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|Wedding Packages begin at $3000 Whether small and intimate or big and luxurious, Sarina Love Photography has various packages to fit everyone’s needs.For Wedding inquiries please email me at email@example.com for more information on packages and availibility. Customized wedding packages are available upon request. I am also available for worldwide travel. *wink*
Love sessions begin at $500 Looking to document a proposal, anniversary, or recent engagement? Let’s connect and create a memorable session between you and the one you love!
Family+Children sessions begin at $350 Looking to fill your home with wonderful family photos? Contact me for a fun and easy session that you and your kids will cherish for years to come!
Boudoir sessions begin at $400 I adore shooting boudoir sessions! It’s fun, intimate, and less scary than you think! it’s very empowering actually! I have all-inclusive packages that includes everything from albums, hair/makeup, and even a posh boutique hotel! I also have more basic packages that is just for my time and everything else is a la carte. For more detailed information about my studio and boudoir packages please check out Moderna. It’s my private boudoir studio.
Lifestyle portraits sessions begin at $350 Thinking about doing some solo portraits to capture who you really are? Let’s chat and create a fun and unique session that really brings out your personality!
Corporate headshots sessions begin at $100 Need some quick headshots for linkedin, your acting portfolio, or just for personal usage? Getting a creative, clean, and professional headshot is so important nowadays. Ask about my group rates. Please inquire for more information! firstname.lastname@example.org


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Beadboard backsplash cottage kitchen bhg, 15 cottage kitchens diy kitchen design ideas kitchen. 12 cozy cottage kitchens kitchen ideas & design with. Cottage style kitchen backsplash ideas beach picture note.
Cottage other space photos hgtv, inexpensive beadboard paneling backsplash how tos diy. Kitchen brick backsplashes for warm and inviting cooking. White cottage kitchen black accents design ideas.Published on February 11, 2019
Tag: Cottage Kitchen Backsplash

domain: design


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Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Last year, when I had roast chicken for Christmas, I used some of the chicken breast meat to make a salad to balance all that meat on the table. This is one of my favourite salad dressing and one I can make without breaking a sweat. I make this salad and eat it on its own (without the chicken) all year round, but if there’s leftover chicken , turkey or ham from your Christmas dinner (or whenever you have leftover roasted meat), you can add them to the base salad to make it more complete.
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There are two types of wholegrain mustard – one that really comes with the grains (left), and the other which is more like a paste. Both will work but the mayonnaise required will be slightly different. If you’re using wholegrain mustard, you’ll need more mayonnaise to bind the dressing and the resulting dressing will be whitish brown. If you’re using the fine mustard, you won’t need as much mayonnaise, and the resulting dressing will be brownish. It’s totally based on your preference, and personally I like the wholegrain bits which add both colour and fiber to the salad.
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Recipe
- 3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise (I prefer Japanese mayo)
- freshly cracked black pepper
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until it becomes a paste.
1. This dressing recipe is very flexible. You can adjust the honey for the sweetness, and the mustard for the tangy taste. Add more mayonnaise if the ingredients do not combine well as it will helps to bind them together.
2. If using fine wholegrain mustard, lessen the amount of mayonnaise.
- chicken breast meat, sliced
- 50g lettuce, torn by hand to smaller pieces, rinsed and dried
- carrots, finely shredded
- purple cabbage, finely shredded
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- corn nibblets
1. Add all ingredients in a salad bowl or plate. Just before serving, toss with salad dressing.
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domain: food


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I have always been crafting or creating since I was little, but had never really latched onto any particular thing for long. I decided to teach myself how to knit in January 2006. After many years of knowing how to crochet and neglecting the craft, knitting has become my obsession. Now I love crochet more than ever, and I've dipped my toe into the weaving waters too!
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© 2014 Craftsy and Sympoz Inc.

domain: hobby


J. Carlos Jauregui 20 years in the automotive industry. I graduated from Wyo Tech Wyoming in 1996 I receive factory training from BMW I have work for BMW, Audi, VW, always with attention to detail and willing to explain to the customer reasons why components need to be repaired or replace.
Friendly and knowledgeable. Juan is very helpful and knows what he is doing.
Juan, is really professional in his style of work, very technically sound, and will explain things properly with everything he's working on. Would definitely recommend him to perform car maintenance.
Did a great job and very knowledgeable. Let me know about what will be needed for future maintenance.
Very good . He explained the problem very clear and easy to understand.


All of us at one point or another have wished our land-locked vehicles could sprout wings and soar above the traffic on the way to work. Unfortunately, except for those whose office is in a lower Manhattan skyscraper or downtown hospital, many buildings don’t boast a heliport on the roof. Therefore, since the infancy of motorized transportation the masses have been forced to deal with the inevitable left lane breakdown, jack-knifed tractor-trailer or ten car pileup during the rush hour commute. Your traffic nightmares may soon come to end, however, as new technology is emerging that will allow drivers to instantly become aviators and leave the traffic behind. Dutch company PAL-V Europe NV recently launched their flying car prototype, the Pal-V One, and is looking to bring the concept to the market.
540 feet of clear road is all that separates the operator from the sky thanks to the Pal-V One’s sleek “helicopter-like” design. The prototype meets all existing motor vehicle and aircraft design requirements in all major markets and will require no additional infrastructure construction. Once airborne, the Pal-V One will cruise at speeds up to 110 MPH with a range of around 275 miles. The vehicle will conveniently run on automotive gasoline with biodiesel and bio-ethanol versions eventually becoming available. Once on the ground, the slim and aerodynamic 3-wheel design of the Pal-V One synergizes the comfort and safety of a car with the handling characteristics of a motorcycle. 20 to 30 hours of training is required for operator certification and prospective buyers include police, military, civilian users and corporations. The prototype is gaining popularity in Europe while in the final development stage and hopefully will make its way to the US in coming years.
- Ways to Fly private
- Sales & ManagementFind The Right Jet, Develop A Personalized Management Plan, and Optimize Your Asset.
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The Wolfman is officially headed for Blu-ray Disc, and what we like is right away we’ll be getting an “Unrated Director’s Cut” and bonuses with the release — all in high-def. The BD release will contain both the theatrical and director’s cut, as well as digital copy (but only for a limited time).
Also as part of the Blu-ray release, The Wolfman will give access to stream the original 1941 film The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney, Jr.. Owners of the BD release will be able to stream the film via BD-Live, pocket BLU, or on UniversalHiDef.com.
Bonus features on the BD release will also include two alternate endings, “The Beast Maker” (a make-up feature), “Transformation Secrets” (covering visual effects), “The Wolfman Unleashed” (about the film’s stunt team), and “Werewolf Legacy, Lore and Legend” (a history of the Wolf Man) among other extras.
The Blu-ray Disc will be formatted in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS DD 2.0. Total run time is 1 hour, 43 minutes (theatrical version) and 1 hour, 59 minutes (unrated version).
The Wolfman is scheduled to hit shelves June 1, 2010. We’ll update you with cover art once it is released. The movie will also be available as a digital download.


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I’ve probably made it clear a time or two in the past that I’m not exactly the biggest Twilight fan in the world. But I’ve shrugged it off and learned to accept that, not being a teen/pre-teen girl, I’m just not the audience for it. However if I was really dying to get a taste of that raw Stephanie Myer talent, it looks as if my chance is coming up.
Her first “adult novel,” titled The Host (apparently not a novelization of the South Korean film), has been bought up by producers Nick Weschler, and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz to take it to the big screen.
Here’s the plot description from Variety: “Meyer’s novel is a love story set in the near future on Earth, which has been assimilated by an alien species of benevolent parasites that call themselves “Souls.” One such soul, the Wanderer, is fused with a dying human named Melanie Stryder, in an attempt to locate the last pocket of surviving humans on Earth.”
It actually sounds kinda interesting, right? (Except for that whole Stephanie Myer thing.) And what’s even more interesting is that Andrew Niccol is being brought on board to write and direct the film.
For those that need a quick jog of the ol’ memory, Niccol is the guy that wrote The Truman Show and also wrote and directed Gattaca. He’s a talented dude and this premise seems right up his alley. Here’s hoping he makes his own kind of thing out of it.
Although maybe I need to stop being so negative. I haven’t read the book, after all–it might be good. But if Twilight is any indication, then let’s just say that my hopes aren’t going to be too high up for this one.

domain: artistic


The vacuum contactor has the advantages of strong quenching ability, good pressure resistance performance, high operating frequency, long service life, no arc external spraying, small volume, light weight, long maintenance period and no noise.
The installation form of the 10KV high-voltage vacuum contactor in the switchgear can be either fixed or withdrawable, and can also be mounted on the frame.
|Rated voltage||kV||7.2, 12|
|Rated current||A||250, 400, 630|
|Rated making current(effective value)||2500, 4000, 6300|
|Rated max breaking current||2000, 3200, 5040|
|Rated operating voltage||V||AC 110/ 220|
|Closing coil suction current||A||≤DC6/3|
|Retaining coil suction current||DC 0.3
|Opening coil release current||DC 2.5/ 1.3|
|Rated operating frequency||times/ h||300 x 104|
|Mechanical life||times||30 x 104|
|Electricity life||AC – 3||times||25 x 104|
|AC – 4||times||5 x 104|
Supported File : JPG, AI, PNG, PDF, CAD, JPEG


