different needs with all of our age ranges. The little ones had tons of books and toys to play with which were all available in a bookcase in the cottage. They loved playing in the yard as well, there were lots of fun outdoor toys and games for them also provided. The big girls loved having wine and sitting on the deck star gazing after the little ones went to sleep.
The town of Alton Bay is close and convenient, and we really enjoyed eating at Shibleys at the Pier, which was recommended in the visitor book. We also ventured into Wolfboro for the day and had a great time browsing the streets and shops. The grounds around the cottage are beautiful and very peaceful. I could imagine writing a novel out on the deck!
We had everything we needed and were very comfortable during our stay. I recommend this property to anyone looking for a good place to gather and enjoy the outdoors!"
Guest: ILG2014Date of Stay: October 2014Review Submitted: October 25, 2014
"Very nice view of the lake. Plenty of room for 6 people.
Clean and well maintained unit with nice patios.
Good restaurants and ice cream places for kids.
Our "Metro PCS phones" did not have service in that region.
Boat rentals available in close locations."
Guest: Mitzi Z.Date of Stay: July 2015Review Submitted: July 14, 2015

domain: travel


text:
Phototherapy is routinely used for the treatment of various skin conditions and targeted therapy of superficial cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms behind their biological effects and the need for efficacy enhancing photosensitizers are not well addressed. Particularly, not much is known about the inherent effect of light from the visible spectrum on cytokine release and its downstream effects in keratinocytes and immune cells located in skin and therefore exposed to light. To address this, we delivered calibrated doses of well-defined light qualities (380 to 660 nm) to cocultures of human keratinocytes and macrophage/dendritic cells in the absence or presence of the commonly used photosensitizer 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP). The experiments identified IL-4 as a key effector cytokine released by this coculture model with need for 8-MOP in the UVA1/blue (380 nm) and no requirement for photosensitizer in the red light spectrum (627 nm). 3D organotypic skin cultures treated with IL-4 showed thickening of the epidermal layer and delayed differentiation. However unlike IL-4 and UVA1/blue light treatment, red light did not reduce the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers or increase signs of photo-oxidative damage. This supports the application of isolated red light as a possible alternative for photo-immunotherapy without need for additional photosensitizers.
Bibliographical noteFunding Information:
Acknowledgements—We thank J Rheinwald for N/TERT-1 cells, SJ Chua, CB Tay, V Kutty and IMB Microscopy Unit for the technical help. This work was funded by a A*STAR Singapore Joint Council Office grant.
© 2017 The Authors. Photochemistry and Photobiology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Photobiology.

domain: literature


text:
Wee Sing for Baby (Audio CD)
Publisher: Price Stern Sloan | ISBN: 0843113383 | edition 2005 | CD | 82.9 mb
The bestselling Wee Sing line is now tailored for the most modern Wee Sing fans! These eight classic Wee Sing titles are now in a great new package—a book and CD in a reusable blister. This charming collection of songs and activities is an absolute must for new parents and grandparents. There are suggestions for interactive play between adult and baby which encourages bonding and stimulation as well as growth and development. The engaging voices of the children’s choir captivate babies and adults alike. Included are clapping and knee-bouncing songs, fingerplays, action songs, tunes for dancing, and even songs for taking a bath. The book and audio end with soothing and truly lovely lullabies.
|a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
а б в г д е ж з и й к л м н о п р с т у ф х ц ч ш щ ъ ы ь э ю я
Посетители, находящиеся в группе Гости, не могут оставлять комментарии в данной новости.

domain: library


text: The Cycle of Investing Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls. Share | Have A Question About This Topic? Name Email Address Message Thank you! Oops! Related Content Protecting Your Business from the Loss of a Key Person Business owners may be able to protect themselves from the financial consequences of losing a key employee. Inflation and Your Portfolio Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns. Women and Financial Strategies Most women don’t shy away from the day-to-day financial decisions, but some may be leaving their future to chance.


text:
U.S. bishops pass communion guidelines amid debate on Biden's eligibility
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a document which clarifies the meaning of communion and who can receive the sacrament, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: The effort to produce the document was partly ignited by questions surrounding President Biden, the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy, and whether his support for abortion rights should disqualify him from receiving communion.
- The vote, which did not mention any politician by name or specifically single out abortion, passed 222-8, with three abstaining, according to the Post.
What they're saying: "Laypeople who exercise some form of public authority have a special responsibility to form their consciences in accord with the Church’s faith and the moral law," the document reads.
- Catholics also have the responsibility to "serve the human family by upholding human life and dignity," it says.
The backdrop: Last month, Biden told reporters that Pope Francis believes he should continue to receive communion, adding that the pope said he was a "good Catholic."
- Francis has previously said that Catholic bishops should not let politics influence pastoral decisions.
- Most U.S. Catholics believe Biden should be allowed to take communion despite his stance on abortion, according to polling by Pew Research Center.


