A father of four working on the construction site of the South Park fire called for help on Facebook Live before dying in a five-alarm fire on Thursday.
Officials examining the wreckage of the large South Park construction fire discovered the deaths of two people who firemen could not reach in time to save before the flames grew to about 2,000 degrees, Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said in a news conference.
Demonte Sherrill, a 30-year-old father of four, was one of the 15 people that worked at the site.
Sources report it was Sherrill’s third day on the job working at the unfinished apartment complex in Charlotte’s South Park district.
Flames and smoke filled the area as Sherrill joined Facebook Live to record his last moments.
The fire is believed to have begun around 9 a.m. Thursday in a trailer used to spray insulation into the building’s walls.
MORE NEWS ON MIX 107.9:
Charlotte Ranked #8 Best Places to Live in U.S.
A Brewery Offers Their Support To Charlotte’s Firefighters In The Wake Of Yesterday’s Brutal Five-Alarm Blaze
17-year-old dies from sand hole collapse on North Carolina beach
Father of 4 dies in SouthPark construction site fire, records his last moments on Facebook Live was originally published on theblockcharlotte.com
6 Signs of a Swinger House
Morning Mix Singer Showcase | Vote Now!
Register to win Charlotte Knights Family 4-Pack Tickets!
Father of 4 dies in SouthPark construction site fire, records his last moments on Facebook Live
Gisele Bündchen Makes Rare Appearance With Twin Sister
Boozy News: A New Brewery Opens In South End And A Different Kind Of Brewery Changes It's Name
18-Year-Old Teen Presumed Dead After Jumping From Bahamas Cruise Ship
Pic: Duck Dynasty’s Korie Robertson Naked Pics Hit The Net!


text:
A screening method for preeclampsia that combines maternal factors with biomarkers yields more accurate result than the methods recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), recent research finds.
Preeclampsia (PE) affects approximately 2 percent to 3 percent of pregnancies and can have serious health effects for both the mother and child. The condition is characterized by high blood pressure. Some affected women develop very severe disease associated with kidney, liver, bleeding and neurological problems. The fetus may experience impaired growth and possibly die. Risks are especially high when PE leads to preterm birth before 37 weeks' gestation (preterm-PE), which itself is associated with long-term health issues for the children.
Recent evidence suggests that giving low-dose aspirin to women at high risk of the disorder can reduce the prevalence of the severest form of preeclampsia by more than 60 percent, but the treatment must be started before 16 weeks' gestation. Therefore, early detection is key. In the UK, identification of high-risk women who could benefit from aspirin is based on a checklist of maternal characteristics and medical history as defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. An alternative approach combines known risk factors with the results of various maternal biophysical and biochemical measurements taken at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation: mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), and serum placental growth factor (PlGF); known as the first-trimester combined test.
PE occurring at any point during pregnancy (all-PE) was found in 473 (2.8 percent) of the 16,747 pregnancies in the study, and preterm-PE was seen in 142 (0.8 percent). The detection rates of the NICE checklist for all-PE and preterm PE were 30.4 percent and 40.8 percent, respectively. Furthermore, compliance with the NICE recommendation that women at high risk for PE should be treated with aspirin from the first trimester was only 23 percent. If screening was carried out by the first-trimester combined test, the detection rates for all-PE and preterm PE were increased to 42.5 percent and 82.4 percent, respectively.
The findings indicate that the use of the simple algorithm based on maternal characteristics and easily measurable markers can identify approximately 80 percent of women who would go on to develop preterm-PE and would therefore benefit from taking prophylactic aspirin. The first-trimester combined test is freely available as a simple and user-friendly risk calculator via http://www.fetalmedicine.org and on the Fetal Medicine Foundation app.
"The SPREE study has provided definitive proof to support risk-based screening for preterm-PE using various biomarkers. It is now time to revise the professional guidelines and to move away from using a checklist-based method for screening." said co-senior author Liona Poon, MD, of King's College London, in London.
Basky Thilaganathan, MD, PhD, the journal's Editor-in-Chief, noted that the findings have important clinical implications. "Poon and colleagues have demonstrated that effective early pregnancy screening for preeclampsia is possible in a routine NHS hospital setting. They make a compelling case for the routine implementation of this protocol to halve the cases of early-onset severe preeclampsia cases in the UK" he said.

domain: biology


text:
Our every thought, feeling or action is controlled by brain cells that communicate with each other through regular electrical impulses. These impulses travel along the network of nerve cells, called neurons, in the brain and throughout the body via chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. A seizure occurs when the brains nerve cells misfire and generate sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain. The orderly communication between nerve cells becomes scrambled and our thoughts, feelings or movements become momentarily confused or uncontrolled.
Seizures can be subtle causing momentary lapses of consciousness, or conspicuous causing sudden loss of body control. Seizures are episodic and unpredictable, and may occur as frequently as every day, or just occasionally in a lifetime.
While seizures can be frightening, in most instances they stop without intervention. Once the seizure is over the person gradually regains control and re-orients themselves to their surroundings, generally without any ill effects. Approximately 70% of people diagnosed with epilepsy will have their seizures controlled with medication.
Brodie M. J., Schachter S. C. Fast facts – epilepsy. Oxford: Health Press Limited, 1999
Canberra First Aid and Training will provide you with the first aid courses in Canberra that will give you the knowledge and skills to look after someone who is having a seizure.
Contact us now so that you are prepared in an emergency situation.

domain: medical


text:
Scenes From The 2018 Underground Music Showcase: Alvvays, Superchunk And More
The Underground Music Showcase returned to Denver's Baker neighborhood over the weekend. It was the music festival's first instance under the new ownership of Two Parts.
The 2018 event brought some significant changes for UMS. In addition to the Main Stage, there were two more outdoor stages hosting music performances. There was also a tent for comedy shows, new indoor venues and a series of surprise sets from artists like Neyla Pekarek of The Lumineers.
Below, check out our hosts' photos and videos from the three-day event. Also, watch performances from Colorado artists Porlolo and Neyla Pekarek that we filmed at 3 Kings Tavern and featured live on our Facebook page.
And so it begins! @thisisovercoats kicking things off in a grand fashion at the Main Stage! #UMS2018 pic.twitter.com/RnAe1Suqe0— Scott Carney (@OpenAirScott) July 27, 2018
Thanks to @thisisovercoats @WeAreEscort and @frankiecosmos for making it rain @TheUMS and filling the Open Airwaves with live love! @OpenAirCPR (Photo: Sarah Flanagan Silcott) pic.twitter.com/bcLQqOTol3— Mike Flanagan (@OpenAirMike) July 28, 2018
Snaps from Day 1 of UMS! Overcoats the perfect band to kick off the main stage and Digable Planets closing it down was everything! All the bands in between & along South Broadway brought their A-game & I loved every moment I was able to soak up—most of all that we were able to live broadcast from the main stage to our radio listeners! Onto Day2! We are gonna be FB live from 3 Kings today, you must check it out if there are moments you aren’t at the fest but need a fix! Check out deets on @openaircpr social feeds! @theums @openaircpr @thisisovercoats @frankiecombos @saibot34 @surlybruce #ums #ums2018
(Photo: CPR / Daniel Mescher)
Just joined @CloudCult ! Crazy sneakers! @TheUMS @OpenAirCPR pic.twitter.com/1eHrj9jDKh— Mike Flanagan (@OpenAirMike) July 29, 2018
You made it!
You love learning about new music and the Denver music scene. We have a weekly newsletter for you -- Inside Track. Sign up here to stay in the know about the hottest Colorado concerts and how you can score tickets!

domain: artistic


text:
Foxy Altar Boy
Test Pilot Monkey
Okay, I guess it's time to wrap it up when the pictures stop moving! (But maybe if you stare at it long enough ...) Thanks to BaconBits for the theme, to Foxy Altar Boy for the tutorial and to the rest of the Something Awful Forum Goons who induced technological malfunctions for their own creepy purposes. Now clear a path! I'm goin' home!
The velvet hoods are now mandatory for all classes and on-campus activities. Do not remove them for any reason.
We're not going to solve gun massacres with bad manners, people.
A sign proclaiming "BACTA: DA FUTURE" marks the town's medical clinic
1998: I upload dave.pcx, and change the course of history
Set goals for yourself, and fulfill them. Absurd! Only in video games!
Photoshop Phriday showcases the tremendous image manipulation talents of the Something Awful Forum Goons. Each week they tackle a new theme, parodying movies, video games, comics, history, and anything else you can think of. If you want in on the action, join us on the Something Awful Forums!

domain: entertainment


text:
According to a new UN report published today, almost 870 million people are chronically undernourished worldwide. This means that in the period 2010 – 2012 one in every eight was suffering from hunger. The majority of the hungry live in developing countries.
“In today’s world of unprecedented technical and economic opportunities, we find it entirely unacceptable that more than 100 million children under five are underweight, and therefore unable to realize their full human and socio-economic potential,” said the heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme (WFP) in the foreword to the report. The report ‘The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012′ is the latest in a series established at the 1996 World Food Summit and the Millennium Summit which raise awareness about global hunger issues, discuss underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition, and monitor progress towards hunger reduction targets. The publication is targeted at a wide audience, including policy-makers, international organizations, academic institutions and the general public with a general interest in linkages between food security, and human and economic development.
Compared to the figures collected for the period 1990-92, the number of undernourished people has declined by 132 million. This is more than previously expected. The report is optimistic that the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving the share of the world’s hungry could be within reach if this rate of decline continues until 2015, and adequate measures are taken. In reality however, progress in reducing hunger has slowed since 2007-08, and now levelled off. Looking at different regions, the situation has improved in Asia and the Pacific, where undernourishment has decreased to 13.9%. Latin America and the Caribbean have also seen an improvement, with ‘only’ 8.3% of the population suffering from hunger. In Africa, the number of hungry people has risen from 175 to 239 million – with more than one in four going hungry. In sub-Saharan Africa, hunger has been rising by 2% per year since 2007.
According to the authors, the report ‘State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012’ used updated information on population, food supply and distribution, as well as food losses. The methodology does not however fully capture the effects of the food price crisis of 2007-2008 or the short-term effects of recent food price surges.