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Here are this week’s adoptable pets going on Jersey’s Journeys to find their forever homes! They’re all up for adoption at the HOPE shelter. If you’re interested in adopting, please head to their website, Hopeanimalshelter.net for application information, or you can go to their shelter any day between 12 and 3pm.
– Sasha is a gray-ish black and white long haired cat, who’s around 10 years old. Her owner died, so she ended up in the shelter system, and she is so ready to get into her forever home to be able to enjoy her golden years! She’s mellow and friendly, and does just find around other animals.
– Silvester is a 4-year-old black and white short haired cat. He’s a very playful, happy boy, who loves to be the center of attention. If something is going on, he wants to be there! He gets along great with other animals, and likes to rough house! So if you have a playful kitty already who needs a wrestling buddy, Silvester is ready to turn your home into the WWE.
– Trooper is a 1-year-old tan, white and black shepherd mix. This fluffy boy is very active and playful! He loves to romp around and go on adventures, but he’s also well trained and very friendly. He knows basic commands, and is very treat motivated. He loves people, but he has a very high pray drive, so he thinks little animals are little treats. It’s best that he goes to a home without any small animals.
– Titan is a 6-month-old gray and white great dane and pit mix. He’s a sweet, playful boy, who is still very much a puppy, and is still growing! He loves people, and he does great around other animals. He’s pretty mellow, which is the great dane coming through, and he really just wants to be loved.

domain: pet


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Updated: Mar 30
Spicygaming has partnered up with ViNovella Games by hosting a giveaway (5x steam key) in the celebration of the completion of the first part of their game called Fetish Locator. Scroll down for the giveaway.
Fetish Locator is a three-part visual novella game that focuses on exploring fetishes, sexual desires, and relationships. The game is filled with animations, lewd scenes, a wide variety of girls, and choices. It is a game of high quality and design.
The first part, or the week as to how they call it, has just been completed and is now available on Steam. You can read more about the game (and download a demo) on our page here. ViNovella Games has already started on the 2nd part of the game which will bring the continuation of the story and even more


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Filter by content types:News stories Blog posts Feature articles Polls Image galleries
Filter by tags:
|Cases Chipsets Cooling Copyright CPUs Displays Folding Game consoles||Gaming Graphics Input devices Internet Linux-Unix Mac Memory Miscellaneous||Mobile computing Motherboards Multimedia Networking Operating systems Personal tech Podcast Power||Servers Shortbread Software Storage Systems The Tech Report Windows Workstations|
Enterprise SSD controller being jointly developed by Samsung and Seagate
As we've learned from testing a multitude of solid-state disks, controller technology can play a big role in defining overall drive performance. The number of...
Xeon 5600 series brings six-core chips to 2P systems
Intel's gradual roll-out of 32-nm microprocessors has already paid dividends on the desktop, and...
Dell workstations start carrying Nvidia Tesla processors
Nvidia has landed a big design win with its Tesla "GPU computing processors." According to the company, Dell has begun offering Tesla C1060 cards...
FirePro cards carry new GPUs into workstations
Fresh from the launch of its cheap Radeon HD 4600-series desktop graphics cards, AMD has gone on to bolster its workstation graphics lineup with...
Nvidia launches big box o' workstation GPUs
In a bid to run Crysis at Very High settings in DirectX 10 at 1920x1200, NVIDIA is launching its...
Workstation market saw huge growth last quarter
The workstation market saw massive growth in the third quarter, according to a report by market research firm Jon Peddie Research. JPR says 763,000...
|Yoga Book ditches a physical keyboard for pen and touch||14|
|AMD takes a $335m one-time charge for more sourcing flexibility||23|
|Toshiba introduces midrange A100 SSDs at IFA||5|
|Acer Swiftly adds Kaby Lake to ultra-thin notebooks||2|
|Nvidia crafts Vault 1080 mod for Fallout 4||9|
|Three eye-tracking monitors join Acer's Predator gaming squad||11|
|Acer throws everything but the kitchen sink into the Predator 21X||45|
|Build log: we put together a potent VR-ready PC||42|
|Alienware likes what it sees in Tobii eye-tracking tech||6|
|Stupid physics getting in the way of all our fun.||+48|

domain: news


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Healthy retailer demand for thecentre:mk has resulted in a wave of openings at the Hermes and Prudential-owned 1.3 million sq ft (120,770 sq m) centre.
Pineapple, founded a quarter of a century ago as a dance studio in London’s Covent Garden, has taken a 10-year lease on a 665 sq ft (60 sq m) ground-floor unit at£78,000 a year. The store is Pineapple’s fourth shopping centre unit.
Leather goods retailer Boros has taken a five-year lease on a two-storey unit at£160,000 a year, rising to£170,000 in the fourth year. The unit, Boros’ eighth UK store, provides a 1,910 sq ft (175 sq m) ground floor and 1,375 sq ft (130 sq m) first floor.
Both Monsoon and Accessorize are relocating to other units. Monsoon has taken a two-storey unit providing a 3,420 sq ft (315 sq m) ground floor and 1,880 sq ft (175 sq m) first floor. Accessorize is moving into Monsoon’s existing 1,745 sq ft (160 sq m) ground-floor unit at 34 Midsummer Arcade. Herb Medic has taken Accessorize’s former store.
Fragrance Shop has taken a 10-year lease on a 330 sq ft (30 sq m) unit at£77,500 a year. Existing retailer, Maysons Menswear, has taken a 10-year lease on a 960 sq ft (90 sq m) ground floor and 445 sq ft (40 sq m) first-floor unit at£72,500 a year.
Dr & Herbs has taken a larger store at the centre on a 15-year lease at£125,000 a year. The property provides a 1,441 sq ft (139 sq m) ground-floor sales area and 1,207 sq ft (112 sq m) first floor.
Hermes director Andrew Martin said: ‘The level of retailer demand we are experiencing is reflected in the number of deals we have been able to secure so far this year. This is a trend that has been developing for years.’
DTZ Debenham Tie Leung and Dalgleish are joint letting agents for thecentre:mk.

domain: economics


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The next big theme is titled, “CVC, Toshiba and What’s Really Happening There.” CVC Capital Partners, a private equity firm, is using their Asian fund to make something in the range of a $20 billion dollar bid to take Toshiba. I’m not going to talk too much about the mechanics of the deal because it’s been covered very well by good publications like the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Nikkei Asia.
I want to explain the insight of why deals happen. A CEO has many different ways to manage a company. They can do a merger, break apart the company, do an asset optimization program, roll out a new strategy, undertake an operations review of the company, or do a share buyback. A CEO can do many different things.
We shouldn’t be looking at the mechanics of the private equity deal. We should ask ourselves, why did this CEO pick this option? What is it telling us? Let’s look at what we know about the deal. But before we do that, we need to remember one thing. In any MBA program, they teach us that the number one goal of a company, the CEO’s number one goal, is to protect shareholders and create the most wealth for shareholders. I’m not saying that’s right. I think companies need to spend more time focusing on workers and communities, but that’s what Milton Friedman has taught the world, and MBA students are indoctrinated in that.
But it isn’t true, and it’s a very easy thing to disprove. The number one thing CEOs are interested in is not in how to protect shareholders and increase their wealth. The number one thing CEOs are interested in is keeping their jobs. That’s human nature. If you want to get into a CEO or a leader’s psyche and understand why they do things, it’s to preserve their job.
Many CEOs have undertaken bad decisions and strategies simply to keep their jobs. If this isn’t true, then somehow we’ve created a world where the rest of the world is a little bit selfish and behave driven by self-interest, but CEOs are paragons of moral rectitude—and that can’t be true. So, the question becomes, why would the CEO do this? Well, what do we know about Toshiba? We know that the former head of CVC Capital Japan is now the head of Toshiba. There’s nothing wrong with that—private equity fund managers are obviously incredibly talented people with deep knowledge of the country’s regulation in certain sectors, so it makes sense that they would sometimes move back into industry.
At the same time, we know that the company has had a pretty difficult time in the last few years. They’ve faced activist shareholder pressure. They’ve had problems with accounting issues. I’m not going to say whether it’s right or wrong, but they’ve had accounting issues, which has led to shares almost being delisted. They almost went bankrupt two years ago.
On top of that, Toshiba has a large nuclear division. Given how important that is to the Japanese economy, whichever company buys Toshiba —which would be one of the largest private equity deals if it goes through—would need to get government approval. On top of that, the way private equity firms work is that each firm has a fund, and they use that fund to make a deal. It’s not as if all of CVC Capital’s entire balance sheet can be brought to the table. Whichever fund they have allocated to Japan needs to do the deal. Maybe it can take money from another fund they have, but I’m pretty sure there are rules around how much money can be transferred out of a fund, and I don’t think they could do too much of that.
Now, given all of this, we could argue that the deal—which seems very unlikely—could be a way to draw attention away from the difficulties Toshiba is going through. If it’s drawing attention away from the difficulties so management can focus on things, and if the deal is right for Toshiba, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s common practice. When a management team is under crisis or is distracted by unnecessary noise, it’s encouraged for them to bring their attention back to what is important. If this is a way to do that and reset the conversation, which shareholders would regulate, then it’s a good thing for Toshiba.
But we have to remember that at the end of the day, many leaders do what’s good for them. I don’t know the CEO of Toshiba. I’m going to assume he’s a good guy, and he knows that this is good for the company. But as we look at the deal, don’t just look at the mechanics of the deal. Look at why the deal is happening and if it’s good for Toshiba—and the only people who would know that are the shareholders who follow Toshiba very closely. The Japanese government obviously has a big say in this, and of course the CEO and the private equity firm. Let’s hope they’re making the right decision.
This is an excerpt from Monday Morning 8 a.m. newsletter, issue #25. Many of you have found Monday Morning 8 a.m. so useful that you’ve asked us to release a book version of these newsletters. We’ve obliged and released a Kindle version, which you can find on Amazon under “Strategy Insights.” It contains the insights from previous Monday Morning 8 a.m. issues, edited into a bite-sized format that’s very easy to use. And you can learn about other FIRMSconsulting books here.
We use affiliate links whenever possible (if you purchase items listed above using our affiliate links, we will get a bonus).