text:
[Libre-soc-dev] Coloquinte legalizer failure
staf at fibraservi.eu
Sat Dec 5 14:22:35 GMT 2020
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton schreef op za 05-12-2020 om 14:07 [+0000]:
> On 12/5/20, Staf Verhaegen <
> staf at fibraservi.eu
> > wrote:
> > > however to do even a "dummy" P&R a dummy (phantom) cell that can
> > > be
> > > placed is needed, isn't it?
> > Yes, but you should be able to design RTL without needing to do
> > P&R.
> the whole idea is to help JP, who is overloaded, to eliminate many of
> the early issues (ones that are related to placing *anything*,
> regardless of layout, not ones specific to a specific PDK)
I think it is more efficient to just give RTL and let him handle the
P&R fully than trying to help him in P&R. I think it will take more
overhead to stay in sync and finding out what you actually did.
Put JP in CC so he can shime in if he feels like it.
> i would greatly prefer to use the standard sram Instance that verilog
> expects, and to check that the simulated instance created by
> *unmodified* verilator, unmodified litex, unmodified migen, has the
> exact characteristics and size required.
OK, but then you need to make sure that the litex model matches fully
with the replaced yosys block model.
I have Verilog/VHDL simulation models of the SRAM, they could be easily
translated in litex or nmigen simulation models.
> when yosys is applied there and the cell is substituted.
> does that sound reasonable?
That could work but don't have enough yosys hacking experience to know
how easy/difficult it is. I'm afraid you will need to find out by
actually doing it.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
More information about the Libre-soc-dev


text:
Today – Wednesday August 28th 2013
- Wall Street rose on Wednesday as energy shares rallied on higher oil prices as the United States and its allies edged closer to military action against Syria.
- Energy shares <.spny> rose 1.8 percent, by far the biggest gainer among S&P 500 sectors. Chevron Corp gained 2.5 percent to $121.81 while Exxon Mobil was up 2.3 percent to $88.84. The two provided the biggest lifts to the Dow industrials and the S&P 500.
- At the U.N. Security Council, Britain sought authorization for military action for an alleged poison gas attack against Syrian civilians by President Bashar al-Assad’s government. U.S. officials described plans for multinational strikes that could last for days.
- The world seems increasingly convinced that the U.S. — and its allies — will make a military strike against Syrian government forces in the coming days.
Categories: Equity Capital Markets


text:
The physical drivers of water levels vary widely as one transitions from the shelf, to the shore, estuarine, and riverine environments. This makes water level modelling in these environments particularly daunting. However, because the time scales of many of these drivers are on the order of several days, they are relatively easily handled by data assimilation techniques. We have leveraged these traits to develop a very low-cost data assimilation framework for modeling of coastal ocean water levels that roughly halves errors on both a storm event time scale and on a much longer reanalysis time scale.
This talk will present our method and results for flooding from Hurricane Matthew (see paper, DOI: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2019.101483), as well as updated work on the system and a 40-year reanalysis that demonstrates the system aptly corrects for water level signals from days to decades.
Taylor Asher is a PhD student under Dr. Rick Luettich in the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mr. Asher specializes in numerical modeling, analysis, and uncertainty quantification in coastal water levels, waves, and flooding. He has been involved in FEMA coastal flood hazard studies in nearly every state along the Gulf and Atlantic, including sea level rise pilot studies, and led several studies in Florida. He has also authored FEMA guidance documentation on how to best perform these studies.
Mr. Asher designed, constructed, and validated the last generation ADCIRC-based ESTOFS / HSOFS model used by NOAA for forecasting water levels associated with tides, extratropical, and tropical storms. He has an undergraduate degree in Spanish and undergraduate and master’s degrees in Ocean Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, specializing in wave mechanics and floating body interactions.
Thank you for your submission. Please wait to be redirected to the Zoom meeting information.