domain: news


text:
Low commodity prices and higher financing
costs contribute to a fall in net income
Prices for aluminium averaged 9 percent lower in 2016 whilst prices for DAP and ammonia fell 30 percent and 31 percent respectively year-on-year.
However, as the year ended there were signs of recovery in commodity prices. We saw positive movements in aluminium and copper prices in the last quarter and the DAP market appeared to be stabilizing. The net effect of price movements in 2016 was such that despite increasing production across our business, we suffered a 13 percent drop in revenues.
EBITDA remains steady
We succeeded in offsetting the impact of this drop in revenues to a large degree through the realization of further cost savings throughout the year and maintained our EBITDA in line with 2015. Our focus on efficiency and efforts to identify further cost saving opportunities continue under a formal program that we adopted during the year. We are confident that this program will help us enhance our cashflow position further in 2017.
Our net income was also impacted by higher depreciation charges and increased finance charges. The higher depreciation charges were the result of the successful commercialization of major projects during the year: our largest gold mine, Ad Duwayhi, in April 2016, and our bauxite mine and alumina refinery in October 2016. The full impact of the depreciation charges for these businesses will be felt in 2017.
The impact of the debt associated with these projects – particularly the bauxite mine and alumina refinery – also had a bearing on our income statement for the first time in 2016 when they entered commercial operation.
This was compounded by other market factors. The financial markets saw increased costs of borrowing during the year, particularly in the Kingdom. The Saudi Arabian Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR) increased substantially during 2016 as liquidity tightened, and it contributed significantly to the increase in our financing costs. The liquidity situation in the Kingdom started to ease in the fourth quarter and SIBOR has reduced. However, the outlook for interest rates appears to have increased upside risk, with markets expecting that US interest rates will rise further in 2017.
With a relatively high level of leverage, we continue to plan carefully to ensure that Ma’aden achieves an optimal debt structure and at the same time maintain our liquidity to manage the pressure on our cashflow in this low commodity price environment. We also continue to explore means to optimize our debt portfolio through refinancing. We achieved this with one of our subsidiaries – Ma’aden Phosphate Company – in early 2016, and we continue to look to develop new debt sources that can help to reduce our reliance on floating rate bank debt.
Transition to IFRS
An important step for Ma’aden in 2017 will be our transition to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) framework. This transition has led to a number of changes in our financial reporting practices. In particular, we are adopting a new methodology in respect of considering possible impairments to our assets.
This new approach has led to the impairment of some of our assets. This largely reflects current market conditions. We remain committed to realizing the fullest possible value from these assets and are working to ensure that they reach their full potential. Our move to adopt IFRS reporting standards is an important part of ensuring that we meet global standards in achieving higher levels of transparency.
We continue to strengthen our investor relations activities by actively engaging with our existing shareholders through direct interactions and by improving the access to information through new technology platforms. There are signs of a market upturn as we enter 2017, but we expect any recovery to be gradual. In any case, our focus on sustaining operations efficiency and controlling operating and capital spending will remain as we continue to grow. Regardless of the market conditions, this will benefit us not only in 2017, but in the years ahead.
Consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2016
The table above discloses the movement on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis and only those movements that are significant in monetary terms (i.e. more than 10 percent) are analyzed and discussed in the corresponding explanatory notes in the audited consolidated financial statements.
The total consolidated sales decreased in 2016 by SAR1,450 million, driven by a decrease in average realized price of all products except gold despite an increase in volume sold of all products except aluminium and industrial minerals. The decrease in consolidated sales resulted mainly from the decrease in average realized prices of:
• aluminium (9%)
• phosphate fertilizer (30%),
• ammonia (31%).
Sales breakdown between international and domestic sales
Aluminium sales representing 45 percent of the total consolidated sales for 2016 declined by 11 percent (SAR511 million) due to lower average realized price by US$177/MT (equivalent to SAR664/MT) (price effect of SAR447 million) and also lower quantity sold by 8 KMT (volume effect of SAR64 million).
Phosphate fertilizer sales
Ammonium phosphate fertilizer sales representing 34 percent of the total consolidated sales for 2016 declined by 29 percent (SAR1,302 million) due to a lower average realized price by US$137 /MT (equivalent to SAR514/MT) (price effect of SAR1,374 million) despite an increase in quantity sold by 42 KMT (volume effect of SAR72 million).
Ammonia sales representing 8 percent of the total consolidated sales for 2016 increased by 7 percent (SAR54 million) due to an increase in quantity sold by 254 KMT (volume effect of SAR420 million) set-off by the lower average realized price by US$136 / MT (equivalent to SAR510/MT) (price effect of SAR366 million).
Gold sales representing 11 percent of the total consolidated sales for 2016 increased by 49 percent (SAR344 million) due to an increase in quantity sold by 59,639 ounces (volume effect of SAR255 million) resulting mainly from the commencement of commercial production and sales at Ad Duwayhi mine on April 1, 2016. Furthermore, the average realized price per ounce sold increased by US$105 per ounce (equivalent to SAR394 per ounce) (price effect of SAR89 million).
Industrial minerals sales
Industrial mineral sales representing 2 percent of the total consolidated sales for 2016 declined by 19 percent (SAR35 million) mainly due to lower quantity sold by 291 KMT (volume effect of SAR38 million) set-off by an increase in average realized price of LGB and kaolin by US$2 /MT (equivalent to SAR8/MT) (price effect of SAR3 million).
Cost of sales decreased by SAR1,057 million year-on-year attributed to a decrease in average unit cost of production of all products, except gold and industrial minerals and also due to a favorable economies of scale volume effect for aluminium and ammonium phosphate fertilizer.
Aluminium cost of sales
Aluminium cost of sales decreased by SAR880 million mainly due to lower average unit cost per MT by US$176 /MT (equivalent to SAR660/MT) resulting from increased efficiency and cost improvements and also due to lower quantity sold by 8KMT.
Phosphate fertilizer cost of sales
Phosphate fertilizer cost of sales decreased by SAR497 million mainly due to lower average unit cost per MT by US$43 /MT (equivalent to SAR161/MT) resulting from increase efficiency and cost improvements.
Ammonia cost of sales
Ammonia cost of sales increased by SAR73 million mainly due to an increase in quantity sold by 254 KMT set-off by a decrease in average unit cost per MT by US$20 /MT (equivalent to SAR75/MT).
Gold cost of sales increased by SAR254 million due to an increase in quantity sold by 59,639 ounces resulting from the commencement of commercial production and sales at Ad Duwayhi mine on April 1, 2016. Furthermore, the average cost per ounce sold increased by 17 percent due to higher on mine cost from Ad Duwayhi, Sukhaybarat and Mahad mines.
industrial minerals cost of sales
Industrial minerals’ cost of sales decreased by SAR7 million (12 percent) mainly due to due to lower quantity sold by 291 KMT in 2016.
The decrease of SAR122 million (23 percent) was mainly caused by a decrease in contracted, freight and overhead expenses of aluminium sales, decrease in deductibles and marketing expenses of phosphate sales and also a decrease in MRC product development cost.
The decrease of SAR115 million (26 percent) was mainly caused by reduction in personnel, contracted and overhead expenses.
The decrease of SAR93 million (65 percent) was mainly caused by reduction in personnel, contracted and overhead expenses and also due to a decrease of SAR20 million resulted from the impairment of exploration and evaluation assets that were charged during 2015.
The increase of SAR48 million mainly resulted from the write-off of certain assets in MGBM during 2016.
Share in net loss of jointly controlled entities represents Ma’aden’s share of 50 percent in the net income / (loss) of joint venture entities namely:
• Sahara and Ma’aden Petrochemicals Company (SAMAPCO), a joint venture between Ma’aden and Sahara Petrochemicals Company
• Ma’aden Barrick Copper Company (MBCC), a joint venture between Ma’aden and Barrick Middle East PTY Limited
The decrease of SAR18 million (20 percent) was caused by a decrease in the share in net loss of SAMAPCO decreased by SAR14 million compared to 2015 and an increase in the share of net income of MBCC amounted to SAR4 million resulting from the commencement of commercial production on July 1, 2016.
The increase of SAR116 million mainly resulted from an increased investment of excess fund in short-term deposits by Ma’aden Corporate during 2016.
The increase of SAR375 million (83 percent) mainly resulted from the repayment of loan in full by MPC under Common Term Agreement (CTA) with a consortium of financial institutions which was replaced by a Murabaha Financing Agreement (MFA) with Murabaha facility participants signed on February 25, 2016. Furthermore, increase in SIBOR/LIBOR rates and financial charges attributed to MBAC since the commencement of commercial operations on October 1, 2016 also contributed to increase in financial charges.
Other income declined by SAR23 million (41 percent) mainly due to MAC and MPC insurance claims recorded in 2015.
The basic and diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing the net income attributable to the shareholders of the parent company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the financial year under review.
The weighted average number of ordinary shares for 2016 and 2015 total to 1,168,478,261 shares.
* Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortization of Intangible assets does not tie in with Note 2 since this represents the total depreciation and amortization which includes depreciation and amortization charged to cost of sales, general and administrative expenses and exploration and technical services expenses.
Consolidated statement of financial position as at December 31, 2016
Current assets increased by SAR1,255 million in 2016 and comprises mainly the following:
- Cash and cash equivalents in 2016 were SAR4,370 million compared to SAR4,308 million in 2015 (an increase of SAR62 million) mainly due to an increase in Corporate short-term cash deposits, off-set by the utilization of funds by MRC and MBAC for the project development.
- Short-term investments in 2016 were SAR2,711 million compared to SAR899 million in 2015 (an increase of SAR1,812 million) mainly due to Corporate short-term cash deposits resulting from the receipt of contractual dues from joint venture partners during the year.
- Trade and other receivables in 2016 were SAR1,273 million compared to SAR1,252 million in 2015 (an increase of SAR21 million) attributable to increased sales of products and also due to an increase in other receivables of SAR29 million from SABIC, set-off by a reduction in withholding tax receivable by SAR32 million and reduction in insurance claims of MPC by SAR13 million.
Inventories in 2016 were SAR3,116 million compared to SAR2,942 million in 2015 (an increase of SAR174 million) mainly resulting from an increase in raw materials of aluminium companies.
The increase of SAR12,205 million is mainly attributed to addition and transfer of assets from capital work-in-progress / inventory of SAR14,736 million reduced by assets written-off / adjusted during the year of SAR44 million and depreciation charge for the year of SAR2,487 million.
- During the year addition and transfer of assets from capital work-in-progress / inventory of SAR14,736 million comprise of:
- MGBM contributed an increase of SAR2,100 million relating to the assets capitalised for Ad Duwayhi mine due to commencement of commercial production on April 1, 2016 and also for the water pipeline.
- MBAC contributed an increase of SAR12,240 million relating to the assets capitalised due to commencement of commercial production on October 1, 2016
- MPC contributed an increase of SAR323 million relating mainly to fixed plant and civil works.
- MAC contributed an increase of SAR54 million relating mainly to mobile workshop and laboratory equipments.
- Remaining increase of SAR19 million was accounted for by MIC pertaining to buildings and civil works.
During the year the following movements occurred:
- SAR14,457 million was transferred from capital work- in- progress to property, plant and equipment mainly due to commencement of commercial production at Ad Duwayhi gold mine and MBAC.
- SAR8,976 million additions, of which SAR7,650 million was attributed to phosphate segment, mainly MWSPC, SAR955 million to aluminum companies, SAR127 million to Corporate, SAR207 million to MGBM and SAR26 million to IMC and SAR11 million to MIC
- SAR40 million transferred to intangible assets, advances to contractors utilized during the year amounted to a SAR210 million and assets written-off amounted to SAR34 million for certain assets in MGBM.
The increase of SAR37 million is mainly attributed to additions in MGBM relating to Mansourah, Massarah and Ar Rujm gold projects amounting to SAR23 million and for the phosphate project 3, amounting to SAR14 million.
Current liabilities decreased by SAR1,644 million in 2016 and comprise mainly of the following:
- Projects and other payables were SAR1,408 million compared to SAR1,810 million in 2015 (a decrease of SAR402 million). The decrease was mainly attributable to lower projects and other payables in aluminium companies and MWSPC.
- Accrued expenses were SAR2,629 million compared to SAR4,521 million in 2015 (a decrease of SAR1,892 million). The decrease was mainly attributable to lower project accrual in aluminum companies and MWSPC.
- Current portion of long-term borrowings were SAR2,753 million compared to SAR2,131 million in 2015 (an increase of SAR622 million). The increase was mainly attributable to MRC (SAR441 million), MBAC (SAR339 million), MGBM (SAR78 million), MIC (SAR78 million) and MPC (SAR60 million) whereas a reduction in MAC (SAR374 million).
- Zakat and severance fees payable were SAR85 million and SAR8 million compared to SAR51 million and SAR16 million respectively in 2015 (an increase of SAR26 million)
Other non-current liabilities increased by SAR826 million mainly due to an increase in project and other payables of MWSPC which represents the project retention payables amounting to SAR1,907 million in 2016 compared to SAR1,130 million in 2015, an increase of SAR77 million.
Darren C. Davis
Senior Vice President Finance
and Chief Financial Officer