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SMR neurofeedback shows potential as a therapeutic tool for reducing sleep problems. It is hypothesized that SMR neurofeedback trains the reticulo-thalamocortical-cortical circuit involved in sleep-spindle generation. As such, strengthening this circuit is hypothesized to reduce sleep problems. The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a home-based device that uses SMR neurofeedback to help reduce sleep problems. Thirty-seven participants reporting sleep problems received the SMR neurofeedback-based program for 40 (n = 21) or 60 (n = 16) sessions. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Holland Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (HSDQ) were assessed at baseline, session 20, outtake, and follow-up (FU). Actigraphy measurements were taken at baseline, session 20, and outtake. Significant improvements were observed in PSQI Total (d = 0.78), PSQI Sleep Duration (d = 0.52), HSDQ Total (d = 0.80), and HSDQ Insomnia (d = 0.79). Sleep duration (based on PSQI) increased from 5.3 h at baseline to 5.8 after treatment and 6.0 h. at FU. No effects of number of sessions were found. Participants qualified as successful SMR-learners demonstrated a significantly larger gain in sleep duration (d = 0.86 pre-post; average gain = 1.0 h.) compared to non-learners. The home-based SMR tele-neurofeedback device shows the potential to effectively reduce sleep problems, with SMR-learners demonstrating significantly better improvement. Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to further elucidate the specific effect of this device on sleep problems, this is the first home-based SMR neurofeedback device using dry electrodes demonstrating effectiveness and feasibility.
Neurofeedback is a therapeutic technique that seeks to modulate and retrain brain function to address neurological and/or psychological symptoms. A widely studied neurofeedback protocol, sensori-motor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback (termed one of the ‘standard neurofeedback protocols’ (Arns et al., 2014a, 2014b)), aims to train SMR activity. SMR activity is an EEG rhythm in the low beta range (12–15 Hz) derived from the EEG, typically located over the sensori-motor strip.
SMR neurofeedback is hypothesized to train the circuit associated with the generation of sleep spindles. Sleep spindles are generally considered a hallmark of stage 2 sleep and sleep deprivation may alter sleep spindle and sigma (12–15 Hz) activity (De Gennaro & Ferrara, 2003). Sleep spindles are generated in a reticulo-thalamocortical-cortical loop. Originating from the thalamic reticular nucleus, GABAergic neurons produce spike-burst activity as a consequence of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in the thalamocortical pathway. The rebound of the IPSPs generates excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the cortical cells, which is observed as a sleep spindle (De Gennaro & Ferrara, 2003; Sinha, 2011). It was proposed that training the reticulo-thalamocortical-cortical network using neurofeedback results in long-term potentiation (LTP) which increases the synaptic strength within this network and the likelihood of its future activation (Arns & Kenemans, 2014; Sterman & Egner, 2006), suggesting that learning to control SMR activity (thus not only upregulation of SMR activity) leads to increased sleep spindle density and associated changes in sleep parameters. However, recently no effects of bidirectional (i.e., up- and downregulation) SMR training on sleep parameters were reported (Binsch et al., 2018), suggesting sleep-related improvements are specifically related to SMR neurofeedback up-training only.
Several studies have shown that SMR neurofeedback alters sleep parameters. Sterman et al. (1970) first demonstrated that training SMR activity in the awake cat, using an instrumental conditioning paradigm, resulted in increased spindle burst activity during sleep as well as longer epochs of uninterrupted sleep. Studies involving humans have reported that SMR neurofeedback resulted in significant sleep improvements in individuals with insomnia after an average of 25 sessions (Hauri, 1981; Hauri et al., 1982) as well as increased sleep spindle density and decreased sleep onset latency (SOL) in students (Hoedlmoser et al., 2008). As a follow-up to this latter study, Schabus et al. (2014) later investigated SMR neurofeedback in patients with primary insomnia and reported a reduced number of awakenings, a decreased SOL (trend-level), and an increase in slow-wave sleep after SMR neurofeedback. However, a double-blind placebo-controlled follow-up study demonstrated that sham stimulation reduced subjective sleep problems similarly to active stimulation (suggesting non-specific training effects) and a lack of improvements in objective measurements of sleep (Schabus et al., 2017). However, the intervention was confined to 12 neurofeedback sessions only, which is generally considered a low number of sessions. A home-based SMR tele-neurofeedback study in patients with primary insomnia, performing 20 sessions, resulted in a decreased SOL, less wake after sleep onset (WASO), and increased total sleep time (TST) measured using polysomnography (Cortoos et al., 2010). Concluding, studies have reported substantial improvements in sleep following neurofeedback training (similar to the original report by Sterman et al. (1970)), yet the number of sessions, especially in individuals reporting symptoms of primary insomnia, could be an influencing factor. Also, the intensive nature of neurofeedback–often requiring 30–40 sessions–makes this technique relatively expensive. Likewise, although initial positive effects of home-based SMR neurofeedback have been demonstrated by Cortoos et al. (2010), tele-neurofeedback still involves the participation of a therapist. Therefore, the current open-label study aims to investigate: 1) the feasibility of a home-based program with an EEG headset using dry EEG electrodes (URGOnight, UrgoTech, Paris); 2) the possible differential effect of 40 versus 60 sessions of neurofeedback; 3) acute and long-term (3–6-month FU) effectiveness of the intervention; and 4) whether the amount of SMR learning was associated with clinical improvements.
Methods and Materials
This study is an open-label feasibility trial. Only patients that had a primary sleep problem and no primary psychiatric comorbidities that potentially explained the sleep problems were included. Patients between 18 and 70 years of age with a primary sleep problem expressed as a sleep onset problem (latency (SOL) ≥ 30 min), sleep maintenance problem (wake after sleep onset (WASO) ≥ 30 min), or sleep duration problem (sleeping ≤ 6 h. per night) were included. Sleep complaints had to occur at least three times a week, and the duration of complaints should be at least six months as quantified on the PSQI. Medication usage was allowed but had to remain stable during the treatment. Exclusion criteria were: comorbid medical or psychiatric complaints (as assessed using the MINI); recent parenthood; night shifts; students; pregnancy; excessive alcohol and caffeine usage; diagnosis of a primary sleep disorder other than primary insomnia.
Questionnaires assessed were the Holland Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (HSDQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Actigraphy data were also collected (using the ActTrust (Condor Instruments; https://www.condorinst.com.br/en/acttrust-actigraph/)), where subjects wore the ActTrust for at least seven subsequent days, and pressed the event button when they had the intention to go to sleep and when they had the intention to go out of bed. Actigraphy data was analyses in the ActTrust software with default settings, and required corrections performed by the treating clinician based on the sleep–wake diary and patient feedback. All data were assessed at pre-treatment (T0), after 20 sessions (T1), and end of treatment (T2), and at FU after 3–6 months (T3, except actigraphy).
URGOnight (Fig. 1A-B) is a home-based device developed to improve sleep quality using neurofeedback and by providing sleep hygiene support. It consists of a portable EEG headband connected to a mobile application via Bluetooth technology.
The URGOnight headband includes two dry measuring electrodes (UrgoTech, Paris) over the sensorimotor cortex in positions C3 and C4 of the international 10–20 system. Reference and ground are positioned on the left and right mastoids, respectively. The EEG data measured by the headband is transferred to the mobile application in real-time to allow the user to perform neurofeedback training autonomously. In addition to the neurofeedback program, the URGOnight mobile application provides daily advice to improve sleep and sleep hygiene, an assessment of sleep quality and sleep hygiene levels using questionnaires, and a sleep diary.
The mobile application provides sleep self-monitoring with two questionnaires developed by UrgoTech: 1) a sleep quality questionnaire filled out at the start of the program, then every 10 sessions and 2) a sleep hygiene monitoring questionnaire completed at the start of the program, then at the request of the user. It also contains a simplified sleep diary that allows the user to enter their night's sleep as well as the quality of wakefulness felt during the day every day and provides the development thereof on a weekly display. Sleep advice provided by sleep experts and based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) can also be viewed in the app, such as:
“Prefer a light diet for the evening: this will facilitate your digestion and your sleep (not too much, not too sweet but in good quantity). Pay attention to alcohol consumption which prevents your sleep from being restful”
“Avoid practicing physical activity in the 4 h before bedtime "
Other complementary information on neurofeedback training is also provided.
Recording was set to a sampling frequency of 100 Hz. At home, participants trained four times per week, where every fifth session was done in the clinic supervised by a trained neurofeedback specialist. All instructions during sessions were provided by the mobile application and additional questions were answered by the therapists during weekly visits at the clinic. Neurofeedback sessions lasted approximately 20 min, including one minute of baseline measurement. This consisted of a 30-s period where participants were instructed to relax and keep their eyes closed, followed by a 30-s period with their eyes open. Then, five 3-min neurofeedback runs were performed. Participants were free to take a one-minute break between runs or to go straight to the next run.
During neurofeedback runs, participants were presented with a bar corresponding to their real-time SMR power (12–15 Hz) associated with a threshold level (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) and an animated wallpaper. An additional character (portrayed as a robot) appeared on the screen when the EMG band power exceeded 70 μV on one of the sensors. If this was the case, the participant was asked to relax. No rewards were given when the EMG band power value exceeded the threshold.
The sound and visual environment of the training could be customized by the participants before training; however, feedback screens were designed to reflect ‘discrete’ feedback aimed at a reinforcement rate of 25–30% in line with earlier recommendations (Sherlin et al., 2011). They received audio and visual rewards each time their SMR band power value exceeded the threshold for 400 ms. When participants managed to keep their SMR power above the threshold for two seconds, the threshold was increased, and they received a visual cue to indicate that the level had increased. When SMR band power was below the threshold for seven seconds, the level was decreased to the preceding one and they received a visual cue to indicate that it had been lowered.
Participants were not instructed with a special strategy to perform the requested EEG-modulation but were told to be alert to the training and physically relaxed (Kober et al., 2013; Reichert et al., 2015). Participants were asked for self-developed strategies, some examples of which are provided below:
“I empty my head and try to think of nothing”
“I fix a point in the distance”
“I imagine myself swimming”
“I count my breath and focus on my feelings”.
To investigate the effect of a maximum number of required sessions and potential ceiling effects, half of the participants completed 40 sessions and the other half 60 sessions.
As explained in the introduction, we expect that the effects of SMR neurofeedback is about training the reticulo-thalamocortical-cortical network resulting in neuroplastic changes increasing the synaptic strength within this network and the likelihood of its future activation (Arns & Kenemans, 2014; Sterman & Egner, 2006), only visible as increased sleep spindle density during sleep (Hoedlmoser et al., 2008; Sterman et al., 1970). Therefore, we did not expect across session increases in SMR band power, but rather within-session learning to occur, in line with Reichert et al. (2015). The following methodology is adapted from Reichert et al. (2015) and is focused on within-session learning hypothesized to reflect the individual’s ability to successfully activate and deactivate the SMR network.
EEG power data in the alpha (8 – 12 Hz), SMR (12 – 15 Hz), beta (15 – 20 Hz), and EMG (20 – 40 Hz) bands were recorded during sessions in positions C3 and C4, extracted from local recordings in the participant’s mobile phone, and transferred to UrgoTech. The learning analysis was carried out blinded from clinical outcomes and by off-site researchers at UrgoTech and only shared for final analysis with Brainclinics upon finalization of data-analyses. Data were preprocessed and analyzed using Python (version 3.8).
The ability to perform the requested task (up-regulating SMR power during training sessions) was assessed by plotting the regression slope of normalized relative SMR power averaged across all sessions performed and for each run of training for every participant.