domain: geography


text:
(Continuing the sailing book that I started on March 30 2005. this is Chapter 0ne)
Hampton Bays, Long Island
Sailing came into my life relatively late, in my 20's. Coming literally from the wrong side of the tracks, a post-war, working-class development north of the L.I.R.R. tracks in West Babylon, the feeling growing up was that sailing was reserved for the privileged kids from towns like Babylon on the Island's South Shore. Like the tastes of champagne and caviar, I wondered what sailing would be like, envious of the dashing preppies with sun-tanned grace, blonde sisters and waterfront homes.
Looking back, the boys were poseurs, clerks from Abercrombie and Fitch. The surfer/sailor style ideal lost its appeal for me when I bought my first motorcycle and leather jacket. But the ocean's attraction never waned.
The First Boat
My ticket out of blue-collar, suburban Long Island was the same one that introduced me to the sea. With the loving assistance of my high school principal, a Daddy Warbucks look alike named Russell Van Brunt, I was accepted into the Maritime College of the State University of New York. Mr. Van Brunt had been a U.S. Navy captain during WW II, and stationed in San Juan held the island people in special regard. As the only family of Puerto Rican descent in the school district at the time, we attracted a disproportionate amount of his caring attention. He counseled and convinced me that a life at sea was preferable to the track I was on toward the end of high school, essentially non-violent juvenile delinquency and petty crime.
After a summer spent taking remedial English and math courses at community college in Brooklyn, I started at Maritime in fall 1961. John F. Kennedy was president, the Cuban missile crisis would soon become the closest we came to conflagration, and I learned about the sea as a cadet and midshipman in the Navy ROTC.
Upon completion of the four-year program, cadets receive both a bachelor's degree and a reserve officer's commission. And while I never finished, the two years spent there were crucial to my evolution as a man and as a sailor. Called Fort Schuyler, after the revolutionary war-era fortification that housed most of the campus classrooms, the then all-male college lies at the intersection of the East River and the Long Island Sound, on the Bronx side, just under the Throgs Neck Bridge. There were no dormitories then. We lived on board a 500 ton converted troop transport docked in the literal shadow of then big new bridge.
As a member of Schuyler's rowing team, every morning in the pre-dawn hours I was on the water. We didn't use the racing shells popular in civilian colleges. Our eight-oared craft with coxswain were the heavy monomoys, double-ended lifeboats found on most ocean-faring vessels. We rowed in competition with the crews from visiting ocean liners, against the other state academies, Maine, Massachusetts and California, and against our most bitter rivals, the United States Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point, located just a mile across the Sound from Schuyler on Long Island's upscale North Shore.
The main event of the season was the annual International Seamen's Race.
Featuring the five crews from the state and national academies, the race was run over a one-mile measured course in the Narrows in New York harbor off Brooklyn Heights in front of a large crowd lining the waterfront park that parallels the Belt Parkway.
While the drama of those races run has stayed with me over the years, the sensory memories overwhelm even the joy of victory or agony of defeat. Rowing through the river mist after first light but before sunrise, there is a salt tang as potent as a sizzling steak or a lover's perfume. Spending countless hours sitting on my bench as starboard stroke oar, inches from the choppy waters of the Sound, I can still conjure that scent. To this day, carried on an ocean breeze it fills my head with remembrance of Schuyler and the promise of the sea.
The 'Francina' was my first sailboat, a vintage, gaff-rigged wooden sloop that came into my life shortly after prosperity. It was the summer of 1976, and I was the roving reporter on the original cast of ABC's 'Good Morning America'. Already twice divorced, I was engaged at the time to a lovely heiress with whom I rented a summer home in the Hamptons on Peconic Bay. Francine gave me half the sailboat for my birthday. I paid half the $3,000 purchase price, named the boat after her, and we were underway.
While the boat outlasted the relationship that ended soon after the season, we had a good run exploring the surprisingly untarnished region of bays, insets and islands found between the north and south forks of Eastern Long Island.
With 'Francina', I learned the basic physics of sailing, understanding how wind is converted into momentum. Indeed, my advice to all novice sailors is to start small. Once you learn how to use wind to make your boat go forward, you can theoretically skipper any other boat, however large.
The outer limit of cruising life for 'Francina' was Block Island, Rhode Island's outpost of New England-style life located 20 miles off Montauk, Long Island's easternmost point. In that taste of real ocean between the island and the point, a sailor can experience every condition likely to be encountered on the vast expanse of open ocean, only smaller and closer to safe harbor and refuge from a storm.
In those soon familiar waters, I became proficient in skippering my boat through relative thick and thin. But I am still learning, narrowing the gap between a master sailor and me to the difference between someone fluent in a language and another who just makes himself understood. Both can experience plenty, but only one can weather any storm.
At twenty-feet, not much longer than an automobile, 'Francina' had the classic lines of the craft piloted by the watermen who for centuries harvested the fish and shellfish of the Sound and Great South Bay. I still have a photo of a boat that could be her sister-ship dated 1910 with three grave and formally dressed bearded guys standing on board, all looking like the pre-civil war abolitionist John Brown.
A gaff rig describes a boat with one big main sail thats' high point is held aloft by a boom that spreads the sail upward at an angle from the mast. In front of the mast is a smaller triangular sail called a jib. The beauty of a boat this small and rigged this way is that one person can handle her. Solo sailing is not only one of life's most liberating pastimes, it is also a practical necessity.
Remember that spouses, significant others, even best friends and children usually fail to maintain a skipper's enthusiasm over time.
(to be continued)


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According to The Sunday Times, CD&R is said to be lining up equity and debt financing for a counter bid offer that could come “as soon as this week”.
If the offer is successful, it is understood that the group intends to open a chain of Morrisons convenience stores at the 900-plus petrol stations operated by Motor Fuel Group, which CD&R has owned since 2015.
CD&R, which is being advised by former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy, is also reportedly looking at how it can use extra space in Morrisons’ supermarkets “more imaginatively”.
Morrisons previously rejected an initial £5.5bn offer from CD&R. The offer, which was submitted on 14 June, valued Morrisons at 230 pence per share for the entire share capital of the group.
In a letter to the stock exchange, it also noted that the CMA “has not opened an inquiry, or indicated in writing that it is still investigating whether to open an inquiry”.


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Costa bags first mandate for Lazard
Ken Costa, who joined Lazard as international chairman in October, has taken just weeks to win his first mandate after picking up the brief to advise Luqman Arnold, a former colleague at Swiss Bank UBS, on his pursuit of stricken UK lender Northern Rock.
Arnold, the former chief executive of Abbey National, said in a regulatory news statement this morning that he was preparing a proposal for the board of Northern Rock. He made the approach via Olivant, the investment company he founded last year.
The potential deal would see a core team of "experienced principals" from Olivant, including Arnold, parachuted in to Northern Rock's to "work intensively alongside its existing board and management together with a minority stake in Northern Rock to ensure Olivant's alignment with the Board and shareholders".
It said that it did not intend to pursue a full takeover offer.
Veteran deal-maker Costa and Arnold know each other from their time at UBS. Costa was chairman of European investment banking at the Swiss bank before leaving for Lazard, where he formally started work a month ago, with a brief to bring in high-profile deals. Arnold was chief executive of UBS Warburg before being parachuted in to save Abbey National five years ago.
Arnold left Abbey in November 2004 when it was bought by Spain’s Grupo Santander. He founded Olivant after he left.
Olivant is understood to have raised more than £150m (€214m) and plans to buy a stake of between 10% and 20% stake in Northern Rock, and to remove Adam Applegarth as chief executive and replace him with Arnold on an interim basis, according to a source close to the deal.
Aside from Arnold, Olivant’s senior staff include Alan Morgan, a former partner at management consultants McKinsey; Kirk Stephenson, a former chief operating officer at law firm Freshfields, Mitchel Lenson, former group chief information officer at Deutsche Bank; and Peter Strafford, a former senior investment banker at UBS and Goldman Sachs.
Banking sources said Arnold is understood to have discusses the proposals with the board of Northern Rock, the Financial Services Authority, HM Treasury and the Bank of England, which risks running foul of European state aid laws if it continues to bail out Northern Rock beyond February. Northern Rock has already borrowed £23bn from the Bank.
Arnold's team would not receive any executive remuneration but would benefit from any uplift in Northern Rock's battered share price. Shares were up 5.4% to 152.8p at 10:09 GMT today.
JC Flowers, the private equity firm run by former Goldman Sachs banker Christopher Flowers, is also in the running as is a consortium headed by Richard Branson, the head of Virgin Group, and Cerberus, another buyout house.