domain: finance


text:
Not only the youngsters, even activity of coloring sheets is really a fun-driven hobby for your parents and teachers alike. They also draw joy and greatly entertain from all of these most productive things, by arranging, garnering, and providing these coloring page with their kids. As it isn’t a matter of seconds and minutes, additionally, it takes the required time and care. So it aptly engrosses the elders from the family similar to the children, by either having the coloring printouts from computer, or by carrying your sons or daughters to commercial stores to be. Thus, it can be a tremendously an amusing hobby for all ages of life.
Internet entirely deserves our thankfulness, to create our task easier by giving diverse themes, types and styles based coloring Page. As to get coloring-Pages is currently a few minutes from the net, otherwise the parents or teachers were required to spare massive time and effort. Coloring Sheets greatly enhance our children’s artistic thrust and promote the imaginative creativity inside them. Wait there exists still more to coloring than meets the eye. Teaching your child to savor coloring sheets also encourage a multitude of development skills including coordination, and decision-making in addition to how to continue and finished their it.
Possibly, you could think that when he prepares the most effective samples of it, it can be sufficient and ideal. No that is not the situation, teaching your baby or ones to really look for their particular coloring pages introduce children to the Internet. By teaching these phones achieve this, your infant will build up hand eyes coordination utilizing the keyboard and mouse. Their skills on the best way to search for that information actually trying to find will prove to be invaluable in latter years. Before long I’m sure your son or daughter will start to teach you a few things about the Internet that you did not know.
It isn’t something a pursuit of everyday life, even it could be a ideal thing for your kids’s birthday celebration. You can use your free coloring sheet to possess a coloring contest where of course everyone wins a prize as another fun activity. Keep in mind that they are coloring page which you’ll stay in your kid’s scrapbook forever. This simple activity will become something can be passed down from generation to generation.


[Source: Emirates Team New Zealand] Progress continues for Emirates Team New Zealand with several of the sailing team in the UK for a testing session onboard the new AC45 ‘F’ catamaran.
Progress continues for Emirates Team New Zealand with several of the sailing team in the UK for a testing session onboard the new AC45 ‘F’ catamaran.
The AC45 ’F’ for ‘foiling’, is a natural progression of the non foiling model used in the last America’s Cup World Series, and has now been converted to a fully foiling catamaran that will race starting at the first World Series event in Portsmouth in July
It is not Emirates Team New Zealand’s first involvement in the AC45F; designers Neil Wilkinson and Chris Mellow played major roles in leading the conversion to make the boats fly. Wilkinson lead the design of the new foil control system while Chris Mellow lead the project management of the entire process.
“The new foiling version of the AC45 catamaran has brought the boats in line with current foiling technology,” said Glenn Ashby who was in Southampton accompanied by Jeremy Lomas and Richard Meacham as they were given a short and intense shore side session examining Ben Ainslie Racing’s own AC45F.
A strange scenario it seems, but the event wasn’t exclusively for Emirates Team New Zealand. All teams were permitted time to study the new features, systems and deck layout which make the ‘F’ foil as part of preparation for the first hit out in two months time.
It is the understanding of the onboard working systems and the subsequent conversion to crew dynamics, which will give any team an advantage in the one design class.
“It has been an extremely valuable few days here in Southampton having the opportunity to assess, test and sail with the new foiling AC45F class boat,” said Glenn Ashby.
The sailing sessions gave the sailing team a taste of action to come, “The racing will be fantastic on these boats and having full foiling reaching starts to mark 1 and then downwind to the gate in a fleet environment will be extremely exciting.”
“The boats are very challenging to sail and operating the dagger boards rake and up/down in the manoeuvres accurately around the course will be key to a good performance.”
“We are grateful to the guys at BAR for their hospitality and assistance over the past few days which allowed various sailing team representatives to be able to sail and learn about how we will need to prepare for the first event.”
Emirates Team New Zealand have a planned training camp on the teams own AC45F in late June which will be its only preparation before practice racing on the 24th July.