Relative SMR power values were normalized with the following procedure:
Relative SMR power in C3 = SMR / (alpha + beta + SMR + EMG)
Relative SMR power in C4 = SMR / (alpha + beta + SMR + EMG)
Average over electrodes: (ratio C3 + ratio C4)/2
Z-score of average relative signal
If the participant succeeded in the task, an increase in SMR power between the first run and the fifth run (Reichert et al., 2015; Witte et al., 2013; Zoefel et al., 2011) was expected. Participants with a positive slope of regression were classified as learners, and participants with a negative slope of regression were classified as non-learners.
As primary outcome measure PSQI Total, PSQI Sleep Duration, HSDQ Total, and HSDQ Insomnia were defined. Secondary outcomes included the remaining subscales of the HSDQ (including parasomnia, Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder (CRSD), hypersomnia, Restless Legs Syndrome/Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (RLS/PLMD), and Sleep Breathing Disorder (SBD)).
To investigate if the number of sessions had an impact on the primary outcomes, repeated measures ANOVAs were performed with factor Time (pre-treatment, session 20, and post-treatment) as within-subject factor and Sample (40 vs. 60 sessions) as a between-subject factor. In case no interactions involving Sample arise, both samples will be combined, and repeated measures ANOVAs will be performed with factor Time (pre-treatment vs. post-treatment and pre-treatment vs. FU).
For Time effects a p < 0.01 was used to also accommodate corrections for multiple testing and a conventional p < 0.05 for interaction effects and other main effects. Cohen’s d effect sizes are calculated based on pre- vs. post-treatment effects and pre- vs. FU-treatment effects. Further sensitivity analyses carried out comprised analyses of actigraphy data and a learner analyses where learner status was added as a between-subject factor.
A total of 37 participants were included (9 male; average 48.2 yrs.), 21 of which received 40 sessions and 16 received 60 sessions of SMR neurofeedback. There were no baseline differences between males and females and age in the 40 vs. 60 session group. Of 37 participants, 10 were unmedicated, 13 used sleep medication (mostly benzodiazepines) and three used other psychoactive drugs. Clinical variables and changes over the course of the intervention are represented in Table 1. Numbers represent mean and standard deviation.
Primary Outcome and Number of Sessions
A repeated measures ANOVA with Time (pre-treatment, 20 sessions and post-treatment) and Sample (40 vs. 60 sessions) as a between-subject factor, yielded an effect of Time for PSQI Total (F(2,34) = 19.81, p < 0.001; d = 0.78 pre-post; Fig. 2A), PSQI Sleep Duration (F(2,34) = 10.04, p < 0.001; d = 0.52 pre-post; sleep duration increased from 5.3 h. to 5.8 h; Fig. 2B), HSDQ Total (F(2,34) = 21.77, p < 0.001; d = 0.80 pre-post; Fig. 2C) and HSDQ Insomnia (F(2,34) = 13.19, p < 0.001; d = 0.79 pre-post; Fig. 2D). No interactions with Sample (p > 0.285) or main effects of Sample (p > 0.628) were observed, suggesting no added effect of increasing the number of sessions to 60 (Fig. 2A-D). Therefore, for further analyses the 40 and 60 session groups are combined.
At pre-treatment, all participants had a global PSQI score of larger than 5 (classified as ‘poor sleepers’) with an average of 13.1. This decreased to 10.3 post-treatment (d = 0.78) and 5/36 (13.9%) had a score of 5 or lower (classified as a. ‘healthy sleeper’).
The average gain in PSQI sleep duration was 30 min. Twenty-four participants (64.9%) improved their sleep duration with an average of 57 min, and 13 participants (35.1%) improved their subjective sleep with 1 h. or more.
At pre-treatment, 28/37 participants exceeded the HSDQ Total threshold (> 2.02) and 27/37 the Insomnia threshold (> 3.68). By the end of the intervention, only 17/37 participants exceeded the HSDQ Total threshold and 15/37 exceeded the HSDQ Insomnia threshold. This suggests a reduction to below the threshold in HSDQ Total and HSDQ Insomnia for 11/37 (29.7%) and 12/37 (32.4%) of participants, respectively. A repeated measures ANOVA with Time (pre- and post-treatment) yielded an effect of Time for HSDQ CRSD (F(1,36) = 20.33, p < 0.001; d = 0.65 pre-post) and HSDQ RLS/PLMD (F(1,36) = 10.69, p = 0.002; d = 0.37 pre-post) demonstrating decreased scores after treatment. No effects were found for subscales parasomnia, hypersomnia, and SDB (p > 0.220).
Eleven participants were classified as Learners and 21 as Non-Learners, see Fig. 3 for visualization of within session learning for both groups. For the remaining five participants, no learner classification could be made due to missing session data or data recovery issues.
A repeated measures ANOVA with Time (pre- and post-treatment) as a within-subject and Learner as between-subject factor yielded an effect of Time for PSQI Sleep Duration (F(1,30) = 20.30, p < 0.001) and a Time X Learner interaction (F(1,30) = 5.00, p = 0.033). Repeating the analysis separately for non-learners yielded a non-significant effect of Time (p = 0.057; 5.4 to 5.75 h.) and for Learners a significant effect of Time (F(1,10) = 14.90, p = 0.003; d = 0.86) where sleep duration increased from 5.0 h. to 6.0 h.
The same analysis for PSQI Total, HSDQ Total and HSDQ Insomnia yielded no significant Time X Learner interaction (p = 0.288; p = 0.332; p = 0.396 respectively), suggesting those effects were unrelated to degree of learning.
For FU, data from 31 (PSQI) and 32 participants (HSDQ) were available for 3–6-month FU (average FU time: 5.3 months). A repeated measures ANOVA with Time (pre-treatment and FU) yielded an effect of Time for PSQI Total (F(1,30) = 30.40, p < 0.001; d = 0.83 pre-fu), PSQI Sleep Duration (F(1,29) = 10.56, p = 0.003; d = 0.57 pre-FU), HSDQ Total (F(1,31) = 56.452, p < = 0.016; d = 0.46 pre-FU) and HSDQ Insomnia (F(1,31) = 15.47, p < 0.001; d = 0.81 pre-FU).
For two participants actigraphy data was unusable, thus the following data is based on 35 participants. Before treatment patients slept on average 6:51 h. which increased on the group level with six minutes to 6:57 min (d = 0.1).
No main effects of Time were found for Total Sleep Time (p = 0.632), SOL (p = 0.495), Sleep-Efficiency (p = 0.156) and WASO (p = 0.492).
The current study demonstrated that the URGOnight neurofeedback program effectively reduced sleep problems. Pre-treatment, all participants were classified as poor sleepers (based on self-reported PSQI scores) whereas 14% were classified as a ‘healthy sleeper’ post-treatment. Similar effects were observed for the HSDQ where > 78% exceeded HSDQ Total and HSDQ Insomnia thresholds pre-intervention, whereas at end of treatment 30–32% of people reduced their HSDQ Total and HSDQ Insomnia scores to below the threshold, suggesting that reductions in sleep problems were observed in approximately one-third of participants. Furthermore, sleep duration significantly increased (measured by PSQI) with a half-hour gain in sleep duration on full-group level. After an average of 5.3 months, FU results indicated maintenance of training effects without further training (Table 1) where subjective sleep duration increased further numerically (from 5.8 h. post-treatment to 6.0 h at FU). Sensitivity analyses further demonstrated that the gains in sleep duration seemed specifically confined to the learner group (with an average of increased sleep duration of 1 h), whereas the non-learner group showed a non-significant improvement of 15 min. These learner effects further suggest that the greater gains in sleep duration may be attributable specifically to the SMR neurofeedback. Finally, actigraphy data numerically supported the improvements although these effects were not significant.
SMR neurofeedback has previously been associated with decreased SOL and longer sleep duration (Arns et al., 2014a, 2014b; Cortoos et al., 2010; Hoedlmoser et al., 2008; Schabus et al., 2014), partly in line with the results reported here. One study failed to find such effects (Schabus et al., 2017), possibly due to the low number of 12 sessions. In the current study, increasing the number of sessions from 40 to 60 did not significantly affect acute or long-term outcomes in this study. This suggests that 40 sessions are sufficient to obtain clinical results and that ceiling effects are likely reached at session 40. This suggests that the optimal number of recommended sessions for SMR Neurofeedback to achieve improvements in sleep duration and sleep onset latency spans from 20 (Cortoos et al., 2010) to 40 sessions (this study).
SMR neurofeedback is hypothesized to act via the reticulo-thalamocortical-cortical sleep-spindle network. By strengthening these networks, SMR neurofeedback is thought to remediate sleep problems, expressed as a reduced SOL and increased sleep duration. In line with this hypothesis, the effects in the current study are primarily seen on sleep onset- or duration-related measures such as insomnia and CRSD. Interestingly, no significant effects were found for other sleep-related issues (SBD, hypersomnia, and parasomnia). Further specificity of the findings is derived from the specific effect in the learner group, where learners improved sleep duration significantly with one hour, and a non-significant improvement for non-learners. On the other hand, non-specific and placebo effects cannot be ruled out, thus future studies with placebo-control and polysomnography should further elucidate the specificity of effects and the proposed working mechanism.
In comparison to Cortoos et al. (2010), the severity of sleep problems for the group in this study was slightly higher (PSQICortoos = 11.7; PSQIthis study = 13.4), albeit the average age of the current sample was also higher (average 49.1 yrs. vs 42–44 yrs. in Cortoos et al. (2010)). A further important difference is that in this study only SMR power was uptrained, with no downtraining or inhibits on theta and higher beta, as was done in prior studies including Cortoos et al. (2010). The total sleep gain reported by Cortoos et al. (2010) was 44 min for the neurofeedback group, a bit more than the 30 min sleep gain reported in this study. Also, the objective improvement as measured with actigraphy in this study was smaller (6 min). The dissociation between objective and subjective sleep measures is a known issue in sleep medicine and has been often reported in individuals with sleep problems (Bianchi et al., 2013; Rezaie et al., 2018), as well as in healthy individuals (Baker et al., 1999). To further elucidate the working mechanism, future studies should complement this by using the gold-standard polysomnography to more accurately quantify sleep and to track changes in sleep-spindle density as a mediator of treatment effect, using sufficient neurofeedback sessions.
Limitations include the lack of a control group, although this study was designed as an open-label feasibility study. The results from this study could inform future (randomized controlled) studies, including a placebo control and inform future power calculations for home-based tele-neurofeedback applications, where also more formal corrections for multiple testing can be adequately powered for. Another limitation includes the relatively small sample size in the learner analyses (nLearners = 11). Further research should investigate the effects of the training on objective sleep parameters measured with polysomnography as well as the hypothesized physiological mechanism mediated by sleep spindles.
To summarize, this study demonstrates the feasibility of a home-based SMR tele-neurofeedback intervention, and the device tested in this study demonstrated the potential to effectively reduce sleep problems, with SMR-learners demonstrating significantly better improvement by 1 h. average sleep gain compared to non-learners.
Arns, M., Feddema, I., & Kenemans, J. L. (2014a). Differential effects of theta/beta and SMR neurofeedback in ADHD on sleep onset latency. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 1019. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.01019
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We would like to thank Vera Kruiver, Myrthe Olde Bijvank-van Eerdt, Joris van Neijenhof, Eva de Valcke, and Helena Voetterl for the data collection. We would also like to acknowledge Hanneke van Dijk, Rosalinde van Ruth, Iris van Oostrom, Monique Verhallen, and Esther Kloet for their supportive roles and contribution to this study, and Barry Sterman for his important contributions to, and valuable insights into SMR neurofeedback. We would also like to thank Beatrice Spiluttini for initiating the collaboration and reflection that led to this study project, Robin Reynaud for his help on the learning analysis and the mobile app algorithms, and Dr. Isabelle Poirot for her review and inputs on the manuscript.
This study was funded by UrgoTech (Paris).
Conflict of interest
ETC and PB are employees of UrgoTech. MA is unpaid chairman of the Brainclinics Foundation, a minority shareholder in neuroCare Group (Munich, Germany), and a co-inventor on 4 patent applications related to EEG, neuromodulation and psychophysiology, but receives no royalties related to these patents; Research Institute Brainclinics received research funding from Brain Resource (Sydney, Australia), Urgotech (France) and neuroCare Group (Munich, Germany), and equipment support from Deymed, neuroConn and Magventure.
This study pertained an open-labelled study and treatment was conducted as usual, therefore no ethical approval for this study was obtained. However, all subjects provided explicit written informed consent for their data to be used for research.
Consent to Participate
All participants provided informed consent.
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All participants provided informed consent.
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Cite this article
Krepel, N., Egtberts, T., Touré-Cuq, E. et al. Evaluation of the URGOnight Tele-neurofeedback Device: An Open-label Feasibility Study with Follow-up. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-021-09525-z
- Sleep problems
- SMR neurofeedback (URGOnight)
- Feasibility trial