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Concept To Display 2D art on a Table
Jelly Golf AR
It´s our plan to to implement a AR version into our upcoming game jelly golf.
In the settings you will have a button where you can switch between normal and AR.
You can play it on a table or a wall.


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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County leaders are urging people to stay home as much as possible over the next two weeks as the county will likely reach peak COVID-19 cases by the end of April.
Dr. Raul Pino with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said the prediction is based on their data. Dr. Pino said cases will be the highest before the peak and anyone who is out over the next two weeks has an even greater risk of being infected.
“The next two weeks are critical as our numbers increase, they tend to double every three and a half days,” Dr. Pino said. “So we can foresee if we haven’t peaked yet. We are going to see our numbers in the thousands.”
Orange County said about 10 percent of its coronavirus tests were coming back positive. As of Monday evening, the county had tested 7,265 people for COVID-19 and of those tested, 754 people tested confirmed positive for the virus. The most cases are in zip code 32822, with at least 51 confirmed cases. Officials anticipate Orange County will have 1,000 coronavirus cases by the end of the week.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the county is preparing for an increase in cases and he is confident hospitals have enough capacity for an influx of patients.
“We are working with the state who is working with federal government so that when we hit that critical mass period of time, we have a plan that will contemplate everything that is needed at that time,” Mayor Demings said.
The mayor also said county leaders are thinking of places where people can quarantine as they expect more cases. Mayor Demings said a hotel has already offered rooms.
Demings said, “We are looking at other facilities within our area and dependent upon that gap between existing capacity and the surge capacity will drive which facilities here within our region are most appropriate.”
If you are having trouble seeing the map or using it (especially on a mobile device), click here to load in a new window.


Millions of pounds could be lost to Wetherby if the planning application for Spofforth Hill goes ahead, according to a town councillor.
The outline proposal for up to 325 houses at Spofforth Hill is being brought forward for discussion by the Leeds City Council (LCC) plans panel on September 18, despite widespread belief that there is still a great deal of work to be done before any decision can be reached.
Outraged at this decision, Wetherby Coun John Procter (Con) told the Wetherby News he has not been made aware of any of the recent amendments to the application, including the decision to take £8.5million away from the town and put it into other sites nearer to Leeds.
He said: “Ward members have not been consulted or appraised of the latest amendments to the plan. I understand there has been a pedestrian crossing put in which I was not aware of. There are also some section 106 agreements that will see millions of pounds transported out of Wetherby and into the inner city of Leeds, which ward members know nothing about.”
The section 106 agreement is a set of conditions to be met before planning permission is signed off by the planning officer and is subject to agreement between LCC and the applicants Bellway Homes.
According to a report by the council’s chief planning officer, affordable housing on the proposed site is set at 15 per cent (49 dwellings).
Instead of another 20 per cent affordable housing to make up the normal requirement, Bellway must give £8.5million to LCC.
Coun Procter, who says this money will be taken from the Wetherby site and given to other sites Bellway has interest in near Scarcroft, is now co-ordinating meetings with council officers and local campaigners to update all concerned.
He said: “The last briefing I had on this application was in July, and the case officer has since left the authority and taken up a post with a planning agency which promotes large-scale housing development.
“I have also requested information that details every meeting Bellway or their representatives have had with officers or councillors in the city regarding the Spofforth Hill site.
“I am puzzled as to why this application is being pushed through unduly.”
An LCC spokesman responded to Coun Procter’s concerns and said the council has to make balanced decisions on the levels of affordable housing that represent the needs of communities, the demands of housing providers, and the best deal for the city.
He said: “The ratio of houses for this development is typical of developments in this kind of location and meets those balanced needs.
“LCC recognises there is an opportunity for development work at Spofforth Hill to progress promptly so new homes can be built.
“We understand that not everyone will be happy in this happening, so we want to work with communities to deliver this housing growth as effectively as possible and this is why our planning officers will be meeting again with ward members in advance of the application being considered.”
A Bellway Homes spokesman said the company could not comment on the section 106 agreement within the planning application.