text:
Did the FDA just confirm that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has a toxic substance called Graphene Oxide?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : FDA Just Admitted Pfizer Vaccine Has Graphene Oxide!
People are sharing an article by The Expose (formerly Daily Expose), which claims that the FDA just confirmed that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has a toxic substance called Graphene Oxide!
Here is an excerpt from the really long article, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Recommended : Did Bill Gates Call For COVID-19 Vaccine Withdrawal?!
Truth : FDA Did Not Admit Pfizer Vaccine Has Graphene Oxide!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS by The Expose (formerly Daily Expose), and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Daily Expose Is A Fake News Website
It was founded in November 2020 by Jonathan Allen-Walker, a mechanic from Lincolnshire, and is infamous for publishing COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation that were quoted by Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, and Chinese state media.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from Daily Expose / The Expose. Here are some of its fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:
- Did Moderna CEO Know Pandemic Was Coming?!
- Did Bill Gates Call For COVID-19 Vaccine Withdrawal?!
- Shocking UK Report On COVID Vaccine Injuries?!
- UK Government Report On Pfizer Vaccine Adverse Reactions?
- Was Captured Canadian General In Charge Of NATO Biolab?!
- Did Pfizer Add Heart Attack Drug To COVID Vaccine For Kids?
- Pfizer Secretly Added Tromethamine To COVID-19 Vaccine For Kids?
Fact #2 : FDA Did Not Try To Delay Release Of Pfizer Vaccine Safety Data
The Expose falsely claimed that the FDA attempted to delay the release of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine safety data for 75 years.
For one thing – Pfizer publicly released its COVID-19 vaccine trial results and safety data (PDF download) for the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) on 10 December 2020.
Also, the 75 year claim was the “interpretation” of Aaron Siri, the lawyer working for PHMPT (Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency) – the group requesting the data that the FDA used to licence the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
And that was because the PHMPT insisted on asking for everything related to the approval process, not just what Pfizer released to the FDA, including “all correspondence and written summaries of oral discussions”.
You can read more about this nonsensical 75 year delay claim in our article, Did FDA Ask For 75 Years To Release Pfizer Vaccine Data?!
Fact #4 : Pfizer Document Does Not Refer To Vaccine Components
The Pfizer document that The Expose claim was “proof” that graphene oxide was used in the manufacturing process of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is nothing of the sort.
The document doesn’t show that graphene oxide was used to create or manufacture the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Neither does it show that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contains graphene oxide.
In fact, the document does not even refer to the components of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at all!
Rather, the document describes how Pfizer scientists analysed the structural and biophysical characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (P2 S) that the vaccine produces in our cells.
The study then determines if the vaccine antigen that is produced by the body accurately replicates the ACE2 binding site and other epitopes (part of an antigen that produces an immune response) targeted by neutralising antibodies.
If you read Section 3.2 of the Pfizer PF-07302048 document (PDF download), it will explain how the scientists obtained those P2 S spike proteins from Expi293F embryonic kidney cells used for research.
Section 3.3 then explains how they used the P2 S spike proteins to test binding kinetics – to see how quickly they bind to human ACE2 and a neutralising monoclonal antibody.
It is fascinating how The Expose missed all that…
Fact #5 : Graphene Oxide Was Only Used In Electron Microscopy
Now, we come to Section 3.4, which The Expose claims is evidence that “Graphene Oxide is required to manufacture the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine because it is needed as a base for the lipid nanoparticles“.
That’s utter nonsense, because the section title specifically referred to Cryogenic Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) of the P2 S spike protein. In other words – Section 3.4 detailed how Pfizer scientists used cryogenic electron microscopy to determine its 3D structure.
Graphene oxide is commonly used in cryogenic electron microscopy to fix the sample onto a meshed grid before it is frozen to extremely low temperatures for the electron microscope to take its images.
Here is an example of a gold Quantifoil R1.2/1.3 300 mesh grid coated with graphene oxide – similar or even exactly what Pfizer scientists used:
As the Pfizer document detailed, its scientists applied 4 μL of the purified P2 S spike protein sample onto two gold Quantifoil R1.2/1.3 300 mesh grids overlaid with graphene oxide.
After blotting the sample and plunge-freezing it in liquid ethane, the Titan Krios electron microscope took 27,701 micrographs, to determine the 3D structure of the spike protein that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine produces in our cells.
Page 11 of the Pfizer PF-07302048 document actually shows how they created the 3D structure of the P2 S spike protein using those images from the cryogenic electron microscope.
It is fascinating how The Expose missed this…
Recommended : MIT Professor Retsef Levi Vaccine Claims Examined!
Fact #6 : Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Contain Graphene Oxide
Anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists have been claiming for years that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contains graphene oxide, and they have never been able to prove that to date.
And this new claim is no different. That’s because there is NO graphene oxide in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to the tozinameran mRNA vaccine, each vial contains these excipients (inactive substances).
- ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate) (ALC-0315)
- 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide (ALC-0159)
- 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC)
- Trometamol hydrochloride
- Water for injections
The first four are components of the lipid nanoparticles that protect the delicate mRNA vaccine. Trometamol, which is also known as tromethamine or Tris, is a buffer to maintain the vaccine’s pH level, and stabilise the nucleic acid macromolecules.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine does not contain graphene oxide, because the vaccine does not require it.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
- Lance Reddick : Cause Of Death Was Heart Disease!
- Did Lance Reddick Die Suddenly From Vaccine SADS?!
- Did Cristiano Ronaldo Just Die In Tragic Car Accident?!
- Did Coolio Die From COVID-19 Vaccine SADS?!
- Did Andrew Dodson Die Suddenly From Vaccine?!
If you like our work, please support us by visiting our sponsors, or donating to our fund. Thank you!


MLB roundup: Strasburg, Washington Nationals defeat Baltimore Orioles
WASHINGTON - Stephen Strasburg hit his first major league home run and struck out eight in five innings to carry the Washington Nationals past the Baltimore Orioles, 9-3, on Sunday.
Strasburg sent a 0-2 pitch from Wei-Yin Chen into the Baltimore bullpen in the fourth inning to put the Nationals ahead 5-3. After dusting off his home run trot and returning to the dugout, Strasburg responded to a curtain call by waving to the crowd of 41,918.
The hard-throwing Strasburg singled and scored in the third inning, then followed a shot by Jesus Flores with one of his own in the fourth.
Since returning from elbow ligament replacement surgery last September, Strasburg is 5-2 with a 1.99 ERA in 14 starts.
¦ Tigers 4, Pirates 3: In Detroit, Max Scherzer struck out 15 - the most by a Detroit pitcher in 40 years - and the Tigers rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to beat Pittsburgh.
¦ Marlins 5, Indians 3: In Cleveland, Josh Johnson twice worked out of jams to earn his second straight win and help Miami win an interleague series with Cleveland.
Johnson (2-3) allowed one run and five hits over seven innings as Miami took two of three from the Indians and improved to 14-5 in May, the best record in the majors this month.
¦ Red Sox 5, Phillies 1: In Philadelphia, Josh Beckett pitched 7.2 strong innings and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a three-run homer to lead Boston over Philadelphia.
Beckett (4-4) allowed one run on seven hits Sunday while striking out five and walking two.
Adrian Gonzalez went 2 for 4 and now is 9 for 16 lifetime against Phillies lefty Cliff Lee.
¦ Braves 2, Rays 0: In St. Petersburg, Fla., Tim Hudson scattered four hits over 7.2 innings and David Ross homered to lead Atlanta over Tampa Bay.
Hudson (3-1), who is 8-1 overall against the Rays, retired nine in a row before Ben Zobrist opened the fourth with a line single to right.
¦ Brewers 16, Twins 4: In Milwaukee, Jonathan Lucroy homered twice and had a career-high seven RBIs, and Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to lead Milwaukee over Minnesota.
Lucroy connected on an 0-2 pitch from Jeff Gray in the seventh inning for his first career grand slam. He also had a solo homer in the first and an RBI single in the second.
¦ Padres 3, Angels 2 (13): In San Diego, pitcher Clayton Richard scored the winning run from first base on an error with two outs in the 13th inning to lift San Diego over Los Angeles.
By taking two of three from the Angels, the Padres had their first winning homestand of the season, going 3-2 against the Dodgers and Angels.
¦ Mets 6, Blue Jays 5: In Toronto, Mike Baxter had three hits and came within a home run of the cycle, and Dillon Gee won for the first time in four starts as New York held on to beat Toronto.
New York third baseman David Wright went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a walk, raising his majors-leading average to .412. Wright also struck out twice, once with the bases loaded.
Jose Bautista homered for Toronto, his 11th, but the Blue Jays' win streak ended at four.
¦ Reds 5, Yankees 2: In New York, Johnny Cueto pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Ryan Ludwick delivered two big hits and Cincinnati closed its extended trip to New York with a win.
The Reds rallied late against CC Sabathia, sending the Yankees to their fifth loss in six games. Aroldis Chapman closed it out as Cincinnati took two of three at Yankee Stadium, right after splitting a pair at Citi Field against the Mets.
¦ Athletics 6, Giants 2: In San Francisco, Collin Cowgill drove in the go-ahead runs and scored in a home plate collision with pitcher Tim Lincecum as Oakland snapped an 11-game skid in San Francisco.
Cowgill capped a four-run fourth inning against Lincecum and the collision put a scare into San Francisco and its struggling ace. The diminutive Lincecum tried to block the plate after a wild pitch, taking a helmet to the face and falling backward when Cowgill slid into him.
¦ Mariners 6, Rockies 4: In Denver, Jesus Montero and Justin Smoak hit back-to-back home runs, Blake Beavan tied a season-high with seven strikeouts and Seattle beat Colorado to complete a three-game sweep.
Mike Carp also homered and Dustin Ackley had two hits for the Mariners.
¦ Diamondbacks 2, Royals 0: In Kansas City, Mo., Wade Miley pitched seven sharp innings and John McDonald drove in the first run with a bunt single to lead Arizona over Kansas City.
Miley (5-1) limited the Royals to five hits while throwing 99 pitches.
¦ White Sox 6, Cubs 0: In Chicago, Jake Peavy pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and Adam Dunn hit his 14th homer to help the White Sox complete a three-game sweep of their crosstown rivals.
¦ Dodgers 6, Cardinals 5: In Los Angeles, pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke his first major league homer, a go-ahead three-run shot in the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Kyle Lohse allowed three runs and 11 hits over 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and left with a 5-3 lead.
Javy Guerra (2-3) got the win.


text:
The Code of Federal Regulations Title 20 contains the codified Federal laws and regulations that are in effect as of the date of the publication pertaining to Federally-mandated employee benefits, such as workers' compensation, Social Security, Veterans' employment benefits, etc.For the purposes of the Acts cited and this parta Act means as appropriate the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (26 U.S.C. 3301a ... (2) For each calendar year during the selected time period, calculate the benefit-cost ratio, as defined in As 606.3; and (3) Average the ... Fiscal year means the Federal fiscal year which begins on October 1 of a year and ends on September 30, of the next succeeding year.
|Title||:||Title 20 Employees' Benefits Parts 500 to 656 (Revised as of April 1, 2014)|
|Author||:||Office of The Federal Register, Enhanced by IntraWEB, LLC|
|Publisher||:||IntraWEB, LLC - 2014-04-01|