domain: literature


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This six-track split between two bands from the US East Coast, NONA and Crow Bait, is a solid effort, yet hints that both are capable of more.
NONA’s three offerings come first, which build on their decent debut album ‘Through the Head’. First track ‘Conscience’ is a great pop punk number with jagged guitar riffs, while ‘Fast’ (as the title suggests) is a raucous yet catchy affair, once you skip past the somewhat unnecessary one-minute intro. Mid-tempo final number, ‘Church Basements’, is probably the weakest effort, which confirms the band are at their best when they are knocking out scuzzy, bubblegum pop tracks. Mimi Gallagher’s sickly sweet vocals might not be to everyone’s tastes but there’s no doubting they help give the band a distinctive and unique sound.
If NONA release a new full-length this year, we could really see their popularity go up a couple of notches. This split will certainly keep fans interested in anticipation for their sophomore album.
Long Island’s Crow Bait have a very Dead Broke Rekerds sound, but with members of Iron Chic, Sister Kisser and Wax Phantom on board, it’s hardly surprising.
While the group don’t quite match up to the aforementioned bands, Crow Bait’s three numbers are well written and have the kind of contagious energy that Iron Chic have become famous for. There’s a real Bangers feel to the first two songs, while the acoustic track, despite feeling a bit like a last-minute add on, is a reflective way to end the record.
Really, this split does exactly what splits are meant to do – it gives new listeners a good introduction to the bands and whets fans’ appetites for future releases.