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Cruising Alaska: July 2007
|The Mount Roberts Tramway, which costs $24.95 for adults, takes you to the 1,750-foot level of Mount Roberts. There you can have a meal, see a live eagle, visit the Nature Center or go for a hike on miles of trails. Your ticket allows you to ride up and down as often as you want all day - that can be handy if the weather changes or if you want to see the city lights come on, for example.|
This photograph is © 2007 by Murray Lundberg, and is not to be copied without express permission.

domain: hobby


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Plasma cytokines in polycythemia vera: Phenotypic correlates, prognostic relevance, and comparison with myelofibrosis†
Conflict of interest: Nothing to report.
Plasma cytokine milieu is abnormal in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and correlates with disease phenotype and prognosis. In this study, we show that several plasma cytokines are also abnormally expressed in polycythemia vera (PV; n = 65), compared to normal controls (n = 35), but with a significantly different pattern than that of PMF (n = 127). Direct phenotypic correlation in PV included levels of IL-12 with hematocrit; IL-1b, IL-2, IL-7, FGF-b, and HGF with leukocytosis; and IFN-α and IFN-γ with thrombocytosis. In univariate analysis, levels of 13 cytokines (out of 30 analyzed) correlated with survival but only MIP-1β remained significant on multivariable analysis that included the other cytokines as covariates. Increased level of MIP-1β (P < 0.01), older age (P < 0.01), and leukocytosis (P = 0.03) maintained their association with shortened survival, on multivariable analysis. This study provides preliminary observations that warrant a larger scale study and suggests the value of plasma cytokines as prognostic biomarkers in PV. Am. J. Hematol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Aberrant cytokine expression is hypothesized to contribute to the disease phenotype in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and the associated bone marrow and spleen stromal changes . We have recently described altered plasma cytokine levels in primary myelofibrosis (PMF)  and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)  and demonstrated their phenotypic correlates and prognostic relevance. In PMF, increased levels of interleukin (IL)-8 or IL-2R were associated with presence of constitutional symptoms, transfusion need, and leucocytosis, as well as inferior overall and leukemia-free survival. The latter effect was independent of risk stratification according to the dynamic international prognostic scoring system (DIPSS)-plus . In MDS, increased levels of C-X-C motif chemokine (CXCL)10, IL-7, and IL-6 correlated with inferior overall survival , independent of other prognostic factors, including risk stratification according to international prognostic scoring system (IPSS) . Prognostic relevance of plasma cytokines has also been demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) .
Furthermore, cytokine levels in myelofibrosis have been shown to predict response to treatment with pomalidomide , and JAK inhibitor therapy-induced down regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines has been correlated with response in constitutional symptoms . Taken together, these observations suggest an important role for cytokines in the pathogenesis, disease phenotype, prognostication, and monitoring of treatment response in MPN. In this study, we examined the plasma cytokine profile in polycythemia vera (PV), when compared with both normal controls and patients with PMF, and its correlation with clinical features and survival.
This study was approved by the Mayo Clinic institutional review board. All patients provided written informed consent for study sample collection as well as permission for use in research. Inclusion in this study required availability of archived plasma at the time of first referral to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and at a time point that is within 1 year of initial diagnosis. The diagnosis of PV was strictly according to the 2008 WHO diagnostic criteria . Conventional criteria were used for diagnosis of post-PV leukemic transformation (AML) and post-PV fibrotic transformation . Survival data was obtained via review of patient charts, social security death index or a telephone call to the patient in July 2011.
Peripheral blood was collected under a Mayo Clinic protocol for patients with myeloid malignancies, and standard procedures were followed to centrifuge samples at 4°C and store aliquots at −80°C. Concentrations of 30 plasma cytokines/chemokines were analyzed in duplicates by using multiplex bead based Luminex technology (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA): interleukin-1β (IL- 1β), IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, epidermal growth factor (EGF), eotaxin, fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-b), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interferon alfa (IFN-α), IFN-γ, IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), monokine induced by IFN-γ (MIG), macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), MIP-1β, regulated on activation normally T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Measurements were performed on a Luminex 200 analyzer (Luminex, Austin, TX), and the resulting data were evaluated by using Star Station Software Version 2.3 (Luminex).
All statistical analyses considered clinical and laboratory parameters obtained at time of first referral to the Mayo Clinic, which coincided in all instances with time of plasma collection for cytokine analysis and a period of less than 1 year from initial diagnosis. Differences in the distribution of continuous variables between categories were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test (for comparison of two groups). Overall survival analysis was considered from the date of first referral to the Mayo Clinic (i.e., date of plasma collection) to date of death (uncensored) or last contact (censored). Overall survival curves were prepared by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariable analysis. P values <0.05 were considered significant. The Stat View statistical package (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) was used for all calculations.