text:
Sir Clive Woodward has hailed England's "extremely talented squad" ahead of their Rugby World Cup opener in Japan. But the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach has warned players not to get ahead of themselves in the pool stage. The Rugby World Cup got under way on Friday with hosts Japan comfortably beating Russia 30-10 at the Tokyo Stadium. Eddie Jones' men begin their World Cup campaign against Tonga on Sunday morning, where they are favourites in Pool C. And Woodward knows England must get past the pool stage before thinking too far ahead. Woodward told the Daily Mail: "England have the quality and strength in depth to win this World Cup. I have no problem with them saying that, but they must not get ahead of themselves. "England's total focus over the next three weeks must be the pool games and the initial challenge is those opening two in five days against Tonga and USA. "I don't want to see England easing into the tournament. "I want them to hit the ground running and to use their … [Read more...] about Sir Clive Woodward sends warning to England ahead of Rugby World Cup opener
Infrastructure about rugby world cup 2019
SAY what you like about Eddie Jones but when he puts a date in his diary, it is written in red letters and underlined in triplicate. On the day he was unveiled as England’s head coach almost four years ago, the visionary Aussie announced his new team would be crowned world champions in Yokohama at around 8pm local time on November 2, 2019. Today, Jones — destiny’s child — fully expects to embrace that momentous fate. Yet the path to glory left a trail of destruction, thanks to this devilish Tasmanian’s relentless pursuit of perfection. Jones has capped a staggering 129 PLAYERS since his first match against Scotland in February 2016 and his backroom staff has been through several significant changes, too. His obsessive, exhausting methods owe much to chaos theory. Yet here we are with England facing South Africa as clear favourites in today’s World Cup final — proving method in his apparent madness.Jones is a restless man. Half-Japanese, he … [Read more...] about Rugby World Cup: Eddie Jones predicted England would be crowned world champions in Yokohama on day he was appointed
HEARTBROKEN Dylan Hartley admits missing out on England’s Rugby World Cup squad feels like DYING! The Northampton Saints star was not selected for Eddie Jones’ 31-man squad which flew to Japan this week due to an ongoing left-knee injury. In his first interview this year, the ex-England captain revealed his anguish at not making the sport’s biggest tournament. Hartley said: “When the World Cup squad was announced, it was almost like I’d died. “Friends were getting in touch and seeing if I was OK. But I’ve actually had time to prepare for how that was going to go. “I tried a very aggressive approach with my knee, because I was given deadlines to meet.“The approach didn’t work. I ended up in a worse position for trying to come back too early. “Ever since that happened, I knew I wasn’t going to make the deadline. “It was around the start of the camps in July. I tried getting back for that and put myself in a … [Read more...] about Rugby World Cup: Heartbroken Dylan Hartley admits he ‘almost died’ after being left out of England squad
ENGLAND are on the verge of a second Rugby World Cup success as they prepare to face South Africa in Saturday's final. Often with major sporting successes, like the 2012 Olympic gold medallists, honours are handed out to further celebrate their achievements - but can Eddie Jones receive one as he is not English? Can Eddie Jones be knighted? Sir Clive Woodward received a knighthood upon winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and so Eddie Jones could expect to be awarded one should he guide the current England crop to victory against South Africa. But Jones has one stumbling block - he is not English. Thankfully for Jones, he is eligible for full honours because his home nation Australia remains a part of the Commonwealth. The England coach is able to receive a knighthood in his own country, which are often presented on Australia Day (January 26) or in the Queen's Birthday Honours.These will not carry the British styled prefix of Sir - but he can still become Sir Eddie Jones. Should he … [Read more...] about Can Eddie Jones be knighted, will England Rugby World Cup players be honoured, and what happened to 2003 winning side?
EDDIE JONES will be taking his England side into their first Rugby World Cup final in 12 years as they face South Africa. His side inflicted a sensational win over New Zealand in the semi-final and he will know more of the same is required against the Springboks. Where was Eddie Jones born? The England coach was born in Tasmania, Australia in January 1960 to an Australian father and Japanese-American mother. Prior to his coaching career he had an average time as player where between 1987-1989 he performed 12 times as hooker for New South Wales - despite not being capped for Australia he did feature against the British and Irish Lions in 1989. Following this brief stint, like that of Joe Schmidt and even his predecessor Graham Henry, Jones started off as a teacher, before going into coaching. After starting his career at Japan as the assistant coach he began to make a name for himself with the Brumbies where he coached them to their first title in 2001.With the success at the Brumbies, … [Read more...] about Where was Eddie Jones born and which teams has England Rugby World Cup head coach coached before?

domain: sports


text:
All our dogs are adult "second chance" (rescue) dogs that we get through shelters, breeder donations, and owner-surrenders, (usually from the southern part of the US), which we then transport to be trained here. Finding the right dog takes an extensive search, and since we estimate about one out of a thousand dogs is appropriate for service dog work, we use the following steps:
1. We have a thorough checklist before we even meet the dog.
2. If the dog passes the checklist, we then we personally test the dog.
3. If the dog passes the test, then there's a month-long evaluation procedure.
4. If the dog passes the evaluation period, the dog becomes a candidate for training.

domain: pet


Helping To Educate Young Women in Tanzania
Note: March Communications was acquired by Walker Sands in August 2021.
I started my PR career at the UK charity ActionAid in 1993. I was a late graduate from University because my gap year turned into several gap years, which I filled with travels around the world, exploring different countries and cultures. It was during those travels that my social awareness was piqued by the painfully obvious and very real disparity between the haves and have-nots of the world.
Having grown up in South Africa, I have always had an affinity for the continent of Africa, which made ActionAid a good fit for me. I happened to be working in the press office at the time of the Rwanda and Burundi genocide of 1994, which saw over 800,000 people murdered across a three-month rampage because of their ethnic identity. This was my first exposure to the press and to crisis communications, and it was an experience that has sparked a life-long career in public relations ever since.
But I left ActionAid somewhat disillusioned with the charity sector. It seemed to me at the time that a lot of money was raised, but not enough made it to the causes being championed. In hindsight, this was somewhat naïve, because obviously you need quality people to run an organization like that, and many who were doing so joined on much less money that they could perhaps have received in the commercial sector. So, I ended up moving to a specialist travel PR agency where I was able to work on an incredible project, that was both historically significant and something that personally resonated with my own upbringing. In this new role, I helped to organize the very first post-apartheid press tour to South Africa with the South African Tourism Board. Only, I didn’t get to go because I was too lowly at the time!
There are a lot of parallels with the struggles epitomized by today’s Black Lives Matter movement and the post-apartheid reality of many South Africans. I remember pictures of township people camping at the end of the long driveways of South Africa’s rich white folk in the belief that once apartheid was in the past, they could rightfully claim these houses. Needless to say, that did not happen. Racism prevails still in some parts of society there, where the rich white men and women of then largely remain the rich white men and women of now. Sound familiar?
Having visited Tanzania in 2016 with my extended family, I jumped at the opportunity to join the board of The Africa Exchange Project, a metro-west based non-profit that aims to increase the cultural understanding between Tanzania and America, with has a special focus on helping young women with education and healthcare needs. It fulfills a promise I made to myself when I left ActionAid – that I would gain experience in the commercial sector and reenter the charity world at a more senior level, where I would be better able to effect change.
We recently produced a short video highlighting the Barnabas Chavala Scholarship for Girls, a program that helps fund secondary school educations for young girls and women, something that has faced many challenges in Tanzania and across Africa generally. The predominance of patriarchal systems with a fundamental and ingrained socio-cultural bias that favors male members of the family persists. For a young woman trying to complete her education, this presents numerous roadblocks and denied opportunities. From early marriage and/or early pregnancy, greater relative responsibility for domestic and subsistence duties compared to male family members, relative undernourishment (as males often receive a greater share of household food), and the overall perception that investing in male education should be prioritized as it is more likely to result in financial gain for the family, are but a few of these.
At March, we are also trying to challenge the status quo that exists in our industry and across business in general. There is a stark lack of diversity in many technology companies – and it’s not necessarily due to racist bias in hiring policies; its largely due to the fact that endemic racism in US society means that there are so many obstacles for people of color, that there aren’t even candidates to consider in most instances for jobs that are open in the communications and technology sector.


text:
A Lovely and Commodious 2 Bedroom flat, with an open plan living room and dining room space. Situated near Wapping and Shadwell Station, which connects you to the centre of London. Boasting wonderful views of Shadwell Water Basin. A stones throw away from the River Thames, which is perfect for anyone wanting to be close to the heart of London with a little touch of nature.
Gratis parkering på stedet

domain: geography


text:
About Hull New Theatre
Hull New Theatre is one of Hull’s premium venues for showing high-profile theatre productions. It opened in 1939 as a successor to the Hull Repertory Theatre Company and has since welcomed many of London’s West End hit shows including The Sound of Music, Fame The Musical, Rock of Ages and Jersey Boys.
With a capacity of 1,159, it’s also one of the largest show theatres in the region. It’s owned and operated by Hull City Council and is currently under an extensive £11m refurbishment – set to reopen in September 2017.


A method for solving the inverse kinematic problem of determining the velocity characteristic of a medium from a vertical seismic survey, is proposed. It is based on the combined use of the eikonal equation and spline methods of approximation for multivariable functions. The problem is solved by assuming a horizontally stratified medium; no assumptions about the number of layers and their thickness are made. First, using the data of the first arrival times of the seismic signal from several shotpoints, which are registered by detectors located in the vertical borehole, a spline approximating the function of first arrival time of the signal from source points to any point in the Earth subsurface is constructed. Then with the help of the eikonal equation, the characteristic of the medium around the borehole is determined. Numerical experiments on the model and the real data show high efficiency of the proposed method.


text:
MSF Suspends Work in Detention Centers in Misrata
Because detainees are being tortured and denied urgent medical care, MSF is suspending operations in Misrata's detention centers.
Libya 2011 © MSF
TRIPOLI/BRUSSELS/NEW YORK, JANUARY 26, 2012 – Detainees in the Libyan city of Misrata are being tortured and denied urgent medical care, leading the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend its operations in detention centers in Misrata, MSF announced today.
MSF teams began working in Misrata’s detention centers in August, 2011, to treat war-wounded detainees. Since then, MSF doctors had been increasingly confronted with patients who suffered injuries caused by torture during interrogation sessions. The interrogations were held outside the detention centers. In total, MSF treated 115 people who had torture-related wounds. The organization reported all the cases to the relevant authorities in Misrata. Since January, several of the patients returned to interrogation centers were again tortured.
“Some officials have sought to exploit and obstruct MSF’s medical work,” said MSF general director Christopher Stokes. “Patients were brought to us in the middle of interrogation for medical care, in order to make them fit for further interrogation. This is unacceptable. Our role is to provide medical care to war casualties and sick detainees, not to repeatedly treat the same patients between torture sessions.”
MSF medical teams were also asked to treat patients inside the interrogation centers, which the organization categorically refused.
The most alarming case occurred on January 3, when MSF doctors treated a group of 14 detainees who returned to a detention facility from an interrogation center. Despite previous MSF demands for the immediate end of torture, 9 of the 14 detainees had suffered numerous injuries and displayed obvious signs of torture.
The MSF team informed the National Army Security Service—the agency responsible for interrogations—that a number of patients needed to be transferred to hospitals for urgent and specialized care. All but one of the detainees were again deprived of essential medical care and were subjected to renewed interrogations and torture outside the detention centers.
After meeting with various authorities, MSF sent an official letter on January 9 to the Misrata Military Council, the Misrata Security Committee, the National Army Security Service, and the Misrata Local Civil Council, again demanding an immediate stop to any form of ill treatment of detainees.
“No concrete action has been taken,” said Christopher Stokes. “Instead, our team received four new torture cases. We have therefore come to the decision to suspend our medical activities in the detention centers.”
MSF has been present in Misrata since April 2011, following the outbreak of conflict in Libya. Since August 2011, MSF has worked in Misrata’s detention centers, treating war-wounded, performing surgeries, and providing orthopedic follow-up care to people who had suffered bone fractures. MSF medical teams have carried out 2,600 consultations, including 311 for violent trauma.
MSF will continue its mental health activities in schools and health facilities in Misrata, and will continue to assist 3,000 African migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons in and around Tripoli.
MSF is an international medical humanitarian organization that has worked in Libya since February, 2011. To ensure the independence of its medical work, MSF relies solely on private donations to finance its activities in Libya and does not accept any funding from governments, donor agencies, or military or political groups.