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Music & Music Education Program Menu
You may receive scholarships/stipends in one of two ways:
- through financial aid
- through departmental awards.
For financial aid assistance, visit the Financial Aid Office. Deadlines are as early as March 1 for the following academic year.
For department awards (see below) - deadlines are March 1 for the following academic year. Please download the application form (Available in Fall 2015) and complete and return to:
Armstrong State University
Department of Art, Music & Theatre
Attention: Music Scholarship Review Committee
11935 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31419-1997
Department scholarships or stipends available
The following are scholarships awarded by the faculty based on merit in the program. Students do not apply for these scholarships.
Persse Music Theory Scholarship - Highest GPA in the four-semester theory sequence - up to $3,600 award each year
Presser Undergraduate Music Scholar - Outstanding music student at end of junior year, musicianship, GPA, service to department - up to $4,800 award each year
The following are music scholarships available based on department criteria to fill the needs of the music program. Students must apply for these scholarships.
Band Scholarship - playing in the Armstrong Wind Ensemble, audition required - varies each year
Charles and Jo Elliot Jones Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship - completed freshman year, full-time status, declared art, music or theatre major - varies each year
George Welch Scholarship - playing in the Savannah Winds/Armstrong Wind Ensemble - varies each year - awarded by the Savannah Winds Board
I. Cantori Scholarship - singing in the choir - varies each year
James Lord Pierpont - undergraduate music education major, completion of course work for degree track, service to the music education community - varies each year
Piano Scholarship - piano major, audition required - varies each year
Savannah Winds Scholarship - playing in the Savannah Winds/Armstrong Wind Ensemble, audition required - varies each year
Sprague and Jane Exley Scholarship - percussion major, GPA 3.0 or greater - varies each year
Vocal/Choral Scholarship - vocal/choral major, audition required - varies each year


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Written by Ingo Winzer, Forbes Real Estate Contributor and Writer.
Providing readers with an extensive analysis 0f the Real Estate Market coming into 2019, Forbes Real Estate Investment Analyst and Writer, Ingo Winzer, gives an in-depth look at the upcoming 2019 year in Real Estate, Property Management, and Investments, as well as insight into which markets you should put and hold your money in, which includes our home city, San Diego, California.
“This coming year, most real estate investors will want to stay away from the cities with soaring prices, where they’re more likely to end up holding the bag than to strike it rich.
You can never know when a real estate bubble will burst – I happen to think it won’t happen in 2019 – but in places like San Francisco, Seattle, Miami and Denver, caution is now the order of the day. If you own property in these spots and plan to sell, don’t wait until the market has peaked. And if you’re looking for a good place to put your money, you should consider instead the 20 markets I’m listing here.”
“Despite feel-good talk about how well the economy is doing, it’s been adding jobs at the lowest rate in eight years. And despite the boom in tech, most new jobs are at the modest end of the pay scale, where inflation-adjusted earnings for the average worker haven’t increased in the last ten years.
This means we’ll continue to have high demand for rentals – single-family and apartments – but not at the high end of rents. And it means you shouldn’t invest in markets that are already over-priced – there just will not be enough renters for expensive properties as time goes by.”
Winzer continues to explain which of the 20 Markets you should consider investing in or holding your investment in, “These 20 markets have several good things going for them. First, the local economy is doing well. Jobs grew at or above the national rate of 1.5% in the past year. In places like Cleveland (who would have thought?), Silver Spring and Fort Lauderdale, the rate of growth is even a good deal higher than just six months ago.
Second, demand for housing has been good. Home prices increased between 5 and 10% in the past year, not too little, not too much. Home prices are a marker of demand for both houses and rental properties.
And third, these markets aren’t over-priced. Look at how home prices compare to the “income” price, a metric we developed nearly 30 years ago to reliably identify bubbles in advance. Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Portland and San Diego – with prices 20% above the “income” price – are edging into over-priced territory but not yet seriously. And the other markets have plenty of room for prices to increase before demand and supply are out of balance.
In all of these markets, look for properties that will put you in the Target Rent Range, where the renters are. (In Orlando that’s from $1,208 to $1,510 per month.) You’re partly investing defensively. And look for properties near hospitals, colleges (staff, not students), government offices, retail centers.”
To hone in on the underlying message Winzer is trying to bring to light, with the 2019 Real Estate Investment Markets, it is much smarter to invest in and hold investments in markets with a continuous and stable growth pattern, “In general, markets with high growth are better bets than those with lower growth, but a stable growth rate is just as important in the long run. And there are special vulnerabilities to consider…Even with interest rates inching up, investing in real estate – and especially in rentals – will be a good move in 2019. But it’s a good time stay away from the sexy markets and invest for long-term stability. Monitor your markets closely this year.”
Adding to that, San Diego’s stable and continuous growth over the past few years is one the main reasons why Winzer includes it on his list and why you should consider investing in Rental properties and if you already are invested, then to make sure you are putting the proper time and energy into making sure your property management set up is working at the most efficient rate, if you have questions or concerns about your property management tools, be sure to reach out to the experts at Makana Property Management.


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TubeLoop: Youtube Repeat - Auto Loop Youtube Videos
TubeLoop is a fantastic, free web tool that helps you make YouTube repeat videos and play them indefinitely. Just paste your YouTube link into the search bar of the TubeLoop tool, then tap the "Search Bar Button" or press ENTER and it will automatically loop your videos infinitely.
You can also choose to cut and loop specific sections of videos, take notes while you watch, and share your loop masterpieces with friends. It's a fun way to:
- To learn a new language: Watch educational videos on repeat, such as language lessons or foreign-language films.
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- For a house party: Set up a never-ending music video playlist of your favorite dance songs or party anthems.
Using TubeLoop you can Repeat Youtube, Cut and Loop Youtube
With TubeLoop, you can pick any start and stop time for the video and play it on repeat. You can also change how fast the video goes, which is super handy for those times when you wanna slow things down or speed them up. And if you create a loop that you’re really into, you can quickly save it or share it with mates by copying the link.
Rewind 3s your youtube videos
Being able to go back and watch missed sections of a video is super handy for learning new things. Whether it’s a language, a sport, or a musical instrument, being able to go back and watch key sections that were missed the first time around can really make a difference in the learning process. This really matters for more complex stuff that needs a lot of practice.
YouTube repeat Playlist
Make your own YouTube repeat playlist.
A 1st press is the beginning of your video cut.
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Play and Pause
Just hover over the video and click on the pause button. The video will stay paused.
When you’re ready to watch again, just click on the play button and start again right from where you stopped.
You can jot down notes while you’re watching the YouTube loop video so that you can recall what you’ve learned.
What is TubeLoop?
TubeLoop is an innovative platform that lets anyone turn YouTube videos into continuously looping masterpieces. It gives you the power to take an existing YouTube clip and effortlessly turn it into an uninterrupted, repeating video.
The site makes looping videos incredibly simple with its user-friendly editor. Just copy and paste a YouTube URL, trim the start/end points, and TubeLoop handles stitching it into a smooth, endless animation.
These looping videos open up endless possibilities for setting moods, making dynamic backdrops, or just capturing attention. Set one as a mesmerizing live wallpaper, use another to hype up a party with nonstop energy, or curate a relaxation playlist to promote serene spaces.
TubeLoop removes the complications from looping videos so anyone can create hypnotic textures and environments. With its straightforward tools for perfectly tailoring clip length, fade style, and more, unleash your creativity in making visually stunning, eternally playing YouTube masterpieces.
What are the benefits of using youtube repeat?
There are many YouTube repeat benefits when watching videos.
- You can listen to your top tunes on loop without getting fed up.
- It’s a cool way to learn new song words quickly.
- You can get better at focusing while doing work or school stuff by listening to chill music on YouTube on loop.
- It’s a cool way to chill and unwind after a long day.
- You can enjoy your top tunes without having to download it or stress about space.
- You can discover fresh tunes that you like by listening to similar songs on YouTube on a loop.
- You can share your top tunes with your friends and family easily.
- Looping a video of a guided meditation can help you relax and de-stress
- It’s a cool way to connect with folks over your common music craze.
- You can back your fave artists by listening to their songs on YouTube on a loop.
TubeLoop is a cool way to keep your YouTube videos on loop. Whether you’re looking to cram for a coming test, or just want your fave song on repeat in your brain all day long, TubeLoop can help. Just enter the link of the video you want to loop and hit play. You can even choose how many times you want it to play or loop a bit of a YouTube video that you love! We hope you have fun using youtubeloop as much as we had fun making it.
How to repeat Youtube videos for free on the official youtube website
Looping a YouTube video allows you to play your favorite videos repeatedly without any interruptions. Here are 2 ways you can loop a video on YouTube:
Using the Web Browser:
- Open your favorite video on YouTube.
- Right-click on the video itself. This will open a context menu.
- From the context menu, select “Loop.”
- Your video will now loop indefinitely until you unselect the Loop option or close the tab.
Using the Mobile App:
- Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.
- Play the video you want to loop.
- Tap on the video to show controls.
- Tap on the three-dot menu icon (usually located in the top right corner or just below the video).
- From the dropdown, select “Loop.”
TubeLoop is a free web tool that allows you to loop YouTube videos indefinitely. It’s a fantastic way to jam out to your favorite songs on repeat, dive into learning new things, or set that perfect relaxing ambiance. But wait, there’s more! You can also use TubeLoop to whip up your own looped YouTube playlist.
Now, getting started is a breeze. To loop a YouTube video on TubeLoop, just paste the video link into the search bar, then hit that “Loop” button. Feeling a bit selective? No worries! You can also choose to cut the video and loop a specific section.
But that’s not all the magic TubeLoop has up its sleeve. Besides YouTube repeat videos, it dishes out some other rad features, like jotting down notes while you’re vibing to the video and the option to share your loop masterpiece with your buddies. So, whether you’re on a quest to learn a new language, rock out on a musical instrument, or just wanna chill and soak in some tunes, TubeLoop is, without a doubt, the go-to tool for you!