Results and Discussion
Clinical characteristics of the study cohort (n = 65) at time of referral are outlined in Table I. Median age was 61 years and 36 (55%) patients were males. After a median follow-up of 6 years, 15 deaths (23%), 3 (5%) leukemic transformations, and 10 (15%) fibrotic progressions were documented.
Table I. Clinical Characteristics of 65 Patients with Polycythemia Vera with Cytokine Profiling Available Within One Year of Diagnosis
|Age in years; median (range)||61 (25–90)||Eotaxin|
|Males; n (%)||36 (55)||–|
|Hemoglobin, g/dL; median (range)||18.5 (15.7–23)||IL-6a, FGF-ba|
|Hematocrit; median (range)||56 (46–71)||IL-6a, IL-12|
|Leucocyte count, × 109/L; median (range)||11.4 (4.3–26.5)||IL-2R|
|Leukocytosis (>10.5 × 109/L); n (%)||38 (58)||IL-1β, IL-2, IL-7, FGF-b, HGF|
|Platelet count, × 109/L; median (range)||408 (44–1703)||–|
|Thrombocytosis (≥450 × 109/L); n (%)||28 (43)||IFN-α, IFN-γ, GM-CSFa|
|Palpable spleen; n (%) (N = 63)||24 (38)||Eotaxina, MCP-1a|
|Pruritus; n (%) (N = 57)||23 (40)||–|
|Vasomotor symptoms; n (%) (N = 57)||22 (39)||IL-4, FGF-ba, HGFa, RANTESa|
|Arterial thrombosis before/at diagnosis; n (%)||12 (18.5)||IL-1RAa, FGF-ba|
|Venous thrombosis before/at diagnosis; n (%)||1 (1.5)||–|
|↑ Lactate dehydrogenase; n (%) (N = 36)||18 (50)||IL-12|
|Leukoerythroblastic smear; n (%) (N = 58)||9 (16)||–|
|JAK2 mutation; n (%) (N = 53)||52 (98)||–|
|Abnormal karyotype; n (%) (N = 47)||5 (11)||IL-2, IL-4, 1L-7, 1L-13, 1L-17, GM-CSF, MIP-1α|
|Overall survival; median (months)||77.8 (1.3–367)||IL-1β, IL-4, EGF, IL-5, IL-7, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-α, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MCP-1|
|Fibrotic transformation; n (%)||10 (15)||IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, IP-10, eotaxina|
Correlation with phenotype
In univariate analysis, cytokine excess was significantly associated with the following: eotaxin with older age; IL-12 with elevated hematocrit and LDH; IL-1β/IL-2/IL-7/FGF-b/HGF with leucocytosis; IFN-α/IFN-γ with thrombocytosis; and IL-4 with microvascular symptoms (Table I). Lower levels of certain cytokines were associated with following: IL-6/FGF-b with hemoglobin level; GM-CSF with thrombocytosis; eotaxin/MCP-1 with splenomegaly; FGF-b/HGF/RANTES with microvascular symptoms; and IL-1RA/FGF-b with arterial thrombosis.
Comparison between PV (n = 65), normal controls (n = 35), and PMF (n = 127)
Compared to normal controls, patients with PV demonstrated significantly higher levels of IL-1RA, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-γ, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, HGF, IP-10, MIG, MCP-1, and VEGF. Levels of EGF and RANTES were significantly lower in PV compared to normal controls (Table II). Levels of the following cytokines were significantly higher in PMF compared to PV: IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2R, EGF, IL-10, FGF-b, IL-12, IFN-α, and RANTES (Table II). Levels of the following cytokines were significantly higher in PV compared to PMF (P < 0.05): IL-7, IFN-γ, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, IP-10, MIG, eotaxin, and VEGF.
Table II. Cytokine Levels in 65 Patients with Polycythemia Vera Within One Year of Diagnosis and Their Comparison with 35 Normal Controls and 127 Patients with Primary Myelofibrosis
Prognostic relevance of cytokine levels in PV
In univariate analysis, elevated levels of 13 cytokines showed significant association with inferior overall survival: IL-1β (P = 0.003), IL-4 (P = 0.01), EGF (P = 0.006), IL-5 (P = 0.003), IL-7 (P = 0.004), IL-10 (P = 0.002), IL-17 (P = 0.002), TNF-α (P = 0.004), IFN-α (P = 0.0007), GM-CSF (P = 0.004), MIP-1α (P = 0.0008), MIP-1β (P = 0.0002), and MCP-1 (P = 0.005). On multivariable analysis of cytokines, only MIP-1β remained significant. When age and leucocytosis were added as covariates, MIP-1β remained significant (P = 0.0005), as did both age (P = 0.002) and leucocytosis (P = 0.03). In univariate analysis, elevated levels of the following cytokines were significantly associated with fibrotic transformation: IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, and IP-10. Cytokine association with leukemic transformation could not be reliably assessed since only three patients developed leukemic transformation in our cohort.
This study suggests that the cytokine milieu in PV is significantly altered, in a pattern that is different from PMF, and identifies MIP-1β as a potentially important and prognostically independent biomarker. MIP-1β, also known as CCL4, belongs to a class of chemokine subfamily that is secreted by mononuclear cells and serves as a chemoattractant for migration of specific lymphocyte subsets to areas of inflammation . Its effects are closely related to MIP-1α (CCL3) and both are known to play a key role in clonal B-cell expansion via B-cell receptor signaling . Prognostic relevance of both MIP-1α and MIP-1β has been previously demonstrated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, where elevated levels both were independently associated with inferior survival [13, 14]. Little is known about the role of these chemokines in myeloid malignancies; in a study that included 57 patients with MDS, higher levels of CCL4 were found in the sub-group with high-risk MDS compared to low-risk MDS. Additional studies with larger sample sizes will be necessary to confirm our findings and also decipher the biological role of these cytokines in MPN and their utility as drug targets.
Rakhee Vaidya collected data, participated in data analysis and the writing of the paper; Naseema Gangat participated in data analysis; Thitina Jimma, Christy M. Finke, and Terra L. Lasho participated in data collection; Animesh Pardanani contributed patients; Ayalew Tefferi designed the study, contributed patients, collected data, performed the statistical analysis, and wrote the paper. All authors approved the final draft of the paper.