domain: health


text: Effects of citropten, bergamottin and bergapten on IL-8 mRNA accumulation: semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. IB3-1 were treated with TNF-α in the presence of IC25 (a) or IC50 (b) concentrations of citropten, bergapten and bergamottin as indicated for 24 hours, RNA was extracted and RT-PCR performed with primers specific for IL-8 and β-actin RNA sequences. (-): untreated IB3-1 cells; (+): IB3-1 cells treated with TNF-α. Results represent the average ± S.D. of three independent experiments. For each experiment triplicate RT-PCR determinations were performed. (*) p < 0.05.

domain: chemistry


text: Frankincense and Myhrr scented soap provides an ancient and earthly aroma proven for royalty. Dizzy Doe’s signature product are delightful, natural, goat milk soaps. Our soaps are handcrafted with tried and true old world soponification methods using the finest ingredients to provide you a sensational bathing experience. Of course, all are natural with the benefits of goat’s milk, olive oil, and all of our scented soaps are made with essential oils, fragrance oils and mica pigments. 4oz handcut bars are individually wrapped and labeled. Ingredients: olive oil, pomace, coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, sweet almond oil, caster oil, vitamin E, goat milk, red wine, distilled water, glycerin, fragrance oil and mica pigment.


text:
The day is turning out to be quite gray and temperatures are below freezing. Will it snow today? Could we be so lucky? I'll keep you posted!
I made tuna cakes for dinner last night. Delaney seemed to like them just fine but it took William and Tinna at least 30 minutes to eat theirs. The cakes weren't bad, just a little dry. I served them on buns, with cheese for the kids, and I sprinkled mine with Old Bay. Corn on the side. I'll definitely make tuna cakes again but I'll have to tweak them a bit. I realized I pressed the tuna to get all of the water out and I shouldn't have done so. Recipe below.
Twinkies are going to school today. Delaney and I have to go get groceries. The girls pulled out all of the clothes in Tinna's closet last night while I was making dinner so now there is a huge mess to clean in their room. I informed Delaney last night that there would be no more computer time until it was taken care of. We'll see what happens after school today.
No luck on getting the video uploaded to YouTube. Not sure what is going on there. I'll keep trying, but don't hold your breath. I know the thing is about 3 minutes long and I'm sure the problem is not my impatience this time...I allowed the laptop to sit for about 2 hours yesterday. There's no way it should take that long to upload a 3 minute video!
iPod viewing last night: the pilot episode of "My So-Called Life" I can't tell you how much I love that show. Anyway, I'll be on a MSCL kick for awhile, I guess!
Tuna Patties Burgers Cakes.....something like that
9 patties 10 min 5 min prep
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna (drained, but not squeezed dry)
1 package seasoned stuffing mix (I used Cornbread stuffing, next time I'll try a different one)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dill weed (optional)
oil, to fry in
combine stuffing and seasoning packs (if separate) in a large bowl.
using a fork, thoroughly mix/mash together all ingredients (except oil).
shape into patties (I use my ice cream scoop and flatten the scoops into patties)
fry in a pan of hot oil until golden on each side (about 5 minutes).
serve with cocktail, tarter, or dill sauce, or put on a bun and have it your way!

domain: food


text:
Sweeping changes proposed for police force
Feb 08,2008 00:00
LONDON - A top British police adviser is calling for major cuts in spending and policing levels in England and Wales.
A report by Ronnie Flanagan, the Home Office adviser on policing, said many of the 140,000 jobs currently held by police officers could be done by civilians, The Times of London said Thursday.
Flanagan said the police force is burdened by layers of red tape that could be stripped back to free up 7 million hours of police time each year, the equivalent of 3,500 officers.
"There is widespread recognition amongst the leadership of the service that maintaining police numbers at their current level is not sustainable over the course of the next three years," he said in the report. "I am persuaded that we would not be making the most effective use of the resources dedicated to the police if police officer numbers were sustained at their current level."
Flanagan, a former Northern Ireland chief constable, said too much time was being spent recording unnecessary detail about some crimes. He also suggested changes that would standardize the policing manuals, forms and technology throughout Britain, the newspaper said.
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

domain: sociology


Two cosmonauts began the work needed to add a European-built robotic arm to the outside of the International Space Station on Monday (April 18), completing the first in as many as seven spacewalks planned to activate the new remote manipulator.
Expedition 67 flight engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev, both of Russia's federal space corporation Roscosmos, exited the station's Poisk module on the space-facing side of the station's Russian segment at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), beginning the 6 hour, 37-minute extravehicular activity (EVA).
The two spacewalkers then made their way to the side of the Nauka multi-purpose laboratory module, where the new arm has been mounted since its launch with the module in July 2021.
Once configured, the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Robotic Arm (ERA) will be the first such device able to service the exterior of the Russian segment on the International Space Station. The Canadarm2 and Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) on the station's U.S. Operating Segment (USOS) cannot extend out far enough to reach many of the needed areas on the Russian segment.
Like the Canadarm2, the ERA was designed with the ability to move like an inchworm, positioning hand-over-hand between fixed base points. The 37-foot-long (11.3 meters) robotic arm will be able to be driven by crew members from both inside and outside the space station.
To enable the latter, the first task for Artemyev and Matveev on Monday was to connect a control panel for the robotic arm on the exterior of the Nauka module. A subsequent diagnostics test confirmed that the EVA Man Machine Interface (EMMI) was receiving power and was in good order.
The two spacewalkers then worked on removing protective covers from payload interfaces and base points, which the arm will use to affix itself to the outside of the space station in the future. Artemyev and Matveev also removed a cover from the elbow of the ERA and installed three handrails to ease future work on and around the arm.
The cosmonauts completed their tasks by installing a portable workstation adapter near the arm, which will be used to house payloads before they are moved by the arm to various points outside of the station. Artemyev and Matveev reentered the Poisk module at 5:37 p.m. EDT (2137 GMT), bringing their spacewalk to an end.
Monday's EVA was the fourth in Artemyev's career, and the first for Matveev. Artemyev now has logged a total of 26 hours and 57 minutes working in the vacuum in space.
The spacewalk was the fourth outside of the International Space Station in 2022, the first during Expedition 67 and the 249th for assembly, maintenance and upgrades since 1998.
Artemyev and Matveev are scheduled to conduct another spacewalk together on Thursday, April 28, when they will continue preparing the European Robotic Arm for use.


text:
DELANO, Calif. (KGET) — The Delano Police Department is no longer responding to non-emergency calls in person due to the rise of COVID-19 cases, the department announced in a news release on Wednesday. The department will take the reports by phone.
The department made the announcement on its Facebook page and said the changes will take place immediately and remain in effect until March 1.
“The purpose is to ensure the health and safety of our community and Department employees,” Delano PD said.
Officers will only respond in person to a life-threatening situation or if a crime is in progress, according to Delano PD. Non-emergency calls will be handled by an officer or community service officer. Dispatchers will determine the appropriate response for each call through a caller screening process.
Delano police said the front lobby of its headquarters will be closed to members of the public. The department is postponing participation in all community events until further notice.
Residents are asked to call the non-emergency phone line at 661-721-3377 for non-emergencies or general inquiries, according to DPD.

domain: law


text:
After reconstruction, the Hotel Sayohat, built in 1969, was transformed not only from outside, but also was totally equipped with modern equipment and mashines, that aligns it with the most popular hotels in Tashkent. Undoubtedly, the high-quality service, polite staff and comfortable rooms will make the stay in Tashkent comfortable and pleasant either for tourists or for business guests of the hotel.
The hotel is located 10 minutes from the center of the city, and within walking distance from the metro station.
The hotel offers 81 rooms, equiped with air conditioning, satellite TV, telephone, fridge and the necessary furniture. Each room has bathroom and shower. The entire second floor is occupied by non-smoking rooms.
The Business Center of the hotel has modern office equipment and Internet access. The hotel also offers the conference-hall, which has everything for conferences, presentations and seminars. The conference-hall is designed for 20 people.
We recommend you to spend your evening in the restaurant of the hotel, where you can enjoy the masterpieces of Eastern and European cuisines prepared by highly skilled chefs. The proud of the hotel is the staff which is ready to help you at any time of day. Welcome to the Hotel Sayohat!
|Underground||0,5 km||1 min.|
|Airport||11,5 km||16 min.|
|Railway station||7 km||10 min.|
|Domestic Airport||14,5 km||20 min.|
- Breakfast: from 07:00 to 10:00
- Check-in: 14:00. Check-out: 12:00
- Early check-in from 01:00 to 12:00 + 50%
- Early check-in till 01:00 + 100%
- Late check-out from 12:00 to 24:00 + 50%
- Hotel Services:
- 24-hour room service
- Mail delivery
- Laundry services
- Porter services
- Internet: free
- Property Amenities:
- Open-air cafe
- Business center
- Conference halls = 2
- Non-smoking rooms
- Outside Parking
- Parking garage
- Outdoor pool
- Massage cabinet
- Hotel safe
if u wanna stay in this hotel or someone recomended this for u? just go somewhere else why? because its not hotel its like GARBAGE BOX just littile bigger that regular garbage box inside rooms was full of bugs..........yes real bugs i will be posting video very soon on youtube.....Stayed November 2012, traveled on holiday or leisure

domain: travel


Plodprasob and Yongyuth freed from jail, but wearing electronic tags
Thailand’s former Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasob Suraswadi and former Interior Minister Yongyuth Vichaidith have been released from the Corrections Department’s hospital after they met the conditions for the suspension of their imprisonment.
The two men are, however, required to wear electronic monitoring tags for the rest of their jail terms.
In March this year, the Supreme Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases sent Mr. Plodprasob to prison for one year and eight months, after finding him guilty of malfeasance in office for the unfair transfer of a senior official while he served as the Permanent Secretary of natural resources and the environment.
Mr. Yongyuth was imprisoned for two years, by the order of the Appeals Court in February this year, after he was found guilty of abusing his authority to help the Alpine Company to acquire a huge plot of land in Pathum Thani province, supposedly donated to a temple, but was turned into a golf course.
Mr. Plodprasob and Mr. Yongyuth are among about 3,000 prisoners who have had the remainder of their prison terms suspended and who have been released on a Royal pardon. Both have spent six and eight months in prison respectively.