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domain: finance


Hubli turns to AAC blocks to ease construction burden
As prices of steel, cement, jelly and other raw materials are skyrocketing, construction industry in Hubli is turning to light weight aerated concrete blocks for its advantages. The blocks are lighter, more fire-resistant and a better insulator and autoclaved. The construction industry, one of the booming sectors in Hubli, is now turning to these blocks. Builders in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore have already adopting these blocks in their constructions.
For the first time, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks are being used in construction works in Hubli after Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. The buildings constructed with AAC blocks are also known as environmentally friendly buildings and these buildings don't require curing and plastering. One such building is coming up opposite Unkal Park in Srinagar Circle in Hubli.
Ajit Pai, director of an under-construction hotel, said they had chosen these blocks as they can save water which is otherwise used for curing. Also, there is no need of plastering of walls, he said.


It doesn't seem so long ago—and that's because it wasn't—that referring to "the cutting edge of ebook technology" was redundant. Ebook technology itself was the cutting edge: File-based delivery of tomes was the driving force behind all of the messy disruption in so many publishing houses in the last 10 years.
Some academics cringe while other see readers’ direction of plots as the future of reading
What if Romeo and Juliet lived happily ever after, or Van Helsing decided Dracula wasn’t worth the trouble? In a high-tech twist on Choose Your Own Adventure, “active fiction” imbues readers with precisely that kind of power.
Launching this month in Amazon’s Kindle Store, Coliloquy e-books are peppered with “choice points” that allow readers to take the story in the direction most appealing to them — whether it’s experiencing a critical moment through another character’s eyes, setting the protagonist on a new path, or seeing what a


The Ravens had the best regular-season record in 2019, finishing at 14-2, and with that success comes interest from other teams looking to interview “hot” coordinators.
The Ravens have two of those in defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and Roman. Of the two, Roman would be harder to replace because his offense is such a novelty and needs a mobile, athletic quarterback like Lamar Jackson.
So if the Ravens lose Roman, who will replace him? And is that person on the current staff?
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” said Harbaugh, who probably already has a replacement in mind.
No one knows for sure if Roman will become a coach, but few can argue with his success this season. The Ravens have won 12 games in a row and rushed for a league-record 3,296 yards. They are the first team in league history to average more than 200 rushing and 200 passing yards per game.
Few teams in the NFL use run-pass option plays out of the pistol formation like the Ravens, which is why few have slowed them down.
One possible replacement for Roman could be quarterbacks coach James Urban, who was an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles (2004-2010) and Cincinnati Bengals (2011-2017) before joining the Ravens in 2018.
Another might be assistant head coach/passing game coordinator David Culley, who has worked with similar offenses in stops in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Buffalo.
But here’s the problem: Roman designed the blocking scheme in the Ravens’ running game. The Ravens have a quality, old school offensive line coach in Joe D’Alessandris, but it’s unclear whether he is ready to take over Roman’s duty as the designer of the running game.
It will also be interesting to see how much of a chance owners are willing to take with Roman. His offense worked in San Francisco and Buffalo, but those teams had quarterbacks with similar skill sets as Jackson, including Colin Kaepernick with the 49ers and Tyrod Taylor with the Bills.
“I really feel like it, it goes back to the players,” Harbaugh said of Roman’s offense. “It goes back to the guys that we had, and we felt like we could build something that was different than what was currently, is being used in the National Football League."
“We didn’t make up new plays, but the way the plays are packaged and organized and called, starts with Greg Roman,” Harbaugh said. “And the defensive coaches do a great job creatively. A lot of these plays were run in San Francisco, back when [Greg] was there with my brother [Jim Harbaugh]. And a lot of them weren’t. A lot of them are different and new. But the players are the ones that put the personality and the flavor to it. Lamar Jackson, obviously, is what we’re talking about, because he was going to be our quarterback, and you build around him.”
If a team has already invested in a drop-back quarterback, Roman might not get the opportunity to become a coach. But the Browns’ Baker Mayfield would fit the profile of a mobile quarterback.
Despite the claim that Jackson has started a new era of versatility at that position, there have been other elusive quarterbacks before, like Steve Young and Michael Vick.


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CMS to Grant Providers Shortened Reporting Period in 2015, Signals Additional Changes to MU
Key Takeaway: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin a regulatory process to change the 2015 EHR reporting period to 90-days and make additional changes to the design of meaningful use, chief medical officer Patrick Conway, M.D. announced last week.
Why it Matters: A shortened reporting period will enable hundreds of thousands of providers to continue participating in meaningful use in 2015, thus maintaining momentum towards interoperability and improved care coordination.
In a blog posting
released last week, CMS announced its intent to give providers much-needed relief in the form of a 90-day reporting period in 2015. The decision was long coming and a result of congressional and provider pressure. However, the more direct reason for change can be tied to the long-term sustainability of meaningful use, which will enable improved patient-centered care and health outcomes, the agency said.
Specifically, CMS CMO Patrick Conway, M.D. said the agency is considering proposals to:
• Realign hospital EHR reporting periods to the calendar year to allow eligible hospitals more time to incorporate 2014 Edition software into their workflows and to better align with other CMS quality programs.
• Modify other aspects of the program to match long-term goals, reduce complexity, and lessen providers’ reporting burdens.
• Shorten the EHR reporting period in 2015 to 90 days to accommodate these changes.
The reaction from healthcare providers was immediate. “CHIME applauds CMS for recognizing the pressing need to bring immediate flexibility to the meaningful use program in 2015. We are pleased that CMS has announced their intent to make a number of changes to the program – in addition to a shortened reporting period – to reduce complexity and lessen providers’ reporting burden. Meaningful use has the potential be a transformative program for the nation’s healthcare delivery system and we commend CMS for recognizing the need for a course-correction.”
Details concerning the timing of the announced changes are still unknown, but CMS indicated that these changes would be proposed following release of the Stage 3 notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) due by March.
ONC Unveils Interoperability Roadmap, Standards Advisory
Key Takeaway: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) released the much-anticipated Interoperability Roadmap last week, which received broad support across the industry. Also released was the “2015 Interoperability Standards Advisory,”
a document meant to identify, assess, and determine the “best available interoperability standards and implementation specifications for industry use toward specific health care purposes.”
Why it Matters: ONC’s Interoperability Roadmap
will be used to guide multiple Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs and address congressional criticism over the issue of interoperability. The Standards Advisory is hoped to be updated annually to reflect industry adoption of key clinical standards. In combination, these documents are hoped to drive consensus on a strategy to achieve functional interoperability in the next three years.
ONC last week released a pair of documents detailing how the National Coordinator hopes to address the multi-faceted issue of interoperability. For months, the Office has received criticism from Congress and healthcare providers that meaningful use, EHR Certification and other programs have failed to deliver systems that demonstrate functional interoperability. According to the 166-page document
, the “Roadmap focuses on actions that will enable a majority of individuals and providers across the care continuum to send, receive, find and use a common set of electronic clinical information at the nationwide level by the end of 2017.” While the details of the Roadmap are still under review, CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell said, “This Roadmap incorporates a tremendous amount of stakeholder input and articulates a clear path towards interoperability. It is a cornerstone in the continuing evolution of federal health IT policymaking.”
Joining the release of the Roadmap was the 2015 Interoperability Standards Advisory – a non-binding, non-regulatory document meant to help facilitate discussion and debate on clinical standards currently used in healthcare and referenced in regulation. The Advisory identifies specific standards and references implementation guidelines across four areas of standards, including content, vocabulary, transport and services.
“This is a much-needed playbook for each and every health IT professional,” Branzell said. “Now, healthcare providers and health IT developers have a single source of truth, with an extensible process to align clinical standards towards improved interoperability, efficiency and patient safety.


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Click here to peruse a gallery of Graston’s recent work.
The WFCU Centre was rocking Thursday afternoon when the Brennan Cardinals and the St. Joseph’s Lasers faced off for the 18th annual Father Zakoor Cup. On the last school day before Christmas, the arena was packed with loud, chanting students […]
Ah, the holidays. They’ve arrived in their usual stressful gusto. The mall parking lot has been packed for weeks, and will continue to be until the new year. While we don’t have snow on the ground and temperatures have been […]
The Charles J. Clark public skating rink downtown opens on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. The public can skate for free on weekdays between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. and on the weekend from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., weather permitting. (Note: […]
WINDSOR, Ont. — The Windsor Police Services board has just announced that Windsor police chief Gary Smith has retired. The announcement was streamed live to http://www.windsorstar.com. Smith, under fire in recent days for his handling of alleged cases of police […]
Here are some of the stories our reporters are working on today: Sarah Sacheli is continuing with her investigation of the conduct of Windsor police, related to the $14.2-million police brutality lawsuit filed by Dr. Tyceer Abouhassan. Rebecca Wright will […]
The CAW has always dreaded this moment, and now it’s here. Chinese-built Hondas. On our streets. Just in time for Christmas.
RCMP seized pot, pills and cash this week in the raid of a Windsor home. The RCMP Windsor detachment executed a search warrant Dec. 19 at a home on Albert Street. “Drug dealers have no reservations about taking advantage of […]
The cyclical recovery in global auto sales that began in mid-2009 remains intact, although gains have moderated to five per cent this year from 12 per cent in 2010, according to a Global Auto Report released Thursday by Scotia Economics. […]