domain: medical


Died Eduard Uspensky
MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/ — the Writer died at the age of 80 years.
Writer Eduard Uspensky, known for the book “Uncle Fyodor, dog and cat” and “Crocodile Gena and his friends”, has died in Moscow at the age of 80 years. TASS reported on Tuesday, the writer’s daughter Iryna.
“Unfortunately, Eduard Nikolaevich died. Alas,” — said the Agency interlocutor.
Earlier it was reported that the writer was diagnosed with a malignant neoplasm. Thursday, August 9, a source in medical circles of Moscow told TASS that assumption lost consciousness at home, he needed urgent help.
Scenario writer shot 60 animated films. Among the most famous: Antoshka (1969, in the collection “Merry go round”, directed by Leonid Nosyrev), “ginger, Ginger, freckled” (1971, in the collection “Merry go round”, Mr Nosyrev), “Ivashka of the Palace of pioneers” (1981, Gennady Sokolsky), “About Sidorov Vova” (1985, Eduard Nazarov), “Sledstvie vedut Kolobki” (1986-1987, Igor Kovalev and Aleksandr Tatarskiy), “Three types and violinist” (1993, Nathan Lerner) and others.
During the download an error has occurred.
- Texts, the assumption was part of the cultural code of the Russians
- The monument to Eduard Uspensky may appear in Moscow


Justin Michael reflects on his experience as a judge in the Hooters Miss Colorado Pageant before briefly previewing Saturday’s matchup against Wyoming. Later in the episode, Justin talks about when the Border War mattered more on the hardwood. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE! iTunes Link | Stitcher Link |Spotify Link | Google Play
Josh Adams, who played with the Denver Nuggets at Summer League was in a car accident this week that seriously injured the former Wyoming Cowboy who had plans to play in Russia this year.
The Denver Nuggets pulled off their second 20+ win at Summer League, blowing out the Utah Jazz 80-60 behind 20 points from rookie Jamal Murray.
Grading the Denver Nuggets Summer League roster through two games at the Las Vegas Summer League and where some of the fringe players stand heading into the final week of play and then training camp.
Looking at how the Denver Nuggets' draft picks have performed through their first two games at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Well, this is sophomoric. Which is appropriate, considering we’re talking about college sports. According to Ryan Holmgren of the Casper Star Tribune, fans of the Wyoming Cowboys have petitioned the White House — who probably have bigger fish to fry — about renaming Colorado State’s Moby Arena after Josh Adams. The petition reads: “With his performance on February 20,…...
Terrible. Atrocious. Awful. Whatever word you want to use that is a synonym of “bad” fits, as Colorado State was worked 84-66 by the rival Wyoming Cowboys inside Moby Arena Saturday afternoon. The Rams offense was the worst we’ve seen all year in the first half. Colorado State Rams men’s basketball started the game 0-10 and trailed 14-0 before they…...


Washington, D.C. — The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) today released its analysis of the energy bill passed by the House on August 4. ACEEE's assessment finds that the bill's energy efficiency provisions would reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 670 million tons, or 8%, in 2030 relative to the current Department of Energy forecast. Combining the best provisions of both the House and Senate bills would yield emissions reductions totaling 1,530 million tons of carbon dioxide, or 19%, in 2030 relative to the forecast. The final House bill contained important amendments that increased emissions reductions by 112 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2030, a 20% increase from the version that was reported out of committee.
In addition to substantial energy savings and emissions reductions, both the Senate and House bills would save consumers and businesses a significant amount of money. ACEEE estimates that the efficiency provisions in the final House bill would save consumers and businesses a net $420 billion (in 2005 dollars) on a cumulative basis from 2008-2030, an increase of $80 billion, or 24%, from the version sent to the floor. A bill combining the best efficiency features of the House and Senate bills would save consumers and businesses a net $850 billion.
"The House added major energy, carbon, and dollar savings late in the process, making this bill a better investment in efficiency, the nation's 'first fuel' in the race for clean energy," said ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel.
The two new efficiency provisions in the House bill are the inclusion of energy efficiency as an eligible resource for a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), and the addition of walk-in commercial refrigerators and metal halide lighting to the list of appliance efficiency standards. These augment provisions in the bill that was sent to the House floor, which included improvements to national and state building codes, efficiency standards for incandescent lamps and other products, an update and expansion of the federal appliance and equipment standards program, and provisions to increase use of combined heat and power systems in the industrial and institutional sectors. The House bill also includes a tax package that extends and expands energy efficiency tax incentives.
The bill the Senate passed in June does not include many of these House provisions. On the other hand, the Senate bill includes two major provisions not in the House bill—increases to Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for cars and light trucks, and steadily increasing mandatory targets for oil savings over the 2016-2031 period. Neither provision is iron-clad, in that both allow substantial regulatory discretion. The Senate Finance Committee also reported out a more comprehensive set of energy efficiency tax incentives than are contained in the House bill.
"We urge the House-Senate Conferees to adopt the best energy-saving provisions of the House and Senate bills, especially the fuel economy standard, renewable electricity standard, and appliance efficiency standards," concluded Nadel.
Details on ACEEE's analyses of both the Senate and House bills can be found at http://aceee.org/energy/national/nrgleg.htm.