text:
China, US agree on India, Pak
After a gap of nearly a decade, a joint statement issued by the US and China has named India and Pakistan. The statement had an unexpected line saying the two sides “support the improvement and growth of relations between India and Pakistan.” This will go down poorly in India. Reshma Patil reports.india Updated: Nov 18, 2009 01:52 IST
After a gap of nearly a decade, a joint statement issued by the US and China has named India and Pakistan.
US President Barack Obama repeated this during a press briefing later, saying the two countries had agreed to work together to bring about “peaceful relations in all of South Asia.”
<b1>On Tuesday, Obama and Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao announced plans to work together on a range of international issues. But the statement had an unexpected line: that the two sides “support the improvement and growth of relations between India and Pakistan.”
“The two sides welcomed all efforts conducive to peace, stability and development in South Asia," said the statement. “They support the efforts of Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight terrorism, maintain domestic stability...the two sides are ready to strengthen communication, dialogue and cooperation on issues related to South Asia and work together to promote peace and development in that region.”
This will go down poorly in India. Not only has it long argued its relations with Pakistan are a bilateral issue, the joint statement has given the impression the US sees China as the dominant power broker in Asia. The most favourable interpretation is that Washington’s real interest is to persuade Beijing to exert its considerable influence with Pakistan.
The last US-China joint statement that spoke of India was when President Bill Clinton visited Beijing just after India’s 1998 nuclear tests. Clinton was strongly criticised in India for the statement.
(with inputs from Pramit Pal Chaudhuri)

domain: politics


The Administration and Engineering Division contains the Public Works management team as well the engineering section. The Engineering section plans, develops and oversees the construction of public facilities, roadways and Capital Improvements for city projects. The engineering section oversees private Land Development reviews for projects within the City as well as the Stormwater Management Plan.
Public Works is responsible for the issuance of the following:
Certificate of Compliance
Minor Boundary Line Adjustments
The Engineering Division also oversees Solid Waste Management and Recycling.


text:
Howl movie vs. book (was Re: [DWJ] help needed...)
koenma_chan at hotmail.com
koenma_chan at hotmail.com
Wed May 17 00:23:14 EDT 2006
Lessee... As an anime lover, I was one of the people that had
watched the Miyazaki movie before the book. As a matter of fact,
I wasn't even aware that an actual book existed until one of my
friends told me about it like a week after seeing the movie.
(^^;;;) I was in love with the movie and when I found out that
there was a book I was thrilled! The movie itself was a great
work of art (Miyazaki never disappoints), but I do agree that the
book's story was more enjoyable (in my opinion at least)... :D
And I totally agree with you on that "book-into-movie" thing.
That just annoys the hell out of me.... (-_-) The one that's
annoyed me the most was the Resident Evil movie.... THE FRIGGEN
CHARACTER NAMES AREN'T EVEN THE SAME!!!!!! The game was soooooo
much better..... >=O
From: Melissa Proffitt <Melissa at Proffitt.com>
Reply-To: Diana Wynne Jones <dwj at suberic.net>
To: Diana Wynne Jones <dwj at suberic.net>
Subject: Howl movie vs. book (was Re: [DWJ] help needed...)
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 16:31:43 -0600
>On Tue, 16 May 2006 09:24:10 -0700 (PDT), Elizabeth G. Holtrop wrote:
> >Are there any readers out there who saw Howl-the-film first and prefer it to Howl-the-book?
>Not me, of course, but none of my kids have read the book yet. They all
>LOVED the movie. As in, "we'd rather watch Howl's Moving Castle on DVD five
>times instead of this Harry Potter thing released the same day." I knew
>going into it that the movie was going to be substantially different from
>the book and I didn't want them not enjoying the movie because of it.
>Because I also knew that the movie on its own was going to be great. If
>there had never been a book--if Miyazaki had come up with the story on his
>own--there wouldn't have been anything to compare it (negatively, in many
>When I watch a movie based on a book, I expect it to be its own story. As
>long as it's true to the essence of the book, I don't worry so much if
>certain sections have to be left out. I was re-reading _Adventures in the
>Screen Trade_ over the weekend and William Goldman has quite a lot to say
>about the process of adaptation--about how much has to be cut from a book to
>make a *good* movie. So I was pleasantly surprised to see how much of
>_Howl_ made it into the movie, both actual scenes and ideas. Especially the
>green slime. :) I don't think they needed to lose the idea of Sophie
>talking life into things; it was actually in the movie, but never identified
>as such. And emphasizing the war...well, that's just Miyazaki all over, and
>was probably the only change to the book's plot that annoyed me. But at
>least there was a war, or the possibility of war, in the book--it wasn't
>just something he tacked on for fun.
>I've seen movies where it was clear the screenwriter or director had just
>taken the title and made a completely different story. That bothers me.
>What's the point of adapting a novel if you're just going to change
>everything? At that point you're just trying to capture some of the
>audience who loved the book. Sorry folks, I loved _Snow Falling on Cedars_
>too much to see it mangled on screen. Miyazaki's film still managed to
>capture the spirit of DWJ's novel, so I'm happy with it. And there was the
>green slime...that was my favorite scene, and it was pure Howl.
>I recommended the book to my mother-in-law, who is "teaching" a class on
>literature--what she really does is read aloud to the class, which is made
>up of delinquents and losers and a handful of good students. It may be the
>only way some of these kids absorb any sort of literature. Anyway, her plan
>is to read the book and then show them the movie. She's so excited about it
>because she really liked the book, and I hope it works for the class.
>(Though it smacks a little too much of post-Orwellian instruction and _The
>Missing Persons League_....)
>Dwj mailing list
>Dwj at suberic.net
Find just what you're after with the new, more precise MSN Search - try it now!
More information about the Dwj