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If you have a company in Spain or are thinking about investing in Spain you surely have wondered what the intra-community VAT number is, what is it for, how do I get it, and how does it work? Do not despair, here we are going to tell you everything you need to know about it.
We all know that taxes can be a pain, particularly in a different country where we’re not familiar with the legal system and getting to know it is usually a really hard task. Thankfully there’s nothing to worry about, here comes TAS to your rescue.
Now, let’s start from the beginning:
What is VAT?
The acronym VAT stands for “Value Added Tax”, this is a type of consumption tax. This tax is applied in every stage of the supply chain, in which value is added to the service or product. This tax affects the final price of the goods and is payed by the final consumer as part of the product price. It is then collected by the selling company and refunded to the state.
The VAT payment is different whether the trading exchange occurs within the EU or between a Member State and a non-Member State.
Transactions between a non-European member and a member of the UE
When importing a good from a non-European Member State, it is subject to VAT at the rate applicable in the member State into which the goods are imported, i.e if you import a good from a non-European country into Spain the rate applicable is that of Spain. The VAT is generally charged at the border, at the same time as customs duty.
For intra-community trade, if you are an EU-VAT registered and you sell to another EU-VAT registered you do not charge VAT to that sale. The VAT due for the acquisition of the product is payable on acquisition of the goods by the final customer in the member State where the goods are purchased.
What is an EU VAT number?
An EU VAT number is an identification number for companies. This number is individual and consists of a combination of alphanumeric characters (up to 13 digits), being the first 2 the letters of the country in which the company was registered, i.e. if your company is registered in Spain the first 2 characters will be ES.
This identification number is for intra-EU transactions. Foreign companies as well as EU companies who want to trade with different countries within the EU must have an intra-community VAT number (EU VAT number).
In Spain, this number allows you to charge other companies in Europe, but also permits VAT exemption from the bill. In order to benefit from such an exemption, your intra community VAT number, as well as that of your client, must both appear on the bill. Do not forget that both your company and that of your client must be based in the European Union in order to qualify.
How do I get an EU VAT number in Spain?
In order to obtain the Intra Community VAT number in Spain, it is important to be able to prove to the tax authorities that your business is indeed being carried out from Spain. In fact, in order to enjoy the benefits of the EU VAT number, that is to say charging Duty Free within Europe, your company must have a physical presence in Spain. The ideal situation would be that a partner or several partners are themselves Spanish residents or citizens. However, it is also possible to justify this physical presence by renting a room in Spain as an acting office with a minimum of just one single employee working there.
Getting your VAT number in Spain can take from 3 to 6 months, and within this time you will be subject to inspection by a representative of the Spanish tax authorities.
Verification of intra-community VAT number
To ensure that your client is a taxable person in another Member State you must verify that the provided intra-community VAT number is valid.
There is a database in the European Union where every EU VAT number is registered. To access this database you only have to go to the European Taxation and Customs Union; there you can verify your client and your own intra-community VAT number.
This verification system is called VIES, which stands for VAT Information Exchange System. It is very important for you to check the validity of the intra-community VAT numbers of clients, old and new; given that some countries deactivate these numbers overnight.
You must also be very attentive given that some countries, such as Germany, have two different VAT, a local one and an intra-community one. It is very important for you to include the intra-community VAT in the invoice, because if there is a mistake with it, you must invoice the VAT.
What to do if the intra-community VAT number is not valid?
If you’re checking on your own intra-community VAT number and the system shows it is not valid, the first thing you need to do is to double-check that you introduced your number correctly, if after doing that the invalid message persist, get in touch with your tax authority as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if you’re checking on the EU VAT number of your client and the system shows it is not valid, the first thing you need to do is also to double-check with your client. After you make sure it was not a typo and the number of characters is correct, if the message of the system is still the same, you should let your client know. They must go to their respective tax authority to update the VIES data and make sure that their company’s information is up to date.
The most common reasons for the system to show a “non valid” response are:
The registration of the VAT number is no completed
The VAT number was not activated for intra-community transactions, i.e. within the EU.
The VAT number does not exist.
If the VAT number of your client is not valid they will not be regarded as a taxpayer, meaning you will not be able to apply VAT exemption and you will have to charge it.
The Spanish and European tax system has its complexities, however, we will be sharing all the information you need to know in an explicit and didactic way for your business in Spain to be successful. Follow us on our social networks and blog, or contact us whenever you need, our experts will respond within 24 hours to advise you.


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THE GARDEN CAFÉ at NEWLYN ART GALLERY
OPEN MON – SAT UNTIL 31 OCT
As we embrace this new normal, it seemed sensible to make use of our wonderful little garden at Newlyn Art Gallery and so we have moved our coffee shop outside to the garden area creating a new pop-up café offering the same great cakes and coffee as always, just in a takeaway form. The Garden Café is accessible from Newlyn Green and with picnic benches and blankets available, it’s the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by. On rainy days the Studio Café inside will be open for takeaway cakes and coffees with limited seating available.
The Garden Cafe serves sweet treats made by Oona’s Cakes and a small selection of savouries, along with a range of loose-leaf teas, speciality coffees, as well as soft and alcoholic drinks.
View or download Garden Cafe Menu
Patrons and Supporters receive a 10% discount on cafe purchases on presentation of their card. We are proud to have achieved plastic-free status from Plastic Free Penzance, and wherever possible use locally sourced ingredients and small, independent suppliers.
Our coffee comes from Olfactory Roasters, based in Penryn, and our milk comes from Trink Dairy, near St Ives. Tugboat based in Truro supply us with a wide choice teas. Our selection of cakes (including gluten-free and vegan options) is made by Oona’s Cakes.
Well behaved dogs are welcome. Just ask if you would like water for them.
THE EXCHANGE CAFE
** OPENING FROM 3 OCT **
The Exchange Café is currently closed but we plan to open from SAT 3 OCT. More details to come.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Exchange Café again very soon.


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Updated on June 29, 2018
Happiness lies in making others also happy. These days many couples are facing the infertility problems due to various health issues. These issues are mainly coming due to our unhealthy foods and no physical activities by us. The technological advancements in health care industry have made the impossible things to be possible. Likewise the surrogate methods are more familiar with people these days. Couples with no child through the natural process are undergoing in-vitro fertilization methods. To make all couples happy many new methods have also been introduced in the fertility centers. Some people with broad minds are helping the couples with no child by donating their eggs to them. They are commonly referred to as “egg donors” in medical field.
The process of egg donation by a woman is also a type of IVF technique. In this process the egg from a woman is taken safely and kept in a frozen state. Later the sperm is taken from the male of the couple looking for a child and it is fertilized manually using technological advancements. After that, it is then implanted into the female of the couple or into the surrogate mother so that the child will start grows inside the woman. Some fertilized eggs are also kept under frozen condition which may be used in future if necessary. A woman can donate her eggs with her willingness in surrogate agencies so that it will be more useful to many couples who are in need of a baby in their life.
By donating her eggs a woman can feel great joy as she can be able to see the happiness in others life because of her. This made many women to participate in this egg donation program in the fertility health care centers. The woman who is willing to donate her eggs should also undergo various health checkups so that she would not experience any problems in future after donating the egg. Once you have received report as fit for donating egg you can start your egg donation process with pleasure as they are going to light up the life of many couples.

domain: medical


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Our handcrafted gigantic games are fun and fabulous for both young and old. Whether through nostalgia or novelty, these games are sure to put a smile on your guests face.
Like what you see but don't see what you want? Give us a call and we can build you something new or make the games your own by letting us customize the paint job. We can also create unique game features so they fit flawlessly into your event; be your own Guess You characters, add a logo or create a specialized version.
Due to the size and weight, Delivery & Set-up is required for some of the games: $100 + $0.50/km

domain: entertainment


₹ 299.00 - ₹ 235.00
(as of Feb 03,2023 19:28:00 UTC – Details)
Type C to 3.5mm Audio Connector .Duisah USB Type C to 3.5mm Adapter Headphone Earphone Jack Aux Adapter for Type C mobile Color:- Black Connector A:- USB3.1 Type C male Connector B:- 3.5mm jack female Compatible with:- All type C mobile Package include:- 1 x Type-C to 3.5mm Adapte.Best Quality The quality of the adaptor is made in such a way that you will not find any kind of discrepancies while using it on your smart phone and doing multiple functions together . Type c connector is made of PolyCarbon Plastic
Also supports 3.5mm AUX in the car.Built with the same grade materials as premium headphone brands, Features premium digital audio conversion chip delivering a premium audio/sound output.
Small and light and easy to carry. Plug and play.
Gently insert your headphone/earphone pin completely into the 3.5 mm jack
Mix color available


Despite the high levels of activists and some of the most-restrictive gun laws in the nation, there's too much shooting and stabbing going on there. It's something activists, some who trained and organized with their first friend Barry, are expecting him to fix by more gun laws, stimulus funding, and magical words from the bully pulpit.
The activists are trying to activate the chief hope-and-change re-arranger. It reminds me of verses in their Bible, Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals:
"Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."
"One acts decisively only in the conviction that all the angels are on one side and all the devils on the other."