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‘Now is the time to begin the work of building a post-Roe America.’
The news we have been waiting for finally broke Friday morning.
Here are the first reactions. I’ll be updating it throughout the day.
From the USCCB:
“This is a historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers. For nearly fifty years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn children, generations that were denied the right to even be born.
“America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life. We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us.
“Our first thoughts are with the little ones whose lives have been taken since 1973. We mourn their loss, and we entrust their souls to God, who loved them from before all ages and who will love them for all eternity. Our hearts are also with every woman and man who has suffered grievously from abortion; we pray for their healing, and we pledge our continued compassion and support. As a Church, we need to serve those who face difficult pregnancies and surround them with love.
“Today’s decision is also the fruit of the prayers, sacrifices, and advocacy of countless ordinary Americans from every walk of life. Over these long years, millions of our fellow citizens have worked together peacefully to educate and persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families. We share their joy today and we are grateful to them. Their work for the cause of life reflects all that is good in our democracy, and the pro-life movement deserves to be numbered among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s history.
“Now is the time to begin the work of building a post-Roe America. It is a time for healing wounds and repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love.
“As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue our service to God’s great plan of love for the human person, and to work with our fellow citizens to fulfill America’s promise to guarantee the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.”
From the Catholic bishops of New York:
We give thanks to God for today’s decision of the United States Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This just decision will save countless innocent children simply waiting to be born.
On this historic day, our gratitude extends to the millions of heroic Americans who have worked tirelessly toward this outcome for nearly a half-century. Women and men, children and adults, believers and non-believers, people of every culture and background have advocated for life. They have been a charitable and compelling voice for the voiceless, and today, their voice has been heard.
“The United States Supreme Court just announced one of the most significant rulings in my lifetime — officially voting to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision because it was ‘egregiously wrong from the start,’ as stated by Justice Samuel Alito. The radical left is calling for a ‘night of rage,’ pregnancy centers are already being vandalized and attacked, and our U.S. Supreme Court justices are being targeted with threats and intimidation.”
From the National Council of Jewish Women:
“Abortion bans place greater value on the life of the fetus than on the pregnant person, a violation of both Jewish law and tradition and of American religious liberty. Now, it seems only certain people are entitled to religious liberty, which renders the entire concept meaningless. Today’s decision betrays this most cherished American value. The rights of American Jews and other people of faith who believe in access to abortion, who are the majority of people in this country, have been sacrificed to the overwhelming zeal of one small group that has turned the shield of religious freedom into a sword.”
“This is [a] historic victory for the Constitution and for the most vulnerable in our society. For 50 years, states have been unable to enact even modest protections for unborn children. Now the American people get their voice back.”
“Today, the Republican-controlled Supreme Court has achieved the GOP’s dark and extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions. Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers.
“With Roe now out of their way, radical Republicans are charging ahead with their crusade to criminalize health freedom. In the Congress, Republicans are plotting a nationwide abortion ban. In the states, Republicans want to arrest doctors for offering reproductive care and women for terminating a pregnancy. GOP extremists are even threatening to criminalize contraception, as well as in-vitro fertilization and post-miscarriage care.
“A woman’s fundamental health decisions are her own to make, in consultation with her doctor and her loved ones – not to be dictated by far-right politicians. While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v. Wade into law.
“This cruel ruling is outrageous and heart-wrenching. But make no mistake: the rights of women and all Americans are on the ballot this November.”
From President Biden:


text:
What is Anti-UAV Defense System Market?
Anti-UAV defense system is a strategic C-UAS system, designed to disrupt and neutralize UAVs engaged in hostile airborne surveillance or other malicious activities. It combines electronic-scanning radar target detection, electro-optical (EO) tracking/classification and directional RF inhibition capability.
The market study is being classified by Type (Portable Type and Vehicle Mounted Type), by Application (Civil and Military) and major geographies with country level break-up.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (United States), Thales SA (France), Northrop Grumman Corporation (United States), Boeing (United States), Dedrone GmbH (United States), DroneShield Limited (Australia), Aaronia AG (German), Enterprise Control Systems Ltd (ECS) (United Kingdom), Chess Dynamics Ltd (United Kingdom) and Hikvision (China) are some of the key players profiled in the study.
The companies are exploring the market by adopting expansions, investments, new service launches and collaborations as their preferred strategies. The players are exploring new geographies through expansions and acquisitions across the globe to gain a competitive advantage through combined collaborations. Research Analyst at AMA predicts that United States Players will contribute to the maximum growth of Global Anti-UAV Defense System market throughout the predicted period.
Analyst at AMA have segmented the market study of Global Anti-UAV Defense System market by Type, Application and Region.
On the basis of geography, the market of Anti-UAV Defense System has been segmented into South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe), MEA (Middle East, Africa), North America (United States, Canada, Mexico). Additionally, the rising demand from SMEs and various industry verticals gives enough cushion to market growth.
- Increasing Incidents of Security Breaches Across the Globe
- Increased Adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- Technological Advancements in Anti-UAV Defense System
- Vulnerability of Drones to Hacking, Hijacking, Spoofing, and Cloud-Based Attacks
- Increasing Demand for Anti-drone Systems
- Introduction of Smart Detection Systems Equipped With Sensors Having Broad Detection Range
- Technological, Regulatory, and Legal Issues
Key Target AudienceAnti-UAV Defense System Providers, Emerging Companies, Research Professionals and End-users
Customization in the Report Available:The Study can be customized to meet your requirements. Please connect with our representative, who will ensure you get a report that suits your needs.
Data related to EXIM [Export- Import], production & consumption by country or regional level break-up can be provided based on client request**
** Confirmation on availability of data would be informed prior purchase