domain: literature


For organizations able to commit capital to energy recovery systems, the realized efficiencies are the gift that keeps giving.
A been-there, done-that look crosses the faces of mechanical engineers when the topic of energy recovery and reuse comes up, and on one level, that is understandable.
If thermal energy is going to be recirculated, for example, it’s a good bet that a heat exchanger will be involved. Other than selecting the type of heat exchanger and whether the exchange should be air-to-air, fluid-to-fluid or a combination, system design is more plumbing work than engineering challenge.
A fresh perspective can change that, though, as was the case at Summer Garden Foods Manufacturing Co. The Boardman, OH facility, commissioned in 2008, was designed with an eye toward LEED certification. Empty bicycle racks and reserved parking for hybrid vehicles racked up LEED points. But the advancement that keeps on giving is a heat recovery system that defies conventional wisdom.
Minimizing pressure drops in the exchange and maximizing Delta T is the standard approach to design, but that sacrifices thermal change on the cooling side, notes Darrell Wallace, an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering at nearby Youngstown State University who provided engineering consultancy on the Summer Garden project. By significantly slowing down the glycol flow rate through a plate and frame heat exchanger, 30 tons of waste heat a day is diverted and reused.
“We had big pressure drops, but the extra pumping horsepower was offset many times over by the energy savings,” says Wallace. “Most of the waste heat you get out of processes [with conventional recovery systems] is very low grade. We took a blank sheet approach to designing the system,” viewing heat recovery as an element of an integrated system, not a supplement. Suppliers of pasteurizers, cook kettles and other equipment had to alter their piping to accommodate the pressure drops and other changes, though some embraced the re-engineered designs and adopted them as standard elements.
Arrowhead Systems Inc., the Oshkosh, WI OEM that supplied Summer Garden’s pasteurizer/cooler, upgraded its pump motors to variable frequency drives and resized the pumps and impellers. The VFDs cost about $100 more than conventional motor starters, but the new pumps cost less, resulting in “a net zero change,” Arrowhead’s Sales Manager Jeff Kaplan says. “It wasn’t a 1,000-hour reengineering job,” he says, “just one day reviewing pump curves with Dr. Wallace and changing out pump selection and impeller selection.”
“We used conventional wisdom in sizing components,” Wallace adds. As a result, Summer Garden has a large mechanical chiller that loafs or idles much of the time. Chiller specifications were a hedge against theoretical expectations and actual performance. “At this point, I would be more amenable to using a multi-stage loading chiller that runs efficiently at low capacity,” he says.
Three on a therm
The food sector was the industrial leader in cogeneration in the 1980s, the last time the nation was serious about reducing dependence on foreign oil in the aftermath of the Arab oil embargo. In recent years, declining natural gas prices have dampened what little enthusiasm remained for cogen, but some food companies now are considering trigeneration, leveraging the energy potential of gas turbines to produce electricity, hot water and refrigeration.
Lexington, KY-based Gray Construction invested six months of design work on a trigen system for a beef processor in the Southeast. A decision was expected this month on whether to proceed with the trigen approach, with capital costs, not technical feasibility, the biggest obstacle. If trigen gets a green light, the plant will be off the grid when production begins in May, according to the client’s general manager.
Gas-fired turbines would generate the facility’s electricity at a cost less than half the rate charged by the local utility, says Michael Rach, Gray’s director of EPC, but that’s a cost efficiency. Energy efficiency resides in the two-thirds of the energy potential that is otherwise lost as waste heat. Some of the reclaimed energy will provide process and domestic water, plus space heating. The rest will power absorption chillers that replace evaporative condensers and cooling towers in standard mechanical refrigeration. Lithium bromide desiccant would be part of the absorption cycle, with an ammonia chiller completing the cascade refrigeration system.
The rule of thumb holds that only 30 percent of the energy input to the electrical grid is consumed by the end-user, says Rach. “We’ll make use in excess of 60 percent of the energy inputs.” Additional equipment costs would stretch ROI out over nine years. Normally, that kind of payback period would make trigen a nonstarter, but the client faces stiff community opposition for environmental reasons and is interested in burnishing its reputation as a forward-thinking organization.
Efficiency vs. quality
A three-year payback is enough to make most capital projects a nonstarter, though sustainability initiatives tied to corporate social responsibility programs are giving food engineers the latitude to consider energy recovery projects that otherwise never would be funded, points out Dan Poirier, director-process engineering at Buhler Aeroglide Corp., Cary, NC. “We have put in energy recovery systems with five-year ROIs, provided there were no risks on the product quality side,” he says.
Conveyor dryers account for most of the Buhler Group division’s output. “Dryers are huge consumers of energy,” Poirier readily allows, and ready-to-eat cereal is one of the food segments where Buhler dryers can be found. As big as they are, cereal dryers are too small to justify an energy recovery system, he says; besides, those manufacturers are more focused on product quality and sanitary considerations. Sectors such as pet food and fruit and vegetable drying are more fertile ground for energy reuse, in part because the dryers are magnitudes bigger. Air-to-air heat exchange to warm makeup air to 140°F is fairly common on those applications, though “there are issues with doing that,” he points out.
The main problem is fines and oils in the exhaust that can build up in the heat exchanger. Air-to-water heat exchange helps, but that doesn’t completely resolve the fouling issue. If there is a product cooling step after the dryer, “spent cooling air can be routed back to the dryer” to improve performance, Poirier says. “There’s no heat exchanger, just a little duct work to bring it back to the dryer.”
The portfolio of Mary Frances Stotler of Springfield, MA’s The Dennis Group includes recovery systems. “The paybacks are not what they used to be” when natural gas was involved, concedes Stotler, the engineering firm’s sustainability coordinator; on the other hand, the ability to validate the economic benefits has helped jump start a number of projects that languished when “best practices” was the main justification.
Upfront quantification of water recirculation’s benefits made the project a no-brainer. Water chilled to 33°F was used to wash lettuce. It was then filtered and pumped through a plate heat exchanger, where it lowered the temperature of incoming municipal water 17°F. Only another 5° of heat had to be removed. With 250-325 gallons of water per minute coursing through the loop, engineers calculated the system saved about 1.9 million Btus an hour, an annualized savings of approximately $79,000.
The Dennis Group has engineered a number of air-to-air heat recovery systems involving compressed air, but efficiency pales in comparison to Atlas Copco’s oil-free and water-cooled rotary screw compressors, Stotler concedes. Heat transfer in water “gives you much more flexibility in where you can use the heat,” points out Tom Poot, business line manager-oil free products, Atlas Copco Compressors Inc., Rock Hill, NC. Waste heat that is not captured in the water can be recovered by an optional desiccant dryer, which requires virtually no power and delivers extremely dry air.
The first installation of the firm’s CarbonZero system occurred in 2010 at Hormel Foods’ Dubuque, IA plant (see “Hormel’s Progressive Processing plant is built for the long haul,” Food Engineering, December 2011). Boiler feed, sanitary cleanup and space heating are among the uses of the hot water. Reduced maintenance of the compressor itself is a fringe benefit.
Poot estimates one-third to one-half of the oil-free compressors Atlas Copco is putting into service have the water-cooled feature, though the ratio is lower in North America than in Europe, where the company is based. “We were doing energy recovery back in the ‘50s,” he boasts, and improvements have been more evolutionary than revolutionary. For example, the temperature of the water delivered by the system is gradually getting hotter, reaching 190°F in some cases. Poot seconds Stotler’s point about quantified savings. “We can calculate the recovered energy, we can measure it, we can prove it,” he says. “A lot of the time, the business case is obvious, and the returns are staggering.”
Synergies can accompany energy reclamation, as demonstrated by the water-cooled, stainless-steel motor developed five years ago by Stainless Motors Inc. (see “Water cooled and stainless,” Food Engineering, February 2009). Chief Engineer John C. Oleson developed the concept at the request of Beef Products Inc., the Dakota Dunes, SD processor that produces lean ground beef from trim. Heated water pulled from BPI’s 400hp electric motors is about 120°F and provides an overabundance of boiler feed. A bigger benefit is reduced maintenance. Bearing failure was a frequent event when air-cooled motors drove ammonia compressors during long, hot summers. Oleson eventually installed 11 water-cooled motors, “and every one of those motors is still on line,” he asserts. “They will pay for themselves on the maintenance savings alone.”
“Several dozen” water-cooled motors manufactured by his Albuquerque, NM firm are providing power in food plants currently, but the piping, pumps and controls needed to support them discourage wider use. A listless economy hasn’t helped: An order for a 750hp unit was canceled when credit tightened. Nonetheless, Oleson sees a bright future. “One day, the large water-cooled motor will be common,” he predicts.
A waste-steam recovery system for saturated steam retorts from Allpax Products Inc., Covington, LA, is another example of apparently can’t-miss investments that defy easy calculation of financial savings. The system, which General Manager Greg Jacob wryly describes as “a pipe with a sprinkler system inside,” captures the steam vented from retorts during the come-up, vent-open cycle. The steam is condensed and stored in a tank for auxiliary use. Otherwise, it would be exhausted to atmosphere. If a manufacturer has a bank of half a dozen or more retorts, the payback seems intuitive. But intuition is no substitute for a solid ROI calculation, and the calculation is complicated.
Only one steam recovery system has been installed since Allpax introduced the concept last year. The manufacturer uses the hot water to heat gravy during the cooking process. “They had enough engineering staff to do some in-depth calculations,” says Jacob. “Everything is based on ROI, and they exceeded their numbers.” Most companies lack the engineering bench strength to measure variables such as pipe size, the degree of opening of valves and the point at which steam forms inside the retort. “It’s not a simple formula,” he concludes. “If it were more user-friendly, there would be a lot more systems going in.” Subsidies from government and utility companies can lower the ROI hurdle, but quantifying the financial savings from energy recovery is an ongoing challenge.
It’s a deal breaker for big ticket projects like biogas systems, which can introduce unanticipated levels of complexity (see related story on page 58). Intangibles such as goodwill and customer relations can’t be computed on a spreadsheet, but they can extend the payback period. “I hear, ‘It’s the right thing to do’ a lot,” says Robb Raney, project manager with Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell engineering. In some cases, the right thing to do is defined by key customers that expect their suppliers to implement sustainable practices. Prodding in the name of sustainability doesn’t exempt energy recovery from realizing a return, but instead of two to three years, a manufacturer might stretch payback to four to 10 years, Raney says.
Many factors influence a decision to proceed with an energy reclamation initiative. Ideas that look great on paper may not survive closer scrutiny, and a convenient application for the recovered energy is a must. But interest in pursuing these projects is growing. As energy costs rise, and vendors and plant managers get a better grasp of the financials, recovery loops will become more common in food and beverage manufacturing.
The risk in energy recovery
Big capital projects usually stretch out the timeline for financial return, which is why third-party financing and operation of energy systems are gaining favor. Those arrangements carry risk, however, and the risk is borne by both the partner and the food company.
A biogas system at Coolbrands Dairy in North Lawrence, NY was the toast of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation when it came on line in fall 2006. Built, owned and operated by Ecovation Inc., the anaerobic digester produced 150 million Btus of methane a day, replacing a third of the energy inputs needed to run the yogurt plant’s steam boilers. The dairy paid Ecovation for the gas at a cost lower than the 250,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel the methane replaced, Ecovation received an acceptable return on its $3.3 million investment, and the business model was applied to similar projects after Ecolab Inc. acquired Ecovation in 2008.
The win-win fell apart in April 2011 when the plant closed, and 132 workers were laid off. Upstate Niagara Cooperative Inc. subsequently purchased the plant and spent several million dollars on renovations before restarting production in October 2011, but not before the biodigester was decommissioned. Tanks, sensors, feeders and controls were removed by Ecovation, leaving a building shell and no prospects for restarting the system.
“The system became upset very easily if there was any change in the feed stream, but it produced a decent amount of gas for our boilers,” according to Matt Davis, plant manager of the renamed North Country Dairy. Despite the technical success and financial viability over four and a half years, the project underscores the vulnerability of long-term energy partnerships to unanticipated events.
For more information:
Greg Jacob, Allpax Products Inc., 985-893-9277, email@example.com
Jeff Kaplan, Arrowhead Systems Inc., 708-386-9770
Tom Poot, Atlas Copco Compressors Inc., 803-817-7000
Dan Poirier, Buhler Aeroglide, 919-851-2000
Robb Raney, Burns & McDonnell, 816-333-9400, firstname.lastname@example.org
Mary Frances Stotler, The Dennis Group, 413-858-3417, email@example.com
Michael Rach, Gray Construction, 859-252-5300, firstname.lastname@example.org
John Oleson, Stainless Motors Inc., 505-867-0224, email@example.com
Darrell Wallace, Youngstown State University, 330-941-3272, firstname.lastname@example.org